Dedicated to BlueBerry_Always, thanks a lot for the amazing support <33!
"Hi." I grinned as I opened the door and came face to face with Connor. To my surprise, he was kinda dressed up for the occasion. True to his words, he didn't wear a suit -no surprise there- but he was in his black jeans -the ones without wholes on them- a plain dark shirt and his leather jacket. His hair also looked less disheaveled than usually but it could be my perception. I smiled at the effort he put on it and, let's be fair, it showed. "You look good."
He hummed, detached from emotions as usual but his eyes slid over me for brief seconds. "Likewise."
I blushed and stepped aside for him to come in muttering a low thank you. I could tell he was taken aback by me letting him in when we were supposedly to match straight towards the school from here and the red in my face harshened. "Oh, mh, yes. C-could you step in for a second? My grandma-"
"Is he here already?" came Granny's voice lowering the stairs. "Come in come in, I'm ready for the pictures. Bring him to the the fireplace."
Connor's brow perked in the slightest to my mortification and mouthed: "Pictures?"
"She..." I cleared my throat, fiddling with the skirt of the gown. "She w-want to do one of those typical pics before we go... b-but it's okay if you don't want to. I-I could tell her that-" but he cut my nervous ramble with a shrug.
"It's fine."
I let out a relieved breath. "Thanks, come in then."
Granny was super excited to meet Connor, not seeming to mind his lack of reactions or straight face most of the time. I got to say, for Connor, he was being nice to her. He let her snap a couple pictures and didn't make anything openly rude other than being all closed off... but well, this was Connor after all.
A part of me was sure Granny only was this excited because me going with him meant no Brett. She'd asked me dozens of times over this past week who would I be going with and it was all in her suspition I might end up going with the auburn. She'd grown to dislike him ever since she found out about the bullying, and I still couldn't made her realized I'd been mistaken as well and that it wasn't his doing.
Just thinking of him got my stomach churning. If we were... well, whatever we were with this 'taking things slow', we'll have to find a way to win her over again.
I was affraid this would push Connor's limits a bit too far but despites mild signs of discomfort he went along with it, not really talking but it wasn't like Granny was giving him a change, babbling excited about how much fun this night would be and how we would treasure it for the rest of our life yada- yada-yada.
I felt my face flushing everytime she hinted we were going as something more than friends and, just like with Connor, it wasn't as if she was bothered by what I had to say about it.
"I'm so sorry." I mumbled once we finally excited and made it to the car -Norah's yellow jeep.
She had made it to Macy's to prepare together and walked from there since the dark skined girl live rather near Clayton's campus. We were supposed to meet them there. They invited me but I had just enough time to get back from work and fix myself.
Connor would drive there so at the end of the night we'd had a vehicle. Norah'd wanted to rent a limo to be honest, but I knew that would made a significant hit on my college savings and Macy wasn't that much fan of attention. So we stuck to the jeep which was perfect by me.
"It's fine." Connor shrugged, not bothered now that Granny intensity was over. I mean, I love her, but to someone as Connor she can be a bit too much... even tho he must be used to it with her sister's personality.
"She just got excited for me you know? It's like she's living her senior year as well. She tends to get involved and loves to-" my babble filled the air, almost like a tune over the harsh music on the background. I didn't know if Connor was listening to me or the song, since he keeps nodding while his thumb drummed the rhythm on the steering wheel. Maybe both?
My nerves only made an appearance once we reached the school's field and the beaming of the music come to us as he pulled into the parking lot. A lot of other vehicles shown the high amount of people would be attendind there. Social anxiety made itself present.
"Okay," I mumbled more to myself than to him, glancing at the decorated entrance that had balloons and garlands on it. "Let's go. Ready?"
"Wait." he suddenly stopped me and when I turned to glance at his ever present stoic face he gestured to glove box.
"What's in there?" that earned me a look of exasperation, as if saying 'open and see, will you?' "Okay, okay..." I bit my lip opening it gingerly, not knowing what to expect but as soon as I did my jaw hang up in baffledment. I took out a plastic box with a wrist corsage matching my gown's color. I smiled at it, touched and surprised he actually listen to my babble about the ball and took the time to go buy it.
As if sensing my thoughts he gave me a stern look. "Norah bought it when she went for Macy's."
"Okay," but it didn't wiped the smile from my face as I carefully took it from it's package and tied it on my wirst. "Thanks. It's beautiful." he nodded.
