How To Play the Player (COMPLETED)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Andy and Bryan wore dumb smirks the second Liam led me back into the room; Brianna reached up too touch the hair Liam had pulled from the clip she'd spent over twenty minutes trying to fix. But she, too, was grinning ear to ear.

Turns out we made it back inside at the perfect time too, because Nicola was climbing the steps to the stage with a dark look, one pink and one blue envelope in between her hands. She fixed the bottom of her dress so it wouldn't ride up and stepped up to the microphone.

"It's the best time of the night and all that. Anyway, our Prom King, by no surprise, is Liam Scott!"

Her eyes immediately found us in the crowd as Liam kissed my cheek softly before forcing a smile and heading for the stage to meet Nicola. To both of our surprise he leaned over and kissed her cheek as well as they rested a crown on her head, but the second she turned back to the microphone she was grinning ear to ear.

"And Prom Queen is. . . Shay Rodriguez."

I could see the shock on Bryan's face when she leaned forward and kissed him, every pair of eyes in the room on them, before stalking toward then up the stage in her beautiful white dress, looking like an entire goddess beside Liam. She nudged him playfully and hugged Nicola. As everyone started to clear way for Liam and Shay to dance, they shook their heads and pointed toward Andy and Brianna. I touched my hands over my chest as everyone around me stared. Andy led my friend to the stage so Liam could set his crown on his best friend's head and Shay on Brianna's. Shay nodded toward Bryan who made his way over her to her and helped her down the stairs.

Then, taking everyone by surprise as a ballad played through the speakers, Liam jumped off the stage, but in doing this, offered Nicola his hand. I smiled, tears ready to break the surface for the first time all night by the entire scene that had just played out in front of me. Ready to turn back to the table before I could get caught in the swarm of couples slow dancing, I was surprised to find Jay behind me with a small smile.

"Can I have this dance?"

I cautiously took his hand and let him position us. "It's sad that it took me being forced by Nic to date you to actually use my brain for a change. I was starting to think the thing was faulty."

He knocked on his head with a laugh. I didn't try to fight my smile. "I mean, I still think it is."

"Oh definitely. I'm really sorry for what I said, Reese. It was bullshit. I should be privileged that someone like you even glanced in my direction."

"It's okay, Jay. I think we all said and did things that we didn't really mean or want to do this year."

He chuckled. "You can say that again. I'm really happy to see you happy with Liam. I should have just left it alone at the start. But like I said, no brain and very selfish over here. I didn't like that he always got everything, everyone, without even trying. So I thought taking the one girl he did want would get under his skin. I'm sorry you ended up collateral damage."

"It's okay, Jay. Really." I squeezed his shoulder blade. "No hard feelings."

He shook his head. "You're too good for this world, Reese."

I didn't get a chance to respond, as my entire body grew rigid when I heard the song that had begun to play as all the lights in the room dimmed. I dropped my hands from Jay and turned back to the stage to find the projector screen had been dropped. Realizing all attention was now on the screen, Bryan met my eyes and turned up the song as he started the slideshow.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John hummed throughout the silent banquet hall. I felt Liam come up behind me and he leaned in to whisper, "We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz." as an Memorial of my sister appeared on the screen. She had been a Senior when she passed, but seeing the picture of her at her own Junior Prom in a beautiful red gown made the tears that had been threatening to escape all night finally break passed the flood gates. Slowly her image faded and pictures of the new class of seniors started, many of which I had in my classes but didn't know too well. It wasn't until the clips slipped into the football season that everyone I knew reappeared. First Brianna and Shay posing for Bryan sporting jersey's. Then the night of the game that got the boys into the Playoffs, my hand against Liam's chest as I gazed up at him lovingly. Then Andy, Jay, and Liam all dogpiling on top of one another after another win. Finally there was the kiss, the night Liam had confronted his biggest fear in front of everyone. Bryan had caught a perfect shot, Liam's hair still a dark matted mess, but one of his hands was on my red cheek, his body angled almost protectively in front of me.