Chapter 24: Prom.

Chapter 24: Prom.

"I can't believe it's been four years already. I mean, I remember freshman year like it was yesterday." I tell Adam.

"Like who doesn't? You had blue hair back then. Everyone remembers you." Adam says, chuckling softly.

"It's just so sad that I won't see your face every day." I whine.

I stare at Adam and all the memories we've had since freshman year resurface in my mind and I start crying.

"Aww, come here." Adam says before he walks over and hugs me. I sob lightly into his chest and he pats my head slowly.

"It's going to be fine, Vee. I promise." He says looking into my eyes.

I nod and I blow my nose on his shirt.

"Sorry." I tell him, wiping my nose with the back of my palm.

"Well, how are things with Zachary?" Adam asks me before he sits on his bed.

"We're good. I guess." I shrug.

"And Hannah?" He asks, eager for an answer.

"I'm afraid that ship has sailed." I tell him.

I walk over to Adam's dresser and I see a black ring.

"What's this?" I ask him, with the ring in my hand.

"My mom got it for me." He says scratching his head.

"Your mom?" I ask, staring at him, curious.

"Yeah." He nods.

"Well, I better head out." I say before I place the ring back where I found it.

"Drive safe, spaghetti Stacy." He says as he hugs me.

"I will." I tell him.

***

Prom night. The event every high school student looks forward to. Well, mine is tonight and I have been silently freaking out. It's my last social event before graduation.

I walk down the marble stairs that lead to the front door. Ashton is standing at the bottom of the steps and his mouth falls open when he glances my way.

What is he doing here?

I descend from the last step and he takes my hand in his.

"You look stunning." He tells me and I frown.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, furious.

"Your mother said that you didn't have a date and asked if I could come over." He tells me and I keep scowling at him.

"Stay away from me." I warn him.

"Oh, I see you two are all set." I hear my mother say behind me.

"Yup. We're really excited." I say leaning into Ashton to give my mother a show.

"Don't forget this Ashton." My mother says as she hands him a blue corsage.

"Well, we have to get going." I tell my mother who is whispering something into Ashton's ear.

We head for the door and my mother yells "Use protection." and I internally vomit.

Ashton's car is really cold, which is really great because I am already sweating.

"I know this is weird, but I'm doing this for your mum." Ashton says after a minute of driving in silence.

"Then stop. Just stop. I thought you liked Courtney. I want to go to prom with my boyfriend like every normal girl at prom. You're getting in the way of that." I tell him.

"Then why wasn't he at your place tonight? I mean, shouldn't your boyfriend pick you up for prom?" He asks me.

"It's....complicated." I tell him.

"Of course. It always is." He whispers to himself.

"Or, you guys haven't told your parents yet." Ashton says, looking at me.

I shift in my seat and Ashton stares at me, stunned.

"Don't tell me you haven't told mummy dearest about you and Zach." Ashton says, staring at me.

"I...look...I...it's just so..." I stutter.

"Why? What are you waiting for?" He asks me, making a right turn.

"Look, it's complicated. And what are you? My therapist. I'm handling it." I snap at him.

"It's fine. I just hate the fact that you're misleading your own mother." He says, parking in the school's parking lot.

He's right.

I should be honest with my mother, I'm going to tell her today. I've made my bed and I'll have to lie in it.

I get out of the car and I start walking towards the school building.

"Hey! Wait up, you can't leave your date behind." Ashton calls out behind me.

"You're not my date." I yell back.

I enter the school and it's oddly quiet. The halls are decorated with white and blue balloons that lead all the way to the entrance of the school's gym, where the event is being held.

The sound of my heels clicking against the tiled floor fills the hallway.

I am about to open the gym door when I hear someone say "Whoa."

I turn around and I see Zachary standing there. Tie, tux and all. He looks really good. Sexy even.

"Hey." I say, blushing.

"You look amazing." He tells me as he walks closer.

