Two hours later, I was in a panic, turning my room upside down. It was a complete disaster by the time Casey arrived at my house to get ready with me. I was in the middle of angrily chucking my bed sheets at the wall when she poked her head in cautiously. "Holly?"
"Hi," I responded distractedly, lifting up my pillows and throwing them on the floor. "Come here and help me."
"Sure, but I brought a guest."
Curiously, I turned toward the door, noticing Lexi standing beside her. I smiled warmly. "That's fine. The more the merrier! And the more help!"
"What do you need help with?" Lexi inquired, stepping further into my room. "Cleaning?"
I shook my head. "No, actually, I'm trying to find the key to the bangles Chris gave me. He lent me the key the other day so I could clean them, but I can't find it! If I can't find it, I can never take these things off!"
Lexi made an ooh-ing noise. "Cartier love bangles? Those are expensive!"
"Please don't remind me," I pleaded, wrinkling my nose. "I don't like thinking about how much money he's spent on me."
"Do you have to clean them?" Casey questioned. "I mean, no offense, but you hardly do..."
I made a face at her. "Normally, I wouldn't care but..." Holding up my left arm, I pointed to the sticky maroon substance on one of the bangles. "Put my arm in barbeque sauce..."
Lexi giggled while a wide grin broke out across Casey's face. "Smooth."
"Just shut up and help me find the key."
"Where's your dress?" Lexi asked, peering around my room. "I want to see it!"
"Sure, it's still in the closet," I responded, dropping to my hands and knees to search under my desk. "Where is your dress?"
"We left them in the living room," Casey told me, hunting around my bed and side desk for the small piece of metal. "What color is the key? Silver?"
"Uh-huh."
"Okay."
Lexi skipped over to my closet, pulling out the long bag that held my dress. Excited, she nearly ripped it open. "Wow! It's so pretty!"
"I'd hope so. It took her long enough to find it."
After shooting a dirty look at Casey, my gaze fell on the sapphire prom dress. It really was beautiful. Unlike the usual, tight-fitted dresses I owned, this one was flowing and loose. It reached just to my knees, being a little longer than usual as well. For the most part, the dress's fabric was pretty much the same— sleek and layered. If I spun, the dress would blow out before me, creating the swishy effect I've always wanted in a dress. The only tight fitting part was at the top though, because it was a strapless dress. The fabric there was silk, fitting skintight with a blue rose placed in the center of the chest. I was pretty proud of myself for finding it.
"Compared to yours, mine is boring," Lexi complained, pouting. "I got a regular green, fitting cocktail dress."
Casey smiled at her. "At least you can use it for semiformal occasions as well."
"I guess, but..."
"Mine's not as fancy as Holly's either," Casey continued. "It's just short and purple. I think it's a bit too tight, but since it's prom, I decided it'd be fine."
Lexi laughed. "As long as you're able to take it off after."
I forced myself to laugh as well. "Yeah..."
"Well, I'll have help," Casey declared confidently. "I'm going to my boyfriend's house after."
Surprised, I turned to her. "You are?"
She nodded. "Yep. Aren't you going to Chris's?"
"Well, yeah, but..."
Lexi peered at her interested. "Who's your boyfriend?"
"Jeremy," she responded easily.
I opened my mouth to protest, but then closed it. It really didn't matter if Lexi knew anymore. School was over, and she had Lance.
"Oh, that's cute! So is it going to be your first time?"
I could have slapped myself in the face. The Lemay twins really were a lot alike.
"Nope," Casey told her, opening the desk to my drawer. "Ah!"
"Ah what?" I demanded, hurrying to her side. "Did you find my key— wait, did you just say it wasn't your first time?"
Casey held up the condom Jeremy had taped to my back that one time at Chris's. "I found a condom!"
My cheeks flamed. "Give that back!"
"Uh oh. Naughty Holly," Lexi teased, catching the condom as Casey tossed it to her when I tried to snatch it.
"Who gave you that?" Casey asked me, grinning. "I highly doubt you went and bought that."
I scowled at her. "Jeremy, a while ago. Speaking of which, are you planning to have sex with him tonight?"
She shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I don't know why, but a lot of girls have it in their head that everyone does it on prom night, but that's not true at all."
