[A/N: Songs for the chapter:
- Taylor Swift // Starlight
- Owl City // All About Us]
On Friday I declined Mona's offer to get ready for the dance at her house because I had to stay behind and retake a French quiz. I only failed the first time around because of Jonah. He wouldn't stop making a pass at me so I spent the entire lesson hissing profanities at him and ran out of time. Maybe the jerk didn't remember much from the party either.
My insides were in a tightly wound in a coil from the anticipation of seeing Tyler, clad in a tuxedo, in exactly two hours. I didn't have class with him today and the entire school was buzzing with excitement for the dance. Half the girls cut their afternoon class to get ready so the hallways lacked the usual clumps of squealing girls. Despite that, I still didn't manage to catch a glimpse of Tyler all day. I even searched from him by going on frequent toilet breaks, hoping to bump into him between classes but the guy was nowhere to be seen.
Who'd have known that Tyler Miller withdrawal symptoms were actually a thing?
Rushing home, I arrived sweaty and clammy from my speedy cycle and sprinted to the bathroom, frantic about having only two hours to get ready.
Since school had finished a few hours ago, most other girls had booked expensive hair appointments to tame their frizz but I only had a good old straightener to solve the bird's nest sprouting from my scalp. I ran a bubble bath and washed my hair with one of Mom's expensive shampoos, scrubbing myself clean until I reeked of jasmines and numerous floral scents.
Once I was out of the bathroom, I lathered myself in scented lotion, climbed into my underwear and spent half an hour dancing around my room to the radio. Mom popped in when the clock was nearing five to remind me that Tyler was due to arrive in an hour so I turned down the volume and started applying my make up.
I wasn't too fond of make up so I shied away from liquid eyeliner, knowing full well that I couldn't apply it with a decent amount of precision. Staring at Mom's makeup bag, I emptied it onto my dressing table and began to panic.
Why were there so many utensils and colours? Cluelessly, I quickly put on my contact lenses and began to apply grey eyeshadow on my eyelid, but the fall-out powder stained my cheeks so I shrieked with frustration and ran to the bathroom to clean my face.
Perturbed, I returned to my room and glanced at my digital alarm clock. I only had thirty minutes to do my hair, makeup and put on my dress.
"Mom!" I called out, flopping on my bed in my dressing gown with my hands cushioning my head. "Mom! I need your help!"
I heard her shuffling around in her bedroom, hoovering the carpet that she had spent the past week complaining about.
"Mom!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.
The vacuum cleaner rumbled to a halt, cut off suddenly so that the house was left in an echoing silence. A few seconds later, her blonde head peeked into my room before she stepped inside wearing a deep scowl.
"Why are you yelling? Tyler is going to be here at six...Oh my god Ashley! Why haven't you put your dress on?"
When her eyes landed on my distressed expression, her features softened and she drank in the sight of the cluttered mess on my dressing table.
"Why can't I put on makeup like other girls? I tried and ended up looking like Krusty the Clown!" I whined pathetically and sat up, leaning on my elbows as she beckoned me over to the dressing table.
"That's because you're beautiful without makeup. Come here and I'll quickly fix you up dear."
Her soft tone made the tight coil of anxiety within my stomach unfurl. Minutes later, I was no longer on the verge of shrieking with panic as Mom dabbed gold eyeshadow on the centre of my closed lid and black on my eye crease before swiping a blending brush to ease the harsh lines between the two colours. She used the black liquid eyeliner I had been to terrified to touch and drew a steady cat-eye flick that looked incredibly precise. Then she outlined my bottom waterline with pencil eyeliner and coated my long lashes with mascara.
I sat still as she worked a warm blush onto my cheeks and before I knew it, she was dabbing a pale pink lipstick on my lips.
"You can open your eyes dear."
The pride that coated her voice was almost as overwhelming as the wide smile on her face, but it wasn't until my reflection grinned back at me that I stared in awe, marvelling at her work.
