When Emma turned eighteen things became a bit more serious. She had become a strong, independent woman who was highly sought after by both males and females in her school for friendship and companionship. She had her choice in who she chose to associate with. She has put the setbacks that had happened earlier in her dating life far behind her. She did however, have a good relationship with Alex Knightley. She was actually in her room, composing a letter to him, while looking at a stuffed animal he had gotten her this past Christmas. She mentioned it in her letter and thanked him once again for it. She knew he was busy, Alex was in his third year in college, majoring in Business with a focus in accounting. She wrote to him about a few different things as well. She had just gotten her letter of acceptance into the same college Alex was currently attending, after applying there based on his suggestion. She also talked about her valedictory speech she was trying to write and the difficulty she was having in trying to pick someone to take her to the Senior formal. She had a few offers, but no one that she really wanted to spend that milestone with. She jokingly mentioned that it would be awesome in Alex would be home that weekend, because she could just go with him. She laughed at her joke and finished off the letter and sent it in the mail the next morning.
Later that week, Emma had a phone call from Alex. He needed to know if she was serious. If she really wanted him to go to the prom with her, he could come home that weekend. Emma was flustered with this idea and stuttered her way through the conversation. Somehow she was able to convince herself that she had convinced Alex that she was just joking about the prom thing, even though deep down she wasn't, but she couldn't admit that to him. It would make things weird, and they were on good footing. In fact, they were each others' best friends. Going out could just complicate things, at least Emma thought so.
The next day at school, Emma accepted one of the prom invitations she had received from the guy who was coming in second place to her in the class rankings, a guy named Kendall who was also a trumpet played in the music program at her school. Kendall and Emma discussed tuxedo styles and colors along with proper color coordination and made plans for Emma to help him get the proper outfit to help her look the best she could for that night.
As the prom night approached, Kendall and Emma had decided to try and go on a couple of practice dates. Just to check that they would be companionable for the night of prom. Everything was looking up when a minor issue came up. The morning of prom, Kendall and some of his friends decided to go skateboarding. Kendall was riding on a ramp at the local skate park when he got cut off by an eight year old whipping around on a board. He ended up crashing hard and breaking his leg. He actually called Emma from the emergency room to make her aware of the situation, urging her to go to prom anyways. When Emma got off the phone with Kendall she was torn between being concerned for her new friend and being angry that her plans went completely awry. In her annoyance, she called the one person she always reached out to in times like this, Alex. Much to Emma's displeasure though, Alex wasn't answering. Emma put the phone on the receiver and threw herself onto her bed and began talking to the stuffed animal Alex gave her, trying to work everything out. About twenty minutes into her talking to herself there was a knock on her bedroom door. She got up, still quite angry and jerked the door open, standing there was Alex holding a tuxedo in a bag.
"Your dad overheard the conversation and called me. Why didn't you, Em?" he looked at her and waited for an answer. "I was trying to still go through all my options Alex. I did try to call your dorm room though. Wait, how long have you been in town?" Emma narrows her eyes while asking the question as if she already knows the answer that is going to come out of Alex's mouth. Alex sees it and grins, "I came into town last night. I said I would come into to town for tonight, remember?"
Emma can only nod her head at this point. She had too many ideas running through her head and they are all going so fast she cannot keep up with them. "You came to rescue me?" is the first sentence she is able to form from the ideas running about in her her. Alex simply shakes his head no at that, "No one can rescue you Emma, you always rescue yourself. I thought I would just offer up myself as a date alternative. I mean, if you don't want to, it is fine. But I do come with my own tux and a cranberry colored vest and tie to go with it. I believe that was the color of dress you finally decided on, correct?"
Emma has recovered some by this time, but is still mildly surprised that Alex was paying that much attention to the many conversations she had held about her choice in dress color, "I will bet the shades don't even match.", challenged Emma. "Well, let's see then,"responded Alex. Emma went and grabbed the dress and Alex open his bag removing the tie. When the two articles of clothing were placed next to each other, the shades were a perfect match. Alex and Emma had no choice but to smile up at each other. "Well, I guess that settles it then Alex, you may pick me up at 6 pm." Emma said with a grin. Alex puts his tie back into his bag and ruffles Emma's hair before responding that he will be in her foyer at 6 pm sharp.
Emma was excited beyond belief. Her carefully planned out evening was going to be even better with the substitution of Alex for Kendall. Alex was quite used to her ways, where Kendall was not. Also with Alex, there was no chance of awkward silences or lapses in conversation. "Too bad the boy just can't dance," she thought to herself. Looking at the clock, she realized it was already 3 pm and if she was going to be ready to go in three hours she had better get going.