"But you said you weren't a virgin?" Lexi said, finally giving the condom back to me. "Who was your first?"
I stuffed the condom into my pocket, muttering under my breath. "I bet it was Willis."
"Bingo!"
"How come you never told me?" I demanded.
She cocked an eyebrow. "Is that something you'd want me to tell you? I thought it'd just be awkward. Or assumed. We did date for like, two and a half years."
"I would've never guessed!"
Giving me a pitying look, she patted my shoulder much like Aaron had done to Chris earlier. "That's because you're you, Holly."
"Holly's a virgin?" Lexi spoke up.
"What about it?" I said defensively. "Why is everyone suddenly bringing it up today?"
Casey laughed. "I told you. Because a lot of people think prom equals sex. It's the idea of it being a special night and what not. I mean, I bet a lot of people do have sex on prom night, but really. It's not like you have to."
"I wanted to," Lexi told us, frowning. "But Lance and I haven't been dating for that long... Well, I guess maybe two months is okay. But I'm still a virgin."
Casey and I did double takes at her. "What?"
She narrowed her eyes. "What what?"
"Ah, no..." I started uncomfortably. "It's not..."
"Well, you just flirt a lot so I just assumed," Casey took over boldly. "No offense to you. You don't look like that type of person. Just your personality."
She smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I haven't found the right guy yet... Well, I did. My old teacher. But he was a gentleman and I was only sixteen, so it wasn't ever going to happen."
"Lucky you found Chris when you were almost eighteen," Casey told me, nudging me in my shoulder.
I half-smiled. "I'm not complaining, but it would've been easier if he was younger."
Lexi nodded in agreement. "Fate likes to make things difficult. But since you have a condom, are you going to do it tonight?"
"Er... Yeah. I think so," I mumbled, embarrassment getting the best of me as I dropped my eyes to the ground.
"That's so cute!" she gushed, suddenly throwing herself onto me and giving me a hug.
Casey decided to join too, nearly knocking me off my feet. "It is!"
"Get off!"
"My little Holly is growing up!"
I struggled to push them off me. "Casey, you sound just like Jeremy and Lance and Chris and everyone!"
"Well it's true!"
"It's not a big deal!"
Lexi pulled away, looking offended. "It's a huge deal!"
I frowned. "Not really..."
"You'll see," she said, shaking her head. "You'll understand tonight."
Sighing, I let my head drop back. "Can we let it go? I need to find that key..."
"Here," Casey called, tossing the metal I was looking for at me. "It was under the condom."
I unlocked the bangles on my arm in relief, placing the key in my pocket so I knew I wouldn't lose it again. "Okay, now I just need to clean these before I get ready."
"Are you letting me curl your hair still?" Casey asked excitedly. "Please please please?"
"Yeah, yeah," I responded, opening the bottle of jewelry cleaner that was on my desk. "Just don't mess it up."
"I won't!" she promised eagerly.
Lexi tapped her fingers on her thigh. "Hmm... What should I do with my hair? I wasn't thinking about that."
Casey grinned. "Just leave that to me."
As I scrubbed my bangles, Casey and Lexi headed downstairs to bring their dresses up. I glanced at the clock, realizing we only had two hours before we had to be at the school. That was hardly enough time to get ready for prom. It was hard being a girl. When I finished cleansing my bracelets I slipped them back on, putting them on my left wrist again. With a small smile, I realized I'd received two tan lines due to them.
"Holly, do you have nail polish?" Casey asked as she returned to my room. "I bought you that kit a few years ago. Do you still have it?"
Nodding, I opened the bottom left drawer of my desk and produced the almost untouched kit of nail polish. "You know me. I don't throw away gifts."
"Good," Lexi breathed, "because I didn't bring any."
"Let's start with that and then do our hair," Casey suggested, plopping herself onto my bed. "So, Holly. I'll start with helping you."
I smiled sheepishly, bringing the paint over to the bed. "Thanks. Don't drip any of my sheets though."
"I won't. I'm pro, remember?"
Lexi grinned at me. "Well, now we know how girly Holly is."
I waved her off. "I like having clean nails."
"Okay," she responded skeptically. "That or you're lazy."
