Four Years

Chapter 23

"This is the prettiest dress I've ever seen! I'm so proud of my choices."

Aimee wiped her fake tears as she admired my light blue floral tulle dress which ended a few inches above my knees. When I had gotten home from the grocery store with Mom, I had spent a good hour panicking about what I was going to wear to the prom. It was then my sister had come in like a true angel and consoled me. We spent the whole night searching for dress inspiration online after.

And voila! She managed to bring this for me.

"We have to leave now!" Savannah urged us. Kate smiled at her impatience. She had returned for the prom then she would leave soon back to her school.

My mom rushed ahead with a camera. "Wait, I need to click some pictures first."

"Pose, everyone!" Aimee exclaimed.

"Sav, don't smother Kate like that."

"Lyssa, stop looking at everyone."

"Kate, don't blink too much."

"Jace, smile a little."

Aimee and I looked at each other before loudly groaning. "Mom!"

Mom apologized for her nagging and proceeded to snap a bunch of photos. Finally, she was satisfied enough to let us go.

"Hey, cute boy," Aimee said (she had taken to calling Jace that which was really infuriating). "Are you dating Alyssa yet?"

I threw the nearest thing I could find next to me at her. "Shut up! Shut up!"

"What?" She shouted in her defense. "I'm just asking."

"Well, don't ask!"

"I will! You should tell me everything! I'm your sister!"

Jace and Savannah had to physically drag me of my house after that.

*   *   *

Our gym had been turned into the impromptu venue for our senior prom. The place was decorated so beautifully, I almost didn't recognize it. Who knew the place of eternal torture could look this pretty when touched up a little?

We had been here for an hour already and Savannah, Kate, Kevin, Cecilia, Jace and I had huddled close in a small circle as we danced like a bunch of awkward, headless chickens. I mean we weren't all professionals so it made sense that we would dance so haphazardly like that. Even though to the outsiders we might look like outcasts, inside we were exhilarated and quite content.

Cecilia was a really nice girl who was just as much smart as Kevin was dumb. She seemed pretty cool and friendly, especially when she had awesome comebacks ready for every situation or sentence.

"That was awesome!" Savannah said, laughing as the song ended.

I joined in with her. "Absolutely! There's nothing better than dancing like the weirdos we are!"

The next song that came was a romantic, slow one. Savannah and Kate having seen the perfect opening pushed me towards Jace and grinned mischievously.

"Go dance!" They exclaimed.

Jace softly treaded his fingers with mine, bringing me closer to him. My arm rose to his shoulder and wrapped around his neck. His own wrapped around my waist, and almost playfully tugged me forward. He grinned a boyish grin.

We danced with the lack of breathable space like that for a while, but strangely, all of it didn't feel strange or foreign. I guess when you like someone, you feel like a part of them to some degree. We still hadn't properly confessed — well, I confessed and Jace' reply to that was kissing me — about our feelings to each other, the fact worried me somewhat. Though, I knew Jace wasn't the type of person to lead someone on, the treacherous thing called heart never did stop fearing itself.