Under the Stars

2: Junior Prom

Our junior year of high school was relatively normal. It was a tough year academically, as it was an important year preparing for college. Stevien and I had the majority of classes together, so we would always study together. That is how it was until nearly the end of the school year. Beth-Ann's presence was more prevalent around Stevien and she was frequently asking him to go out with her. Stevien didn't seem to show any interest in her and when prom was announced, she dropped enough hints to cover the entire state of California, that she wanted him to take her. However, Stevien had a better idea.

Since Stevien and I were nearly attached at the hips, he decided we should go to prom together. I wasn't a big fan of loud music with grinding bodies and he wasn't a big fan of dressing up, so our compromise was going together and just sitting at the back of the crowd talking about whatever happened to be on our minds at the time. It also provided an out for him with Beth-Ann. Unfortunately, it also painted a bigger target on my back. Stevien never knew how bad her bullying was because I always thought I could handle it.

I found the perfect dress. It was simple, yet elegant. It was a dark champagne color satin dress, simple yet elegant. It had a slight sweetheart neckline, with an A-line style that flared slightly starting just above my hip bones. The absolute best feature of the dress was the pockets. I loved pockets and if I was going to be dressed up like a doll, I wanted to have pockets. I always had a nervous habit of placing my hands into my pockets to stop me from fidgeting too much. Dad said that I was just like mom when I did that. It was nice to know that I was like my mom in some ways even though I didn't know her. I wished that she would be able to see me now. I imagined that she would have loved to go dress shopping with me and have a girls' day preparing for prom. As it was, I asked if Mrs. Jones would go shopping with me. She only had boys and always treated me as the daughter she never had. She was more than thrilled to take me and when she heard that I was going with Stevien, she practically hugged me to death from excitement.

Raquelle Josephina Leopold, or Rocky, a good friend, though not as close as Stevien, invited me over to get ready at her house, or should I say mansion. Rocky's family was extraordinarily rich, but she was the kind of girl who didn't rub it in, unlike Beth-Ann. Rocky, like her parents, was down-to-earth and simple. I knew that dad would rather I get ready at our house, but it was just not the same to get ready by yourself, especially when you were considered a "tomboy". So, he reluctantly agreed to drive me to Rocky's house and waited with her parents while the two of us did our hair and makeup.

As we made our way down her stairs to wait for our dates would come to pick us up. I heard gasps of awe directed at Rocky by her parents as she descended. I followed her downstairs to find my dad crying. He loved me so much and he was never afraid to show any emotion he had towards me.

"Dad. Please don't cry." I said walking over to hug him.

"I'm sorry sweety. I told myself that I wasn't going to cry but you look so much like your mother right now, it just took my breath away." He said hugging me back. "You look so beautiful, Lottie."

"Thanks, dad. I love you." I said holding back my tears, trying my best not to ruin the makeup with which Rocky had so elegantly adorned my face.

"Thank goodness for these pockets." I laughed as I pulled out a tissue for each of us. "I just knew you were going to cry, dad, so I packed a couple of these bad boys, just in case."

"See Lottie, you are so much like your mother." He said while taking the offered tissue. He smiled, wiped his eyes, and proceeded to blow his nose with the loudest honking noise I had ever heard. He had all of us bursting at the seams with laughter. He always knew how to make anyone laugh; it was one of the things I admired about him.

Soon after that, the boys rang the bell to announce their arrival. They drove separately, Stevien in his mom's car, and Rocky's date, Dallas McMorrow, in his grandfather's old Monte Carlo. Stevien told me we had to go back to his house for pictures, otherwise, his parents would show up and drag him home, which he wasn't completely against but would rather be there at the school with friends than at home with his younger brothers on a Saturday night. We quickly left after pictures were taken to go take more at his parents' house.

Once at the school, we stood in line waiting for the parade of prom couples to begin. After the parade was completed, we sat down at our assigned table. Unfortunately, it was closer to the dance floor, which meant it was louder than I wanted. Noticing my discomfort, Stevien leaned close to me and whispered into my ear.

"Are you going to be okay being this close to the speakers?" He asked me as my stomach flipped over itself, repeatedly, causing my breath to hitch just a little. It was just enough that when I nodded in reply, Stevien looked like he knew I was lying.

"Come on El, just tell me the truth." He pushed knowing I would tell him the truth.

"Okay... I think I will be alright. I don't expect the music to get too loud while we are eating. Besides, when we are done with food, I bet everyone will hit the dance floor and we can move to one of the tables at the back." I replied honestly.

"Sounds like a plan El. Now, when do you think the food will get here? I am starving!" Stevien said rubbing his stomach with his signature grin that made my heart leap out of my chest.

"You and your food." I laughed at him.

"What? You know I'm a foodie, El. This is nothing new. I mean, how long have we known each other now?" He asked.

"Oh, um something like a dozen years or so I think," I replied.

"Stop it El, you are making me think about a dozen, delicious donuts now." He whined which was suddenly followed by one of the loudest rumbles of a stomach I have ever heard. Everyone at our table and the two tables closest to us heard it causing Stevien's face to turn the brightest shade of red I had ever seen on him. The rest of us at the table burst out in loud laughter.

"Why, Stevien Jones, was that a blush that just covered your face?" I asked teasingly.

"What? It's not like any of you have never had awkward tummy rumbles before." He tersely replied.

"That's fair. I have them all the time, but I have never once heard yours do that before. Have you not eaten all day?" I asked.

"No. I mean, of course, I have eaten today. I just didn't have lunch. Mom was so flustered with something that I just...I don't know. I just missed lunch today." He replied.

"Okay, well, for future lunches missed, I will carry a cereal bar with me just in case your stomach tries to eat you again from the inside out." I laughed.

"Thanks, El." He replied sarcastically.

As soon as the dinner was placed in front of us, Stevien ate all his food like there was a race against time. I was unable to finish all of mine, so I offered my plate to him, which he also cleared with a vengeance. The dessert was brought out to us after the dinner remnants were cleared from the tables. I opted for the strawberry cheesecake whereas Stevien had the triple chocolate cake. We each offered a sample to the other but decided that neither dessert was great. Anyone who didn't know us would have thought that we were a couple from our interactions, but I was convinced he would never see me that way. We were simply great friends, no matter how much I liked him, and, I was okay with that. I just hoped he would see me as more...eventually.

Word Count: 1456