Liquid gold eyes blinked at me, reinforced with a splash of gold on my lids that shone in the light, sparkling every time I moved an inch but the dark smokey black effect managed to downplay the sharp winged eyeliner.
The splash of blush on my cheeks gave my face a rosy glow like a cold breeze had nipped the skin and the soft colour on my lips made my grin stretch even wider.
"I...I..." Choking on words, I closed my lips and stared up at her.
"Don't you dare cry and ruin your eyes. Now hurry up and put on that dress," She lifted her wrist and eyed the time on her watch with a tight-lipped frown, "You have ten minutes to do your hair and put on your dress. Think you can manage that without ruining your makeup?"
I nodded, watching my reflection mimic my movement. Standing up, I enveloped Mom into a tight hug, mumbling my thanks before quickly kicking her out of my room.
I didn't want to make Tyler wait around for long so instead of following my original plan to straighten my hair, I plugged my curling iron into the socket and pulled out a comb. Detangling my air dried hair, I strengthened my natural curls until they bounced around lower back, a few inches shy of my waist. Then I sectioned my hair into small parts, grabbed numerous bobby pins and clipped the majority of my curls up into an up-do, leaving wispy curls to frame my face.
Once I was satisfied, I sprayed my favourite perfume onto my neck and slipped into my dress, careful not to crumple the lacy, skater skirt region. It wasn't anything eye-catching, just a knee-length, fitted, sleeveless dress. The bold choice in colour made me feel quite nervous but the high neckline soothed my nerves. It was clinched tightly around my waist and revealed my figure but at least my blood-red dress was modest compared to whatever Michelle's minions intended on wearing.
Jewellery was no issue; I simply clasped my best-friend silver locket around my neck and the winking diamond heart rested snugly at the base of my collarbone.
When the doorbell rang, I grabbed my coat and staggered down the staircase, moving fast before coming to an abrupt halt once Mom and Tyler came into full view. When did she get downstairs before me?
That should have the least of my problems since her hands were fiddling about Tyler's neck, fixing his twisted white collar and his thin, dark red tie.
"What are you doing Mom?" I sucked my breath in, astonished by her motherly behaviour towards the Tyler.
Heat filled my cheek as she held up her hands in defence, removing her hands away from Tyler's tie that had been originally crooked, blown to the side by the wind.
"Just fixing his tie. Don't you think It's such a coincidence it matches your dress?" She winked at Tyler as he smiled sheepishly, keeping his gaze fixated on me as he drank in my outfit.
"Give it a rest Mom," I mumbled, annoyed that I couldn't hide my blush behind my hair from the way his eyes raked over me.
To be honest, my eyes roamed all over his tuxedo that fittingly hugged his muscles, hinting at what lay beneath the black material. The blood-red tie was the only splash of colour and I couldn't help but gawk at the way he had slicked his hair back making it look anything but shaggy and dishevelled like usual.
Blinking in awe, I met his gaze and felt my cheeks burn at the fact that he had caught me checking him out.
Oh well, it's not my fault he looked downright sexy.
Snapping out my daze, I grabbed Tyler's arm and shoved him in the direction of the front door. I flung the door open, allowing the evening sunset to invade the hallway and bathe us in a deep orange light. I cast my eyes to the floor, trying not topple over in my black platform heels as I stepped out onto the porch.
"You know Ashley, he is an extremely handsome young man. I'm surprised that you haven't made a move yet," Mom whispered into my ear, although she failed to note that Tyler was standing right beside me, well within earshot. "If I was eighteen again I would have already hooke‒"
"Mom!" I squealed, my eyes on the verge of bulging out as Tyler snickered behind me, hiding his mouth behind his left hand.
"Sorry," She imitated zipping up her lips and throwing the key away. "I couldn't resist."
She shouldn't have bothered applying blush to my cheeks since I was a walking tomato, on the verge of exploding and splattering my inner embarrassment everywhere. Even the icy wind could not cool my beetroot face.