"You don't look too bad yourself." I say, biting my bottom lip.

He grabs me by my waist and presses his forehead on mine. His blue eyes piercing into my brown ones. The smirk on his face is growing by the second.

"Really amazing." He whispers and I gulp.

Kiss him already, Valarie.

"Are you two gonna kiss or what?" I hear Ashton say and I pull away from Zachary.

"What are you doing here, McCain?" Zachary asks him.

"Um, I'm actually here to watch a tennis match." Ashton answers sarcastically.

"Oh really." Zachary says, smiling.

"Yeah. I'll see how the ball bounces up and down only to be tossed to the other side. Where it'll get bruised and beaten. Only to be tossed back again, gasping for air." Ashton says, staring at me.

Is he still talking about tennis?

"Go away with that bullshit." Zachary tells him.

Ashton just shrugs and stares at me.

What is going on?

"Here's your corsage." Ashton says, throwing the box at me. I catch it quickly out of reflex and Ashton walks away after that.

"That boy is weird." Zachary says before we walk into the gym.

As we walk into the gym, I am greeted with the smell of vanilla. It fills the whole room. Everyone is so engrossed in the event that they didn't even notice our arrival. Or so I thought until I start hearing people murmur when we walk through the crowd.

"Well, well. If it isn't Cinderella and her prince." Courtney says standing in front of Zachary and I, blocking our path.

"Get lost, Court." Zachary tells her clenching his jaw.

"Now's not the time to start some shit, Courtney. Just keep on walking and take whatever sinister plan you have cooking up in that watermelon head of yours, with you." I tell her and she gasps.

"She called you watermelon head." Zachary says, laughing childishly.

"We'll see about that." Courtney tells me before she walks away.

A slow song comes on and Zachary leads me to the dance floor. We sway to the music as we hold each other like we're going to break if we let go.

***

Well as expected, Courtney won prom queen and Chad won prom king. Zachary and I are walking to his car when De'Andre stops us in our tracks.

"Yo Zach, after party at my place. Come through." He tells Zachary. Zachary just nods at him in response.

"Are you coming?" He asks me.

"Yeah. But I need to get changed first. So, we'll stop by your house." I tell him as I enter the car.

"My house?" He asks with a confused look on his face as he starts the car.

"Yeah. I can't go back home and leave again." I point out.

"Why?" Zachary asks, staring at me.

"Because Ashton is supposed to be my date and if I go home without him my mother is going to ask a billion questions." I tell him.

"Why can't you just tell her about us?" Zachary asks me.

"Because she'll kill you and lock me up in that house till college." I tell him.

"I'm just tired of sneaking around." Zachary says as he stops at a red light.

"It's not sneaking around. I have a drawer of things at your house. I could say I went to get them. Look, Zach, I love you, but I'm not telling my mother." I tell him, meaning it.

He just clenches his jaw and he tightens his grip on the steering wheel as he drives.

***

De'Andre's party is sick. Everyone is here including Stephanie. The music is great and the atmosphere, in general, is just pleasant.

I am dressed in ripped shorts and a black bra.

I am sitting on Zachary's lap and he puts his arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him, so I can feel his warmth.

"You guys are so cute." Adam says beside me.

"I know." I whisper.

"Alright, everyone. It's time to get freaky." De'Andre says. "I need everyone to gather around the campfire to your right. He orders.

I get off Zachary's lap and we walk slowly towards the campfire.

Five minutes later, everybody is seated at the campfire waiting for De'Andre.

"Sorry for the wait guys. I had to take a number two." He tells us.

"Did you wash your hands, dude?" Adam asks him, startled.

"Okay. We are going to play a game of Spin to heaven." De'Andre says and we all stare at him in confusion.

"This game is a mixture of spin the bottle and seven minutes in heaven. Basically, you have to spin the bottle and then ask a question to the person the bottle lands on. The person asked either answers the question or spends seven minutes with a person we choose. I'll go first." De'Andre says, taking a swig from the bottle in his hand before he spins the bottle on the ground. It lands on Hannah.