"Maybe a bit of both," I admitted. Painting my nails really was never my top priority. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time I'd painted them. I always messed them up and they always chipped the next day. It was a waste of time.
Casey clapped her fingers together. "Okay. Let's do this."
By the time all three of us were dressed up and pretty— our makeup done, hair curled, nails painted, teeth brushed— we were five minutes behind schedule. After I grabbed my overnight bag, we rushed to Lexi's car as fast as our heels would carry us. Since Casey was going to Jeremy's, Lexi had offered to drive since Aaron was getting a ride with James. My stomach was twisting in excitement and anxiety and she sped to the school. It was going to be one unforgettable night. A good night. A trouble free night.
As we pulled up to the tavern slash country club where prom was being held, I noticed quite a number of students had decided to take limos. There were at least ten of them in the parking lot, and two more pulling in behind us. I was kind of jealous that we hadn't taken one, but I was more than happy that we saved the hundreds of dollars it would've cost.
"This place looks fancy," I commented as we staggered up to the main entrance, prom tickets in hand.
"You've never been here?" Lexi asked, surprised.
I shook my head. "Nope."
"I swear for as long as I've been living here my grandpa had every single one of his birthdays here. They have awesome food."
Casey patted her stomach. "Mm, food."
I shook my head at the pair. "It's prom and all you two can think about is food?"
"They have a potato bar," Casey stated slyly. "I know you like potatoes, Holly..."
"I—"
"Well, don't you all look ravishing tonight?"
All three of us glanced behind us to see Jeremy standing there, all dressed up in a black tux with a purple tie. His blonde hair was combed back and tamed, giving him a resemblance to a rich bachelor. Fortunately for him, the look worked.
"Very sharp," I commented.
"Yeah, not so bad yourself, Mr. Ross," Lexi added, checking him out. "Have you seen Lance?"
Jeremy nodded; gesturing toward a group of boys huddled around the front entrance. Lance was among them, fiddling with his tie nervously. His suit, along with almost every other guy's, looked like a clone of Jeremy's. The only difference between his and Jeremy's was instead of a bold black jacket, his had wide stripes.
"I'm going to go say hi," Lexi told us, waving briefly. "See you in there."
"I guess I should go find Aaron," I grumbled, shielding my eyes as I glanced around the students idling outside of the country club. My main reason for finding him was so that Casey and Jeremy could talk alone.
Casey shot me a grateful look as I stalked away. "So, Casey," I heard Jeremy start. "Was that dress painted on or— ow! Wait! Don't hit me! I was kidding! It looks nice!"
Rolling my eyes, I carefully made my through the flock of excited students chattering loudly, my eyes peeled for Aaron. I passed James, who greeted and complimented me, and then Ellie, who was with a handsome stranger. I felt awkward walking around by myself, so when I found Aaron, relief washed through me. Like Jeremy, he had combed his pecan colored hair back. Immediately I hooked my arm through his suited one. "Found you."
He raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
"Being your date."
"I was kidding."
I shrugged. "It's not like I have a date anyway. Being in the picture together is better than being alone, isn't it?"
A small smirk crossed his face. "I suppose. But I bet the real reason you want to be my date is because you're secretly in love with me."
"Definitely."
Chuckling, he tugged on my arm, pulling me out of the crowd. "Shall we head inside then? I'm starving."
"You and Casey would be good friends..."
"What?"
"Nothing," I said, smiling. "I bet Chris is already in there."
Aaron grunted noncommittally.
"Remember, he's wearing a suit..."
Aaron elbowed me. "Stop that. Unless you want me to make a move on your boyfriend."
I stared at him flatly. "You already have, remember? Multiple times. I'm actually starting to find amusement in it."
A wicked grin flashed onto his face. "Should I kiss him again?"
"I wouldn't..."
"Maybe I'll do it at the after party."
"After party?" I echoed.
Aaron frowned at me. "Did I forget to invite you?"
"Yes!"
"It's not a prom after party. It's a graduation after party. So, Monday night. You'll be there, right?"
Hesitating, I shrugged. "Maybe. Remember what happened last time I went to one of your parties?"
He grimaced. "Yeah. I was a dick."
I snorted. "Yeah, you were."