"The damage is done Mom, the damage is done." I grumbled as I shuffled after Tyler towards his car, shooting her a look of disappointment.
"What?" She mouthed, smiling deviously.
"You know what!" I mouthed back, rolling my eyes when her grin widened.
Sporting an innocent act wasn't working so Mom ditched it for a sly wink before she slipped back to her serious, parental mode.
"Have fun kids!" She yelled before retreating back inside. "Tyler, I want her home before midnight!"
"I'll have her home way before that Mrs Martin," He called out before she shut the door.
I avoided his gaze as we approached his car, feeling incredibly unnerved as his eyes ran over my body, judging my dress to every detail. I wondered if it was too simple for his liking.
"What?" I tried to meet Tyler's eyes, but I was still humiliated by Mom's comment so I stared at my black platform heels and used the passenger door to hold my weight.
"You haven't looked at me once. Has Mommy embarrassed you?" His tone was mocking, making my blood boil with irritation.
Couldn't he just pretend nothing ever happened?
"Just shut up and unlock this damn door."
Tyler unlocked the car, strode over to me and held my door open for me. With an exaggerated wave, he motioned for me to get in and bowed deeply, receiving an eye roll from me as I seated myself into his expensive car.
Jerk.
***
"You seriously wanted to come to this? It's so lame!" Tyler yelled over the music as he grumbled into his punch, swishing his cup in circles so that the burgundy liquid swirled around. His lips were curved downwards with distaste.
"Stop being a killjoy!" I snapped, tucking my loose curls behind my ear but they just fell back, framing my face again and tickling my cheek.
Okay, maybe he was right. The decorations were tacky and the music was far too loud. There was no specific theme because the student council didn't want to waste money for the actual prom on new decorations for an insignificant Fall dance. So the decorations were just reused props from the previous proms: a huge fake glacier fountain that rained confetti, numerous life sized pillars that should probably should have remained in an ancient temple and mammoth spotlights that skittered around the dance floor, flashing every colour of the rainbow as masses of bodies rose and fell to the pumping bass.
I clutched my chair as the vibrations threatened to evoke an earthquake.
"But this is so lame! I'd rather be at home watching Adventure Time than watching these douchebags grind up all over any stick thin brat with boobs," He complained, throwing his head back and downing the punch like a shot.
He looked at me, expecting me to agree with him but instead I burst out laughing. Confused, Tyler blinked at me whilst I gripped my chair and giggled.
"You watch Adventure Time too?" I asked with bright eyes, sipping my punch as he grinned sheepishly.
Who would have known that Tyler Miller still had time for cartoons!
"Well..." He trailed off, lifting up his hand and ticking them off, "Besides selling drugs around street corners, beating up freshmens for their lunch money and running my own underground gang...Yes Ash, I do watch Adventure Time."
I laughed at his exaggerated bad boy persona. Sure Tyler was unpredictable, impulsive and quick to throw a fist, but we both knew he was incapable of doing those things. Simply because deep down, Tyler was still that same, big, ol' softie I knew in sixth grade who would willingly give me all the red sweets in a packet of Skittles or let me eat the last slice of his favourite banana cake.
He was too considerate to run a mafia.
"So when are we leaving?"
I gave him a filthy look and stood up, flattening my dress as I held a hand out to him.
"If you ask me that question one more time, I will stick a skewer through your balls and feed them to you," I waved my outstretched hand before latching onto his wrist. "Come on, let's dance."
Tyler's eyes flashed with incredulity. He shook his head wildly and a few blond strands escaped his perfectly gelled hair. As he tried to break his hand free, I clasped his wrist tighter, forcefully pulling him up although the weight of his body almost ripped my shoulders out from their sockets.
"Ashley! Let go of me!" I heard him yell as he tried to wriggle free. I hauled him through the masses of bodies until we were at the centre of square-tiled dance floor. "Unhand me this instant you big brute!"