The way inside was iluminated and decorated and as soon as we stepped in the building the beam of the music trembled in the enviroment along with my guts. My nerves burned alive again the closer we get to the gym, making me feel unease and instinctively I stepped closer to Connor, my arm somehow linking with his. He gave a look and I smiled shyly, but felt more confident when he didn't pushed me away so I took a better hold.
"Aren't you nervous?" I wondered with a small giggle. Surprise surprise, Connor shrugged. "Of course not. When are you ever? I-I'm always. Well, you know. But it's normal. This is kinda a big even. And everyone will be here, and there's a lot of pressure too, right? With the yearbook and being our senior year. Oh, God, you do realized they will take more pictures of us again? And they'll put it there and it'll remain forever in everyones yearbook... Hold on, I'm not ready, we can alway go back-"
But to my surprise Connor stopped me from scurring away taking my hand and rolled his eyes. "We're already here." and pulled me the rest of the way there.
Simple words. As always. But there was a steady firmess in there that eased part of my nerves. We get in the cue forming at the entrance and I was surprised at how friendly people was being. Guys I hadn't spoken to smiled and waved at us. When we made it to the front they took our tickets and made us step in a large green screen for the picture. Connor was beaming, but he held my waist posing.
I bit my lip to supress a smile at his expression -or the lack of it. Bet he was already regretting this.
The gym was all charming and amazing, I gawked around in awe when they finally let us in. The lights were low and they had tangled some of those christmas light across the ceiling so it look like a bright night sky. The warm light bathed the bare wooden floor in a lovely inviting way. They had places tables on the verges, along with some benches and chairs and at the front stage they had put a huge poster saying 'Sping Ball' and the DJ table and all the way across from it there where large tables full of food and plates so people serve themself.
It was all simple, but cute. It didn't look as lame as I thought it would.
"It's beautiful." I breathed out. Connor shrugged, unimpressed. What a shock.
"There you are!" we turned towards the voice and saw a pink dot moving through the sea of moving people before we were assaulted and almost tackled by some really effusive hug. Norah's knee-lenght simple dress was the same tone as her hair and she was like an elegant cotton candy. "You made it! We were almost expecting you to back out... Well Macy was."
"Was not." the girl stood by our side, frowning at Norah who was still clinging on us. Her cheeks darkened. "I was just pointing out that maybe you've decided not to come since neither of you seemed, um, excited about this."
"No matter how many times I said it, fashionably late isn't in Macy-bu's vocabulary. You own me a dinner."
My brows knitted at Macy. "You bet we wouldn't come?"
"No!" The dark skined girl blushed to the tip of her ears. And glared at her partner. "Norah." but she was too busy curling over her stomach in laughers to care.
Back to his stone expression, Connor nodded towards her sister and walked past us, unbothered. Macy followed his retrieving back and sighed when he was out ear-shot. "I don't think he likes me." she mumbled.
"Bullshit." waved Norah. "Conny doesn't like anyone."
"But he likes you. And he's kinda... nice? with Alyson." pouted Macy. "It's me he can't stand."
"Along with the rest of the student body." Norah rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, M."
"How not?" she fixed the strands of her beautiful green gown, pursing her brows in cute distress. "He's your brother."
I smiled at the family drama they were hinting to. As good as a personal soap-opera.
"Exactly. You're dating me not him, for fuck's sake." Norah linked one arm with each one of us. "Come, have you voted yet? Here, come see the booths we've prepared?" and pulled us to the end of the gym, after the catering table where some people were gathering around the blinds that hide the ballot box. "Aren't they cute?" Norah pointed the names of the candidated on the pamphet on the table for the contestants to take. "I help making them."
"Really?" I inspected the neat typography, impressed. "Nice."
Her smile widened. "I know, right?"
"No surprise here." Macy took hers as Norah urged us to the queue. "Everything you do is always beautiful."
"My my, Macy-bu, I might blush. Are you trying to get lucky tonight?"
I muffled a giggled as her eyes widened. "Shut up." but Norah wiggled her brows.
"'Cause, you know, you only have to ask..."
"Norah!" she whisper-yelled, fully blushed and she glanced around as Norah laughed. "Don't say such things here."
We vote, for Lydia, of course. And then let Norah shown us proudly all their work on the gym. As I said before, it looked good. They really had a lot of work here and it looked good. The music had begun to blast when the tour ended and she tried to drag us to the dance floor. It seemed like the place was filled to it's top by now. Everyone seemed to be here but as I scanned the place I realized not everyone was.
