Devi Vishwakumar sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her closet with a furrowed brow. The dance was tonight, and she still didn't have the perfect outfit. The rest of her life might have been a complete mess, but tonight was supposed to be her moment. The night she would walk into that high school gym, turn every head, and make everyone—including the boy she was secretly pining over—realize just how amazing she was. It wasn't too much to ask, right?

The lyrics from Taylor Swift's "Bejeweled" bounced around in her mind: "Best believe I'm still bejeweled, when I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer." That's what she needed—a moment to shimmer. She needed to shine so brightly that everyone would have no choice but to pay attention to her. Because right now, it felt like she was constantly being overshadowed, whether by her own mistakes or by people like Paxton Hall-Yoshida or even Ben Gross.

Devi let out an exasperated sigh and flopped backward onto her bed. "Why is it so hard to be fabulous when you're a teenage girl with no budget?"

Just then, her phone buzzed, and she reached over to see a text from Fabiola.

Fabiola: Hey, you ready for tonight? You're still coming, right?

Eleanor quickly followed with a text of her own.

Eleanor: What are you wearing? I feel like it's a total 'debutante at the ball' moment. I need ideas!

Devi stared at her screen, feeling the pressure building. This wasn't just a normal school dance. It was her chance to show everyone that she wasn't the same awkward, impulsive girl who always made a mess of things. She was going to be a dazzling, unapologetically confident version of herself.

But first, she needed the right outfit.

"Ugh," she groaned, sitting up and scanning her room in desperation. "What do I even have that says 'bejeweled'?"

She rummaged through her closet, tossing clothes onto the floor until she found a shimmery silver dress that she had bought on sale last year but never had the courage to wear. She held it up in front of the mirror, her face lighting up slightly. It wasn't perfect, but it was close enough.

"Okay, Devi," she muttered to herself. "You've got the dress. Now all you need is the confidence to pull it off."


A few hours later, Devi stood in front of the mirror, fully dressed and feeling… kind of amazing. The silver dress hugged her in all the right places, and the sparkly earrings she'd borrowed from Nalini, her mom, gave the whole look an extra pop. She twirled in front of the mirror, watching the way the dress caught the light.

"Yeah, I'm gonna shimmer," Devi said to herself with a grin.

Downstairs, she could hear her mom bustling around, probably getting ready to head to work or something equally boring. But before Devi could make her grand entrance, Nalini appeared at her bedroom door, her eyebrows raised as she took in Devi's outfit.

"Wow, Devi, you look… shiny," Nalini said, her voice a mix of approval and confusion.

"Thanks, Mom," Devi said, smoothing out her dress. "It's called 'bejeweled.' You wouldn't understand."

Nalini gave her a bemused smile. "Just make sure you don't blind anyone at the dance with all that sparkle."

Devi rolled her eyes but smiled back. "I'm not making any promises."

Nalini lingered for a moment, her expression softening. "You really do look beautiful, you know. I hope you have fun tonight."

Devi's heart warmed a little at her mom's rare compliment. "Thanks, Mom. I will."


The moment Devi stepped into the school gym, the sound of pop music blaring from the speakers and the chatter of students filled the air. The room was decked out in streamers and twinkling lights, but all Devi cared about was the way heads turned as she walked in. Fabiola and Eleanor were standing near the punch table, and they both spotted her at the same time.

"Devi!" Eleanor squealed, rushing over and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Oh my God, you look amazing! Like, red-carpet-at-the-Oscars amazing!"

Fabiola nodded in agreement, her eyes wide. "Yeah, Dev, you're killing it."

Devi grinned, her confidence soaring. "Thanks, guys. I told you, tonight's my night. I'm going to shine so bright, no one's going to know what hit them."

They made their way over to the dance floor, where everyone was already mingling and having a good time. But Devi couldn't help scanning the room, looking for two specific people—Paxton and Ben. She hadn't exactly planned on having feelings for both of them, but, well, here she was. And tonight, she wasn't going to let that confuse her. Tonight was about her.

Eleanor, always one for drama, whispered excitedly, "I see Paxton over by the bleachers. And… oh my God, Ben's right near the DJ booth."

Devi felt a small jolt of nervous energy but quickly smothered it. She wasn't here to worry about boys. Not tonight. She turned to her friends and smiled, a determined glint in her eye. "Let's dance."

As they moved to the beat of the music, Devi felt herself relaxing, getting lost in the rhythm. It was easy to forget about everything else when she was with her friends, just laughing and being carefree. She twirled, her dress catching the light, and for a moment, she really did feel bejeweled—like the center of the universe.

