Seaside, California October 24, 2012
Celesta
THAT next day went by in a complete blur; I honestly slept through most of it. Lily had gone that morning to meet up with Amberly and Elle to make sure everything was ready for the dance tonight.
When I finally woke up at noon, I got my dress and everything and brought it back to Lily's. We were all going to get ready here tonight. A phone call from Lily had been going to the school reluctantly. I was forced to remove certain balloons that deflated.
I wonder how that happened.
I hadn't seen what they added after I left, but when I did it didn't even look like a gym.
It was engulfed with Lily's extravagant decorations. It was pretty, but Goddamn.
When everything was checked to perfection, the four of us went back to Lily's to get ready. Zach and Eddie were coming over to get us. Brandon had not shown up yet.
Laura had pulled the four of us to their master bathroom. The double vanity was huge, the mirror went across most of their wall. With the bright lights everywhere, it almost felt like we were in a salon. She even brought in stools for us to sit on as Lily worked on my hair. Amberly was busy tying Elle's hair into some braided bun.
Lily, meanwhile, was attempting to put my hair in a braided bun.
"How many bobby pins are you going to put into my hair?" I asked Lily as she stuck the twentieth one in my scalp.
"Do you understand how thick and heavy your hair is?" she exclaimed. I saw her evil smile as she shoved another one in. "And you're done!"
She pulled out a hand mirror from one of the thousands of drawers the vanity had and handed it to me. Spinning around I saw the beautiful job she did on my mountain of hair. She left a few short pieces to dangle in front of my face.
"Wow Cel, you actually look like a girl!" Elle chuckled.
I just smiled at her and set the mirror down. I was about to say something smart, but Laura came back in with a random curling iron.
Like we didn't have enough curling irons already on the counter—
"You found it!" Lily squealed and took the curling iron from her mother. "Amberly, this one will do that particular curl you love!"
Amberly and Elle switched spots quickly as Lily plugged in the iron. Elle started spraying Amberly's hair with something.
"No! That is hairspray! We need heat protection spray!" Lily yelped.
I got up from the stool and stepped back as Lily started moving around frantically trying to find the damn spray. Once she found it and gave it to Elle, her mother looked at her worryingly.
"Honey you need to let me get started on your hair, that fishtail thing you want me to do—" Laura began till her crazy child turned to her mother so fast she almost fell over.
"Yes! Can we do like a half up half down crown thing?" Lily asked.
I was getting the hell out of this bathroom.
"Where are you going?" Lily asked, panicked.
I haven't even moved a damn inch. "To finish getting ready..." I muttered.
"But—"
"I can do my makeup and get dressed," I chuckled. "Besides, let your mother do your damn hair, we have to go soon."
Laura turned her head to me and gave me a wink. Lily just gave me a nervous nod and went back to tell her mother how she wanted her hair.
I scurried to Lily's room and got my dress out of her closet. It was a simple dress, a sapphire blue to match my eyes. Despite its lack of anything decorative, the cut of the straps and the way the skirt flared out right before my knees complimented my figure. There wasn't much honestly. I was a tall, straight stick.
After I applied a little makeup, I went downstairs. Eddie and Zach had been waiting down there the entire time. Doing hair took forever. Especially since all of us had long-ass hair except for Elle. Mine was down almost past my waist.
Zach got up from the couch when he saw me come into the living room. Eddie and Samuel were watching something on the television.
"You look—" he paused, looking me up and down. "Very beautiful."
"Thanks," I murmured, blushing. "You look very uh, handsome too!"
He wore a white button-down shirt with a tie that matched my dress and black slacks. He even combed his dark hair back and still managed to look like a total dork.
Though at least he wasn't wearing a stupid bowtie. Eddie was notorious for always wearing them to dances. Not just normal ones, but polka dot ones. This one was a light blue with yellow dots. Which matched his girlfriend's yellow and blue dress.
I'm surprised Lily hasn't died at the sight of it.
Elle had a beautiful silvery dress that looked amazing on her, though it made her look like an ice queen.
"Are they almost done?" Zach asked as we walked over to the base of the stairs.
"You tell me, you have the super hearing," I giggled.
"I think I hear Lily going on about someone's yellow dress?" he replied.
"Eh, they'll be down soon," I assured, patting him on the back.
Sighing, he went back to the living room. With one last glance up the stairs, I followed him.
