Chapter 11
Three days, twenty hours and five minutes.
That was how long Lyle and I hadn't talked since the party.
It was the longest and most agonizing fight we had ever had in the history of our friendship. After thinking through about all other things, I decided not to talk to him first. And the truth was; I was actually having a hard time doing so. He had tried to talk to me the past few days, but of course, I ran to Zara instead and avoided him all throughout the days. He would call for me though, and every time I didn't look back, it made me feel as if I was stabbing my own heart. And each time I laid my eyes on Lyle, I felt as if the world was zooming only to one focus;
Him.
I still had a few minutes before eight, and Nathan was coming to pick me up. Probably hiring a limo, or bringing in his shiny BMW. Honestly, I didn't want him to since I was quite okay with just riding in a horse, even. But of course, he insisted. Adjusting my eyes to the transparent contacts I was wearing, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
I didn't really look like me anymore. I looked like the soon-to-be seventeen Cassandra Hale, if that had made any sense.
As soon as I told my mother about the prom thing, she freaked out as to why Lyle wasn't my escort. I told her we had a little misunderstanding, and nothing more. She thought it was cute because, maybe, definitely, probably, Lyle was jealous.
As if.
I twirled around in my knee-length Alice In Wonderland inspired dress that my mother had designed for me. It was a bit rushed, but since my mother told me it was finished, I wore it with confidence... And maybe, that confidence was just going to reach living room. See, I wasn't really much of a fan of dresses and other girly shit, but the party and that night's event were exceptions.
Because that night, I had promised myself I would have a good time.
Sighing, I ran my hands through the silky soft puffy light blue skirt and fiddled with the huge ribbon wrapped tightly around my waist as a design. The ribbon matched with the color of my skirt too. And my upper torso clothing was laced with navy blue ribbons. My high heeled shoes matched the navy blue color of the dress, and my blue eyes flashed widely like a street sign. And to top it all off, I wore a blue headband that honestly made me look like the thin line between Alice and a middle school kid.
I let out a laugh at thinking how silly I felt. I mean- the dress was good, but my very first prom made me feel jittery and all that.
Putting on a dark shade of lipstick, I noticed some of the bruises Amber gave me were still showing. I put on a bit of powder to hide the bruise on my cheek, and covered the other one on my arm with my long and soft (for the first time) brunette hair. I was thankful mom let me put on make-up myself since I didn't want her to find out about the bruises. As the chorus of Friday by Rebecca Black boomed from my speakers, a knock came on my door and in came my mother, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Hey." she greeted in a nonchalant tone and leaned behind my door. I turned off the music and gave her a nervous smile. "How're you feeling? No, wait, don't answer that. I know how you feel to attend your very first prom. It's weird, isn't it? The last time you wore a fancy dress like this was when you celebrated your twelfth birthday, and now here you are- standing in front of me, looking like a princess and a China doll I can't touch because you're so pretty and-"
She stopped when I hugged her tight, the bruise on my arm protesting in pain. I hadn't hugged my mother in months, but I knew she was about to cry since she talked too fast. And I didn't want to start the night by seeing my mother cry because I was growing older now.
"Mom, chill." I whispered to her, trying not to laugh.
"It's just that you're all grown up now, Cassie! Mommy is very proud of you." she faltered, wiping away a tear from her cheek.
"Mom, don't go all emotional right now, please? This is making me laugh."
"Okay, I won't. But I need to ask you something."
"Shoot."
"It's about Lyle, dear. Can you tell me what both your status is right now?"
"Like Facebook, what's on your mind thingy?" I said, hoping to steer her away from the topic.
"No, I mean, what's been happening between the two of you?"
I swallowed hard, looking away from her as I sat nervously on my bed. I didn't know what to say, to be honest. Although, I had spent the last four nights thinking of him, I hadn't come to the conclusion on how to talk to him yet. Do I go, 'Hey, Lyle. I bet you meant those three words you said in a friendly way, right? LOL how 'bout we just forget about it, eh?'
"I honestly don't know." I said truthfully, sighing as I glanced at my mother who was looking at me with amused eyes. She sat beside me and stroked my hair, and I hope she wouldn't pull it back, because then, I'd have a hard time explaining about the bruise to her. And I was certainly not that good in making lies.
"I think I know." she whispered, giving me a warm smile. "But it's just a guess." She shrugged, turning to the window.
"Tell me, mom!" I said in a desperate tone. I wanted to know what I was feeling. Almost four days had passed, and I was still confused. I didn't think I could stand a day without laughing with Lyle, or even just talking to him. I couldn't just possibly talk to him when he just told me he loved me. I couldn't imagine me being the first one engaging him in a conversation, because that would be downright weird and awkward.
"I think, honey, that you," my mother said as she poked me on the nose. "Are falling in love with him."
Was I?
Suddenly, my thoughts flashed back when we danced that night in the club where he was about to kiss me, when I felt the brush of lips on my cheek as I fell asleep in his room, when he kissed my nose, and of course, how could I forget that smile he gave me that sent gorillas down my stomach. And those three words he breathed as he stared at me right in the eyes.