Immediately, I froze and dropped his wrist before cackling at his feeble demand. Flashing him a devilish grin, I ignored the hoard of butterflies fluttering around my stomach and casually wrapped an arm around his neck, hoping that he wouldn't be able to feel the hammering beat of my heart.
Tyler resisted for a moment, trying to unclasp my arms but I just held on until his arms reluctantly slipped down to my waist. His grip was so loose I could barely feel the pressure of his touch.
"I hate you," He grunted, studying my face with a disdainful expression.
"I love me too." I waggled my eyebrows at him, attempting to chase away his brief exasperation towards me.
Tyler could never stay mad at me for that long. I grinned triumphantly when the corners of his lips twitched with amusement before he broke out into a full blown grin. I should have picked up on his sudden mood change but it was only when a mischievous glint shone behind his bright, oceanic eyes that I stiffened. Sensing my discomfort, Tyler's grin widened and suddenly he closed the distance between our bodies by forcefully pressing my entire body against the brick wall of his chest.
"Tyler!" I squealed, trying to place some distance between us but he just tightened his hold on my waist. Clamping me in place, I felt a shiver ripple down my spine when he lifted one hand to tuck a stray curl away from my face.
"You asked for this!" He yelled over the music and I felt every vibration when his chest rumbled with laughter.
I sighed with defeat and rested my head in the crook of his neck. The song playing wasn't too fast paced like the previous booty-popping tunes since most of the previous dancers were crowding around the punch table, eager to quench their thirst. That left behind a handful of couples and a group of squealing sophomores on the dance floor.
We swayed side to side in time with the music, and even though I trod on Tyler's toes multiple times, he never once yelled at me. Instead, he tightened his firm grip on my waist and rested his chin on my head. Warmth prickled my scalp where his breath washed over my hair and I couldn't help but shudder every time his lips moved to mouth the words to the song.
After two more songs, Tyler pulled back a fraction and I glanced up at him, mirroring his goofy grin.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, concentrating on the way his fingertips drummed in time to the music against the small of my back.
The spotlight bathed his entire face royal blue and for once, there wasn't a trace of green to be seen in his eyes. Then the light changed to emerald and all blue disappeared, leaving his eyes forest green.
"No reason," He shrugged his shoulders, still studying every inch of my face as if he was trying to commit it to memory. "I just think you look really hot tonight."
The casual way he dropped the compliment made me wonder if it actually meant anything to him, but to me, his words unleashed a simmering fire that rippled along each and every nerve ending. My entire body burned with enough heat to make my skin tingle and I blinked at him slowly, trying to comprehend the seriousness behind the soft gaze he had fixed on me.
I bit my lip, cautiously picking through which facial expressions to give away. Moments later, I failed and a giddy smile broke out on my face.
"You don't look so bad yourself," I whispered coyly, irritated that I couldn't reek with the same confidence that oozed from his crooked smile.
"Well your mom certainly thought I looked good enough to fu-"
I cut him off, releasing a hand on his neck and letting the other one slide down to his shoulder. Holding my free hand up, I silenced him by pressing a finger to his lips.
"Don't even go there!" I hissed, casting my eyes to the bright spotlights that jumped about the room.
Tyler laughed, grabbing both my hands and clasping it around his neck again as he brought us closer again. Every inch of his body was moulded against mine and I felt nervous that he could feel my curves through the two layers of clothing between us. Never, in my entire existence, had I ever been pressed against Tyler's body to the extent that I could feel ever dip and indentation of his hard muscles.
Instead of resting his chin on my head again, Tyler peered down at me, his face a mere three inches from mine. We were so close that under the changing lights - from pink to blue to green to purple and back to pink again - I could make out the faint splatter of freckles on his nose. They reminded me of the way sunlight streamed past the dense pack of leaves whenever I walked past the massive ash tree in the school courtyard.
