I rushed into the room; the tie around my neck feeling like it was getting tighter by the second. I tugged at it with one hand while using the other to run my fingers through my hair. The room was loud, hot, and stuffy; and all the moving bodies made it difficult for me to force my way through them. But I had to get to her as soon as possible. If I waited any longer, I was afraid I'd lose my courage.
Seeing her was like being hit by a tidal wave; my shortness of breath increased, and my pounding headache seemed to get worse. But my god, was she beautiful. She wore a fitted red dress, and her long, brown hair cascaded down her back in waves. She looked elegant, and lovely, and really, really sexy.
When she turned toward me, I couldn't help but smile. "Austin!" She yelled; the excitement in her voice enough to send shivers down my spine.
She wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug, which I gladly returned.
"I thought you'd be a no-show! But I'm so glad you came." I gave her another big smile, which was all I could muster. When I tried to find words it felt like I was swallowing sandpaper, and when I tried to tell Ally how beautiful she looked, it felt like I was swallowing an entire beach.
Trish pulled me out of my thoughts, her bubbling excitement spilling over in her voice. "How great is this dance, you guys? The lights are so beautiful."
Ally and I nodded vigorously in response. This old High School gym did look beautiful. It was our Junior Prom, and the theme was 'The Great Gatsby.' Amazing lights were strung from the ceiling, and paintings of New York at night were hung everywhere.
Soon enough, Trish ran off to dance with Dez, and I was left alone with Ally.
"Austin," her voice was soft and quiet, and she put a hand on my arm, gently pulling me closer to her. "Are you ok? You haven't said a word, and you sort of look like you've seen a ghost."
I swallowed hard and inhaled a shaky breath, preparing myself for the confession. Her voice was filled to the brim with concern, and it made a small light of hope glow in my chest.
"Yeah, I'm-I'm fine. Great, actually." Ally gave me a glowing smile, and it allowed me to breathe a little easier.
"Well, I'm glad. And you look incredibly handsome, by the way. You should wear a suit and tie more often."
I chuckled at that, and gradually I felt my body begin to loosen up. Ally had that effect on me. Even when I had lost countless nights of sleep thinking about confessing my love for her, she could calm me down with a simple compliment and a smile.
"Thank you. You look stunning. You should wear red dresses more often." She smirked and playfully hit me on the arm, her head tilting to lean on my shoulder. My heart started pounding like a drum, and my mouth went completely dry.
Luckily, Ally was content on telling me about all the work she spent on decorating for the dance. I couldn't help but smile at her words, and I told her that she'd done a wonderful job so many times that she was probably considering shoving my tie in my mouth.
Suddenly, Trish ran up to us, practically jumping up and down in excitement. "Ally! Shawn Evans just asked if I'd seen you around! He said he wanted to ask you to dance!"
She grabbed Ally's arm, attempting to gently pull her away. I balled my fists together and subconsciously imagined beating Shawn Evan's face with them. But it wasn't his fault. Of course he wanted to dance with Ally; after all, who wouldn't? Maybe if I had actually told her how he felt already, she'd be dancing with me right now.
"Wait, Trish, I don't know. Shawn's not really my type and-"
"Oh, hush! You're coming whether you like it or not!" I practically growled at Trish when she dragged Ally across the room; Ally giving me a regretful glance until her face disappeared into the crowd.
ALLY'S POINT OF VIEW
"Trish! What was that for?! You know I want to be with Austin!" I smacked Trish's hand from my arm, furious at my best friend for dragging me away from him.
"Oh, calm down! This is all a plan to make Austin jealous! Trust me, it'll work. You'll dance with Shawn and then-"
"No! Trish, this is a horrible idea! I'm not going to use Shawn like that, and I'm certainly not going to make Austin think I'm interested in someone else."
She just grinned at me, which made me even angrier.
"What on Earth are you smiling about?! Can't you see I'm in the middle of a crisis?!"
Trish just shook her head, still smiling.
"Oh, Ally. You're so in love with that boy."
At this, I paused for a second, unable to stop a smile from spreading across my face.
"Yeah," I said, with a little bit more confidence than I had expected. "Yeah, I am."
AUSTIN'S POINT OF VIEW
"That's it!" I yelled at Dez, pacing back and forth and running my fingers through my hair. "I can't take this anymore! What if he kissed her, Dez?!"
"Dude, calmed down! There's no way he's kissed her. And besides, Ally would never let that happen. She's in love with you, Austin!"
I shook my head vigorously, my breath coming in heavy gasps. "We don't know that! Dez, what am I going to do?"
He patted me on the back, stopping my frantic pacing.
"Austin, go get her! You obviously have to tell her how you feel, and soon."
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and, giving Dez a smile of gratitude, I turned and made my way through the crowd of dancing bodies once again.
"Ally!" I was breathless when I saw her, and when she saw me, she practically ran into my arms.
"Austin, thank god! I've been looking for you everywhere."
Her arms were around me, which made me feel a little dizzy, but I was glad nonetheless. When she pulled away, I barely had enough courage to look into her eyes.
