EMILY
When Ruth went back to the car to get her things, I turned around to face Seth who was standing in my foyer like a seven-course meal, and every second that I spent standing near him, it was becoming that much harder to say no to anything he was about to ask me.
"I suppose you didn't tell her that we're not dating anymore?"
He took a few steps closer to me, desperation clouding his expressions, "She was excited about prom for weeks and even spent an exorbitant amount of money to rent the suit even though I had an old one. She just wants to take pictures, and you know how in the past I always stole that away from her." He rambled on.
It was cute when he was nervous and talking a mile an hour so I pretended to be a bitch.
"And I'm supposed to act like your date because Ruth wants to take happy prom pictures of her son? Why didn't you call one of your old hook-ups?"
He stared at me like I'd gone crazy to even suggest that. "I don't want to take pictures with them, Emily. I want you."
And just like that, he made my heart beat faster. Something about the 'I want you' told me he wasn't just talking about 'pictures.'
We saw Ruth making her way towards the house again, humming to herself happily, holding a camera in her hand.
He looked at her and back at me, tensed, "Please don't tell Mom about our breakup, Emily. If you don't want to go to prom with me, I'll drop you somewhere else."
Of course, I wasn't going to tell Ruth about it but I was feeling evil so I decided to pull his chain, "I'll think about it."
"I'll do anything you ask me." He said desperately.
"Anything?"
"Yes, anything. You name it."
"Remember what you just said,” I told him before giving his mother a bright smile and leading her upstairs so she could play dress-up with me.
"You have the prom dress, right?" Ruth asked as she followed me, "We'll have to figure out what to do with your hair."
*~*
SETH
I waited the living area for Emily to get ready, more like paced around the room. I could hear laughter from her bedroom upstairs so that was a relief. I didn't know what I would have done if Emily hadn't agreed to go to prom with me or at least pretended to.
Mom would be heartbroken, and I was done screwing up and disappointing her. She thought Emily being my girlfriend was a good influence on me even though she was a bit against me dating her at first. I'd explained to her that I wasn't going to break her heart which was ironic because a week later, the drama with the bet happened.
I heard the sound of the steps and that momentarily distracted me.
I stood up and walked outside into the foyer.
Mom was already downstairs video recording on her phone as Emily descended the steps slowly in a long glittery pink gown. One would assume she was her daughter and I was the date who showed up at the door.
When I saw Emily, I was awestruck for a moment, she looked like she'd descended from the heavens in her pink dress that clung to her curves, the off-shoulder sleeves showing off her creamy caramel complexion. A slit on the dress showing off her legs, mid-thigh.
"Aw look at you two." Mom gushed as Emily came to stand beside me. "Stand a little closer. Why are you both looking like you've been forced to stand together at gunpoint?"
Because we could be. Emily didn't want to be anywhere near me unless there was a power-cut or a natural calamity where she'd use my body as a boat to get to the nearest island. Otherwise, I wasn't needed.
She stepped closer to me reluctantly and the familiar sweet scent of roses, spring rain, and vanilla hit me, reminding me of how much I missed having her.
I was a little taken aback when she put her arms around my waist like she was still my girlfriend and smiled into the camera for my mother. I looked down at her, baffled by her behavior. She caught me looking and glanced up.
"Fake it, till you make it?" She whispered. "Let's give your mom some nice pictures to look at."
But really there was no faking it from my side. My emotions were all true and when I hugged her in return, this is exactly where I wanted her to be, in my arms, always.
"Okay, Seth, now a kiss on your date's cheek."
"Mom!"
"Come on!" She said, "you two look so adorable together." She waved her hand giddily. “I’m going to frame these pictures.”
I looked at Emily to see if she was okay, when she gave me a slight nod, I leaned down and kissed her cheek, I made it deliberate. My heart was racing as I did that.
"Adorbs." My mom chanted. "Put the corsage on her wrist."
I picked it up from where I'd placed it on the mantle and pushed it onto her wrist. It matched the boutonniere on my
"If you're done with the photoshoot, can we leave?" I asked.
"Just a few more, honey." The clicking continued.
I knew that these pictures were going on her Facebook. She wasn't going to give up any chances of showing off about her son and his girlfriend dressed for prom.
"Okay, kids. You can leave." She gave us a satisfied smile, "And Seth, behave yourself."
"Duly, noted ma'am."
Naturally, I made my way towards her car but Emily stood next to my beat-up truck.
“We’re not taking your car?”
“You’re picking me up, remember? I’d rather ride in yours.”
There were a few other things I could think of that she could ride on but I’d be smart to shut my mouth.
