Kieran wakes to soft morning light spilling across the basement, cutting through the faint haze left by the projector that somehow stayed paused halfway through the movie. His neck is a little stiff, but the warmth pressed against his side feels familiar in a way that makes him smile before he even opens his eyes.
Brooke is curled comfortably against him on the same recliner, her hair falling across his shoulder like she'd migrated there sometime during the night without either of them noticing. Or at least that's what they are hoping the other girls will think... Their legs are tangled under the shared blanket. She blinks awake a moment later, lifting her head slightly.
"Morning," she mutters, voice rough with sleep.
Kieran nods. "Hey."
They both shift at the same time, trying to stretch without dumping each other onto the floor, laughing quietly at how ridiculous they must look. Eventually they manage to stand, shaking off the last bits of sleep. Before waking up the others, they get dressed, not wanting their naked state to surprise the other girls.
In the other recliners, the girls are beginning to move around in that half-functional morning way, grabbing their overnight bags, yawning, and trading mumbled good-mornings. Everyone gets ready in waves, drifting in and out of the guest bathroom. There's no chaos, just lazy chatter. April brushes her teeth while Harper fixes her hair in the mirror. Eliza digs through a drawer for extra hair ties. Brooke pulls on a hoodie that absolutely does not belong to her, but Kieran doesn't bother correcting her.
Kieran rinses his face in the sink, the cool water waking him up fully. When he comes out, the girls are gathered near the front entryway, grabbing shoes, straightening jackets, and making plans.
Eliza stretches her arms above her head with a small groan. "Alright, who wants breakfast?"
"Me," April says instantly.
"Obviously," Harper adds.
Brooke leans against the wall. "If we don't leave soon, I'm gonna starve."
Kieran slips on his sneakers. "Where are we going?"
Eliza grins. "First Watch. Our usual."
They pile into two cars, still half asleep, still laughing at nothing in particular. By the time they reach First Watch, the place smells like coffee and warm syrup and toasted bread. They slide into a long booth, shoulders pressed together, jackets draped over the seat backs.
Menus don't matter. The girls already know what they want.
"I'm getting pancakes," April says before the server even asks.
"Waffles," Harper declares. "Obviously. They're elite here."
Brooke orders the same, claiming she wants to compare whose waffle looks better. Eliza gets a skillet and steals bites from everyone else. Kieran goes for a classic breakfast plate, though he ends up sharing half his potatoes with Brooke because she keeps eyeing them.
They talk about everything except last night. Random school stuff. TikToks. Whether the K-Pop Demon Hunters sequel is going to be trash. April insists she could choreograph a better fight scene. Harper almost chokes on her waffle laughing.
The food is good, the conversation even better. It's one of those slow, golden mornings where nobody's in a rush and every minute feels easy.
After breakfast, they drift back to Eliza's house, full and happy. The driveway is bright with late-morning sun as they grab their bags from inside.
"Same time next weekend?" April asks, already knowing the answer.
Eliza shrugs like it's obvious. "Yeah. Duh."
Harper pulls Kieran into a quick side hug. Brooke bumps his shoulder playfully before heading to her car. One by one they peel off, leaving the driveway quieter, the house settling back into its usual stillness.
Kieran stands there for a moment, bag slung over his shoulder, feeling the leftover warmth from the morning lingering in his chest.
It had been a pretty good night.
A pretty good morning too.
And when he finally gets into his car and starts the engine, he can't help the small smile that sticks around the entire drive home.
-----
Kieran pulls into the driveway, the sun higher now, the morning settling into that calm weekend feeling. He grabs his bag from the backseat and heads inside, kicking off his shoes by the door out of habit.
Cate is in the kitchen pouring herself a cup of coffee wearing just underwear and a hoodie. She looks up the second she hears him come in.
"Well hey, you're back," she says, smiling. "How was the sleepover?"
She leans her hip against the counter, relaxed and genuinely curious, the way she always is when she wants to hear about his night. "You look tired," she adds, amused. "Fun night?"
Kieran drops his bag onto one of the bar stools, feeling the leftover good mood from the morning hanging on. Cate pushes a second mug toward him without asking, like she already knew he'd want some.
She takes a sip of her coffee and nods toward him. "Alright. Tell me about it."
Kieran grins and flops onto the sofa. "I mean... What can you expect, you know those girls."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. It was pretty fun. We did some hot tub stuff, then some stuff in the hot tub." He pauses and they laugh.
"Oh, come on. Tell me the details." Cate asks, leaning forward.
"Well, the girls have been pent up apparently, since I haven't been at the nudist project to take care of them. But I've been at football instead so it's okay. I helped Eliza out with my hands and then I ate Harper out too. Pretty basic stuff."