"Any sign of Brandon?" Samuel asked, "I would hate to have to kill him for standing my daughter up."
"He said he would be here," Eddie interjected sharply.
Samuel just gave him a pointed look.
"—Sir," Eddie finished.
"Well, I for one hope he doesn't come you know?" I said to myself, only to realize I might have said that out loud.
Everyone was staring at me now. Then the damn doorbell rang.
Seriously, a bell always had to ring at the most awkward times.
"I'll get it!" Zach chirped and left the living room.
I sat on the couch and grumbled. I'm glad Zach had made friends with people, but why did it have to be people like Brandon? Even Eddie. I know he and Amberly have been together for a while, but he is such a dork.
Then again, I am also dating a dork so, yeah.
"Well look what the cat dragged in!" I heard Zach exclaim from the foyer.
When Zach came back to the living room, my eyes widened when it was Scott beside him.
Oh, what the f—
"Uh, hey," Scott muttered out to us all.
Samuel got up from the couch instantly. "What the hell? How did you come in? And you two—" he couldn't even think straight. "What?"
Just as if on cue, Laura came downstairs with Amberly and Elle behind her. Lily was still upstairs thankfully.
"Scott?" Laura gawked, "What are you doing here again?"
Samuel looked even more confused now. "Again?" he gaped.
"I asked him to come," Zach admitted. "All of us are going together so why not meet up here?"
When I told Zach about the conversation with Scott last night that didn't mean for him to talk to Lily at this very moment at her damn house!
It needed to be somewhere private and preferably when there wasn't a lot going on. But maybe they could talk at the dance? If Brandon was a no-good no-show that would be perfect...
"It has been a while since we spoke to one another normally," Samuel muttered. He took a step closer to Scott.
Laura looked nervous as did I, but what he said next left us gaping.
Smiling, Samuel added, "How have you been?"
"Oh, you know, still trying to kill a certain someone," Scott grinned.
Samuel grinned right back.
The two of them started to banter about shit and Zach joined them. Laura looked anxiously towards the stairs; Lily still hadn't come down.
I quickly ran out of the living room and to the stairs, Lily had just started to come down them.
She saw me there but took no note of my nervous stricken face. Instead, she had her phone out and was frowning.
"Brandon said he would just meet me at the dance, I mean honestly—" she stopped and finally looked at me. "Oh God, what is wrong? Did you forget your shoes again like last year?"
Did she seriously have to bring that up?
"No, I have them. This time anyway," I remarked. Lily came down the rest of the stairs till she was in front of me. "Uh, so you might have a cow but—"
"Who is that in the living room?" Lily whispered; she angled her head towards that way. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Nope, anyway let's have fun tonight, yes?" I chirped. I linked my arm around hers and dragged her into the living room.
Lily's eyes widened when she saw Scott talking to her father, they both turned to us as we came in.
"There you are, you look amazing!" her father beamed, Scott just stared at her in awe.
"Thanks, Dad," Lily said through tightened lips. "So, what's going on in here?"
She aimed that right towards Scott.
"Just waiting for you all to get done!" Zach exclaimed. "I got to say you all look great!"
He made a glance at Eddie's bowtie and grinned at me. I loved how we thought alike.
"Alright well, we should be going then!" Lily gushed out. She attempted to pull away, but her mother stopped her with a stern look.
"Not so fast Lillian," her mother demanded. "You are not denying me photos of your last homecoming! Any of you! All of you out on the patio now!"
She started filing Amberly and Eddie out along with Elle. Lily was still trying to squirm free of my grip, but I grinned as I pulled her back towards her mother.
Lily's face was starting to turn red with embarrassment as we followed everyone outside.
"I will kill you later," she whispered harshly to me as we went to the patio.
"I'm sure you will," I chuckled.
Laura was busy getting her camera ready for the photo while all of us were deciding who was going to stand where. Scott stood beside Samuel as the two of them were still talking about something.
Lily kept glancing at them with a strange look on her face. Horror? Embarrassment? She felt so many emotions at once it was hard to tell.
We finally decided how to line up, Amberly and Eddie were on one end and Zach and me on the other. Lily was sandwiched between Elle and me.
Once Laura finally figured out her big ass camera, she smiled at all of us but then looked at Scott. "Get in the photo!" she shrilled.
"Yeah, man!" Zach shouted and waved his arm over for him to come beside him.
