Sweet Like Honey

38.

Graduation was now less than two weeks away and tonight was the night many seniors had been waiting for, Senior Ball. All the girls were getting ready over at Ellis' house, and the boys had rented a limo for the night. It was the normal five girls, and Miles' date, Maisie. She was a friend to everyone in their group, just not someone who was in their tight knit of friends, as she had spent her entire high school with another group of friends. 

"I'm excited for tonight, don't get me wrong, but I also have this feeling in my stomach, like I'm going to throw up," Ellis tells the group, as Lennen was doing was her hair. She had been looking forward to this dance every since her freshman year, and now that it's here, she couldn't help but worry about everything that could go wrong. 

"Maybe because you're going with Dorian," Margo smirks, and three girls laugh, but Ellis and Maisie were left confused by the comment. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ellis asks, wondering why on earth Margo would bring up Dorian. He had asked her a friend, seeing as they had been good friends since freshman year. 

"Oh come on, Ellis. It's so obvious that you like him. You two have been into each other since freshman year and everyone can see it, except you two," Margo informs her and Ellis opened her mouth to shoot back a response, but instead she said nothing. Was Margo right?

"She's right, Ellis. The way you two look at each other, and not to mention that you guys have gone to every high school dance together. You say that you two are just friends, but I think you both have been pushing down your feelings for each other because you're afraid of what's going to happen," Lennen chimes in. Before she dated Duke, she felt the same way because they had been friends for four years before and she was afraid that if they had taken the step into a relationship that it would ruin their friendship. They got lucky because it didn't always work out like that. It was the same with Jonas. They were friends for months before they had dated, and though she was not as afraid to make the leap over, it was still a little terrifying. 

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway. We graduate in two weeks and then we're off to college. He's going to Santa Barbara and I'm going to Virginia. Even if we tried having a relationship, it's just not going to work out. The distance would just ruin it." After Ellis finished talking, everyone was silent, and giving her death glares for saying that. With Lennen being in the room, they were sure that she and Jonas were going to try long distance no matter where she was going, and she didn't need to hear that the distance was going to end their relationship. "Oh geez, I'm sorry Lennen. I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it. I mean it's something I fear with us being so far apart, but you'll never know until you try it. I know that this relationship only has two ways of ending and I know that us breaking up over distance is one of the options, and it's a very real possibility, but I'm trying to stay positive." There were late night thoughts that terrified Lennen that there was a chance that Jonas would find someone better than her while he was at USC, but she always reminded herself to stay positive. 

"Well if anyone can make it work, it's you two," Sawyer encourages her best friend. She wanted Lennen and Jonas to thrive, because no one deserved it more than they did. They deserved to be happy and be with each other. 

"Thanks, Sawyer." Lennen was so incredibly grateful for Sawyer and all the positivity she shared, and not just about her relationship. Sawyer always tried to look on the bright side of life, which over the years had inspired Lennen. 

Eventually, 6:30 rolled around and the boys were at the door, ready to pick up their dates and head to dinner before the dance. Jonas had made a reservation at the nicest restaurant in town, wanting his date and friends to have a delicious meal before their final dance. 

"You look absolutely stunning," Jonas tells Lennen when his eyes meet hers. She was in a two piece maroon dress, and he couldn't take her eyes off her. Everyone had gathered in the backyard, ready for the bombarding of photos of everyone. They had Ellis' parents take all together group photos, but for couple photos and smaller group, they just had their friends take the photos. 

Half hour later, the group of twelve was off to dinner. They had walked in, seeing a few people from school, but not many. They laughed and ate, talking about the dance and all about the school year. No one could describe the feeling they had about graduation being two weeks away. They had spent the last four years together, and their time together was coming to a close before they all headed off in separate directions. 

The dance started at 8:00 and it was night that group was never going to forget. It was great and at one point, Lennen got to dance with all the guys in her group, each of them making her laugh while talking about the memories they had accumulated over their past four years together. 

When she found her way back to Jonas, she captured his lips in his, letting this be a memory she would remember for the rest of her life. "I love you." She never thought she would find herself falling in love with someone this fast, but when it's the right person, things come much more easy. Jonas had made falling in love with him easy, sweeping Lennen off her feet from the moment they met. 

"And I love you," Jonas responds, kissing her once again. He had waited two years for this moment, and being at his last dance with the girl he had watched from a distance made it a million times better. Having her in his arms as they swayed back and forth to the slow song the DJ had put on, put the biggest smile on his face. 

"Thank you for making me feel like a princess." They weren't an over the top couple, preferring their moments be between only them. Lennen didn't need to spoiled, and all she could ask for was to be with Jonas, not having a care what they were doing. 

The night they shared after Jonas' senior night wasn't a one time thing, there were many repeats, bringing them closer. They now had this bond between them, much more intimate. It had changed their relationship for the better. 

"You deserve nothing less," Jonas tells her, and it was the truth. Lennen only deserved to be treated like royalty, anything less would be completely unaccpetable. She was a queen in his eyes, wanting to do everything in his power to make her happy. 

At the end of the night, the couple had Jonas' house to themselves, resulting in another repeat of the night that changed everything for them. This time, there was a different feeling in the air, it was much more romantic than other times. Maybe it had to do with the fact that it was Senior Ball or maybe that the realization that their time together was lessening as the days pass by, graduation getting closer and closer.