"Can I apologize for that?"
"I suppose so," I responded, squinting into the distance. We were in the main hallway of the building now. It split off into two different sections— the party area, and the tavern. Some teachers I never had were guiding all the students entering in the direction of the party area. Aaron tried sneaking off to the tavern, but I grabbed him by the cuff of his suit, dragging him the other way with me.
"Party pooper," he complained.
"I'm saving you from getting kicked out."
He folded his arms over his chest grumpily. "It's not like I was going to order anything. I don't have a fake ID."
I studied his face for a moment before messing up his gelled hair. "You look better with it normal."
"Hey!" he protested, slapping my hand away. "I was trying something new!"
"Do it later," I told him. "We have to get our picture taken. Make sure to smile. Show teeth."
"Okay, Mom."
I made a face at him before stopping in the line for the photographer. Grumbling beside me, he pulled out his wallet. "What are you doing?" I asked.
He pointed to a sign on the wall. "It cost five bucks."
"What? It does? I didn't bring money!"
"I did," he stated, waving his wallet in my face. "Are you blind?"
"You shouldn't have to pay."
"You're my date, aren't you?" he asked with a crooked grin.
I couldn't help smiling back at him. "You know, you're actually a really good person. What college are you planning to go to?"
"Ah, well Lexi is going to WNEC so I might go there. Or Boston."
"You should go to Western."
"Why?"
"So we can continue to be friends!" I said brightly, stating the obvious. "I really do like you now, Aaron."
To my surprise, a blush crossed his face. "S-shut up. I won't go there."
My mouth fell open. "Eh? Why not?"
"Because!"
"You should go!"
"Move up, it's our turn for the picture."
"But Aaron—"
Ignoring me, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, grinning at the photographer. I stopped talking and smiled as well, noticing for the first time Aaron was wearing an emerald tie. It didn't match my dress, but at least the colors went well together. After the lensman finished snapping pictures of us, we headed into the main room where at least fifty round tables were set up. In the middle was a gigantic dance floor with two enormous speakers and the disc jokey stand at the front. On the perimeter of the entire room were many food stations, ranging from meat to ice cream to snacks. At the far left corner was the bar.
"There's Mr. Heywood."
My gaze followed Aaron's pointing finger all the way to the left wall, where a red-curtained photo booth was set up. A wide smile crossed my lips as I took in my boyfriend's handsome face. His hair was completely disheveled and damp, making me think he'd just hopped out of the shower before coming here.
"What the hell is he wearing...?"
I did a double take when my eyes dropped lower. Aaron's question was valid. What the hell was he wearing?
Instead of the joining the majority of the men by wearing a black tux, Chris had opted for a completely white one. The shirt under his white jacket was the only black thing on him. I couldn't take my eyes off him, not sure how to feel about his clothing choice. Part of me wanted to laugh, but another part of me thought he looked incredibly attractive all in white. Sexy, even. His sapphire tie that coordinated with mine only added to his charm. "Let's go say hi," I urged, grabbing Aaron's hand and dragging him toward the biology teacher.
"What's with the white suit?" Aaron demanded as soon as we were close enough for Chris to hear him.
Chris smirked. "I thought I'd change it up tonight." His gaze switched from Aaron to me, his eyes softening. "Holly..."
"You look sexy," I told him flat out. It felt a little embarrassing to call him sexy to his face, but I didn't want to say he looked cute or handsome. That was cliché.
Surprised crossed his face for a second before being replaced by smugness. "I was hoping I'd get that reaction. I think this is the first time you've called me sexy."
"Er, well..."
"You look foxy," he responded with a devilish grin. "I like the dress. Do a twirl for me."
I glanced around us, noticing the people starting to fill the room. "I don't know..."
He gave me a one-shouldered shrug. "You don't have to do it now, but definitely later. When we're alone."
"Um, sure," I mumbled, suddenly bashful. I put my head down, keeping my eyes on my high-heel clad feet.
Aaron nudged me in the side. "I knew it."
I ignored him.
"Holly. Do you want to be the first in the photo booth? We could take pictures before your makeup is ruined from dancing," Chris offered.
I looked up at him, smiling again. "Sounds good."