Lily looked like she was about ready to die inside if she hadn't already.
Scott reluctantly went over to Zach, he just gave him a pat on the back and wrapped his arm around him. He wrapped the other one around me.
"Alright, everyone! Say cheese!" Laura beamed.
"Cheese!" Elle, Amberly, and Zach said together.
The rest of us just wanted to run away.
With a snap, Laura almost blinded us all with that awful flash.
"Alright let me take individual ones now!" she added, "Let me just check to make sure the flash is off this time..."
Lily took that opportunity while her mother was distracted to make a beeline back into the house.
Scott just looked helplessly after. I sighed and went inside after her.
When I found her, she was in the dining room, both of her hands were pressed firmly against the table as she visibly took in deep breaths. The entire room felt wrong like it was about to crack under some pressure.
"Lily?" I asked quietly as I approached her.
"Why is he here?" she cried, "I told him to stay away from me, that is all I asked."
Gulping I wondered again if Zach gave him the idea to come here and talk to her. I feel he just wanted him included with all of us going together. And it had to be at Lily's...
I got beside her and glanced at her; she was starting to shake.
"Listen you need to try and calm down, okay?" I said softly, she turned her face to me, her eyes slowly giving off a faint glow.
"I am trying. Every time I see him it's like I am about to make something explode," she breathed. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. "He makes my damn blood boil."
He was scared of losing control while he was making her lose control. What a lovely mess.
"Well, let's go to the dance and try to have some fun alright?" I insisted again.
She finally gave me a ghost of a smile.
THE minute we got there, Lily left to go search for her wayward date, I was trying to find some damn drinks in this place. I didn't trust the fruit-punch bowl, the seniors always liked to spike it with something.
Idiots.
So, I just used the damn drinking fountain. The entire gym was full of students, the music blared so loud you could barely hear any bits of conversation. Zach had gotten out on that floor and just had a blast. So much so that when everyone started doing a conga line, I just dipped out to get away from that shit.
Now I just stood against the wall with Scott and Elle, neither of them speaking. I could tell we were going to have such a blast tonight.
Not.
Lily came back a few minutes later, her face beat red with anger.
"I can't find Brandon anywhere Celesta," she fumed. "Why did I fucking agree to come with him in the first place. I'm such a dumbass!"
"I have to agree with that," I piped in. "But I'm not surprised he didn't show. He is an ass you know."
Lily rolled her eyes. "I swear this night has been nothing but hell."
Scott started coughing suddenly in an attempt to hide a laugh; Lily just glared at him angrily.
And just for a second, a green flash went across her irises.
Elle looked from Scott to Lily anxiously. "Hey, do you guys want to go dance or something?" Elle asked, trying to diffuse the tension between Lily and Scott.
"No thank you," Lily said through clenched teeth, never taking her eyes off of Scott.
I finally gripped her arm and whispered, "Do we need to go outside so you can let off some steam?"
You know, before she blows up the dance. And better yet, I was going to make her another ring myself and force her to wear it. She has zero control.
What the fuck were her parents teaching her again?
"Scott?" Elle asked him, he broke away from Lily's death glare and turned to her.
"I'm good—"
"Oh just go dance with her!" Lily exclaimed aloud, surprising all of us.
Elle just started laughing and then hauled Scott away.
Lily meanwhile just kept staring ahead at the wall as she tried to calm herself for the thousandth time today.
"Do we still need to step out..." I trailed off, waiting for her to say something.
"I think I'm good now," Lily muttered with uncertainty.
Letting her go I just took a step back. She turned to me, with a fake smile plastered on her face.
"Pardon me, coming through! Hey Lil!" I heard someone shout loud enough over the music.
Lily gawked as she saw Brandon appear from the crowd, his face white as a sheet. He looked to have gotten here in haste. He had forgone a tie and just wore a simple black suit.
"Where have you been?" Lily shrilled and walked over to him.
"Long story, one that we need to talk about away from prying eyes," he stressed. He looked panicked.
I gave him one hard stare, I was not picking up a good feeling from him. But I never have since I've known him.
"We will talk," Lily agreed. "But after we go out there and dance."
"But—" Brandon protested.
"Please," she cried, her eyes pleading.
After glancing at her for a few seconds he nodded. "Alright," he smiled and the two of them locked arms and left me standing there.