"So, how was your dance with Shawn?" I held my breath, waiting for her answer.
"Oh, luckily I got out of that. There's someone else here I'd much rather be spending my time with."
Ally took my hand in hers, running her thumb across my palm. This simple touch set my heart racing, and my throat felt like it was on fire.
"Ally, can we go outside? I need to tell you something." My voice sounded hoarse and I knew I looked like a mess. My head was pounding again, and my hands were shaky and the entire world felt like it was going to collapse in on me if I didn't tell this girl that I loved her.
"Yes, of course. C'mon, I know a quiet place we can talk." I went into a daze as she led me through the crowd, numb to everything but the feel of her hand and her rapid pulse that I felt on her wrist.
When we stepped outside the gym doors, everything was silent. Ally led me through some winding hallways, finally stopping at a door to the right of the art room. Trying the handle, she found it unlocked and pulled me inside.
I found myself in a small, dimly lit room, complete with sculptures lining the walls and paintings propped up on wooden stands.
"It's the art storage room." Ally said, answering my unspoken question. "It's one of the only rooms in the school that's almost always unlocked."
I gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Ally. It's perfect."
She led me over to a small bench by the window, and from there we could sit and see the stars.
"Austin, what do you want to talk about? You've seemed a little off all night, and I want you to know that I'm here for you. If you need anything, please tell me."
She took both of my hands in hers, and I was comforted by their warmth and softness, and the gentleness with which she held them. It was mesmerizing.
"Thank you, Ally. You have no idea what that means to me, especially coming from you. I-I have to tell you something that I have been afraid to say for a very long time. I don't know how it'll affect our friendship, or if you'll even want to look at me again."
Ally squeezed my hands tighter. "Austin," she whispered, "you know that would never happen, no matter what." She pulled me into a light hug, and I hugged her back, my stomach busying itself by doing cartwheels.
Looking into her brown eyes, I continued.
"You're right; I have been off all night. I've had a pounding headache and my hands have been shaky and my stomach feels like it's about to implode. But it's ok, because it's all for good reason."
"I love you, Ally. God, I am so in love with you. I have been for a while now, but these last few weeks I've been so achingly pathetic that I have just been walking on ice around you. I've been afraid to tell you how I feel, for multiple reasons, but none of that matters now. I just know that I want to be with you, and I want to hold you and kiss you and be the person you confide in. I want to cook with you and dance with you and go on road trips with you. I've dreamed about doing all of that with you, and much more."
I blushed fiercely at this, and I'm sure Ally saw, even in the dim lighting.
"I've been such a pitiful coward all this time, and I didn't tell you how I felt until I thought about the possibility of you being close to someone else. I know it's ridiculous, but it's how I feel, and I hope I haven't completely scared you. It's just-I just- I love you."
Ally's eyes betrayed how she felt. They were watering immensely, and when she spoke, her voice quivered.
"Austin, I love you. I'm in love with you. I just- I can't believe you feel the same way." We smiled at each other for a moment, and Ally put a hand on my chest. "And that was probably the most romantic speech I've ever heard."
I reached for her waist, gently pulling her closer to me, and I touched her forehead with mine. I moved my shaky hands up her arm and neck, finally using them to cup her face.
"I'm so lucky." I whispered, and kissed her.
The kiss was timid and gentle, both of us nervous and overcome with emotions. We kissed, again and again and again. Kissing her felt like jumping out of a plane, or riding a roller coaster, or gazing at a sunset; or perhaps all three. Every good emotion that I was capable of feeling, I felt when kissing her.
My hands wandered over her body, lingering where they touched bare skin. Her hands were running through my hair or maybe they were on my chest; I was so hyped up on adrenaline that I could only think of her lips and her body in that dress and the fact that this gorgeous girl was in love with me.
She loosened my tie and proceeded to unbutton my shirt, still keeping her lips pressed to mine.
I smiled against them, feeling around the back of her dress for the zipper. Ally, once she had successfully removed my shirt, assisted me in unzipping her dress. Standing up, she slipped it off of her body, allowing me to gaze at her in an awe that only a 17-year-old boy can gaze.
Smiling, Ally walked briskly to the door, locked it, and then proceeded to drag a large sleeping back over to the bench.
"I may have spent a couple nights in here, watching the stars," she breathed. I smiled widely at her, so shocked that this was actually happening. She stood in front of me, shaking, but smiling. I hurriedly slipped off my pants and wrapped my arms around her, guiding her down to the sleeping bag. We curled up in it together, our bodies wrapped so tightly together that Ally had stopped shaking.
"I am so lucky," she whispered, beaming as she ran a hand lightly up and down my bare chest. "How did I get so lucky?"
I kissed her, running both of my hands through her hair and slowly bringing my mouth to her ear. "I was just asking myself the same thing." I breathed, watching a smiling Ally bury her face in my neck.
We stayed like that for hours, tangled together, kissing each other anywhere and everywhere. We whispered sweet things in each other's ears until we fell asleep, so comforted by our own warmth and closeness.
And let me tell you, I'm not lying when I say that it was the best night of my life.