"Pfft. There has to be more." Cate rolls her eyes.
"Yeah... we played some pool and made out and stuff. Then Brooke woke me up in the middle of the night, when everyone was still around us. We did a pretty good job staying quiet."
"Sex?" Cate asks.
"Yup."
"Nice, glad you got a better release than that massage I gave you earlier in the day."
Kieran sits up, "No, I mean, yeah it was probably better. But that massage felt so good. I wouldn't mind doing that again-" He pauses.
Cate seems to think about it, "I wouldn't mind helping you relax again. Not today though I'm a little tired." She stands and gets the TV remote. "Now, I'm going to watch some Mormon Wives. I doubt you want to join me?"
Kieran stands slowly, "Uhhh... I'll pass. I'm gonna go do some homework."
Kieran slips away from the living room and heads upstairs, rubbing his eyes as the early afternoon light spills across the hallway. His room feels cooler and quieter than the rest of the house, the kind of quiet that helps his brain actually settle. He drops his bag on the floor, grabs his laptop, and crawls onto the bed.
For a while, he actually gets work done. Anatomy notes. A few Spanish assignments. A discussion board post he's been putting off. It's not fun, but it's strangely calming after the chaotic energy of the sleepover.
His phone buzzes beside him.
Annie.
He stares at her name for a second, feeling that small lift in his chest that hasn't faded since the nudist project started. He answers and leans back against his pillows.
"Hey," he says.
Her voice comes through warm and bright. "Hi. I didn't wake you up, did I?"
"No, I'm just doing homework," he says. "Trying to be productive."
She laughs softly. "On a Sunday? Who even are you?"
He smiles without meaning to. "Someone who had a long night."
"Oh? Good long or exhausting long?"
"Both," he says. "We played pool and Brooke destroyed everyone. Then the girls made me watch some K-pop demon movie."
Annie hums like she's amused. "Sounds like chaos."
"Yeah," he says. "But… fun chaos."
There's a small pause on her end, comfortable and familiar.
"Well," she says, her tone softening a little, "I'm glad you had a good night."
Kieran nods even though she can't see him. "Yeah. Me too."
She shifts on her end of the call. "I was actually calling to see if you're free later. I kinda wanted to talk to you about something."
Kieran sits up a little straighter. "Yeah? What's up?"
"I'll tell you later," she says, teasing. "Nothing bad. Just… something."
He laughs under his breath. "Alright. I'm around."
"Good," she says. "I'll text you in a bit. And finish your homework, nerd."
"I'm working on it," he says.
She hangs up with a soft goodbye, and the room goes quiet again, leaving Kieran staring at the ceiling, suddenly way more awake than he meant to be. What could she be asking him about? Maybe about their relationship? Maybe about- That's it. Prom. It has to be prom.
He sits up slowly, the realization settling in with this weird mix of anticipation and panic. Of course she'd want to talk about that. They've danced around it for a week now. Everyone at school has been doing big promposals. Posters. Flowers. Chalk murals. People renting goats for some reason.
Annie pretending she hasn't been thinking about it is almost funny.
"Yeah," he mutters to himself. "She's totally planning something."
He runs a hand through his hair, pacing a little in the room. And if she is planning something… then he definitely wants to beat her to it. Or at least tie her. Meeting her halfway. Something cute. Something that makes her laugh.
A double prompose.At the exact same moment.
The idea starts snowballing fast.
If she's planning something at her house, she'll probably tell him to meet her inside. Maybe she'll lead him to the garage or the backyard. She'll have a setup ready. Balloons. Lights. A sign. Something very Annie.
So what if he's already there before she even realizes?
His mind starts sketching it out. He shows up early. Parks a little down the street so she doesn't notice. Sets up whatever he's doing outside her garage door. Something simple but pretty. Maybe fairy lights. Maybe candles. Definitely a sign. Maybe flowers too.
She'd walk him toward the garage thinking she's surprising him. She'd open the door expecting her setup to hit him in the face.
But instead she'd find him standing there.His sign.His whole setup.Already waiting.
And the image hits him so hard he actually smiles.
She'd freeze for a second. Then laugh. Then probably shove him lightly and call him annoying. And then she'd say yes. Obviously.
It feels right.It feels very them.
He glances at his clock. He has time to pull this off today if she texts soon. If not today, then tomorrow. He needs supplies. Poster board. Markers. Lights. Something that looks good in the late afternoon.
And he needs to figure out exactly what the sign will say.
But the plan is already formed.He knows what he's doing.And he can't wait.
Kieran's afternoon turns into a quiet mission.
He moves through the craft store like he already sees the scene in his head. First stop: poster boards. He flips through the colors, muttering to himself. Black looks too formal. White looks like a school project. He lands on a deep navy one that'll glow when the lights hit it.