He led towards the edge where people were dancing to some bad pop song. He spun her around, the two of them laughing at one another about something. I even finally caught a glimpse of Scott and Elle.
God, they looked awkward.
I spun around, realizing that all of my friends were now gone.
"Well, this is great," I muttered to myself.
My boyfriend did finally come back after the conga line dispersed and a slow dance came on. But after we had danced to a couple of them these heels were starting to hurt my feet. The wall of the gym had lines of shoes on it.
So I took those uncomfortable bastards off and set them where Amberly and Elle left theirs.
An hour in and this place was getting too rowdy. The teachers chaperoning just didn't give a shit. They were nowhere to be seen.
Perhaps they were with Coach Jennings drinking whiskey in the coach's office.
The DJ had taken a break, so everyone was just talking amongst themselves. Scott and Elle came back to hang out at the corner I claimed as my own. Of course, that quietness was soon to end when the break ended.
The first thing he did was play the actual fucking conga song.
Elle was eating some vanilla cake she got off the dessert table, it looked bad honestly.
As I was about to go find my dork of a boyfriend, Amberly appeared with Eddie in tow. The two of them looked like they had run a marathon.
"Hey, you guys want to join the conga line?" Amberly asked.
"No," I muttered.
"Come on! It's fun!" Amberly shrilled. "Elle?"
"Let me finish this cake," Elle murmured as she gobbled down the rest of it.
Once they whisked Elle away, I was left with Mr. Brooding. Hell, he even looked like all he did was brood and be depressed. Black suit, black tie; everyone else had at least some color to their outfits.
"So about you talking to Lily," I muttered, Scott, snapped his attention to me. "Maybe you should talk to her before the night is over. She almost lost it again tonight."
Scott chuckled to himself and then stared ahead at the crowd. "No, I think she is finally having some peace. I don't want to ruin her night. I heard you two earlier you know."
I frowned. "So? I have seen how much you guys care about each other. I don't know how to describe it. It was like with me and Zach, you two just clicked."
"People click all the time, it doesn't mean it will turn into a relationship," Scott replied. "Besides, I am the last person she wants to be around right now."
"Oh, how wrong you are," I whispered, I finally saw what he was staring at.
Lily and Brandon. They were over by that damn fruit-punch bowl talking to each other.
But the longer I stared at Brandon the more I felt like something wasn't quite right with him.
"Well, I have had all the fun I can say for one night, I'm going to head out," Scott muttered.
"Wait!" I exclaimed and stepped in his path. "I—"
"I am serious Celesta. I know you want your cousin to be happy, but maybe meddling in her love life isn't the best course of action to help her," Scott remarked. "Or anyone for that matter."
Well, at least he was being honest. But I still think he is better for her than Brandon. I think.
"Sorry to interrupt your squabble, but I need to speak to my darling progeny for a moment," a voice purred behind me.
I spun on my heel and glared at her, Seana stood there with a blank expression on her face.
"What the hell do you want?" Scott hissed.
"It is a matter of great importance and one where I need to speak to you alone," she mused, smiling at me.
However, when she looked at Scott, her eyes became serious suddenly.
Odd.
I narrowed my eyes but before I replied Scott put his hands in his pockets and motioned for Seana to follow him. I just gawked as the two of them left without another word.
What is this fucking night coming to?
The conga line came near me again, I saw Zach motioning for me to join him. Rolling my eyes, I finally let him pull me in.
"Hey honey, how's it going?" he asked as we kept moving in the line.
"Oh you know, just enjoying this wonderful dance," I said sarcastically.
"I'm serious Celesta," he sighed.
"I'm just worried about Lily okay? One minute she's fine, the next she is about to kill someone," I mumbled.
We danced for the next few minutes silently till it came to an end.
Now Do the Hustle started playing. Who was picking this shit?
Looking again for Lily, she was still at the table with Brandon, the two of them laughing about something.
Then guess who was coming up behind her?
Fucking Scott.
I could feel Zach burning holes into the back of my skull. I turned to him anxiously. I needed to get over there...
Zach seemed to pick up on what I was about to do, so he just grabbed onto me then lifted me and twirled me around.
"Zachary!" I yelled but he didn't release me.
"Let them figure out their problems," Zach reproached before he put me back on my feet.
"You don't understand!" I protested.
"I do understand. Just let them talk to each other alone," he urged. "Besides, let's just enjoy ourselves for once shall we?"
Finally relenting, we did just that.