"Kahlan." Cara wasn't good at this. The words-conveying-feelings thing. She started with the simplest part, her best-friend who had somehow morphed into something more's name. She didn't know when or how it had happened. Maybe it was during study hall when she'd spend hours analyzing the way Kahlan's upper lip with the little scar on it would curl over her pen as she chewed the cap. Maybe it was the times she caught herself counting the shades of red in Kahlan's hair during History. Or maybe, just maybe it was none of those and just due to the fact that being near Kahlan every day it was impossible not to fall in love with her. ] "Yeah Cari?" Cari. Ugggh. Cara shuddered. She didn't know why she'd let it slip that her parents had named her Cari somewhere in 7th grade. She never lived it down. Kahlan was the only person who could call her that besides her sister Grace that wouldn't get seriously injured upon doing so.

Cara's mouth suddenly felt like the Azrith plains. Nothing too major here, Cara. No brain surgery, no calculus final to study for, just your average run of the mill asking your for all you know straight best friend to the prom. Totally fucking normal. For sure.

"Prom. You. Me?" she stammered out.

"What?" Kahlan turned those beautiful blue eyes on her and for a minute Cara stopped breathing.

"Will you…" she coughed, feeling herself blushing. The floor was looking really interesting. She started counting the tiles and then heard a familiar voice.

"Well if it isn't my two favorite ladies! Cara! Kahlan!" oh. Gods. Please no. Please, please no. Richard Cypher. Jack of all trades master of none, friend to all, generally so perfect it made Cara want to kick him. They had been friends since even before her and Kahlan. Richard had seen her give a boy named Nass a bloody nose for pulling a girl's hair, and decided he would get on her good side.

"Richard! Hi!" Kahlan squealed. Cara's stomach turned to lead. "Sooo. Prom is coming up…Who are you going with?" classic Richard, either miss the point completely or cut to the chase. Today was apparently a good day, because he'd skipped his usual head-in-the-clouds attitude and gone straight for what Cara was wishing he wouldn't have said.

"I am currently dateless! Woe!" Kahlan said with flair, pulling a heartbroken face and swooning theatrically.

"Dateless? Well, that can't be right…" he paused for just enough time, and Cara was sure that this conversation could go one of two ways. One, she ends up forever the third wheel while Richard and Kahlan go to prom together, she's the maid of honor at their wedding, their kids call her Auntie Cara….Or, two…she grows a fucking pair, asks Kahlan to the prom, Richard brings their children a damn pony, and that's the end of that.

"It can't be! Right, that is. Because she's going to the prom all right. With me."

"With you?" the look Kahlan turned on Cara was confused, but her slight blush gave Cara the hint of courage she needed to go through with the cement in her deal. She lunged forward, cutting a path with her body between Kahlan and Richard, who jumped out of the way with an undignified squeak. Before she knew it, she'd slammed her lips to Kahlan's with the force of a hurricane. Kahlan let out a surprised gasp between their lips, which Cara swallowed like it was a gift she'd never get again.

"Right. Well. Yeah. Apparently I came in at the wrong time. I was about to tell you guys I asked Denna to the prom. I'm starting to think I should have brought a video camera instead."

Cara flipped him off while mapping Kahlan's mouth wit her tongue.

"You ladies enjoy each other. See you at the prom!"

Oh, she'd see him all right…And she'd look better in a tux, too. Come to think of it, she should ask Kahlan to wear that white dress of her mother's…Yeah, this was going to be something she'd never forget.

Prom, indeed.