So much for dashing in unnoticed.
“Oh, well, you’ve found us,” I say with a nervous laugh. I try leaning against the wall, but I look like I’m doing awkward wall push-ups.
“I noticed the assignment list in the teacher’s lounge,” she says.
“Assignment list?” Renner asks, not-so-casually slinging his arm over my shoulder and pulling me into his side a little too forcefully. He may smell delightful, like a Bounce dryer sheet, but I’m hella uncomfortable. When I stiffen, he gets the hint and loosens his grip.
“The one for prom. Charlotte made the list?” she says, as though we should just know.
A list. This sounds like something adult me would do. “Prom assignment list. Yes,” I repeat with fake enthusiasm.
“You assigned me for the early shift tomorrow night, but I’d need to find a sitter for Rudy until Chuck gets home. Rudy’s got a bit of a cold and it’s a whole thing. Can you switch me to the late shift?”
“Uh, yeah. Sure. Kids come first,” I chirp.
Her shoulders lower with relief. Seems we’ve just done her a huge solid. “Thanks for understanding. He’s been difficult lately with food. I think we need to switch his brand of kibble.”
Renner raises his brows. “Kibble?”
“The vet recommended a new brand. Said most hedgehogs thrive on this one but—”
“Rudy is a hedgehog,” I clarify, tamping down my laughter.
“Of course he is. You babysat him a couple weeks ago. Are you two okay? Pre-wedding jitters melting your brains?” she asks, eyeing us with playful suspicion.
I don’t have a chance to answer, because Renner starts asking all sorts of questions about Rudy, how old he is, his feeding schedule, and whether he can do tricks like a dog. Hedgehog Lady delights in the opportunity to discuss Rudy’s aversion to baths. I flash him a look, silently daring him to ask yet another question.
“Um, we better get going. We’re gonna be late for—um, we’re gonna be late,” he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and guiding me away.
The moment we turn the corner, I shrug myself out of Renner’s grip. “Please don’t touch me.”
“Sorry. But everyone thinks we’re engaged. Wouldn’t it be weird if we never touched?”
“We’re at work. We have to stay professional,” I grumble, walking ahead.
“Who was that? And why does she have a hedgehog and treat it like her child?”
“I don’t even want to know. And had we gone straight to the gym like we planned, we wouldn’t have had to deal with it,” I hiss.
He lets out a heavy sigh, fixing me with a tormented expression when we reach the gym. “You’re not blaming me for this.”
“Of course I am,” I whisper.
The gym is quiet, just as it was earlier this morning, before I fell off the ladder—thirteen years ago. Only, instead of Under the Sea decor, it’s decked out like Mardi Gras. There’s a big deck of cards illuminated on the far wall, as well as tables with royal-purple linens and large feather centerpieces filled with silver beaded necklaces. There are even gold sheets of fabric draped from the ceiling.
“I can’t believe we are supposed to chaperone this thing tomorrow. We didn’t even get to go to our own prom,” I say.
“Well, with any luck, we won’t have to chaperone. I’m gonna fetch the ladder,” he says and heads for the storage room.
Just as he turns the knob, we hear voices approaching, followed by the squeak of the door. A group of bright-eyed students funnels in, one after another.
My first thought is to dive behind Renner and hide.
“Hi, Mr. Renner.” A girl in a yellow cardigan greets him cheerfully, the glimmer in her eyes fading when she pans to me. “Ms. Wu.”
“See? Dungeon teacher,” Renner whispers before turning back to the student. “Oh, hi. What are you doing in here?” he asks, his voice comically low. He sounds like a Marvel villain.
“Decorating for prom,” Yellow Cardigan Girl says with perky confidence. I’d bet money she’s student council president.
“Right. Um, well, carry on.” Renner dips his chin and pulls me into the hallway.
“Where are we going?” I groan, clasping a hand on the doorframe. I can envision soaring off that ladder, out of this nightmare and back to my seventeen-year-old self. “We’re so close.”
“We can’t do this with a bunch of people around,” he says matter-of-factly. “We’ll have to come back after hours.”