"Aaron, you stay out here and make sure no one walks in on us."
Aaron sighed dramatically. "Fine. I guess I can manage that."
"Come on, Holly," Chris ordered, stepping behind the curtain. "There's only three strips on these."
I ducked into the cubicle, immediately followed by Chris. It was surprisingly cramped inside. The ceiling was too low, forcing Chris to hunch down, and the cubic area was too little, making us have to squeeze together. In an effort to shift into a comfortable position, Chris elbowed me in the side. I elbowed him back.
He shot me a dirty look. "You'd think they brought this for five year olds, not high school seniors."
"You're not allowed to take pictures with any of the other girls if it's like this," I said half-jokingly.
"I won't."
Taken by surprise at his solemn response, I did a double take. "What?"
He smiled. "I'll just say I wouldn't fit. Chances are they'll be coming in here in groups anyway... That'll be something to see. Anyway, we better hurry."
"How do you work this one?" I inquired, squinting and putting my head closer to the reflective plastic that surrounded what I assumed to be the camera.
"Allow me," he insisted, pressing the only red button on the wall.
I smiled sheepishly. "Oh... Hey! We haven't thought of what we're going to do!"
"Better think quick. Three... Two..."
I wasn't sure why, but my first instinct was to wrap my hands around his neck and pretend I was choking him. So that was what I did. Chris let out a grunt of surprise as I clamped down on his neck, just in time for the picture.
"What was that?" he demanded with a grin, pushing my hands off him. "Trying to remind me of my gang days?"
"I don't think good under pressure!"
"Well for the next one, don't think that hard. Let's just take a normal one," he suggested, wrapping his arms around my waist and turning me to the side in a cliché prom photo pose. "Just smile and try to look pretty. I know it may be hard..."
"Hey!"
"Say cheese," he said, pressing the red button again.
On the countdown from three, I placed a fake smile on my face, not good at showing my true smile during pictures. At the last second possible, Chris began tickling my sides and I broke out in laughter right away. "Stop it!" I cried, after the camera had flashed. "It's done! It's done!"
"Shh, you'll draw attention to us."
"Stop, stop!"
"One more picture."
"Stop tickling me!" I cried desperately, trying to squirm out of his grasp. "This isn't fair!"
Snickering, he pressed the button again. The countdown to the shutter began again. In a vain attempt to get him to let me go, I stomped on his foot. Surprisingly, he let me go. As I turned to smile at the camera, he pulled me toward him and planted a swift kiss on my cheek as it flashed. I gaped at him. "Hey!"
"Hi," he responded smoothly. "I'm Chris Heywood, nice to meet you."
I pushed away form him, leaving the tiny space. "What if someone sees that?"
He popped his head out and shrugged casually. "I don't mind."
"But you said you could still get in trouble," I scolded him, snatching the photos as they printed at the side.
"Yes, but pictures last forever. Unless you burn them. I thought maybe if I kissed you as a sign of my love for you, it'd last forever."
I stared at him. "Really?"
"Well, I just thought of that right now," he confessed with a smirk. "But it sounds romantic doesn't it?"
Sighing, I shoved the pictures into his chest. "Hold onto these. Don't lose them. Don't let anyone see them. Okay?"
"Okay, bossy."
"Try not to get hit on too often," I said with a small smile. "I'll pop by every now and then."
He shook his head. "No, go enjoy your night. Jeremy will keep me company. It's your last chance to have fun with your classmates. For right now, just pretend I'm your teacher."
His words made my heart sink. It was true. Sure, I'd make sure I saw those who I wanted to, but we wouldn't ever have any kind of high school event to attend together anymore. Nodding, I briefly ran my hand over Chris's chest. "Okay, have fun, Mr. Heywood."
"You too, Ms. Evers."
As I set off in search of Casey, I noticed that most of the students were now inside. Even though it was a spacious room, it still felt like it was getting crowded. Some people were already on the dance floor, basically having sex with their clothing on. Rolling my eyes, I turned my attention to the food. I knew at least Casey and Aaron would be there. A small grin spread across my face when I located the pair at the potato bar.
"Holly!" Casey said happily, turning to me as I approached. "Try the German potato salad! It's so good!"