But then, as fate would have it, she caught sight of Paxton out of the corner of her eye. He was standing near the snack table, looking effortlessly cool as always, chatting with a group of people. Devi's heart did a little flip, but she quickly shook it off. She didn't want to spend the night pining over a guy who barely noticed her half the time.

Still, her gaze lingered a little too long, and Eleanor noticed.

"Okay, Devi, I know what you're doing," Eleanor said, nudging her playfully. "You're totally still into Paxton."

Devi rolled her eyes. "I am not still into him. We're friends, that's it."

Fabiola raised an eyebrow. "Sure, you're not."

Devi groaned, rubbing her temples. "Guys, I'm serious. Tonight is about me. I'm not going to spend it obsessing over Paxton or Ben or any other boy. I'm going to have fun."

As if on cue, Ben appeared, making his way through the crowd and stopping right in front of Devi.

"Vishwakumar," he said, smirking. "You're looking extra sparkly tonight."

Devi felt her cheeks flush, but she forced herself to stay cool. "That's the point, Gross. I'm here to shine."

Ben chuckled, nodding. "Well, mission accomplished. You're definitely the center of attention."

Devi could feel Fabiola and Eleanor grinning behind her, and she resisted the urge to smack them both. Ben was standing there, looking at her with that smug grin of his, and as much as she hated to admit it, he was kind of right. She did want to be the center of attention tonight, and for once, it didn't feel bad.

"Thanks, Ben," Devi said, crossing her arms. "Now, are you going to stand there all night or are you going to dance?"

Ben raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "You want to dance with me?"

Devi shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Why not? I'm in a generous mood."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, let's do it."


As Devi and Ben made their way to the dance floor, she couldn't help but notice Paxton watching them from across the room. Her heart did a little leap, but she pushed it aside. She wasn't going to let herself get distracted tonight. She had a plan—sort of—and it didn't involve getting wrapped up in Paxton's dreamy eyes.

The music changed to a slower song, and Ben awkwardly put his hands on her waist, while she rested her arms on his shoulders. For a moment, it felt like time slowed down. Devi wasn't used to moments like this—moments where she felt in control, like she could decide what she wanted without everything falling apart.

"So," Ben said, breaking the silence, "you look like you're having a good time."

Devi smirked. "I told you, tonight's my night. I'm bejeweled."

Ben chuckled. "Well, you're definitely shining."

They danced for a few more moments in comfortable silence, and for once, Devi didn't feel the pressure of having to prove herself. She was just… there, in the moment, enjoying the music and the company. Maybe she didn't have everything figured out, and maybe her life was a mess most of the time, but tonight? Tonight, she felt like she was exactly where she needed to be.


After the dance, as the night began to wind down, Devi found herself standing outside the gym, breathing in the cool night air. Her feet hurt from dancing, her hair was a little frizzy, and her makeup had definitely smudged, but she didn't care. She had done it. She had gone to the dance, had fun, and hadn't let anything—or anyone—ruin her night.

As she stood there, lost in her thoughts, Paxton appeared beside her, hands in his pockets, looking at her with that soft, thoughtful expression he sometimes got.

"Hey," he said quietly.

Devi looked up, surprised. "Hey. What's up?"

Paxton shrugged, glancing down at the ground. "Just wanted to say you looked… really nice tonight."

Devi blinked, her heart doing that stupid fluttering thing again. "Oh. Thanks."

Paxton gave her a small smile. "I mean it. You really… shined."

Devi felt her breath catch, but she quickly shook it off, forcing a grin. "Well, you know me. Always bejeweled."

Paxton laughed softly, nodding. "Yeah, you are."

For a moment, they stood there in silence, and Devi felt something shift. It wasn't about Paxton, or Ben, or even the dance. It was about her. For the first time in a long time, Devi felt like she didn't need anyone's validation. She didn't need a boy to notice her, or her friends to tell her she looked good. She had created her own magic, her own shimmer, and that was enough.

With a deep breath, Devi turned to Paxton, a new sense of confidence settling over her.

"Thanks, Paxton. But you know what? I'm good. I don't need anyone else to tell me I shine. I already know."

And with that, Devi walked away, her head held high, leaving Paxton standing there, looking after her with a mixture of surprise and admiration.

Tonight, she had been bejeweled, and she hadn't needed anyone else to make her feel that way. She had done it all on her own.

And damn, did it feel good.