Just a Dare

Chapter Twenty

"Bubba, you look handsome," Jade giggled when I emerged from my bedroom in my black slacks with my white button-down shirt tucked neatly beneath the waistband, dress shoes, black vest, my silver tie hanging sloppily around my neck, untied, and my tux jacket slung haphazardly over my shoulder.

Mom's face lit up when she saw me walking down the hallway. "He does, doesn't he?" She smiled, standing up and walking over to me to knot my tie for me and tuck it into my vest. I could see tears shining in her blue eyes as she told me, "You've grown up into such a handsome young man."

And then, very uncharacteristically, I reached out and pulled my mom into a hug. "Thanks, Mom," I said as I released her.

She merely smiled wider and dabbed at her eyes, sniffing daintily, before instructing me to put on my jacket. "I want to see it all together."

I rolled my eyes in mock-annoyance and shrugged my arms into the sleeves. "Happy now?" I asked.

Jade clapped her hands, laughing, as she squealed, "You really are a prince, Bubba!" She ran over to me and I held my arms out to her and scooped her up, spinning her around in the air.

I felt so unbelievably good tonight, excitement stirring in my stomach as I thought about what Mel would look like when I went to pick her up to take her to prom. I pressed a swift kiss to Jade's chubby cheek as I proclaimed, "If I'm a prince, that means you're a princess."

Jade stuck her tongue out at me and shook her head, her wild curls flying everywhere about her face. "Melly is your princess, Bubba."

My eyes widened a little in surprise, and I exchanged a speechless look with my mom, who had a knowing expression on her face, and I cleared my throat awkwardly before putting Jade down. "I guess you're right." I mused. I stole a glance at the smirk on Mom's face and added quickly, "For tonight, anyways."

I glanced at my mom again to make sure that my last statement had wiped that look off of her face before heading toward the door, withdrawing my keys from my pocket.

"Trey?" My mom said.

I turned and looked at her. "What?"

Her eyes twinkled as she turned to Jade and said, "Can you do Mommy a favor and grab that present we picked up from the store this morning?"

Jade nodded excitedly and ran to Mom's room before returning with a clear plastic box in her hands. My mom held it out toward me and I stepped forward and took it curiously.

"What's this for?" I asked, my heart thudding as I saw what was clearly a corsage made of soft white and pinkish flowers, the silver ribbon that was made to encircle someone's wrist very small. I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say.

"Melody," Mom answered. I looked up at her and saw her smirking at me once more. "I know how clueless you are when it comes to girls, so I figured you'd forget to get one."

I didn't know what to say, so I just settled for a mumbled, "Thank you."

She laughed and her expression softened as she said, "Go, Trey. You'll be late if you don't get a move on."

"Yeah," I agreed, walking out of the house and climbing into my truck, carefully setting the box in the passenger seat.

I glanced at it, smiling a little to myself as I pictured how surprised Mel would be when I gave it to her, and then drove away.

--

My whole body was trembling as I pulled up to the curb in front of Mel's house. My earlier excitement was still there, but it had become drowned out by my inadvertent trepidation.