Justin
Want to hear something funny? Here are Southern California ethics in simplicity. You have to stand in line for hours for gas. Fresh fruit requires a fistfight with an old lady to get. Milk is nine dollars a gallon, coffee five bucks a cup. There's a place to rent a tux roughly every fifty feet. It doesn't matter how you are, only how you look. I love California. Maybe it has to do with a long proud tradition of starving yourself to look good on the silver screen. Who cares if you have enough food? You must look good. It worked to my benefit though. LA might be the only city left in the US where you could get a date to Prom on Monday, and still be able to get a tux.
I wanted to look good tonight. I was going to be the perfect pretend boyfriend. I knew Jhondie was still upset over being embarrassed at school, and she was going to show all of them that she had something better. I knew some college guys would be humiliated to show up at a high school Prom, but with someone like Jhondie on my arm, it really didn't matter where we were. She was not the average teen. I liked that.
I actually had not seen Jhondie since Tuesday night. We'd both been pretty busy. I had a final this week (no more biology, there is a God!) and she had a bunch of things to do. She referred to them as girl things. I asked no further questions. That was a realm no man returned from. She did meet with Dink Friday. He said that he would have something today, and would page me on my brand new pager once he got something concrete.
I still felt a little weird about her going out with him, but I could deal with it. I had been acting rather possessive over her, even though I knew in my head I had no right to be. To tell the truth, I was glad when that guy dumped her. It was too weird. We were not dating. I thought she was attractive, yes, but she didn't think of me like that at all. Still, there was no way she could say tonight I didn't look good.
My cousin Marta lived with us for a few years when I was a little kid. I ended up with her room later, and I swear that's the only reason I had a full-length mirror on the back of my door. I wasn't all that sure why I was staring into it, wondering if Jhondie really was going to like me. Something had happened Tuesday night, but I wasn't sure what or why. I had come within an inch of kissing her, and I had no idea why. It was the same reason I wanted her to look at me and like what she saw when I picked her up.
I had just gotten out of the shower a few minutes before as I stood there in my socks and black silk boxers, my wet hair slicked back. The shorts were a gift from Denise for our Prom. I had told her I wasn't wearing that crap, and refused no matter how hard she pouted, screamed, or threatened. I had hoped that fight would make her decide not to go, but no luck. Now I was wearing them for Jhondie, and she wasn't even going to see me in them. Well, not unless things took a very weird turn.
I studied my reflection for a few minutes. I was an interesting mix of my Anglo-Mexican heritage. For the most part I looked like my dad, with his features and dark blue eyes. I got my six feet of height from him as well. Most of Mom's family was short. My complexion was an interesting mix. It wasn't quite dark enough for people to immediately think I was Hispanic, but I was far from pale. I looked like I had a constant golden tan. I blended well in California. My thick black hair was definitely from my mother though. Tall, broad-shouldered, well-toned muscles. She'd known guys that were designed to be physically perfect. Well, for a norm, I thought I could compete. As long as none of the genetically perfect showed up, that is.
Getting dressed was quick. My hair is useless. It does as it wishes. I thought that night it decided to have mercy on me. Undershirt, pants, shirt, that stupid little purple bowtie. Jhondie told me her dress was dark purple. I knew I was required to match it. Why couldn't she have worn black or white? Ah well, cummerbund and shoes. The jacket was across my bed. I walked out of my room, and of course everyone was waiting in the living room downstairs.
"You look kinda okay," Brittany said. It was actually her highest compliment for her big brother.
Dad grinned. He didn't have a camera. I'd warned him that I would self-destruct if I saw one. "Just friends, right?" he said, teasing me. Sometimes, I could swear he could read my thoughts. I put my jacket on, and he attached the boutonniere. What was that for? Really? Who decreed that men needed to wear a flower on their jacket? He stepped back and handed me Jhondie's corsage. As luck would have it, Dad had started to date a florist a couple of weeks ago. She was pretty cool so far, but she had really decided to suck up to the kids, and go all out for a last-minute request. Jhondie was going to love this.
"Okay," I said. "Wish me luck while I take MY FRIEND out."
They all laughed, and I left. I went to the Harris', and Mrs. Harris greeted me. "They've been up there all day," she warned. Oh God. I liked Jhondie the way she was. She wore very little makeup, and usually wore her hair loose. She looked good like that. The only time I'd seen her in a dress was her dad's funeral. She was a jeans kind of girl. I was having a hard time imagining her any other way.
"I'm so glad she's going with you," Mrs. Harris said. "I have a feeling that she'll have a much better time with you." She sighed a little. "And I know you won't drink and drive."
I smiled. "We always have a good time," I replied. "And I will not be drinking at all tonight. I promise." Of course, if I saw someone try to drive drunk, I would have a problem with that, and I could guarantee they would have a problem finding their keys. Two hands and a flashlight might be needed. I do not tolerate drinking and driving. Not after what happened to my mother.
Kayla appeared at the top of the stairs. She was giggling and making fake trumpeting sounds. "Quit it!" I heard Jhondie say, slightly amused, a little irritated. I looked up there and released my most charming, sweetest grin in my repertoire. The absolutely irresistible one. That was when she…she…um, whoa…there she was…holy…she was…she was…she was standing there, and…and…and…Holy Mother of God. JHONDIE?
Jhondie
I'd spent all day getting read for Prom. I mean literally all day long. I knew how I was going to wear my hair, and I had my makeup picked out, but there were tons of other things that girls are required to do. I had no idea why I was so nervous. It was just Justin. We'd gone out a million times. Well, this time I knew it was going to have nothing to do with business. This was going to be all fun all night long. Fun with Justin. All night long. Was it hot in here or just me?