“Okay, but just a heads-up though. My truck is super old, it could have been from the stone age so you can’t complain.”
“I won’t.” she rolled her eyes but seemed determined in taking a ride in my junk of a truck even though she had three latest German cars lying around in the garage.
I went around the passenger side and opened the door because I was a gentleman like that. She sat inside, mindful of her dress. Her eyes did a quick scan of my car, it was subtle but it still managed to put me over the edge.
My mom appeared by the window. “I’ve called the uber.”
“Take one of the cars in the garage, Ruth. I’ll give you the keys.”
“No. That’s okay, I plan to go out for drinks with one of my friends. I’m meeting her in an hour. You kids have fun, and I mean…safefun…okay?” she grinned.
Poor mom. She didn’t know we weren’t going to have thatkind of fun.
“You know what I mean, right, sweetie?”
“Ugh, mom, can you not do this?”
Beside me I caught Emily turning bright red.
“Take tons of pictures too! And don’t forget to email them to me.”
“Mom, no one emails pictures anymore.”
“Bye babies.”
“See you soon, Ruth,” Emily said avoiding my eyes.
When we were on the road, I turned to her. Any minute she was going to tell me she wanted to go to Indie’s place or something and then what was I supposed to do with the rented suit?
“Thanks for the save.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Her response was curt.
“So, what do you wanna do?”
She gave me an incredulous look, “Go to the prom like we’re supposed to?”
“Oh, I thought you just…never mind.”
“Your mother did a lot of effort on my hair and it would be a shame to let it go to waste. We’re going to the prom.” She said with determination.
“Gotcha.”
Even though the drive to school was fifteen minutes tops, it felt like an hour. Emily refused to engage in any conversation with me as if talking to me was going to give her yellow fever or something and I was left to fight my desires for her. Her hair was in thick curls, a braid on the side disappearing into lots of swirls and a fancy little butterfly clip holding it together. A few loose curls framed her face.
The dress did amazing things to her breasts, and I was starting to get a little annoyed that I’d have to share her with other people tonight, and we weren’t even going on a date. I would have gladly ditched prom to have dinner with her. In reality, I had to fight the urge to park the car at the side of the road and have her sprawled over my lap with me mauling her like a caged lion.
She pretended to be busy scrolling her phone just to avoid conversation.
Did she really think I didn’t notice that subtle sweep of her eyes over my body from time to time? If I was fighting desires, it proved that she was too.
My phone dinged in the car cup-holder. “Can you check that for me?” I asked.
“Sure.” She picked it up and her face went blank.
What? Did she catch a dirty text from some random girl I didn’t even know?
I leaned in to see that she was staring at the picture on the lock-screen of my phone which was Emily herself. I’d clicked this photo in a restaurant when she wasn’t paying attention to me.
“I didn’t find time to change the picture. I hope it’s okay with you.” That was a genuine reason. She was my girlfriend and the breakup was abrupt but ,also I liked looking at my phone to remind myself that I had a chance with a beautiful girl in my life that I’d royally blown to hell.
She didn’t say a word, only told me there was a text from a friend.
When we walked into the party hall together, everyone had surprised looks on their faces. There were rumors that we’d broken up and when that had spread like wildfire, I’d started getting flirty DMs from girls again so seeing us together would most likely tell them I wasn’t available which is exactly what I needed right now. For girls to back off and give me space.
“Oh my god, Emily, look at you!” Sky grinned at her.
Sky looked pretty in her teal green dress; she’d done something to her hair too. The two girls began talking over each other excitedly, I could barely make out what they were saying, or if Emily was bitching about me.
Carson stood beside Sky awkwardly, dressed in a white tux. He lifted his chin at me in acknowledgment. “Sup?” and then he did a quick once-over and I wasn’t even sure what the hell that was. “Didn’t you guys like break up?”
Emily went silent.
Perfect timing, asshole. I felt like Carson needed an alarm attached to him so he could stop saying things when they were not needed.
“Anyway…” Sky changed the subject at once, “I was waiting for you to show up so we could dance. Oh…we have to also take selfies first.”
The girls began snapping pictures together. Sky looked at me, she had that look on her face as if she was devising a plan. “You too Seth and Carson. We need pictures with our dates.”
I took pictures with them too, and for a few minutes, we forgot that we weren’t talking to each other.
“Do you think this dress looks good on me? I don’t look too skinny, right?” Sky asked, “You guys can be honest with me. I didn’t plan on coming for prom but some giant martial arts gorilla wouldn’t leave me alone so I caved in.”
