Every Which Way

Chapter 55- Prom Night

Cyrus takes a big swallow, his adams apple bobbing with the movement. "Hi," he says to her as if he was meeting her for the first time. Then he clears his throat. "I'm sorry that was lame. Um... hey," he says with a lazy smile, just as breathless and flustered as before.

Natalie's smile only grows and she lets out a giggle. "Hi, Cyrus. You look really good."

"Yeah," He says and then he catches himself. "I mean you- You look amazing. Just really really gorgeous Nat." I had never seen him so nervous before in my whole life. I was never going to shut up about this.

"Thank you," she says. Her smile is now soft and her cheeks begin to flush. 

That's when Adam burst through the door. "I'm here, I'm here!" he announces as if we couldn't see him. "I brought the corsages."

Declan and Cyrus let Adam take care of the corsages, which should have made all of us nervous, but he was so excited about it that we humored him anyway. From the looks of what he brought in, he actually did a great job.

Then Adam sees us and looks between me and Natalie. "WOOO!" He says. "You girls are smoking. Geez fellas, I know we said we'd go as a group, but these ladies are my dates now."

Declan shoves him and tells him to adjust our corsages, so he does. Mom takes our pictures with all of us and dad threatens the boys about what would happen if Natalie and I weren't back by curfew. Then we all load up in Declan's jeep and ride together to prom.

----

The hallway leading up to the gym was set up as a tunnel of twinkle lights. Inside was unrecognizable. The decorations were set in our school's colors with black and gold in the balloons and streamers all around the room.

There were tables and chairs positioned all around the area with decorations plastered on every other one. The ceiling was draped with cloth and more lights. They had an entire wall with a balloon arch for photos. Near that area was the snack table and punch bowls, where Mrs. Hymann was currently standing ready for any punch spikers. The lighting was dark, yet perfectly lit up in the places where it needed it.

Our group had been running a little late so lots of my classmates were already here. I could see Lillian from where I was standing. I had always been stuck on disliking her that I never realized how pretty she was. She wore a gold sequin dress that hugged her body and complimented her blonde hair well. No wonder Tucker was so glued to her side.

When she saw me I gave her a smile, yet she only flickered her lips in polite response and turned away from me. Damn, I guess she was mad at me again. I realized I hadn't really spoken to her since the article came out. I must have offended her in some way too. I would make a point to talk to her before the night is over.

I see Nico and Duncan together, their very first public appearance. They're both dressed up in a tux and Nico is leaned in close to tell Duncan something. I assume Nico said something funny, because for the first time since I've personally known him, Duncan smiled, and it wasn't an evil smirk like when he fractured Cyrus's nose, but a real and genuine happy smile.

Then I hear Nico call to get our attention over the music and we all waited for him and Duncan to come over to us. So between the seven of us now, there was a lot of talking and joking around and laughing and dancing.

I see Lillian by the punch bowls and tell my friends I would be back. I can feel Declan's gaze on my back as I walk away. I know he was going to keep an eye on me the whole night I wasn't with him.

"Hey," I tell her when I stop beside her.

She looks up at me and her face slacks. "Um- hi," she says back.