Class Of 96': 1994 (BxB Mystery)

Chapter XXXII - "My hair?"

"It's absurd seeing Innes arrive before you, Steph. It's totally mad!" Molly giggled. Her perfectly blow-dried chestnut hair elegantly fell on her bare shoulders. A hot red ruffle gown flawlessly swirled around her small waist, making me think I was looking at a supermodel.

Innes rolled her eyes and faced Molly. "Only because you forced me to come early."

"Yes! Or else we all would've been late!"

" . . . "

Ollie laughs, closing the door behind us. "How long are you guys gonna take?"

"About five hours if Innes keeps moving."

"It's really h— Ahh!!!" She yelped as Molly burned her ear. "Hey!"

"That's because you keep on moving! Also, Steph, you look so different!"

"R-Really?" I chuckle, pointing at myself.

"Yeah! Going all out on the shirt is a bold move."

This is the second time she's pointed out my chest. Halloween and now.

I pout. "But I look good!"

"No doubt." And she continues fixing Innes up.

I chuckle. "Can you fix my hair?"

But she was busy quarreling to hear me.

"They've been like that for the past hour." Ollie playfully sighs. "Isn't my sister pretty? Not to mention Innes."

"Oh, your sister could be a model." I smile at the sight of them bickering. "I've never seen Innes in a dress."

Molly yells from across the room, squeezing herself into our conversation. "Yeah! A no ass, no tits dress!"

"I've never had anything in the first place . . . " She grumbles.

"But the dress has no body!" And then another wave of arguing hits.

"This is really stupid but," I scoff, lowering my voice. "When I first met Innes, I thought she was a boy."

Ollie almost bursts into manic laughter. "That's our friend you're talking about!"

"I know!" We laugh together, sitting on his bed. "I'm sorry!"

"Hey, Steph!" Molly calls out, her eyes glued to Innes' horribly dyed grey highlights. "Guess what?!?"

"What???"

"Tyler asked to be my prom date!"

Oh my god. I don't know whether to feel happy or terrified. "W-What?!?"

"Yeah! Your Cassius Post friend is totally smitten. He was shaking so hard when he was asking me. He's so cute!"

"Well did you say yes?!?"

"I said 'Ask me on prom. I need to think about it.'"

"He's so brave . . . " Ollie mutters, taking a cigarette and a light from his pocket.

Molly sighs, seeing her brother pinch the cig between his lips. "Great. Now my rooms gonna smell like fried hair and fried lungs."

"You can kick me out." He coolly shrugs, talking through a cigarette and lighting it, palm covering the flame.

I watch him lean into his bed and blow smoke into the air. I wonder how that tastes.

My gaze flickers to his lips. "It's so weird seeing you actually smoke."

"Wanna try?" Ollie hands me the cigarette which he's already used. I stare at it for a while. What if he gets annoyed if I turn it down? He eyes me, waiting, as his hand hovers in the air.

"Don't smoke." Innes' sudden voice snaps through like a cracking wind. "Don't do it." All of us always knew her hatred for a pack of Marlboro.

"I'm . . . fine." I force a chuckle and slowly, awkwardly push his hand away.

"Okay then." And he goes back to puffing smoke.

But I can't deny a part of me wants to try. Especially since its such a pain to refuse him with his dreamy eyes, anticipating to share the cigarette he's used.

"Stop!!!" I turn to see Innes seizing Molly's wrist, struggling to avoid a wand of mascara. "I am not letting you put that . . . stick in my eye!"

"Woah! Let go!"

"Don't put that stick in my eye!!!"

Molly pulls her hand away and lets out a disrupted grunt. "Okay! Okay! Jesus Christ, you scared me!"

Innes looked really charming in her own little way. Her hooked nose and sunken face. Her simple black slip-on dress really suited her.

"Ollie, what time is it?"

He checks his watch. "Time for us to go."

"Calm your horses, we're not done!" Molly quickly looks at us as she lines Innes' lips. "Why don't you two pretty boys flirt for a round or two?"

We all laughed.

We spent the next fifteen minutes savoring this innocence. I knew it wouldn't last. But it was nice thinking so.

I took out my camera, slung on my shoulder, and snapped a shot. No, not a shot. A memory.

***

"Let's go?" Molly nudges her head at the door.

"Hold on," Ollie takes one last hit of his cig before snuffing it out under his shoe.

"My floor!"

"Go cry about it. Couldn't risk Mom and Dad finding out."

"How many secrets do you have?" Innes asks.

He scoffs and shrugs. "Not much."

I'd like to hear them. I'd like to hear all of them.

After the Blossoms waved their parents off, we were greeted by a slick black limousine in their driveway. I almost forgot they were rich kids. They even had their own driver.

"Woah." Amazed Innes stood. It was as if she was stargazing.

"After you," Ollie opens the door as the ladies go in. Innes tried to hide her excitement with a plastered scowl yet it couldn't work. Especially since Molly was with her.

As I bent down to enter, I caught Ollie softly smiling at me. He quickly looked away and cleared his throat, looking everywhere but at my way.

A certain feeling struck my heart. A tingling . . . love sensation. In four hours, I'm going to confess.

In four hours, he might just be mine.