The day we've all been waiting for is finally here. As Will requested, I'm currently heading to Ella's house, my dress, shoes, accessories and makeup all in tow. I haven't spoken to Tyler since that day at his house, but it's not like he's tried to apologize or come up with an explanation.
My mom had called earlier, apologizing about how she wasn't there for the most important night of my high school life. I told her that she has nothing to do with this oh-so-special night except take pictures and that I'd take some then send them to her and that all that mattered was them being here for graduation.
She started going on about how she was such a bad parent and that she should've stayed, but I told her it would've been mean to let dad go by himself, and that at least I have grandma here. After assuring her that I was perfectly fine with her decision for the millionth time, she finally gave me the phone to talk to dad. My conversation with him didn't last so long, there's only so much you can say to your father about your prom night. I think he was happy I didn't have a date though.
By some miracle, I've managed to not tell Ella that Will is going to be knocking at her door at eight tonight even though I feel guilty for not putting her out of her bad mood.
Oh well, it'll all be worth it in the end. She ushers me into her room once I'm there and gets started on my hair immediately. We chat about everything and anything but don't talk about the fact that neither of us have a date tonight.
I don't know why though. I know I'm not repulsive and everyone knows I'm single, but I don't get why not one guy has asked me to go with him. It's not like I'm saying that I expect someone to, but I just thought that maybe someone would.
Practically all the girls at school will be going with someone and it'll suck to be left out when everyone is dancing to a slow song. Even though I know my secret admirer will be there, it doesn't change the fact that I would've liked it if someone had asked.
“You know what? Who cares if Will isn't going to be able to make it, we'll be the hottest single girls there,” Ella suddenly says.
“He's a jerk anyway. I don't even know why I'm still with him. You know, you'd think that maybe he'd make some effort to show up because this is so important to me, but no, he's too ‘busy’.”
“I'm sure he'll make it up to you,” I tell her.
“Oh, he'll have fun doing that,” she mutters darkly.
When she's done curling my hair, I do hers then we both get started on our makeup. Its seven forty-five when we're done getting ready and the limo we booked for ourselves arrives in fifteen minutes. But that's a good thing, gives us time to take pictures. I'm pretty sure my mother called Ella's mom and asked her to take plenty.
We go down the stairs, slower than I'm used to because of the dangerously high heels I'm wearing. I know I'm probably going to regret this at the end of the night, but come on, how many senior proms do you get?
“It's picture time!” Her mom says excitedly. “Harry, get the camera!” She says to Ella's dad who's most likely watching TV.
“I'm coming!” He yells as he rushes to where we're standing. Ella's parents are a little weird but they're the nicest people I know.
“You girls look beautiful,” she says and wipes her eyes. “Look at my baby, all grown up and going to prom.”
I don't need to look at Ella to know she rolling her eyes. Her father puts an arm around his wife, trying to comfort her. “There, there, Anna. They have to grow up some time.”
“Can we take the pictures already!” Ella says loudly as she cuts their moment short.
Her mom fumbles with the camera a little as she apologizes. I think I'll go blind by the time the night is over from the amount of times the camera's flashed into my eyes by now.
We kind of lose track of time but it’s when I'm taking a picture of Ella and her parents that the doorbell rings. I'm pretty sure it's eight now.
They look at each other, asking if anyone is expecting someone and I try my best to not go and open the door myself. Finally, Ella's dad heads over to the door and we all follow, Ella and her mom out of curiosity and me just to see Ella's reaction.
After what seems like an eternity, the door is finally open and Ella is rendered speechless. She blinks her eyes a few times as if not believing what she's seeing then finally utters one word.
“Will?”
He sends her a nervous smile. “Surprise?” He offers.
A grin breaks on to her face and she all but throws herself into his arms, hugging the life out of him. I smile at the two of them and I can't help but wish for someone to hold me like that someday.
I kind of forget that her parents are standing right next to me, but they don't look like they mind.
“You're such an ass!” Ella says laughing as she hits his arm.
“But you love me,” he says as he breaks out into a goofy grin. I'm pretty sure they've forgotten that there are other people in the room with them judging from the way their faces are getting closer to each other. I take the camera from Ella's mom and announce its picture time. They both jump apart, Ella's face turning red.
I snap a picture of her like that knowing she'll kill me for it later. Once the happy couple has taken enough pictures to fit in a wedding album, we finally leave and pile into the limo.
Okay, so maybe I should've thought this through and ordered my own limo. Apparently, my so called best friend has forgotten that her best friend is in the same vehicle as her and doesn't want to witness her and her boyfriend make out.
I clear my throat, but it's like I'm talking to a bunch of deaf people. I take out my iPod which I thankfully brought with me out of my clutch and listen to some music the whole way there while I look out the window at the dark street.