"They hadn't arrived yet."
"Um?" I turned towards Macy when she spoke. She smiled knowingly.
"The football team."
"Oh," my cheeks burned. "I-I wasn't-"
"Of course." Norah rolled her eyes. It was clear none of them bought my words. Well, I wasn't exactly being convincing, to be fair. "So, let's dance?"
For the glances they were giving each other I get that they wanted to dance but not exactly with me.
"I, uh, I think I should go look for my partner." I said, taking one step backwards so they didn't have to dismiss me.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, go dance yourselves." I gestured to the filled dance floor. The DJ had already come to the stage and was putting better music people cheered for. "I'll see you in a bit."
Norah smiled greatfully and pulled Macy with her as she waved at me, her cheeks rosy. They were so cute. Did Brett and I look like this in their eyes? I blushed.
Yesterday he took me home, and we stayed in his car for almost two hours. Just talking. My heart melted at the memory. It was sweet and touching. He'd slid his seat backwards so we could curled together in it. This physical attraction was still too new to me, but true to his word of taking it slow he didn't tried to kiss me again. Yet, the intimacy of it was beyond the little make up beside the bleachers, on a whole different level.
It all felt like seconds, whispering which made it more heart warming. There was a lot of sweet talk and easy laughs. We were almost sleep when Granny tapped on the window and made me enter the house. We've talked this morning over the phone but I was longing to see him again. There was this tug in my heart just thinking of those pools of deep blue looking back at me with such emotion.
He'd told me the football team were going to dinner and they'd come all together from there. For the looks of it, they hadn't come already. Just in case I looked around, still no luck. I sighed. Don't be so attatched, Alyson, it's only been a day and you already sound clingy.
One last glance where Norah and Macy were now being all and decided to scurry to the restroom. The music here only came as a muffled beat but I smiled when noticed they had put some garlands in here. I washed my hands almost in a daydream and checked my reflection, adjusting the dress and hair. I honestly was proud of how I look. It took me like an hour of preparation but it was worth it.
The door clicked and a new girld pushed it entering the place as well, distracted I rose my gaze and my blood freezed when it connected through the mirror with an icy green one.
Jade halted abruptly after the first step in, her first moment of surprised covered quickly with a glare. Even in her delicate princess-like gown, royal blue, she looked ready to chew me into pieces and spit the rests. Panic clenched my stomach at her sight. The door clicked shut softly behind her as we both stared each other cautiously. Her, us alone... I started to hyperventilate as that awful attack fully occupied my mind.
His eyes narrowed in two thin lines.
"You." she spat and took one step adrenaline shot through my veins and I matched it backwards.
"Stay away from me."
"Or what?" she laughed but there was nothing funny in that sound. The snarl immediately after as she eyed me up and down made my spine stiffened. "Didn't I told you to stay away?"
"J-Jade, stop." I gulped. "This is getting old. I d-don't know what I ever did to you but c-can keep treating me like this. I haven't done anything!"
"Anything?" her eyes beamed dangerously and she took yet another stride. "You just don't get, do you?"
"Get it?" I gasped in disbelief and felt the sink pressed my behind, I grabbed it forcefully, searching some kind of support. " Get what? As far as I known you're the one who's keep making my life miserable."
"Me? Ha! What a joke." again she laughed but it only gave me chills. "You fucking ruined everything!"
The hatred from her tone was so dense I felt each word like a painful stab on my chest. Enough, I'd got enough of this and if I was getting bold in some aspects in my life, why not apply it in others? I shook my head and pointed one finger her way.
"Y-you keep saying that but you were the one who turned against me. You, Jade. I'd always stayed out your way but didn't seem like to let it go."
"Let it go?!" she exploded and I flinched, memories from the changing room filled my mind. She, either way, didn't seemed bothered a bit about my fear at her advances, was blinded by rage. "How was supposed to let go went you were always there? How was I supposed to make him fall for me when you got him wrapped around you fucking fingers." Whoa, what? I frowned.
"What-?"
"Have you any idea how hurt he was after you little whoring? I could had fix him. Love him, but you didn't let it go and just had to keep playing back and forth. Messing with his mind 'til he completely fell."
"What are you talking about?"