Five forty-five arrived and Emma was putting on her last touches of makeup when she heard her dad greeting Alex in the foyer. She knew he would be early, it was like he couldn't help himself. Just like he knew she would come down the stairs at precisely 6 pm because that was the time she said she wanted to be picked up. And at 6 she did descend the stairs. She was not expecting Alex to be quite so handsome all cleaned up, shaved, with his hair styled and in his tuxedo just for her. She was also not expecting the wrist corsage covered with tiny cranberry colored roses that he was holding in his hand. When she was it, she immediately began to blush with embarrassment. "How many times exactly did I talk about my prom plan Alex?" she had to know. Alex just smiled at her and said, "A few, but I try to listen to you when you think things are important. And obviously, tonight is. I got us reservations and we are cutting into your scheduled family picture time."
Being reminded of her schedule spurred Emma back into action. She grabbed her dad and went to the place in the foyer with the best lighting to pose for pictures. She took them by herself, then with her dad, sister and Alex. They then walked out her front door, to the town car Alex had rented for the night, then to the restaurant Emma had mentioned to Alex in her incessant talking about this night. It was "Emma Approved" for a prom dinner. The food was a rich French feast that both of them enjoyed having traveled there with their families just a few years earlier. The talked during the meal about that trip they took, visiting Marseille, Cannes and Paris before heading over to Italy for a few weeks. After dinner they got back into the town car and headed to the hotel where the prom was taking place.
The ballroom looked exquisite. Everything was exactly like Emma planned in her head, even the guy standing next to her while she was entering the room. People turned and looked at the couple in cranberry and black. They both just smiled and Emma knew then she would be the talk of the prom and maybe even win prom queen because of it. Different girls she knew would approach her when Alex wasn't near and ask about the handsome older guy that was with her for the evening. Emma would just laugh and say he was an old friend of the family, but the other girls had doubts about this after seeing Emma and Alex interacting with each other. Emma acted different with Alex, she smiled more and seemed more approachable than she had her entire high school career. Emma was completely oblivious to these things being said about her through the room and was simply focusing on her date. Alex was exactly what she was hoping for in a date. He was charming and polite to her friends, deferential to the administrators present and somehow in his time in college he had learned to dance, and he danced very well.
When the announcements for prom king and queen came out, no one was truly surprise to hear Emma's name called out. Her demeanor during the night had swayed quite a few votes in her favor. She went up to the stage and collected her crown and flowers. Looking out into the crowd she noticed Alex, holding up his drink to toast her success. She looked back at him, grinning widely. Then she stepped off the stage along with the football player who was named prom king and they had their dance together. It lasted half a song before Alex cut in to dance with the new crowned prom queen. They danced for the rest of the evening until the prom was over. Emma was still full of excitement and hungry again so they pulled into a drive through and picked up some greasy fast food to take back to her place.
When they got to Emma's house, Alex went past the main house and drove to her former thinking place. Emma blushed when they got there, remembering what happened the last time the tow of them were alone in that spot. In fact, Emma was lost in her thoughts she didn't notice that the fountain in the backyard was lit and flowing and that there was a table set up with a bottle of sparkling water on ice and some sodas for two. There was also some blankets and pillows set up along with a screen and a video player. Emma looked over at Alex with a look of shock and confusion all over her face. Alex smirked, "Your dad and I knew you wouldn't be ready to go to bed, so we planned this for you. I hope you don't mind." Emma broke out into a huge grin and got out of the car along with Alex and went to sit on the blanket.
Alex joined her quickly and pressed play on the remote that was laid on their blanket. The movie that started up was Emma's favorite, "The Princess Bride." She watched, enraptured by the movie as always, with a blanket around her shoulders and she started the movie sitting next to Alex. By the end of it she was leaning against him with the blanket still around her, smiling at the happily ever after the characters have at the end. Once the credits rolled she looked up at Alex and smiled gently, "Thank you for this." Alex looked down at her with an indulgent smile on his face, "You don't have to thank me for this Emma. I wanted to do it, I enjoyed myself tonight and I had a great time with you." Emma blushed in response and began to look down at the blanket, flustered by what Alex had told her. She thought she was done with this silly crush back when she was twelve. She thought she had matured and grown up, but here she was at eighteen blushing like a 7th grader getting her first compliment. She was about to open her mouth and say something when Alex reached for her jaw, lifting her face up. He smiled looking into her eyes, "It was my pleasure."
Emma blushed at Alex and smiled back, "it is getting late. I'm going to head inside and log on. Message me when you get home, okay?"
Alex looks slightly confused at Emma's sudden detachment but he smiles and lets her know he will. He heads to his car and before he gets in he looks over at her, "I did have a really good time tonight, Emma. I hope you did too."
As Alex drove away, Emma walked up to her room trying to compose herself. She couldn't figure out if Alex was trying to her her something or not.
Emma Woodhouse was eighteen years old when Alex Knightley completely confused her.