He kept his eyes trained on mine, never breaking contact and I wondered if his entire body was on fire the way mine was. Suddenly, the DJ - a stoner in eleventh grade - picked up his mike and started beckoning people to return to the dance floor.
"To all the lovers present, I'm going to slow down the music for at least one slow dance. Everybody make way for the lovers." The DJ bellowed, before a deafening screech of the microphone filled the hall.
Everybody clamped their hands over their ears as the microphone screamed, whilst the DJ mumbled an apology before the next song began to play - 'All About Us' by Owl City.
As the twinkling intro of the song beckoned couples, the dance floor began to fill up fast; friends grabbed each other's wrists as they too began to sway to the music.
It was densely packed, so we swayed on the spot, holding tightly to each other. Although Tyler continued to stare at me, I scanned the crowd for my friends, anxious to see them again.
I had bumped into Blake and Mona when we first arrived but since I was with Tyler, it seemed awkward to hang out with them when the two guys weren't really on speaking terms. Nevertheless, my friends didn't seem to mind. From what I could see right now, they definitely appreciated being alone.
I spotted Mona's racy black dress sparkling beneath the disco ball. She had her head pressed against Blake's chest and her eyes were closed. A small smile lingered on her red lips but she obviously couldn't see that pale green eyes were open, watching her with the immense affection. Blake wore the goofiest smile I had ever seen on him.
By chance, he glanced up and met my gaze.
I raised an eyebrow accusingly, trying to get a sheepish or shy reaction out of him. Taunting Blake failed when he pointed his chin as Tyler and smirked. My cheek burned so I leaned against Tyler's chest again, at least that way I wouldn't be able to see Blake's sly smirk. Moments later, I peeked at him and relief surged through me that he was now looking at his partner again.
Who would have ever thought that my two closest friends had feelings for each other?
Concentrating on the soft melody, my eyes fluttered shut and instead of darkness, I was in the Millers' beach house sitting on the sand with Taylor as we listened to this song and flicked through our horoscopes in eighth grade.
Smiling at the recollection, I cracked open my lids, taken aback to find Tyler's gaze fixated on me.
"What are you thinking about?" He had to raise his voice over the music but it was still soft.
"Hmm?" My heavy lids fluttered as I pictured the scene again. A smile crept onto my lips. "Just listening to this song with Taylor that summer we spent at your parent's beach house."
Pulling me close, Tyler's chin touched on my forehead, barely skimming the skin but it was enough to send a river of tingles down my spine. As if things couldn't get more intimate, his fingers slid further down my back until he had a firm hold on the small of my back. I sucked in a breath when he absentmindedly traced patterns, giving rise to a hoard of butterflies in my stomach.
"That summer was the best six weeks of my life." He replied.
"Yeah," I nodded. For once I allowed myself to think about how close Tyler and I had gotten that summer and my heart flipped at the memories we shared: all the near kisses, intimate moments and the nights we fell asleep together on the shoreline. "Yeah, it was definitely the best."
Serene and content in his arms, neither of us made the attempt to move when the slow songs came to a halt. Replaced with fast paced music, we swayed about faster and soon enough I had my head thrown back, laughing hysterically as Tyler spun me around in tight circles. My ringing laughter only encouraged him to purposely bump us into other couples - some who were engrossed in a full make out session, but they were too preoccupied to care.
I had to admit his grin was infectious, and I was surprised at just how much it was affecting me. It was drawing me to him, clouding my judgement. I was giddy, often stumbling over Tyler's fast moving feet as he carried our weight, holding my hand as I twirled in and then back out of his arms like a yo-yo. My curls slapped my flushed cheeks, tumbling out of their up-do but I couldn't care less that I had spent so much time perfecting it for the dance.
Eventually we were breathless and fled the dance floor to grab a drink to quench our thirst. My hand was still attached to Tyler's as he handed me my cup, watching me as I downed half a glass of punch. The tangy after-taste made my face contort with disgust. What kind of punch tasted sour and bitter?