Once we've (finally) reached our destination, I get out of the limo and make my way to the entrance. It's not like I'm going to be missed. I think I should've invested in another single friend so I won't have to feel so lonely tonight.
My secret admirer left me another note the other day telling me to meet him in the middle of the dance floor at nine. Pretty confident, if I do say so myself. But then again, maybe it's so he'll insure I don't run away while everyone watches so he won't get humiliated.
I take a seat with the other single ladies and cross my arms over my chest as I watch everyone dance. I can only hope someone asks me to dance before the night is over.
Its eight forty-five now and I haven't see hide nor hair of Ella. But I must've spoken too soon because she plops into the chair next to mine.
“Hey, Olivia,” she says, a little breathless from the dancing she Will must've done.
“Hi,” I mutter bitterly. I know I shouldn't be upset because she ditched me for her boyfriend seeing that I knew it was going to happen, but I can't help it. Everyone has someone to dance with, everyone except for me. The single ladies table only has a single lady left which is yours truly and I hate it.
“I'm sorry,” she apologizes immediately. She probably thinks it’s her fault I'm in such a bad mood, but it's not.
“It's not you,” I tell her.
“Then what's the matter?” She asks. “You know you can tell me anything.”
I guess it's only fair I tell her, after all she did come to see how I was doing while she could've been spending time with her beloved who'll be leaving in a day or two.
“Why does everyone get to have a date to the dance and I don't?” I ask her in one breath. “Even the girls who don't have dates have been asked to dance but I haven't. I know I'm not model material, but come on, I'm a nice person, I've never done anything to anyone. Do guys really find me that repulsive?”
Ella smiles softly at me. “No, they don't. You're beautiful, you don't need a guy to ask you to dance to know that. And just so you know, I know of three guys who wanted to ask you to be their date.”
“And why didn't they?” I mutter moodily.
I notice the change in her demeanor. Before she was relaxed but now she's nervous for some reason.
“Ella,” I say warningly, “why do I get the feeling that you know something?”
“Look,” she says quickly, “I promised I wouldn't say anything but you're my best friend and when I do tell you this, promise me you'll hear him out then you can decide if you want to kill him or not.”
“What? Who are you talking about?”
“Tyler threatened to beat up any guy who tries to ask you to the dance,” she says all in one breath so it sounds like one word. But I don't need her to repeat, I heard everything clearly.
“What?” I scream. The nerve of that guy, not only does he humiliate me but now he deprives me from having fun on what's so supposed to be the most memorable night of life?
“I swear, when I get my hands on him…”
I don't even notice I'm standing until Ella grabs my hand. “Just promise me you'll hear him out first.”
I don't reply and plow through the crowd to look for him then gouge his eyes out with the heel of my shoe. I'm not about to make a promise I can't keep. I don't notice that it becomes nine o'clock while I'm searching for him, or that I'm now in the middle of the dance floor as requested, all I notice is Tyler standing there, smiling at me with his hands in his pockets.
He must notice the look of murder on my face because his smile quickly falls.
“Why you little…” I don't even finish off my sentence and just lunge at him, hitting him wherever I possibly can. I'm not usually an impulsive person when it comes to reacting to situations in front of people, but what can I say, he brings out the worst in me. I don't care if everyone is now watching us, he brought this upon himself.
“Olivia!” He cries out, “what are you doing?”
Before I can hit him again, I'm grabbed by my arms and pulled back against a hard chest.
“I cannot believe you!” I seethe, “just when I thought we were friends again you go ahead and prove me wrong! Do you enjoy fucking with my life, Tyler? Huh, is that it?”
“Olivia,” he begins but I don't let him continue.
“I don't want to hear any of your fucking excuses, I'm out,” I say before pulling my arms out of the grasp of whoever is holding me. I storm past everyone and go out the door that leads to the school so I can go to the bathroom first.
I feel my eyes sting with unshed tears, but I'm not about to cry over that bastard. He can have all the fun he wants, but I hope he knows I'll never, ever speak to him again.
“Olivia, wait!” A voice calls out from behind me. I ignore him and start to run, holding my dress up with one hand. I hear his footsteps behind me and I curse the day I decided that wearing heels to prom was a good idea. How am I supposed to run away from him wearing six-inch heels? It doesn't stop me from trying though.
He grabs my upper arm, forcing me to stop and turns me around to look at him.
“What do you want, Tyler?” I spit out. “Not through making my life miserable yet?” My voice chokes on the last part, but I blink back my tears. I will not cry in front of him.
He flinches from my tone.
Good.
“I just want to explain, please, just hear me out.”
“Give me one good reason why I should?”
“Because I never meant to hurt you. I only did it because I didn't want to see you with another guy, because I didn't want to ruin my plan.”
“Your plan to make fun of me even more?” I mutter darkly.
“No!” He denies. “My plan to reveal myself.”