I love you, Cass.
I shook my head as my mother stared at her feet and gripped my trembling hand. Maybe I was falling in love with Lyle, maybe I fell for him even before the party, maybe years of being with him made me realize how much I loved him.
But I was sure, so sure, that I was missing him.
And the ache that was inside me right now was missing him badly. I couldn't imagine Lyle not being a part of my life. And with just a few days parted away from each other, I had already felt like a hollow part of my chest was missing, yearning for him to fill it. And that ache inside me made me fall for harder.
Then I heard the honking of a car. Rushing to the window, I saw a shiny, black limousine pull up the driveway, and out came Nathan, his white suit standing out like a spotlight.
"Your escort's here!" grandma shouted from downstairs.
"Oh my god." I whispered as mother and I went down to meet up with Nathan.
Before I reached the living room, my mother beside me, holding her digital camera, Nathan was standing in the center of the room, clutching a bouquet of white roses.
And the first thought that came into my mind was; How much did those roses cost?
I was so nervous I couldn't think straight. I wanted to laugh and cry and scream at the same time, but of course, I kept quiet. As Nathan's eyes locked with mine, I saw his hand grip the roses tighter, his mouth immediately forming a shape of an O.
What if I was wearing the wrong dress? What if Nathan was so shocked I would be this ugly to prom? What if I was so ugly even my mother who hadn't even showered for two days looked prettier than me?
Biting my lip, I let out a huff of breath and tried not to sink on the floor. Nathan probably saw my discomfort because he snapped back to his beaming face and gave me a smile, stepping closer to me.
"I just-" he whispered as he handed me the roses, his eyes shining so brightly. "You look so stunning."
I felt a blush creep on my cheeks. "T-Thanks." I replied, keeping my eyes in level with his white suit. I knew his suit was different and probably more expensive, but I didn't know whether it looked good or not. I mean, it looked good on Nathan. Actually, probably any kind of clothing would look good on him, even if he had no clothing at all.
After we took a few awkward pictures, Nathan and I left the house. He opened the door for me wherein I just had to bump my head on the ceiling because I was distracted by his intoxicating smell. It was a total turn on, you know? Guys who smelled good were a total turn on.
I was glad I left Nathan's roses in the house, since my hand was trembling as Nathan slipped in beside me. Covering my shaking hand with my purse, I tried to breathe normally, but I failed. My heart was beating wildly beneath my chest, and I felt a bead of sweat trickle down behind my neck. Trying to distract myself, I stared at the lights that passed by like a blur as the car strolled in the streets. Droplets of rain fell and splashed against the window which made rainbow colored reflections in the glass. I glanced at Nathan who was frantically running a hand through his hair, inhaling and exhaling in a rushed manner.
"Nervous?" I blurted as we entered the school. I didn't know guys could get nervous during prom too, because he nodded at me and gave me a small smile.
Before I knew it, we were entering the auditorium, lights flashing behind my eyes, and my stomach rolling in nervousness and excitement as I hooked my arm on Nathan's. It felt unfamiliar though; not hooking my arm with anyone else's other than Lyle's. Nathan handed our tickets to a small, Indian senior who helped us find our table. The Cab's Intoxicated suddenly filled my ears and I let myself smile; trying to push the nervousness away.
As Nathan pulled my chair to let me sit, I glanced sideways and let out a small gasp.
There entered Amber, her arm hooked tightly into Lyle's.
I resisted the urge to walk up to Amber and rip off her ridiculously-looking long, black gown. She smiled as if she was the queen of the place, and Lyle was her king. I looked away from them and took one of the breadsticks on our table. I ate it quickly, shoving it in my mouth as if my life depended on it. Nathan looked at me with worried eyes as I coughed out loud, earning weird looks from the others. After a few seconds, the food made its way down my throat. Nathan was leaning closer to me, rubbing my back as I laughed, and I noticed there were creases on his eyes as he laughed along with me.
I mumbled a sorry to him but trailed off as Lyle and Amber passed by, Amber's death glare making me even more mad at her, and Lyle looked at us with the same hurt I saw in his eyes a few nights ago. I was the first to break eye contact because Nathan wiped the crumb of bread on my mouth with his soft thumb. I instantly blushed and we both turned as Amber yelped in surprise. Lyle was glaring at Nathan, and Amber was clutching her dress because apparently, Lyle stopped walking to their table which was closely beside ours.
Coincidence? I think not!
A few moments later, Max and Jacob arrived, both wearing the same suits, and both date-less. When I asked Max why they went to prom, he told me all he came for was to just watch the hot girls dance, and of course, eat the buffet he paid for.
Before we all ate, Zara arrived, wearing a complete dress, (THANK GOD) and she was also riding solo. She was seated four tables away from us though, but she transferred to ours as the other pair in our table switched places too.