"What are you staring at?" I yelled over the music, finally noticing that Tyler was gazing at me. He rearranged strange expression into an impassive mask and looked away. Though, his lips twitched about the corners as if he was biting back a smile.
"I need to use the restroom. Do you mind holding this?" I handed Tyler my cup and gave him a small smile.
"Sure, I'll just wait for you here."
I gave him one last lingering look before weaving my way past the mounds of dancers, occasionally bumping into the odd drunkard who managed to slip alcohol past the teachers.
By the time I reached the bathroom, I felt hot and flustered so I ran my hands under the cold water and gently pressed my palm against my clammy forehead. I spent a minute pinning my hair back up and swept my under-eye to remove any smudged eyeliner. Just as I was about to retreat back into the gym hall, the door swung open and slammed against the wall.
"Look who we have here girls," Michelle's snide laugh was followed by two others.
I rolled my eyes and bit back a crude comment on her low-cut red dress. I tried not to dwell on the fact that it was almost the same shade as mine and that her shoes gave her an extra inch on me.
"Dumb, dumber and dumbest." I smiled through gritted teeth as Karolina Jensen rose a blonde eyebrow at my remark.
Minion Two, Ali Reynolds, was a lot slower than the rest and just eyed her cuticle before biting her thumb and looking at me with innocent brown eyes. How on earth did Ali ever fall into Michelle's clique? Probably her flexible body and baby face helped quite a lot, but she was too simple to fit in the Mean Girl's cast that Michelle controlled with puppet strings.
Michelle's smirk soured at my comment and she cut straight to chase, just as I expected. She was never one to beat around the bush and administer small talk when she had something on her mind.
"What did you offer Tyler to get him to be your date tonight?" She took a step forward, attempting to threaten me with her height. "An STD?"
I scoffed, startled that she managed to sour my mood with her presence.
"Unlike you I manage to keep my legs closed around him," I gave her a wide grin, although it took everything in me not to grind my teeth together. "I just asked once and he said yes."
Her dark eyes flashed with anger.
"Liar," She took another step forward forcing me to edge backwards. "Seriously? What did you offer him in exchange?"
"Listen, if you want tips on how to conduct yourself as a girl with dignity around Tyler, you've come to right place." I laughed maliciously. "Rule One: Don't bother talking to him again, he knows you're a narcissistic bitch. Rule Two: Try wearing more clothes. Believe it or not but it works wonders with guys like Tyler. Rule Three: Fuck off!"
Realising that my venomous retort made me sound like a jealous girlfriend, I refrained myself from stabbing her twitching eye with my heel and stalked out of the bathroom, barging her shoulder on the way out. Trembling with fury, I ran a hand over my face and counted to sixty to slow my ragged breaths down.
From the corner of my eye, I spotted Michelle slam the bathroom door shut when she sauntered out, red-faced and pissed off beyond belief. I wondered if I had just signed my death wish, but shrugged off the thought because there was no way in hell that I was ever going to let her get the better of me after what she did to me in freshmen year.
An STD? Did she seriously think I would follow her footsteps and sleep with any guy that was remotely attractive? I had standards and a lot more dignity than she had in one fingernail. Blinking back hot tears of blinded anger, I almost jumped out of my skin when a hand squeezed my shoulder. Whirling around, I almost knocked Blake's punch out of his hand.
"Whoa, watch it Ash!" He took a staggering step back before frowning at my evident vexation. "What's up?"
I pointed my chin in Michelle's direction as she grinded all over Jonah much to Dylan's dismay. His glower seemed to go unnoticed as she threw back her head and laughed hysterically, throwing a fist in the air before dragging her claws along Jonah's black bow tie.
The girl had balls if she was dancing with another guy besides her date.
"Lucifer's reincarnation over there tried to bite my head off in the restroom just minutes ago. She's upset because Tyler rejected her five times when she asked him to be her date."