My dress was absolutely beautiful. Justin had wanted to see it so he could get the stuff for his tux that matched, but I wanted to surprise him. I usually wore jeans around him, and I wanted him to see me in the dress when he saw it. It was dark purple with iridescent sequins and small rhinestones making up spaghetti straps. The top was straight cut across my chest. I felt a little weird in the strapless bra that pushed me up, and left me feeling a little exposed. Nothing too much, but I wasn't used to dressing like that. There was a lovely beadwork fringe around the top. The same sequins and rhinestones as on the straps were on the dress to form butterflies that ran down the left side of the dress in a meandering pattern to the split that started at the knee. The butterflies ran down either side of the split to the beadwork at the hem that matched the top of the dress. It was beautiful.
I'm so glad Justin couldn't see me while I was getting ready. At one point I had a green mask on my face to exfoliate, my nails were in a gel solution to harden them, my hair was in curlers, and I had tissue between my toes so that I was walking like a penguin. Why was I painting my toenails? Justin was not going to be seeing my feet anyways. Probably for the same reason I had lacy underwear that was the same purple as my dress. I had no intention of letting him see my drawers, but it was nice to have them anyways.
After hours of effort, and the help/hindrance of a bouncing little sister that was almost as excited as I was, I was ready. My light brown hair was piled high in a mass of ringlets, a few falling becomingly around my face. I had some blonde highlights from the sun that glinted around my head. Kayla had done a great job arranging them to work just right. It had been a very long time since I'd seen my hair up like this. My nails were painted a shimmery purple. Kayla had been shocked that I could paint my right hand, but I couldn't exactly tell her that all X-5's were ambidextrous. I said I learned how from my fashion magazines. I'd taken forever with my makeup, but it was worth the effort. I hoped Justin would think so too.
I heard the doorbell, and my heart started pounding. It was just the excitement of nailing Kyle and Haille. Justin was an everyday thing. I put my shoes on while Mom got the door, and a minute later, I stood up, ready to go. Kayla ran out the door and started to make trumpeting sounds to announce me.
"Quit it!" I called out to her, embarrassed enough as it was. I went to the head of the stairs, and there he was at the foot. Was that Justin? That smile alone nearly had me turn into a puddle and ooze down the stairs. This was not the same guy I'd lain with on a dirty floor for hours with waiting to get an incriminating picture. It was a good thing he didn't smile at me like that Tuesday night. I would have thrown him on the floor and had my way with him. Oh my God, did he think I looked good enough?
Self-doubt fled as I watched him watch me glide down the stairs. That killer grin slid off of his face, and was replaced with one of absolute awe. When a guy who looked as good as he did starts staring at you like you were Venus descending from on high, your self-confidence picks up dramatically. I stopped right in front of him. He still looked shocked at seeing me.
"Hi," I said softly. His jaw moved a little as his eyes raked over me from head to toe.
"Hey," he finally said. I could see the admiration in his eyes. I knew he admired my abilities and intelligence, but it was nice to see his appreciation for my looks. Wow, he mouthed to me. We both took a deep breath and laughed a little.
"Well you clean up pretty decent," I teased.
He gave me a look of mock confusion. "Is Jhondie going to be down soon?" he asked. "We still need to meet Cheryl and Tyler at the restaurant. Are you joining us?"
We both laughed. He smiled at me again, his blue eyes lighting up with pleasure. There was that melting feeling again. Yeah, I was the real tough soldier. It might be phony sentimentality, but it sure felt good. "You are beautiful," he said softly. I blushed.
"Corsage!" Mom almost sang out. I knew this was a tough night on her. She said once she was looking forward to taking pictures of me while Dad gave my date a behave-with-my-daughter talk. This was the first important event that we were going to have to go through without him. Mom was an amazing woman to be that strong to seem like nothing was wrong. She didn't want to spoil this night for me in the slightest.
Justin glanced down at the plastic box in his hand like he's forgotten all about it. He let out a nervous little laugh and opened it. It was an absolutely beautiful wrist corsage with dark red roses and ribbon that matched my dress. I looked up at him with surprise. How did he get this done on such short notice? He grinned. "I have contacts," he said.
He took it out of the box and slipped it onto my left wrist. Our eyes met, and my breath caught. It was like a few nights ago all over again. There was a sudden softness in his gaze, and I knew in about two seconds I was going to know what it felt like to have his lips against mine. One one thousand…two one-thou…a bright blue flash startled us both. We jumped apart a little, and I started breathing again. Both Mom and Kayla had a camera. We were trapped until they got bored or ran out of film.
We let them have their way for about fifteen minutes. That was all I could stand. I finally pointed out that we had dinner reservations, and Cheryl and Tyler were waiting for us. Mom reluctantly let us go, snapping pictures of Justin opening the car door for me. We drove off, and I had to laugh.
"I swear," I said with a laugh. "A woman could be having a baby, and if Mom was the photographer, she would be like, can we do this again? I need another angle. Let's get all of the doctors in the shot!"
Justin started to laugh too. "My Mom loved taking pictures," he said. "She had the ability to catch you at the most awkward moment possible."
We were both quiet for a minute. Justin came to a red light, and turned to me. "You really do look incredible," he said with feeling.
"So do you," I said honestly.
"The perfect pretend boyfriend?" he joked.
"We'll have to see about that," I replied.
He shrugged. "You got the experience with perfect males," he said. My eyebrows (plucked and shaped just that afternoon) rose in question. "You know," he said, seeming a little uncomfortable, "I wasn't exactly engineered to be perfect." Justin was wondering if I liked the way he was? The way he looked?
I put my hand on his arm. He looked over at me, and I let my eyes travel over his entire body. "Absolutely perfect," I said with a soft smile. His eyes lit up.
The light chose that moment to turn green, and we were off again.