As we all sat down to eat, Max and Nathan kept on piping jokes that made all of us laugh, making us the noisiest table. I'd occasionally glance at Lyle who would make eye contact with me too, but I would always be the one who would break it. While we were finishing dessert, a freshman sat on our table. I recalled she was in a relationship with Hammilton, the junior who was a total playboy. I stared at the girl and immediately recognized her dark skin complexion, and her tall, thin body structure. She was definitely Filipino.
"Hi." I greeted as she gave us a quavering smile.
"Uh, you don't mind if I stay here, do you? Hammilton's busy talking with his friends and I felt out of place, so I decided to join you here. Zara's my cousin, by the way. I'm Natasia." she said, her smile directing to Nathan.
"You're pretty." I said, smiling at her. Although looking back at it now, it was weird for me to say that.
"She is," Zara grinned, looking at Nathan. "Isn't it, Nate?"
Nathan smiled at Natasia and she ended up flushing in embarrassment, stroking her black, shiny hair.
The next thing I knew, we were on the dance floor, the scent of various perfumes entering my nose, making me feel dizzy as we jumped up and down, and moved our body with the blaring song by Zedd erupting from the huge speakers. A few minutes later, Nathan and I were seated in our table while Zara tried to dance with Jacob.
Jacob followed us to our table a few minutes later without Zara noticing since she was busy shaking her butt around. Finally, she turned and gave Max a wide grin, thinking it was Jacob. Two minutes later, they were panting and sweating crazily I thought Max was going to collapse on the floor. Before Zara went back to the table, she threw her arms around Max and kissed him full on the mouth that we all ended up laughing hard.
Fortunately, Zara didn't notice because she was grinning at Max like an idiot. Max's jaw dropped as he locked eyes with his brother who was laughing helplessly on his seat. Shaking his head slowly, a wide grin flashed on his face, and pumping his fists into the air.
As I thought all the air was coming out of my lungs from laughing, This Kiss started playing loudly that Zara had to shout what she wanted to say to Max loud enough for us to hear.
"YOU'RE A REALLY GOOD DANCER, JACOB! AND YOUR LIPS ARE SO KISSABLE!"
We may have laughed too loud that the DJ had to call our attention to shut up because they were about to announce the prom king and queen.
Still recovering from what happened, we all kept silent as the student council president went to the stage and opened the envelope containing the results of the judges which were chosen by the teachers. As usual, they announced prom king first.
"And this year's prom king is... Nathan Evans!"
A group of juniors' screams and squeals erupted from the corner of the room, and I had to push Nathan out of his chair to let him go up the stage and wear his shiny crown that was obviously made of metallic paper. After he wore his crown, he went to take a phone call, which obviously bothered him. As he went out to the back stage, they continued to announce the prom queen.
"And this year's prom queen is,"
A pause.
As the sound of the ripping envelope echoed through the auditorium, I could feel the hope and heavy eagerness of the atmosphere fill the eerie silence of the place. I never did get why some girls always dreamed to become prom queen. I just didn't really get the rational point.
As I stared at the president's confused face as she read the paper, Zara was pushing me out of my chair.
"Where's Cassandra Hale?!"
Everyone stared at me as I stared at Zara who was mouthing; 'you're the prom queen.'
I almost wanted to scream THIS IS BLASPHEMY, but everyone was dead serious as they stared at me with angry and shocked looks. I kept my head down as I forced my shaking legs to move to the stage and claim that stupid, fake tiara. I expected that any moment now, Ashton Kutcher would jump out from the stage and shout in my ear; 'YOU HAVE BEEN PUNK'D!'
I would have been totally happy if that was what happened. As I felt the eyes of every person in the room dig my cold back, I wanted to sink in embarrassment and shame. Was this a cruel joke they were trying to play? Because I was pretty sure there were other students who looked better than me.
Either way, the president put the tiara on my head and I tried not to run away from the school at that very moment. I received only a few claps from the students, and I spotted Amber who was scowling at me, clearly disappointed she wasn't prom queen. I looked around and couldn't find Lyle which made my heart sink for some apparent reason. I felt alone and unsafe now that he had probably left already.
"Now, the prom king and queen will take over at the center of the dance floor,"
But a few seconds later, I heard someone whisper in the president's ear.
"Nathan's nowhere to be found."
I felt like collapsing on the floor in embarrassment already. As if the president sensed my miserable looking face, she quickly took the microphone and coughed to get the attention of the students' chattering voices.
"So since the prom king's missing in action," She paused, trying to find the words to say, but failed after a few seconds. I shook my head slightly, willing my feet to move away from the stage already.
This was the most embarrassing night ever. Tears slowly blurred my eyes, and I tried not to wail in shame in front of the high school students.
"I'll dance with her."
My head snapped in attention to the familiar voice. Then came a guy making his way out of the crowd, wearing a dark suit that was perfect for his toned body. His dark hair was disheveled and messy in a hot way, and he was keeping his head down, adjusting his tuxedo. When he raised his face to look at me, I was glued on the stage platform, trying hard not to cry in relief and shame. I suddenly recognized the way he walked, and the way his emerald eyes glinted from the scintillating lights of the dance floor.
It was Lyle.