Blake's eyes widened, "They're talking again?"
I shook my head and frowned.
"She seems to think so but he said he wants nothing to do with her ever again."
He blew out a heavy sigh of relief and squeezed my shoulder.
"Let us thank thee lord for that!"
I laughed before pausing momentarily. "Are you drunk or something?"
Snatching his punch from his hand, I sniffed the burgundy liquid and sipped it before grimacing. The bitter after taste was a lot sharper than I remember it being.
"Yup, someone has definitely spiked the drinks."
Blake shook his head vigorously, insisting that he wasn't drunk just as Mona spotted us and shoved her way past thick clumps of dancers to reach us.
"There you are! I told you not to drink so much of that shit!" She hissed, shooting her date an irritated tight-smile before turning to me, flashing me an apologetic smile. "He's drunk."
"I know," I laughed at the same time that Blake whined. "I am not!"
"You most definitely are," She unclasped his fingers from plastic cup and set it aside on the nearest table. "Come on, let's get you home before Mr Reid spots you again. The teachers are sniffing out the drunks like dogs and giving them a week long detention."
"Detention?" Blake's green eyes were wide as saucers. "But I don't want to leave, not yet. I want everyone to see how hot my date is! Isn't her dress hot Ash?"
My eyes raked over her figure hugging, black dress which revealed enough to leave the mind wandering.
"Yeah," I grinned from ear to ear, laughing when Blake shot Mona a triumphant grin. "Your dress is making me feel like a nun."
She blushed at his dazed grin and I winked at her when he draped and arm around her shoulders and pushed her towards the dance floor.
"One more dance?" He pleaded as they were swallowed by the crowd.
Her resolve weakened when he stole a lazy kiss on her cheek and my insides turned into mush.
"One more. Then we're leaving." I heard her say in a stern voice before they disappeared completely.
Stranded and alone, I spun around in a tight circle, trying to spot Tyler. After a minute of scanning the entire gym, my eyes located a thin, blood red tie and I made my way to the guy that casually leaned against a marble pillar, one of the many props from last year's prom.
"You took your time," He handed me the drink I asked him to hold for me earlier.
I set the drink on the nearest table.
Apologetically, I murmured, "Sorry, I got a bit held up."
My eyes darted across the dance floor and they locked onto Michelle's as she glowered at us. Tyler registered the exasperation on my face and followed my gaze.
He loped an arm around my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "Jesus what is her problem?"
I held her hard eyes until Tyler steered us away. Although his action pleased me, I tensed against his side, suddenly exhausted by his ulterior motive to make Michelle jealous. Maybe I was reading into it too much, but when his rubbed my forearms I let the matter drop.
"Do you wanna get out of here? It's getting too hot and those flashing lights are giving me a headache," I shouted over the pulsating music, not really interested in watching the soccer team make out leggy girls whilst the sophomores stumbled around. They were the main drunkards of the night.
A group of them were busted by Mr Reid and half of them made a run for the exit, sprinting past us as the rest argued back with my English teacher, trying to convince him that they were sober.
Tyler nodded and gestured at me to wait outside while he went to grab our coats. I shoved past the mounds of sweaty bodies until I reached the nearest exit. Stumbling into the parking lot, the refreshingly cool air rained goosebumps all over my bare arms making the invisible hairs stand tall. I attempted to calm my racing heart, reassuring myself that it was from all the hectic dancing, but I wasn't so sure. Not after the fun I'd had dancing with Tyler tonight.
Seconds later, the doors behind me opened and the man himself rushed out, thrusting my coat into my arms.
"Ready to leave?" He asked, leading the way to his car.
I nodded and followed after his long strides, struggling to keep up because my high heels were sending jolting aches through my feet. Once I slipped into the passenger seat, I kicked off my heels and buckled my seatbelt.
"Seriously?"