I eyed her warily. "How did you know it was me without looking?"
"I guessed."
"Okay," I responded suspiciously as Aaron snickered. "Where do I get the plates?"
Aaron handed me an empty one. "Here. I'm not going to use this one. Fill up a plate and let's go sit down."
"What? I wanna dance!" Casey complained.
"Later," I told her. Later when all the grind-rapists were off it.
After filling my plate with foods I'd heard of, but never tried (like Filet mignon and beef Wellington), I headed off to a table near the photo booth, so I could see Chris while I ate. It wasn't every day you got to see your boyfriend in a white suit. When Casey's eyes fell upon him, she let out a wolf whistle. Which caught his attention.
Embarrassed, I shoved her into a seat, putting my back to him. "Casey!"
"What?"
"Don't do that!"
"Why?" she asked with a smirk.
"Because I said so. Just eat." Grumbling under my breath, I stabbed my fork into my potatoes and stuffed it in my mouth. "The faster you eat, the faster we can get out on the dance floor."
Her eyes lit up in wickedness. "So you'll dance?"
"Yes...?"
An evil grin broke out across her face and I immediately regretted my words. "This shall be fun..."
Ten minutes later, I was being forced to the dance floor. The minute I stepped into the swaying and grinding bodies, I was swept away. My hand reached desperately for Casey's and she grabbed, yanking me deeper into the sweaty mess. The song changed from one I didn't recognize with a crappy bass to Blow by Ke$ha. With each thud of the bass, my heart shuddered because of my proximity to the gigantic speakers. Casey threw her hands up in the air, swaying her hips back and forth to the beat. I stood with my arms awkwardly at my side, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, not really into dancing.
"Dance!" she instructed, grabbing my hands. "Lexi! Help Holly dance!"
Glancing behind me, I realized Lexi and Lance were about a foot away from me. Lexi immediately switched from grinding on Lance to grinding on me. I rolled my eyes, trying to move away from her. "Stop that—"
Casey blocked my escape, pressing her body to mine, forcing my hands up in the air. "If you dance we'll let you go."
"Come on, Holly!" Lance added, wrapping his arms around Lexi's slender waist. "Just let go. It's prom. Lighten up."
"Fine," I resigned, breaking free from Casey. "I'll dance. Give me some room."
Casey grinned, stepping away from me. "As you wish."
Matching the beat of the music, I began to swish my hips and throw my head from side-to-side, purposefully whipping it into Lexi's face. At first I felt a little awkward, but when Casey joined again, I let it all go, deciding to not bother worrying about what other people thought. I even started dancing with some of the people I wasn't even friends with.
About two hours later, I was breathless and ready to pass out. I forced my way out of the mass of twisting bodies, staggering to the closet chair and collapsing into it. I glanced at the photo booth, my eyebrows furrowing when I realized Jeremy was there now instead of Chris. I forced myself out of the chair and trudged over to the blonde.
"Hey!" he greeted me cheerily. "What's up? You look tired."
"I am... I'm not made to dance," I told him honestly, wiping the sweat off my brow. "Where's Chris?"
Jeremy pointed to the glass doors at the back of the room. "He said it was hot in here, so he went out there for a break."
I followed his gaze. "Are we allowed out there?"
"Nope... but who's going to catch you?"
Biting my lip, I stared at the door. "I don't want to be kicked out..."
"Just go," he urged.
"Well... Okay," I decided, straightening out my dress. "I'll do the same for you and Casey later."
"Sure," he responded with a grin.
After one more nervous glance at the door, I forced myself to start walking toward it. Luckily, it was in a darker part of the room, so hopefully no one would notice me slipping out. Still, I was over cautious, looking around me like I'd committed some kind of crime and I was trying to escape the police. I opened the door a crack, just enough for me to slip by.
"Chris?" I hissed quietly as soon as I quietly shut the door behind me. The only source of light outside came from the moon, casting its gentle glow on the lawn the door had led to. I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to adjust them to the inky blackness. "Chris?" I tried again.
No answer came.
