Chapter 118 Nothing Else Mattered
When the host stepped onto the stage again and began announcing the Prom King and Queen, the entire ballroom slowly quieted down. The music softened and conversations faded as everyone turned their attention toward the stage.
Students whispered excitedly, some already guessing who would win.
My heart began to beat faster.
I already knew what was coming, but I forced myself to remain calm in my seat. I kept my face neutral, pretending to be just another student waiting for the results.
"And this year's Prom King is..."
The host paused for dramatic effect.
"Liam Alcaraz!"
The reaction was immediate. The entire ballroom erupted into applause and cheers. Girls giggled excitedly, some clapping loudly while others whispered my name. My teammates whistled and slapped the table as they celebrated.
I stood up slowly and walked toward the stage, offering a polite smile like I had expected this all along. But inside, I didn't care about the title. Because the only thing that mattered to me was who would stand beside me.
As I climbed the steps of the stage, I noticed movement from the corner of my eye. Stacy stood up confidently from her seat and walked toward the stage as well, her chin lifted proudly and a victorious smile already forming on her lips. The people at her table began clapping and cheering for her, clearly believing the result was obvious.
Of course they did.
Stacy had always been the most popular girl in Suncrest. Everyone expected her to win.
She stepped onto the stage beside me and slipped her arm through mine naturally, as if the crown already belonged to her. The bright lights reflected against her glittering gown while she waved gracefully to the crowd.
Anyone watching would have thought the announcement had already been decided.
I kept my expression calm, though inside I felt a strange tension building in my chest.
The host lifted the microphone again.
"And now... for this year's Prom Queen."
The ballroom waited.
"And the Prom Queen is..."
A brief pause stretched across the room.
"Mia Villaruiz!"
For a moment, the entire ballroom fell completely silent.
The reaction was nothing like when my name had been called.
Some students looked confused. Others stared at each other in disbelief, as if they weren't sure they had heard the name correctly.
Beside me, I felt Stacy freeze. Her hand slowly slipped away from my arm. Then suddenly my teammates stood up from their table. They started clapping loudly.
"Let's go, Mia!" one of them shouted.
Their applause broke the silence, and slowly the rest of the ballroom followed. One by one, more students joined the clapping until the entire room filled with applause.
Across the ballroom, I saw Mia still sitting at her table, looking completely shocked.
She looked around like she wasn't sure if they had really called her name. My chest tightened. She had no idea.
what I had done just to make this moment happen.
Beside me, Stacy's expression hardened.
"She couldn't be the Prom Queen," she hissed under her breath, clearly unable to believe what had just happened.
I turned slightly toward her, keeping my voice calm.
"Stacy, you can't complain," I said quietly. "Mia won by votes. If you protest now, people will think you're upset because you lost to her."
Her jaw tightened, but I continued before she could argue.
"Besides, it's only a title for one night," I added, trying to sound reassuring. "You're already famous all over the country, not just here at Suncrest."
I made sure my voice sounded concerned, like I was trying to comfort her. But the truth was completely different. Inside, excitement surged through me. Because this was exactly what I had planned.
The moment I learned that the prom would have a voting system for Prom King and Queen, an idea immediately formed in my mind. I knew Mia would never agree to dance with me if I simply asked her again. She had already rejected me too many times.
So I found another way. I reached out to my teammates first. Then to other student groups who owed me favors. Quietly, carefully, I convinced them to vote for Mia.
At first, I wasn't even sure it would work.
Suncrest Academy was full of influential students, and Stacy had always been the most popular girl in school. Winning against her would never be easy.
But somehow, my teammates managed to pull it off.
They gathered enough votes to push Mia to the top.
Now Mia was slowly standing from her seat, still looking stunned as her friends gently pushed her toward the stage. My queen.
This was the only way I could make sure she would dance with me tonight.
Because tradition required the Prom King and Queen to share the first dance together.
A small smile tugged at my lips as I watched Mia slowly walk toward the stage, still overwhelmed by everything happening around her.
For once, fate was on my side. And tonight, no matter what happened afterward, I would finally get the dance with Mia that I had been dreaming about.
Because when it came to her, I was willing to do anything just to make one moment like this happen.
I watched Mia from the moment her name was called and she was stunned and not moving until the host called her name again and Josh had to push her and she slowly walked towards me.
“Liam, make sure you don’t make any mistakes tonight.”
Stacy’s voice carried a sharp warning as she leaned closer to me before stepping away from the stage. Her eyes lingered on me for a moment, as if she was trying to read my thoughts, making sure I understood exactly what she meant.
Then Stacy turned around without waiting for my reply.
She walked straight toward the ballroom exit, her heels clicking loudly against the polished floor. Her friends hurried after her like a small parade, whispering among themselves as they followed their furious queen out of the room.
For a moment, the entire ballroom felt strangely quiet.
I let out a slow breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.
Relief washed over me.
The tension that had been gripping my chest since the announcement finally loosened. I knew Stacy’s anger would become a problem later, but for now, she was gone, and that was all that mattered.
Because Mia was standing there.
I stepped down from the stage and walked toward her, my heart beating faster with every step. She was still standing where the host had left her, looking slightly stunned, as if she still couldn’t believe what had just happened tonight.
When I reached her, I offered my hand. She looked at it for a second before slowly placing her hand in mine.
The moment our fingers touched, something inside my chest tightened.
Together, we were crowned Prom King and Queen of the night. The applause of our classmates echoed around the ballroom, but honestly, I barely heard any of it. My entire attention was on Mia.
Without wasting another second, I gently guided her toward the center of the dance floor where the music had already begun to play again.
As soon as we reached the middle, I placed my hands on her waist, carefully pulling her closer.
“Finally,” I murmured softly near her ear, unable to hide the quiet satisfaction in my voice. “I finally got the chance to dance with you.”
The truth was, the moment I saw her tonight, I had wanted to pull her into my arms.
But I couldn’t rush things. I couldn’t risk putting her in danger or making things harder for her because of Stacy. So I forced myself to stay patient.
Mia hesitated. Her hands hovered awkwardly in the air before she slowly spoke.
“Do you think this is okay?” she asked softly, worry filling her voice. “You could be in big trouble, Liam. Stacy just left the ballroom.”
She looked nervous, as if she was afraid someone might suddenly stop us. For a second, she didn’t even know where to place her arms.
I gently took her hands and guided them around my neck myself. Then I pulled her a little closer. Close enough that I could feel her warmth. Close enough that my heart started beating harder. But still giving her enough space so she wouldn’t feel overwhelmed.
“Let me worry about Stacy,” I whispered quietly, my eyes locked on hers.
Right now, nothing else mattered. Not the whispers around us. Not the trouble waiting for me later. Not even Stacy. All that mattered was that Mia was finally here in my arms. And for the first time tonight, I was exactly where I wanted to be.