I stare at him like he's crazy. “What the hell are you talking about?” Does he think he's Batman or something now? Maybe he needs to be admitted into a mental hospital. That would explain a lot…
“Roses are red, violets are blue, I believe I promised to show myself to you,” he whispers. He looks me straight in the eye when he says that so I know he's not lying.
I'm speechless at first. I have no idea what to say to him. The one person who's been the reason for my happiness is also the same person responsible for tormenting me though out all of high school.
“You're kidding right?” Is all I can come up with. “Is this like the big finale before high school is over or something?”
He shakes his head. “Do you honestly think I would've been able to come up with all that if I hadn't meant it?”
He has a point. I don't think anyone could come up with half of what he wrote for me no matter how hard they tried. But that means Tyler's had feelings me this whole time!
Oh my god, I think I can't breathe. He's my secret admirer? Out of all the boys who go to our school, it's him? I don't know if I should be happy or upset. Who the hell sends a girl love letters and makes fun of her at the same time?
“Olivia, say something,” he pleads.
There's a million things going through my head right now, a million things I want to ask him, but I settle on one word. “Why?”
He's silent for a while and I think it's because he's trying to think of how to begin, not because he doesn't want to tell me this time.
“Ever since we were kids, I've had the hugest crush on you. I was fourteen when I was ready to tell you, but then I heard you telling Ella how you only thought of me as a brother and that you had crush on Brad Winters,” he explains.
“I was angry and hurt and I did the only thing I could think of to hurt you, I showed everyone that video and made fun of you for it.”
“That doesn't explain why you made my life hell later on.”
“I'm getting there. Anyway, despite your feelings for me, or lack thereof, I still couldn't get you out of my head. I noticed how humiliating you was making you unpopular with the guys so I kept on doing it hoping that maybe one day I'll be able to win you back without having some other guy in the way.
“Just thinking of you in another guy's arms was enough to fuel me on even though I knew I was hurting you. That's why I wrote you letters. I thought that maybe I might have a chance. If you didn't like the Tyler you saw every day, maybe you'd like the Tyler who was secretly sending you love letters.”
He steps closer to me, his free hand going to my face and cupping my cheek. Okay, if a totally hot guy admits he's had feelings for you since forever doesn't make you melt, having him hold your face and look at you as if you're the best thing in the world probably will.
“I'm sorry,” he murmurs and rests his forehead against mine, “so, so sorry.”
My mouth goes dry as I take in what he just said and how close his face is to mine right now. I don't say anything for a few seconds and gape at him like an idiot while I try to think of a response. I guess it a good thing that his arm went around my waist with the way my knees are buckling. I'd hate to ruin a moment like this because I fainted or something equally embarrassing.
“I really, really care about you, Olivia,” he says softly. “Please, just give me a chance.”
How can I not? I said that whoever my secret admirer turned out to be I'd give them a chance and just because he's Tyler doesn't mean he shouldn't get one.
He may have tormented me for years, but if he can write things like that then that means what he's telling me is true and that maybe I won't regret this decision so much.
“Okay,” I say in small voice, but I think it turned out to be more of a squeak. Or maybe just a squeaky noise, but judging by the look on Tyler's face and the way his eyes light up, I think he pretty much made sense of what I said.
“For real?” He asks disbelievingly.
I look into his eyes and nod. Next thing I know, both his muscular arms are around my waist and he's spinning us around while he laughs such a carefree laugh that has me laughing with him.
He sets me down on my feet, but doesn't remove his arms from around me – not that I'm complaining or anything.
“I swear, I won't let you regret this,” he says seriously.
I smirk. “You better not.”
He grins at me then slowly comes in closer, letting me know what's happening. My breathing hitches when I feel his breath on my lips.
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, he's about to kiss me! I think it’s hyperventilation time. The fan girl and hopeless romantic in me start squealing in delight and my eyes flutter shut. I can’t deny that I don’t have feelings for him. I mean, what else explains the butterflies in my tummy right now?
When his lips touch mine, I'm a goner. He's kisses me softly, like he's afraid I might break if he adds more pressure. Break, not so sure, but pass out from cardiac arrest, I think I might.
I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer once the initial shock is gone. After what seems like an eternity, he pulls away and rests his forehead against mine, both of us breathing heavily.
“Will you go to prom with me?” he asks after he catches his breath.
Biting my lip, I nod shyly. Oh my god, I cannot believe that I have a prom date! Granted, it’s a little late to be asking this question, but better late than never, right? I leave the high pitched squeals of happiness that want to come out in my head. I don’t need him taking back his offer.
A grin breaks out on his beautiful face and he lets go of me and offers me a hand.
“Shall we?”
I take it and smile at him. “We shall.”
And then we walk back to the gym together, hand in hand.
And who said making rash decisions was a bad thing?