Tyler glared at my feet. I lifted them up, smacked them down onto the dashboard and waggled my toes in response, making him mumble an incoherent list of curse words. What was it with guys and their obsession with keeping their cars pristine clean and hygienic?
The drive wasn't particularly long drive and I wasn't sure what to say so I just stared out of the window until Tyler pulled into my driveway. He left the engine running so I assumed he wasn't going to walk me to my door - not that I was expecting him to, but the butterflies in my stomach said otherwise.
As I staggered out of the car, I gave him a small smile and thanked him for sacrificing his evening to take me to the dance; even if it was just to spite Michelle.
Just as I reached the steps to the porch, my ankle twisted to the side and I lost my balance, careering forward and crashing into the front door. I winced with pain, rubbed my head and regained the balance by gripping the brass knocker. I glanced back at Tyler's car, terrified that he had seen my fall but his car was already pulling out of my driveway.
I cursed quietly, hoping that I hadn't woken up Mom whilst I rummaged through my coat pockets to find my keys. After letting myself in, I kicked off my heels and tiptoed to my room. Suddenly my phone vibrated with a new message from my date.
What a smooth way to end the night! Instead of trying to kiss the ground, just ask for one next time ;)
Colour rushed to my face, setting my cheeks on fire as I reread the text twice more. My fingers quickly formed a reply as I kicked off my heels, tiptoed up the stairs and switched on the light in my room.
Stop texting and driving at the same time otherwise the only thing you'll be kissing goodbye is your life!
By the time I slipped off my dress and washed my makeup off, Tyler had replied.
You'll be the first to volunteer to do CPR on me since you're such an expert, right?
Flopping onto my bed, I picked at the hemline of my pyjama shorts and grunted.
I'd rather take your place and die instead.
Seconds later my phone vibrated.
Ohhhh, I get it! You want me to perform the CPR? Wow, I really didn't have you down as a 'hands on' type of girl Ash.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled sharply with embarrassment. Why was he twisting my words? Fighting back a grin, my fingers flew along my touch screen phone.
I don't want to kiss you for Christ's sake!
My head sank until it was nestled deep into my pillow and I held my phone close to my face, squinting at my screen when his reply came through.
Keep telling yourself that munchkin.
Huffing in response, I threw my head back and laughed. My gaze skittered around my room as I tried to think of a suitable reply to abruptly end his delusion that I wanted to kiss him.
A reality check is due in that messed up head of yours. Goodnight Tyler.
Restless and heavy limbed, drowsiness clouded my tornado of thoughts as I waited an entire minute for his reply. Why was he taking so long? Disappointment surged through me when five minutes passed by and the seconds began to crawl to the sixth minute since I had sent the text. Finally he replied and it took every ounce of willpower inside me not to squeal with excitement. Why was I getting so exhilarated in the middle of the night over a text? A text from Tyler Miller, to be precise.
We had messaged each other many times over the past two weeks, sharing insults and reminding each other to pick up some ingredients for class. But we had never had a conversation that was as light and as teasing as this one.
Scanning the glowing phone screen, I read his text again and sighed.
Night Ash ;)
Laying my phone on my bedside table, a giddy smile stretched across my lips, threatening to split my face in half. A winking face meant that he was flirting with me, right? A light laugh filled my room as I clasped a hand over my mouth to hold back my giggles. What was wrong with me?
My stomach tightened, forcing the hoard of butterflies inside me to collided more frequently. Ignoring the bubbling elation that fought against my drowsy mind, I closed my eyes and welcomed sleep with open arms.
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[A/N: Early upload haha. Whipped this up in two days. Been listening to Of Monsters and Men whilst I was writing this. Love them! Put up a pic of Tyler on the side. It's is drool-worthy *sighes happily*
So homecoming eh? You like? You don't? Comment your thoughts. I love reading through them <3
See you in three days.
Next chapter: Isn't That What Friends Are For?
- Kaddy ]