"Hannah, are you still in love with Chad?" De'Andre asks her.

"I...um...yeah." She stutters.

"Wow, okay." De'Andre says, smiling.

"Stephanie, you're next." De'Andre tells her as he hands her the bottle.

I see Zachary shift in his seat. He looks uncomfortable.

"Okay, um..." She says, thinking before spinning the bottle and it lands on me.

"Valarie." She chirps.

As expected.

"Did Zachary tell you that we hooked up three weeks ago when I first moved into his house?" Stephanie asks me with a sinister smile on her face.

This is news to me. I want to be angry, but I just can't find the strength to bring out that emotion.

"Yes." I lie.

"Fair enough." She says, looking at Zachary.

"My turn." Courtney chimes as she collects the bottle from Stephanie and she spins it.

It lands on me, again.

Oh brother.

"Valarie, why are you still a virgin?" She says, smirking.

"Because no one deserves my virginity yet." I tell her, shrugging.

"Not even Zachary?" She asks, raising her eyebrows.

"Yup." I say, giving her a tight smile.

"Ouch." Courtney says, staring at Zachary. "That must really hurt, huh?" She asks him.

He just shrugs and looks away.

"Okay. Can someone else please go?" De'Andre asks and Courtney raises her hand. "Other than Courtney." He adds.

"I'll go." Sasha says smiling as she takes the bottle from Courtney who was reluctant to give it up. She spins it and it lands on Chad.

"Chad, did you or did you not sleep with me the night before you asked Hannah out?" She asks him.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Chad asks Hannah.

"Answer the question." Hannah cuts in.

"I-I did." He stutters and I hear Hannah whimper.

She stands up and starts running towards the house. Chad runs after her as he calls out her name.

"Yikes." Courtney says before she takes a sip from the drink in her hand.

"Well, I guess it's my turn." Adam says. He spins the bottle and it lands on Courtney.

Get her, best friend.

"Courtney." He says with a smirk on his face.

"Why were you out of school last summer? I heard you had a baby situation to take care of." He says, laughing.

"Don't you dare." Courtney says, fuming.

"Watch it, Adam." Zachary warns.

Hold up, what does Zachary have to do with this?

"What's up with you, Henderson." Adam asks him.

"You have no right to meddle in other people's affairs." Zachary retorts.

"Yeah. Probably because the baby was yours, huh?" Adam claps back.

Excuse me?

"W-what is he talking about?" I ask Zachary, glaring at him.

"It's nothing." Zachary says as his jaw clenches.

"That baby meant something, Zach." Courtney yells at him.

"I guess the one in here's a loser then." Stephanie says, touching her round belly. She's almost full term.

"It was a mistake." Zachary yells out.

"What is going on?" I ask.

"Can we talk in private, please?" Zachary asks.

"No. No more private talks. I'm done with you. I'm done with this devil town. This was a mistake." I say, pointing in between the two of us.

I stand up and I start walking away. I need to clear my head. Zachary has done it again. He has shattered every piece of trust I have for him. I guess sometimes, two people don't belong together even if they're in love. But this isn't love, it never was.

"Vee!!!" I hear Zachary call out from behind me.

I just keep on walking. Not this time trouble.

"Hey." He says turning me to face him.

His gaze is met with my tear stained cheeks.

"I can explain." Zachary says, staring at me.

I scoff.

"Don't bother." I tell him.

"You don't understand." He says pulling his hair.

"And I never will. I'm done with this, Zach. Whatever it was." I tell him as I turn to walk away.

"Valarie please." Zachary begs.

"Just stop Zachary. It's never going to work out. There are just so many things I don't know." I tell him.

"Then ask me. I'll tell you everything. Just...please don't leave." He begs.

"Goodbye, Zachary." I tell him before I walk away.