Prom Preparations

For the following day, the students assigned for the venue decoration went to their assigned venue. It was a clubhouse that was only a block away from their school. Alice sighed as they walked. It was as if fate was playing a game on her again, Tiffany was enough to deal with but she didn't know that Mia was assigned in the same committee as well!

.

"Okay, we're finally here. We will have to some cleaning first then we'll talk about the decorations tomorrow," their assigned teacher said.

"This place is thrashed," Alice pointed out. It looked like a cyclone just passed by and ruined someone's party. There were paper cups, streamers, and trash everywhere.

"Aren't they supposed to have cleaners for this?!" Edward complained.

"Well the owner knew that we'll be using it today, so he didn't order anyone else to clean. Besides, we got a huge discount for this venue so putting a bit of effort into it ourselves won't be so bad. Let's just start cleaning," their teacher as she handed them the cleaning equipment. Alice received a rag.

"Wipe the windows, I don't want to see a single molecule of dust there okay?" Alice merely nodded at her teacher's command. She lazily wiped the glass windows at the clubhouse. Meanwhile, Mark was mopping the floor and every time Tiffany or Mia would try to grab his attention by asking questions or pretending that they slipped so that Mark could help them stand up.

Soon it was time for lunch, Mark had two sandwiches with him while Alice forgot her lunch at school. So Mark gave her his other sandwich.

"You sure you won't get hungry?" she rose one eyebrow.

"Actually mom made two so that I could give one to you, it's quite funny how much she approves of you." Mark chuckled.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she took one bite.

Mark froze momentarily, "Oh n-nothing, it's not really important at all." he stuttered. Alice giggled.

"You're beginning to act like a total idiot, what the hell happened to you?"

"Oh shut up," Mark continued eating his sandwich.

After their break, Mark asked Alice to stroll around the garden of the clubhouse. "It feels weird when it's just us, I miss the others." Alice sighed.

"It hasn't even been a day yet and besides we still have two weeks," Mark chuckled.

Alice sulked. "Great, I have two weeks wherein I'll only be hanging around with you, Tiffany and Mia." she groaned.

"That's rude, I know you enjoy staying with me," he smiled.

"Of course not, it sucks." Alice said as she separated from him, she plucked a flower from the garden and she sniffed it. Mark stepped closer.

"White iris, it's simple yet it has a really sweet scent. I didn't know that you're interested in flowers," Mark said as he looked at her.

"Why do you know what it's called? I just took it because it looked pretty," Alice asked with a grin.

"I just know, mom used to own a garden and she'd tell me all about the flowers. I think I still remember some of the meanings in the flower language,"

"Really? Then can you recall what a white iris meant?" Alice asked.

"I am worthy of you," he replied. Then a strong wind blew as the two stared at each other "Alice, there's something I really have to tell you," Mark took a deep breath. "I really lo—"he was cut off when Alice tucked the iris in his ear.

"It suits you, I can't believe you know the flower language. That's so cute of you. The only flower that I know the meaning of is a red rose and nothing else." Alice laughed as she left him.

Mark stared at Alice's retreating figure in complete disbelief. "I can't believe she ruined the moment just like that." He inwardly groaned.

Once lunchtime was over, the two returned to the clubhouse. "There you are," their teacher sighed. "We still have a lot of cleaning to do so come on," This time Mark and Alice were in charge of sweeping the yard in front.

"Hey you owe me one," Mark said.

Alice looked at him in confusion. "I owe you what?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "Lunch, I gave you a sandwich today right? You owe me my lunch tomorrow," he grinned.

"No way, you were the one that gave it to me. I could've lasted the day even without your sandwich," Alice scoffed.

"But you ate it anyway. You better prepare something for me, I don't mind whatever it is. I'll wait for my lunch from you, okay?"

Alice hit him with the broom. "I can't cook to save my life." she smiled. "If you have a death wish, I'll be glad to cook though,"

"As long as you cook it, I have no worries," Mark said. Alice took it as a joke but Mark is serious about it. As long as it is something that Alice prepared for him, he'd happily have it no matter the outcome.

Once they were done, they got ready to leave. Unfortunately for them, it suddenly started raining. "Should we wait for it to stop?" Mia asked.

"I think we should get going, it could get stronger." their teacher sighed.

The students took out their umbrellas and headed to their school. "Where's your umbrella?" Mark asked. Alice grinned sheepishly.

"Why would I bring one? My bag is already full enough with notebooks and books." She reasoned out.

"Then go and share with Mark, idiot." Edward, their fellow committee member, remarked before he stepped out into the rain with his umbrella.

"Sharing is better than running through this downpour. Come on, I think my umbrella is big enough for us." Mark said as he reached out his hand.

Alice sighed before taking Mark's hand and stepping under the umbrella. She immediately let go of Mark's hand. "Are you okay? Are you getting wet?" he asked.

"Just a bit but it's no big deal at all," she replied. "It's not like it's avoidable."

Mark smiled as he placed his arm around Alice's shoulders and pulled her closer. Alice felt warmth rising onto her cheeks. "No need to get that close," she exclaimed as she stepped away from him. Then as if on cue, the moment she stepped out the umbrella the rain got stronger thus soaking her.

"You were saying?" Mark chuckled as he pulled her under the umbrella, they returned to their previous position.

"Whatever," she huffed. "Let's just hurry back." she quickly added.

"Their sweetness is very natural," Veronica, another committee member, said when she saw Mark and Alice.

"Yeah it is, and that's why I'm so envious of Mark, I can never be that smooth and natural," Edward said with a chuckle.

"They're the perfect couple, ever since the Christmas party and way before that, there's something going on between them but both fail to notice." Veronica whispered.

It didn't take long before they arrived at the school. "Now all of you should proceed to the hall and join the practice." The students followed their teacher's orders and they spent the rest of the day practicing the production. It was also announced that they were going to decide on the theme the following day.

Right after their practice, it was finally time to go home, and as usual, Mark is following Alice home. "How long will you keep following me?" Alice asked in annoyance.

"I'll keep following you as long as I want to," Mark shrugged as if it was the most normal thing to do.

"Well I'm already here," Alice stopped in front of the gate of her house.

"That's good, I'll see you tomorrow then. Don't forget my lunch okay?" Mark said before leaving.

"I'm home," Alice said once she entered the house.

"Hi Alice, how was school?" her mom greeted.

"Hey mom, it's alright, just another normal day. I need to ask you something though, can you please help me make some food for tomorrow?" Alice asked.

"For whom is it?" her father suddenly asked.

"Hi dad," Alice greeted. "For me and a classmate," she answered.

Her father didn't probe any longer. "Hmm, what kind of meal do you want? I'll gladly help." her mother offered.

"N-no, I want to make it myself. But I would gladly appreciate it if you give me the procedures and recipe at least." Alice stammered.

"Okay then, I have a recipe for fried chicken and mashed potatoes. It's the one that your grandma always makes. It's your favorite, is that okay?" her mother asked.

Alice nodded. "That will be perfect,"

Alice skipped dinner since she was too busy making the food. It was already late when she was finished with it. She needs to heat it again in the morning but it's all prepared well. Right after cleaning up, her mother told her to go to sleep. Before going to bed, Alice silently hoped that the food would turn out fine, she wouldn't want her efforts to be wasted.