Starting to wonder why I stopped writing this for so long; this is actually my favorite story to update! Enjoy!
January—Winter Formal
"What do you think?" Kate asked, modeling an ocean-blue, ankle-length dress for Lanie. The other girl shook her head.
"Nuh-uh," she said, "you look like an ice princess; that is way too cliché."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Lanie," she said, "it's the Winter Formal; that's the whole point!"
"No, the point is that it takes place during the winter. You don't gotta look like you've been snowed on. Besides, every other girl is gonna dress that way; we gotta be original. So pick something else!"
Kate sighed, returning to the dressing room to change into a new dress. "I'm never going shopping with you again!" she vowed. Lanie cackled.
"Then you'll never look good in anything you buy again!" she retorted. "Face it, girl; you would look homeless if not for me!"
"THAT'S SO NOT TRUE!" Kate shouted back through the dressing room door. "I look just fine without your help!"
"You dress like a nerd, Sweetie," Lanie said, placating. "I hate to say it but it's true. What with all that Nebula 9 nonsense—"
"Hey! It's a good show!"
"Yeah, whatever," Lanie said, teasingly. In truth, she had watched the old scifi with her friend and had even liked it, but she could never let Kate know that. "You coming out or what?"
"Hold your horses!" Kate snapped, before emerging from the dressing room in a deep purple sheath knee-length dress. It was toga style with rivulets running down the strap side. When she moved, the top layer floated around her body, weightlessly. Lanie smiled brightly at her.
"Giiiirrrrrlllll," she said, placing one hand on her hip, "you look good!" Kate blushed, grinning.
"Oh, stop," she said, looking down and fingering the material at her hip.
"I'm serious!" Lanie insisted. "You look hot, girl! Embrace it!" Kate's blushed deepened and she looked into the mirror on the back of her door, turning in the dress. Lanie was right; she did look hot (despite the lack of bra filling). She smiled at herself, immediately frowning once she saw the reason she didn't like smiling as of late. "Oh, quit that!" Lanie said, coming up behind her. "You have a beautiful smile, braces or not. Castle's gonna love it!" Kate groaned.
"Lanie," she sighed, "I've already told you—"
"'You don't like Castle like that'," Lanie mimicked, "yeah, I know, but, girl, you kissed him less than a month ago. Your first kiss, might I add. That's gotta mean something!"
Kate sighed and rolled her eyes. "It means," she said, "that I was grateful for what he did and I showed it by kissing him underneath the mistletoe. It's not that big of a deal."
Lanie gave her a skeptical look. "Mmhmm," she said, unbelievingly. "Whatever you say, girl. Anywho, you gotta buy that dress for the dance; you're gonna look fabulous! Especially after we do something with your hair!"
"You are not touching my hair," Kate said, backing away from her friend, "not after the last time!"
"They grew back!"
X_X
On the night of the Winter Formal, the gang decided to meet up at Kate's place since it was the closest to the school. Lanie had shown up early to get ready with Kate and Johanna had helped them both with their makeup and hair. Kate stayed true to her statement that Lanie was not to touch her hair with a ten-foot pole, thoroughly annoying the shorter girl.
"I said sorry," she grumbled as Johanna rolled curlers in her hair.
"Yes, and I forgave you," Kate retorted, "but that doesn't mean I'm letting you near my hair again."
Lanie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Whatever," she sighed.
After their hair and makeup was done, Johanna left them to get dressed while she went to go answer the door for the boys, who'd just arrived together.
"Well, don't you look handsome?" she exclaimed, sweetly, snapping photos of them immediately. The boys all grinned.
Castle had on a simple suit and tie that his mother had snatched from the backstage of one of her shows (it wasn't stealing if nobody was using it) and had fitted for him. The tie was an old one of her late father's. It was silk and plum-colored, and very masculine.
Javier wore something similar, only his suit was a bit too big for him and his tie a bit too long. His curly hair was combed back and his sports jacket was slung over his shoulder. He struck a pose as Mrs. Beckett took pictures, making her laugh and shake her head.
And Kevin wore his usual sweater vest over a light green dress shirt, his hair spiked and neat. His slacks were nice and pressed especially for this event. He, too, had a sports jacket, but his was slung over his arm, respectably. He smiled up at Johanna when she took the picture and she smiled back, remembering him a cute little baby.
Finally, the girls emerged from Kate's bedroom, causing all jaws to drop as they entered the main room.
Kate was wearing the dress she and Lanie had decided on in the store and looked absolutely breathtaking in it. She smiled brightly at Castle, who looked like he was about to start drooling. Her hair was side swept and pinned, curls raining down over one shoulder. On her feet, she wore a pair of silver sandals with a small heel on them. On her arms, she wore matching bracelets and a small book locket her father had bought her for her birthday. She wore light lipstick and blush that deepened her complexion and gave her an almost-glow. Her eyes were framed with purple eye shadow and eye liner…she was truly a sight to behold. Castle couldn't take his eyes off of her.
Lanie, on the other hand, was also dressed spectacularly. She was wearing a skintight, knee length dark red dress with a scoop neck and three-quarter length sleeves. Around her neck, she wore chains that fell to her chest and she had a thick gold bracelet on her left wrist. Her heels were red and a bit taller than Kate's (most likely to make up for the difference in height. Her hair fell in curls, framing her face. Esposito's eyes were glued this time, taking in the perfectly made up face, swallowing hard at her deep red lips smirking at him.
Both boys found themselves completely speechless in the girls' presence, but not Kevin.
"Wow," he said, smiling at them, "you girls look amazing!" Smiles split both of their faces.
"Aw," Kate said, "thank you, Kevin!"
"You're such a sweetie," Lanie cooed, stepping towards him and planting a kiss on his cheek, making him blush and Javier glare at him. Kate did the same and Castle fought not to show his disappointment that it was not his cheek that his friend had chosen to kiss.
Kevin blushed, the two kiss marks on his skin even more apparent on his cheeks.
"Ooh, hold still!" Johanna exclaimed, "I have to get this! Girls, stand on either side of Kevin and smile!" The girls did as they were told and Johanna snapped about a dozen photos before handing the boy a tissue so he could wipe it off.
After that, it was myriad of photos snapping of the kids in pairs, threes, and as a full group. Jim joined in, taking pictures with his own camera and surreptitiously wiping his tears as he took in the sight of his little girl looking all grown up.
"Are you done yet?" Kate groaned. "We're going to be late." Her eyes were pleading with her parents to let them go and Johanna nodded.
"Just one more photo; I still haven't gotten you and Castle together yet," she said, a twinkle in her eye. She hadn't missed the way the awkward, gangly preteen had looked at her daughter. It wasn't in the lustful way Johanna had expected boys that age to ogle her daughter, but more of a respectful, loving sort of way. She didn't know if it was puppy love or just a small crush, but she knew that the two would make an awfully cute couple, so she had them stand together, his front to her back, prom style, both smiling brightly at the camera. After that, she told them to stand facing each other and snapped a photo discreetly when she saw them lock eyes, smiling the whole while.
Yes, she knew Richard "Castle" Rodgers would be in their lives for quite a while yet.
You see? Even Mama Bex sees it! I'm sorry I didn't give you the actual formal but I'm tired and kind of cranky and I have work tomorrow, so I'm gonna head off to bed and hope I feel better in the morning. Good night!