Crossing my arms over my chest to try and fend off the chilly air, I moved forward on the lawn, coming across a cemented path. After debating for a minute, I chose to go down it. My pulse started to race a little, the darkness sending my imagination into overdrive. I kept myself calm, focusing on my high heels as I continued down the trail that was leading me further onto the lawn, toward the cliff ledge that overlooked the city. Part of me was ready to turn back, but if Jeremy said that Chris was out here, he probably was...
That or Jeremy was trying to pull a prank on me.
At that thought I froze, my ears perking up, listening for any sounds. From where I was, I couldn't even hear the music from the dance. I jumped as a quiet cough came from the darkness, near a tall Oak tree. Clenching my fists, I forced myself to start moving again, holding my breath. "Chris?"
"Holly?"
I let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. It's you. Where are you?"
A chuckle left his lips and I heard the sound of him tramping through the grass. "Right here," he said, stepping out from the shadows of the tree. "How's your night going?"
"I'm all danced out," I confessed, holding out my arms. "I need some support to keep myself on my feet. These high heels are killing me."
"Take them off," he suggested, wrapping his arms around me. His hands ran over my arms. "Your skin is freezing."
I smiled. "Well, it is cold out here."
"Do you want to go back in?"
"No!"
Grinning, he held me tighter. "Then I guess it's up to me to keep you warm, isn't it?"
"How come your way out here?"
"The music was starting to give me a headache," he replied, turning me around so we could both gaze at the lights from the city. He kept his arms enclosed around my tightly, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Plus, it's a prettier sight out here. Watching seniors grinding all night isn't exactly fun."
I laughed. "I agree."
"Except you were one of those people, Holly."
My cheeks flushed. "Casey was bugging me, so I gave in. It's really not that bad."
"Because this is so much fun," he retorted, grinding his hips into me from behind. "Such a turn on."
Laughing, I attempted to pull myself away from him. "Stop that! It's weird when you do it."
"It's weird when anyone does it," he corrected, stopping his gyrating. "I can't believe there's still two more hours of this to endure..."
"Technically an hour and a half."
"Let's just stay out here," he proposed with a deep sigh.
"I would... but it's cold."
He squeezed me. "Right. I wouldn't want you getting sick just before graduation."
"Or tonight."
"Or tonight," he repeated quietly.
Silence passed by us and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. "Chris?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm a little scared."
"I'm right here. Nothing's going to get you."
Smiling, I shook my head. "No. I mean about tonight."
"Oh. Don't be," he told me, his breath blowing in my ear. "It'll be okay. I won't hurt you."
"I'm not worried about that."
"What are you worried about?"
"I... Well... You know..." Clearing my throat, I turned my head up so I could face him. "I was talking to Aaron early."
He made a face. "Don't listen to that guy."
I ignored his comment. "You have a lot of experience, don't you?"
"Er..."
"You can tell me."
"I didn't sleep with many different people," he informed me. "But if you're just talking about experience, yes."
I swallowed nervously. "I have none."
"Holly—"
"I don't want to make it a bad experience for you."
"It won't be," he declared confidently. "Don't think about that, Holly. It's not about experience. It's about who it's with. I love you, Holly. That's all that matters."
"I love you too," I mumbled, lifting my face up so I could kiss him. "I love you so much."
He grinned, letting me go so I could face him fully. "Prove it."
Wrapping my arms around him, I pressed my mouth to his roughly, putting all my feelings into the kiss. He stumbled back a bit, his arms going around my waist to press me against him. I raked my hand through his hair, reveling in the silky feeling of it. As I tried to make it deeper, he pulled away, shaking his head. "Not now."
"Why?"
"Because. If you continue doing that, I might not be able to wait until we get home."
Blushing at the implication, I dropped my arms, stepping away from him. "O-Oh I see."
He gave me one last, light kiss before grabbing my hand and leading me back up the path. "We should get back."
"I don't want to."
"Neither do I," he agreed. "But if we both are preoccupied, this will end quicker. You go dance, I'll annoy Jeremy."
I grinned. "Sounds good."
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Haha, this chapters sucks. Note to rewrite this one... I mean, I'm okay with it, otherwise I wouldn't have posted it. But it could be better. When I'm not distracted. Originally I was just going to do the whole prom night thing in this chapter, but it's 17 pages and I'm at my friend's so you'll have to wait for that :P I'm excited to write it.