- Are you ready? Are you sure you wanna go?
Her dad said, more nervous than she was.
- Yeah, dad, I'll be fine. It's just a movie. And not a child. I'm 12 years old.
- The movie is not what I'm worried about. It's... that guy.
- Oh. - she couldn't help but laugh. - Seriously? I don't even like him, relax! I just wanna see the movie. He's just some random dude from class.
- Alright. But, before you go, I have only one advice.
She wanted to roll her eyes but he seemed pretty serious so she listened.
- Those boys... they will always going to tell you lies to get you on a date, or even worse.
- Dad...
- They will even say they love you. But they don't. Only I love you.
She was smiling and blushing now. Her dad gave her a hug and told her she could go now.
She went out, laughing, how could dad say stuff like that?
Five years later, she wouldn't remember who was her date at the time, or which movie they saw, but those words wouldn't be forgotten so easy.
(5 years later)
The prom was only a few days away. She kept waiting for Itachi to invite her, but he was clueless. They were friends (all right, more than friends) for years already. How could he not have invited her yet?
She knew he was different (her friends actually called him a sociopath once): he couldn't care less for parties and having an amount of friends, or even being popular in school. But this was different: Mayu and Itachi have been friends for years! And she could swear that something was going on between them. Itachi shared the smile with her, and he never smiled like that with anyone else.
Or maybe she was just overthinking. They were just good friends.
Well, whatever, she shouldn't care either.
She was just about to go to lunch – and give Itachi more hints that he wanted to invite her – when she saw Izumi sitting next to him.
Oh, Great. Izumi. That's why he wouldn't invite her. Izumi was already trying to get him just for her.
Well, she didn't need him either. She would just accept the invitation from whoever was that dude who asked her earlier.
(...)
When she was home already, Mayu started to work on the perfect dress. She wanted Itachi to look at her and see what he was...
No. No. We're not thinking about him. I don't care about him.
- Uh, Mayu?
- Yes, mom. - she answered, without taking her eyes off her dress.
- A friend... hm, she says it's a friend, she's here to see you. Her name is Izumi...
- OH, I GOT THIS! - Mayu stand up and came to answer the door.
How dare she... coming here after... ughhhhhhh
- Ah... hm... I wanted to talk to you about...
- I know, Itachi invited you, right?
- What? No. - she sounded really surprised. - No, it's actually... I tried to invite him but he refused.
- SO... this means, he's going with someone else?
Izumi smiled, but saddness were all over her eyes.
- I think... I think he doesn't even want to go. At all.
- Why are you telling me this? - Mayu couldn't let Izumi knows she was really affected by this information.
- I had a feeling that he would go with you, if you asked him.
- That's bullshit. Sorry. But thanks for letting me know.
She waved Izumi goodbye, her head was a mess.
How could Itachi do that to her?
(...)
It was finally the day she've been waiting since she was a freshman. She would go to the prom, dance, kiss some guy, get drunk, maybe even have more fun... No, she would just dance and kiss some guy. That's it, that's the fun. And she looked amazing.
Too bad Itachi wasn't there to see it.
Her date was getting drunk now, so she took the opportunity to take some air.
In a couple of years, Hinata would be in some prom, just like this one, with her boyfriend (oh, please, Naruto, please date her already, so Neji won't have to offer to be her date) and she would totally help her to be fantastic!
- There you are! - her date, what was his name again?, was smelling beer, and trying to kiss her. - What do you think about we getting somewhere more private?
She had no clue what he was talking because her mind was somewhere else, so she only said "Oh, sounds fun"
But the place he had in mind wasn't that fun at all.
They were in an alley and his car was only a few steps away. The prom was like, 30 steps away? She could scream if she needs help, right?
Oh, she was so screwed up.
- Hm, I think it's time for us to head home. - she whispered.
But her date couldn't hear her because she was... OH GOD, HE WAS THROWING UP.
- I'm so busted...
- Come with me. - she knew that voice: it always makes her heart beats faster. - I have an idea.
She grabbed Itachi's hand and they run away from the alley. She couldn't even breath when they finally stopped.
- What... how... WHAT DO YOU THINK...
- I let some of his friends know he was there, relax. And, I had this feeling that you would be in trouble, so I decided to show up.
- I... ugh, I hate you. I thought we were friends!
- And why wouldn't we be?
- Because... - she stopped. It was stupid, she wouldn't understand. - You didn't even invite me to the prom.
- Did you want me to invite you? - he sounded very confused.
- Never mind... It doesn't matter.
He grabbed her hand and looked directly in her eyes. Just looking at those eyes... her stomach was fluttering.
- Look, I...
- Just take me home, okay?
(...)
- Thanks for the ride. - she said, getting out of the car and ready to walk until her front door.
- Wait. Mayu. - he reached her hand, making she turns and face him. - I... those guys, they... only wanted to take you to this stupid prom to... you know...
- What?
- Because they wanted to have sex with you.
- No shit, Sherlock!
- The point is: they will say anything to take you to bed with them. They might even say they love you, but that's a lie because...
Her heart was beating so fast. She remembered those words. Dad... She knew how it would end.
- You don't have to say it. It's okay, I got it.
- Because only I love you. - he said, sighing. - I said it. - this last part seemed to be more for himself than for hers. - I love...
She didn't let him finish because she was kissing him.