“Hey, I can hear you.” Carson poked her ribs.
She hit him back, and Sky can hit pretty hard.
“You owe me a dinner at that new fancy restaurant.”
“A man never breaks his promise.”
It was amusing to watch them bicker. I wondered if Carson had developed some feelings for Skylar or at least some interest because he didn’t seem to be looking at Emily with the puppy-dog eyes anymore.
I wasn’t one to judge people when I wasn’t even qualified to do that, what with the shit I’d brewed up, I was sure Carson didn’t have a criminal record. He was a little immature but a decent guy. The only question was if he would accept Sky the way she was, and not judge her for her past or who she used to be.
“You look hot,” Carson complimented her.
“Aw, thank you, but I wasn’t asking you. I need my bestie to tell me.” She looked at Emily.
“I mean you’re always perfect, Sky. You look bomb in that dress.”
“I picked this dress when I was shopping with my mom and then—” She stopped talking and her smile disappeared. She looked at us, “Who invited them?”
I followed her gaze and noticed a group of boys and girls from a private school walk in dressed for prom. Between those boys was Owen, the guy that was Sky’s ex-best friend, a coward who briefly dated her later.
I turned to look at Sky, “Listen, Carson and I are going to be here for you. Do not react, don’t give him the satisfaction that he has any effect over you, okay?”
She nodded earnestly, “I won’t. Owen is history!”
“What did he do?”
“Carson, do not leave Sky alone for even one minute.”
“Sure.”
“Fuck, he’s looking here.”
“Act normal,” I told her.
“Buddy, what are you doing with these losers?” Roland found the perfect timing to interrupt. He wore a tailored tux, hair styled with gel. He could have looked better if it wasn’t for that lopsided evil grin.
“Speak for yourself, dickhead. Don’t think I didn’t notice you watching us from that corner like a fucking Neanderthal who’s seeing girls for the first time in his caveman life.”
You should have seen the look on Roland’s face.
I laughed because he really didn’t have a comeback. He ignored Sky and put his arm around my neck, “Coach wants to speak with you and the team.”
I groaned, “Now’s not the time.”
“It’ll take five minutes tops and then you can go back to your Sweet-potato girl.”
“Shut up, Roland.” I slapped his hand out of my neck. “Cut it out, okay?”
“Sweet-potato makes the most delicious fries.” Give it to Carson to say something so goddamn random but hilarious.
“Right, hockey-playing Neanderthals won’t understand that.”
Emily laughed despite everything, “You guys.” She couldn’t hold in her laughter.
I smiled at her. This girl used to feel crushed from the smallest of remarks, she wasn’t that girl anymore. I felt proud.
I had to reluctantly leave the girls with Carson. I promised myself to get back as soon as I was done with whatever coach wanted to talk about.
*~*
EMILY
I watched Seth being dragged away. He seemed reluctant to leave. I didn’t want him to leave my side either. At least I had my friends with me.
Some girls had heart eyes for Seth and they weren’t even being subtle about it even though they knew he’d come with me. Staysha stared at him longingly while her flavor of the week gave her a string of compliments.
Seth looked insanely attractive in his dark suit and tousled hair, and I was practically controlling myself in the car because all I wanted to do was pin him to the seat and kiss him. I watched him as he laughed at something one of his teammates said, and then he looked at me and caught me staring. I quickly looked away.
Carson seemed a little down today and I didn’t know why. A week ago, after classes were over, he’d asked me if Sky and Seth had some kind of old history together. I’d told him the truth, that they were just friends.
If he liked Sky, I would support him for sure but I didn’t think Sky liked him back.
I had the burning suspicion that she was developing some feelings for Indie.
That would be such a nasty love triangle. I didn’t want to feel awkward hanging out with them or spoil the relationships we’d established so far. We’d almost formed a crew with the exception that Carson didn’t hang out when Indie was with us. That could change too, but if my theory about the love triangle was true, I didn’t see this happening. Not to mention, my breakup with Seth had affected this a lot. Sky hung out with Seth and me separately and I think I was monopolizing her time for myself.
She was my only female friend and I didn’t have anyone else to talk about girly stuff or about my feelings for Seth.
“Emily…” Carson stood beside me.
“Hey.”
“You’re not going dancing?” He asked.
“No, I don’t feel like dancing and it looks crowded.” I hated dancing especially in crowds.
Sky had pleaded but I’d been firm about the ‘no dancing’ rule.
“Uh…do you have some time to talk?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s go a little far from all this noise.”
“Can’t this wait?”
I hadn’t seen Carson so scared or confused before, “It’s important.”