The Breakfast Club meets Can't Hardly Wait with an unforgettable ensemble cast in another swoony YA contemporary from award-winning author Julian Winters! Seventeen-year-old Theo Wright has it all figured out. His plan (well, more like his dad’s plan) is a foolproof strategy that involves exceling at his magnet school, getting scouted by college recruiters, and going to Duke on athletic scholarship. But for now, all Theo wants is a perfect prom night. After his best friend Jay dares Theo to prompose to his crush at Chloe Campbell’s party, Theo’s ready to throw caution to the wind and take his chances. But when the promposal goes epically wrong, Theo seeks refuge in an empty bedroom while the party rages on downstairs. Having an existential crisis about who he really is with and without his so-called best friend wasn’t on tonight’s agenda. Though, as the night goes on, Theo finds he’s not as alone as he thinks when, one by one, new classmates join him to avoid who they’re supposed be outside the bedroom door. Among them, a familiar acquaintance, a quiet outsider, an old friend, and a new flame . . . Julian Winters is a bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary young adult fiction. His novels Running with Lions , How to Be Remy Cameron , and The Summer of Everything (Duet, 2018, 2019, 2020, respectively) received accolades for their positive depictions of diverse, relatable characters. A former management trainer, Julian currently lives outside of Atlanta, where he can be found reading, being a self-proclaimed comic book geek, or watching the only two sports he can follow--volleyball and soccer. 1 The Rules of a Dare Rule number one to accepting any dare: never agree to something you’re not 99.5 percent positive you can complete. It’s the easiest rule to honor. Never ask a random peer an invasive question if they look like they’ve had a bad day and could potentially murder you on the spot. Don’t agree to eat a ghost pepper if you have a low tolerance for spicy foods. Absolutely no streaking in a neighbor’s yard if you can’t outrun their usually playful but extremely protective Akita. On second thought, no streaking. Period. I know all this by heart. I also know the second Jay Scott opens his mouth to say, “Theoooooo, you’re up!” at the beginning of lunch, I’m doomed. As if this never-­ending week of studying and exhausting track practices weren’t enough. Now it’s a Dare Day too. Since freshman year, Friday dares have been a staple for meand my two besties, Jay and Darren. Back then, we were awkward, hormonal nobodies. The self-­appointed TNT—­The Nameless Trio. As juniors, we’re a tight, debatably corny crew who’ve become the heart and soul of the boys’ varsity track-­and-­field team. But the dares were the gateway to breaking out of our shells here at Brook-­Oak. Jay started it all. On an arbitrary Friday in November, he crowed, “Someone dare me to do something!” It’s as if he knew we were all tired of trying and failing to find our footing in a new environment. Out of the three of us, he’s always been the most outgoing. Ready to jump into a fire without looking. So I did. “I dare you to run around the quad three times, as fast as you can . . . shirtless.” Not my most creative effort. What can I say? I’m not my best when put on the spot. He did it anyway because, of course. It’s Jay. A month later, he dared Darren to eat three packets of sriracha with no water. Then Darren dared me to propose to Brianna Matthews using only Taylor Swift lyrics. Once a month, on a Friday during lunch, Dare Day rolls around. It’s an established tradition. And no matter how much we’ve grown out of it, none of us have the heart to disrupt the status quo. Least of all me. There are some unspoken rules to this: Nothing illegal. Nothing that’ll cause too much bodily harm. Only things that’ll earn us weird looks or gauche laughs. Oh, and the occasional after-­school detention after jumping on one of the quad’s tables to sing Mariah Carey’s classic “Always Be My Baby” for all to witness. Not bragging, but I nailed that performance. Even added a little falsetto at the end to noisy applause. That’s another bonus: the attention from other students. I can genuinely say I’ve made several acquaintances—­authentic friends too—­from the stunts Jay or Darren have challenged me to do. The dares solidified our group. We find ways to get in trouble together so no one takes the fall alone. All for one, one for all or whatever. Like last month when Darren had to reenact a scene from Magic Mike . . . shirtless. (Seminudity is a recurring theme.) Anyway, Jay and I stood shoulder to shoulder with him as we all got scolded by Vice Principal Clarke for disrupting the lunch period. But none of our history prepares me for Jay’s challenge. “I dare you to ask Christian Harris to prom.” “Oh. Shit.” In my periphery, Darren’s thick eyebrows shoot up his forehead. We’re outside. Early April in Louisville means