My question seemed to infuriated her even further and I immediately regret opening my mouth. Jade looked like smoke was about to come out her ears. "Always playing the victim, making him follow you like a lost puppy, and pushing him away like some dirt on your shoe. You're just a little slut dressed up like Virgen fucking Mary."
She remarked the last statement with a push that sent me backwards, but I caught my balance in time not to fall. Panic and confusion were fighting inside me. She couldn't be serious with that. Not really. But her eyes said otherwise and my tongue suddenly felt heavy.
"Do you have any idea how it feels to love someone who'll never return the feeling. And to know the reason he'll never is 'cause some bitch's having fun toying him non-stop?"
"I didn't-"
"It doesn't matter how good I could make him feel. In the end he just want you're shitty ass and it drives me nutts. At first I thought he'd noticed me when we first started to hang up, but soon enough I realized for him I was just his friend. Worst: I was his best friend's friend."
She chuckled humorless and for a moment I felt sorry for her. But then the cold of her stare remind me everything she'd done. Worst: she'd just admitted she only hang up with me for Brett. Jade was never my friend. Even tho it's been a long time since we 'were', I felt this realizations like a shower of cold water. Tears started forming on the corner of my eyes but I refused to let them fall. It was painful, but she didn't stop there:
"When you two finally split was like a sign. I was finally able to get to him, but was like trying to appeal a brick wall. Brett'd only got eyes for you."
"How's that my fault?!" I snapped ignoring the heart curling sensations I got when Jade said that. "I'd never asked for it!"
Her gaze was harsh as a blade and I got the feeling she could do something wrong.
"Yeah."she shoved my shoulders again, backing me forcefully against the sink. Cold sweat ran down my back. "You surely didn't." Push. "You-"
"Stop!" I shoved her off me, surprising both of us but when she was forced backwards and away from me so she had to reach one hand to the wall for balance. I panted, buzzing with a new emotion curling my guts. "I'm done with you treating me like this. I'm sorry if he doesn't love you but that's not my fault and I've got enough of you."
Her eyes widened, shock and anger swirling in them but I also swear I saw the hurt in there. Satisfacion and excitement at finally being telling her off filled me but I also knew better than to test my luck in a lonely place by myself. The door opened again and a couple girls entered. I took that as my chance to exit the restroom, back to the crowded gym.
The cheerful loud music coming from the speaker was like dipping into a different pool, all the tension in there seemed none existense here. I quickly scanned the place and spot a sparkle of pink right before my arm was grabbed and forced me to spin.
"Here, listen you bitch." hissed Jade under her breath, so low only I could heard her. "You seem to forget I still have certain picture of you." my stomach curled in a painful knot. "Wouldn't that be a shame if it get releassed?"
"It would." I gulped, struggling to sound surer than I felt. It also would be an evidence you still harrassing me. You would get expelled again. For good this time." she frowned. "I could also sue you for distributing minor's pornography if you ever think of spreading that and you're already eighteen, Jade." her grasp loosened and I snatched my arm free. "I've told. I got enough of you. From n-now on you'll leave me alone or I'll made sure you get what you fucking deserve."
Jade looked at me with hatred. Her lips parted but nothing came out and she closed them again, pressing them into a thing line. I could felt the crazy thumbing of my heart as I anticipated her reaction. She surely didn't look happy, but there was a hint of frustration there. And hurt.
She knew I was right. I held the power somehow. This was a first. A good first but it felt damn good. Even more when she glanced at our surroundigs and her eyes hooded back at me. Her jaw clenched giving me a wicked sense of victory.
"Fine." and she walked away.
Jade. Walked. Away.
I panted, watching her mixing with the crowd. Had I actually won? Relief replaced the previous awareness and my limbs suddenly felt like jelly.
Oh my God. I'd stood before her and won.
"So," I spun, startled at the sudden voice, and come face to face with Connor, who perked one brow. "You can actually swear."
"You- you were here this whole time?"
He shrugged. "I thought I'd let you handle it your way."
My jaw loosened and I felt a smile tugging my lips. "But you were ready to help me?"
His stare remained blank for another second, the he rolled his eyes and marched away but I was fully grinning now. Beaming in satisfaction and happiness for finally having stand up for myself. And knowing Connor had my back, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud.
"Thanks." he didn't answer but I didn't expect him to.
__________________________________
Hey! There a PART TWO of this chapter in a few seconds, make sure to check it as well!
Don't forget to comment, vote and share.