He grabs metallic paint markers instead of pre-made letters. If he's doing this, it should look hand-done, imperfect in the way Annie seems to like.
Next aisle: fairy lights. He presses the little test buttons on three different boxes until he finds a warm white set that isn't too yellow. Then candles; small glass votives so nothing gets messy or risky.
Cut to him checking out, trunk filling with supplies.
Cut to him in his car outside her neighborhood, rehearsing how he's going to tape the lights without them sagging. He shrugs to himself. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to feel like he meant it.
He parks down the street, enough that she won't see his car from her windows.
The driveway is shaded and still. He kneels on the concrete, spreading everything out. The poster goes down first. He paints the letters slowly so they stay straight: light up my night at prom. He lets them dry while he threads the fairy lights around the border, fighting with tape that keeps sticking to his fingers.
He steps back when he's done. The lights glow softly. The letters shine just enough. It looks like exactly the kind of thing he'd make for her.
He places the candles in a loose curve leading toward the garage door, waiting to light them until she's almost outside.
He pulls out his phone.
Text to Annie:"hey sorry running slow, stopped for gas. almost there"
He pockets the phone, takes a breath that feels too big for his chest, and looks over the whole setup again.
She's inside thinking she's about to surprise him.He's outside building his own surprise right back.
-----
Annie opens her garage door, stepping onto the driveway with a little hesitation. She fidgets with her keys, taking a deep breath. She had been planning a serious little talk, something careful and thoughtful, and now she feels that awkward flutter in her stomach. But then she stops. Her eyes widen as she sees the driveway lit with candles, the fairy-lit sign glowing: light up my night at prom.
"Oh…" she starts, voice catching, a little nervous laugh escaping. She glances around, unsure, shifting from foot to foot. "I… I wasn't expecting… this."
Kieran steps forward from where he's been waiting, grinning like he owns the moment. "Surprise," he says, voice easy and confident. "I guess I got here first."
Annie bites her lip, laughing nervously, looking at him like she can't decide whether to be frustrated or impressed. "Wait… you… all this… for me?"
"Yeah," Kieran says, stepping closer, hands relaxed at his sides. "For a reason. So here's the deal. I want you to light up my night at prom. Will you go with me?"
Her nervous smile falters for a second, the weight of what she'd meant to say still lingering in her chest. She had imagined sitting him down, carefully explaining things, and now here he is, taking control, making it playful and bold. But despite the awkwardness, she can't help it—she feels herself smiling, her shoulders relaxing.
"Yes," she says, finally, laughing softly. "Of course I'll go with you."
Kieran grins, stepping just a little closer so the glow of the candles catches his face. "Good. That makes it official then. Prom, together."
She shakes her head, still smiling, a little breathless. "I was going to have a serious little talk about… stuff," she admits, still laughing nervously.
"You were?" Kieran says, face falling, "I didn't know..."
Her laugh grows, tension easing. "I know, I know."
"Well?" he says, "What is it?"
The candles flicker, the fairy lights glow softly, and for a moment, the nerves and awkwardness spiraling into the moment.
"It's just... I was at a party last night. And-" Her face breaks and he starts to cry. "Oh my God Kieran it was-" her voice cracks, "It wasn't my fault. If I knew I never would have..."
In two short strides he's right in front of her, his arms wrapped tightly around her in a protective grip. He holds her for a few minutes while she cries, almost limp in his arms. He doesn't ask questions, instead waiting until she's ready to talk.
"Let's go inside." She manages.
Kieran follows her inside to her modest living room. The house isn't nearly as big as Eliza's but it's still respectable and well furnished. They sit down on her couch, Annie has calmed down enough that she doesn't cuddle up next to Kieran, instead sitting about a foot away.
"At the party. These two guys told me that one of my friends was out throwing up in the woods past the backyard. It was at another one of my friends houses, right? After they led me out there, we couldn't find my friend and- and they-"
"They what?" Kieran asks, deadly serious.
"They touched me Kieran. Not all the way, not sex. But they ripped up my clothes and left me there." She breaks down again, burying her face in Kieran's chest. Kieran hears a ringing in his ears, his brain echoes with her words again and again. His heart is beating fast and burns with a white-hot anger he's never known before.
"Who? Annie? Do you know who?"
"It was that Eli guy, the one who used to be quarterback. Him and some other I don't know."
He holds her tightly against him, holding her for a long time until her breaths are deep and her body is limp in his arms. Gently, he carries her upstairs and has to open a few doors until he finds one that must be her room. He lays her down on the bed and puts a blanket over her sleeping form. Then, quietly goes down to the garage. After carelessly bagging up his promposal items he gets in the Mercedes, texting Annie a note that he'll call her later that night when she's awake.