Books from G.A. Hauser > The Prom Date

Book: The Prom Date EXCERPT FROM BOOK Emit stood at his locker between classes. He felt someone leaning against him and looked over his shoulder. “Hi.” “Hi.” Jody moved so her back was facing the locker next to him. “I asked someone to the prom.” “No!” “Yup.” Since Jody was smiling, Emit assumed she now had a date. “What happened to, I don’t want to go, it’s for the popular kids?” He shut his locker. “Don’t you want to know who?” She poked his chest. He swiped at her hand. “Who?” “Sam Brown.” “Samantha is gay?” Jody covered his mouth quickly. “Don’t be stupid.” As Emit pictured mocha-skinned Samantha he was a little jealous. “She’s beautiful.” “I know.” Jody shivered in excitement. “I’m happy for you. Really.” Jody whacked Emit on the shoulder and tilted her head to the hallway. Emit turned to look. Brodie, appearing as downtrodden as a beaten dog, walked by them silently. “Wow. He looks like crap.” Jody watched as Brodie entered a classroom. “I think he’s going through some shit. He got hit really hard with a ball yesterday when he was at bat.” Shrugging, Jody said, “He’s an athlete, isn’t he supposed get beaned?” “Poor guy. I wish I was a better friend. I’d listen to him if he needed to vent.” The bell rang. Jody said, “Be that friend!” and rushed off. Emit entered the same classroom as Brodie had and sat in the back, seeing Brodie daydreaming, looking at the cover of his text book. Hearing a giggling beside him, Emit tried to see who and why they were laughing. Two of the guys that had been on the opposite team as Brodie was, yesterday in the ballpark, were staring at Brodie and sharing something nasty. What the fuck? Emit was confused. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, and the noise was getting worse. With the graduation and prom nearing, no one was learning anything and students were ‘misbehaving’ to say the least. As Emit watched in shock, the two morons who were whispering behind Brodie’s back, wrote something on a torn out page of notebook paper, folded it, and flicked it. It hit Brodie on his thigh and fell to the floor. Emit was beyond stunned and tried to figure out what was going through the minds of the two idiots next to him. Brodie glanced back, caught Emit’s gaze for a second, and didn’t pick up the triangle of paper. The teacher entered, the class calmed down, and the lesson began. An hour later, after zoning in and out of attention, since he couldn’t care less about the class any longer, Emit lagged behind, made sure no one was watching him, and picked up the tiny triangle of paper. He nudged his glasses higher and cupped it in his hand. Since it was lunchtime, he headed to the men’s room, closed himself into a stall, and opened the paper. He gasped in shock. The word ‘COCKSUCKER’ was written on it, as well as a crude drawing of a dick. It made Emit sick to his stomach. This was what he expected to be aimed at him, not the macho-athlete in the senior class. What the hell is going on? He tore it up in revulsion, tears stinging his eyes. ~ Brodie left campus to eat lunch. The halls were papered with fliers for the prom. Banners, committee members sitting in the halls selling tickets, artwork being hung, and themes discussed. He sat in his car, eating a burger, alone in the parking lot of a fast food chain. Once he finished, sipping his milkshake, he checked his phone. On his social profile, someone had posted an obscene photo of a cock in an ass. Brodie freaked out and deleted it, blocked the person who had posted it, and was about to delete his entire profile when he noticed someone had messaged him. He cringed and had a look. It was from Emit Jacoby. All it said was, ‘I’m here.’ “What does that mean?” Brodie searched for the deactivation button and got rid of his account. He was so upset he was about to puke up his burger and fries. “Why is this happening?” He rubbed his face in anxiety. They had less than a month to go until graduation and this had never happened to him before. He left his car, threw out the trash from his meal, and didn’t want to return to school. He tried to call his sister, but it went to her voicemail. He didn’t leave a message.