To Be

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I watch the tutorial once again, trying to figure out how to twist my hair up. It's a lot more complicated than I thought.

At last, I manage to get my hair into some sort of twist and pin it into place with the blue feathered pin Mom has just surprised me with. Finally, I am all set. And just on time, Adrian should be here any minute. Butterflies settle themselves in my stomach and I try to keep my nerves deep down. Tonight is going to be perfect. There is nothing to worry about.

I look once more at my reflection, making sure that my makeup hasn't smudged. I spent 1 hour earlier applying the sparkly-silver eyeshadow to my eyelids, perfecting the line of eyeliner, empathizing the length of my eyelashes with layers of mascara, hiding any blemishes with cover-up, contouring and all, and last but not least coloring my lips a shade of bubble-gum pink. Yes, a girl has a lot to do to look the way she does.

The doorbell rings, startling me. "Shelby," Mom calls upstairs to me. "Adrian is here."

I inhale and exhale before leaving my room and heading downstairs.

"Wow," Adrian breathes as I come into his view. "You, you, wow."

I smile. He changed from his usual pair of jeans and a colored tee to a sharp black tux, topped off with a silver bow-tie. His hair is neatly styled to the side. "You look quite wow yourself."

He smiles, coming before me and tying the colorful corsage around my wrist.

"What a beautiful couple," Mom says entering the foyer, camera in hand. "Now who's ready to take a picture?"

Adrian draws me in close to his side, arm wrapped around my waist. I go and wrap my arm around his neck as Mom snaps a picture. "Perfect." She smiles, her eyes welling up with emotional tears. "Can't believe how grown-up you two have gotten. What happened to those little kiddies running around in their diapers?"

Dad appears behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Time flies as they say." He then smiles at us. "You two behave yourselves. And don't forget to have fun."

"Always, Mr. Morganstein." Adrian takes my hand in his and hand in hand we head outside to the awaiting limo.

***

"This is so sick!" Robin is grinning from ear to ear as he goes through the food compartment, grabbing as much candy as he can.

"I don't think you want to take all of that," Dylan says. Sierra texted him the day after she brought her heels, starting their relationship. Guess she is finally moving on. Ronald has become a part of our past.

"Why?" Robin eyes the candy scattered in his lap. He is wearing a white tux topped off with a teal green bow-tie to match Ellie's dress.

"Because the limo company charges for everything you take from the compartments."

Robin pouts. "Damn, that's not fair."

Ellie places her hand on his knee and gives him a sweet smile. "They'll be plenty to eat by the prom. Don't worry. You won't go to bed tonight with an empty stomach."

"Fine." He goes and puts all the candy back where it came from just as the limo pulls up in front of the flashy hotel where our prom is taking place.

"Ready?" Adrian loops his arm through mine and helps me down from the limo, my heels coming into contact with the concrete. I almost stumble, but he holds me up. My anchor.

I smile at him. "I was born ready."

Together we head through the shiny glass doors, ready to go dance all night long.