My hair falls in ringlets and is pulled back from my face with diamond barrettes. The makeup has been applied with a gentle hand. The eye shadow compliments the flecks of green in my eyes.
The violet dress has one strap that crosses over the chest, over one shoulder and disappears in the back. Hundreds of silver sequins are sewn into it like stars. A pair of silver high heels stands waiting for me to slip on. I made sure that I would still be shorter than Chase when I decided on these shoes. I can only imagine the remarks he would get from the others if his date was taller than him.
Today, after long last, is the spring fling dance, also known as prom at other schools. For some weird reason Principle Perry banned the usage of that word years ago. Maybe she had a traumatic prom experience in high school.
I walk into the kitchen where both my parents are waiting. My mom has tears in her eyes as she looks me up and down. "My little girl is growing up," she whispers. Dad tugs at the hem of my dress and nods when it doesn't fall down.
The doorbell rings and he goes down the hall. A moment later voices are heard and he leads Chase in. In his black suit and hair carefully spiked up, he is very distracting. When I stand close a masculine smell emanates from him and I want to take deep breaths to inhale as much as possible.
"These are for you, Mrs. Ortiz." He presents Mom with a bouquet of roses.
She seems surprised. "Why, thank you, Chase."
He turns to me with a shy smile playing on his lips. "And this is for you," he says, pulling out a beautiful corsage and slipping the elastic band over my wrist. A large lily is positioned in the center with yellow and white baby breath surrounding it.
"I love it, thank you." He nods and smiles.
"Is this the color of your dress?" He asks, holding up the tie around his neck. Surprisingly, it is the exact same shade of purple as my dress.
Mom holds up the camera and we stand beside one another, his arm behind me.
"I expect her to come home in one piece with everything she left with," Dad begins. "And when you dance keep this much space between you," he positions us at arm length distance.
"Peter!" Mom snaps. "Just stay safe and have fun," she smiles.
"We will," I give a hug and kiss to each. Mom holds me tightly before letting go. As we step out into the fading dusk I flash back to the first time Chase picked me up.
It was over a year ago and I was waiting for Bree to pick me up for a sleepover at her house. The doorbell rang and I scurried to answer it, expecting Bree. However, when I pulled the door open Chase was standing on the doorstep.
I quickly pulled it together. "Chase, what are you up to?"
"Bree's car broke down and she asked me to pick you up. She said she's sorry," he added apologetically. Of course her car broke down and she sends her dear brother Chase to pick me up.
I nodded and invited him in. He stood uncomfortably in the front hall as I gathered my few things piled by the door.
"Who is this?" My dad asked in a casual tone. I caught the underlying tenseness though; since my last boyfriend he had been rather protective of me.
"Mom, Dad, this is Bree's brother, Chase," I introduced. Chase smiled politely and shook their hands.
"Got everything?" I nodded and Chase slung my overnight bag onto his shoulder. I picked up the pillow and I followed him to his car. I felt my parents' gaze as we put my things into the back of his two-door red pickup truck and he opened the passenger door for me.
"Oh, someone's a gentleman," I teased. He gave his 'it's no big deal' shrug and closed the door once I was in. One last wave to my parents standing at the door and we were off. Chase asked how the basketball season was and what our final record was. I want to ask him something, too, but my mind was blank.
"You know, I would have expected you to have a bug or something," I threw out and immediately cringed.
He put a hand over his chest in mock pain. "I do have a bad boy, four-wheel drive side to me."
"Really? Could have fooled me." The wind blowing through the cracked windows tousled my hair and I drug a hand through it. I glanced over to see Chase watching me. I raised an eyebrow in question. He turned back to the road as the light turned green and rolled the passenger window down all the way.
"Chase!" I complained while my hair whipped around my face. He laughed a sound that filled me with a warm fuzzy feeling. We finished the rest of the drive in peaceful silence.
Chase pulled into a six car garage and cut the engine, finally giving me a chance to straighten my hair out. He came around and once more opened the door, surprising me. I thought that was an act he had put on for my parents. I took my things from the back, Chase looking like he wanted to further ease my load. Back then his actions confused me, as blatantly obvious as they should have been.
My parents follow us to the door and, like the first time Chase picked me up, stand and watch as he helps me into a long, white, sleek limo.
"They really love you," he notes as the driver pulls out.
"I know," I answer quietly. He glances sideways and picks up my hand. I give his a squeeze. "We are going to have so much fun it will make Disney Land look like a trip to the museum." Chase frowns at that and protests how the museum is in fact very exciting.
I am ecstatic for tonight. Truthfully, I have been since the posters had been placed all over school months ago. Chase asked me about a week after we started dating. I was giddy, as well as relieved: I had an excuse for when other boys asked me to go to the dance with them. And ask they did.
The driver pulls up along the sidewalk before school where people are filtering in from everywhere. We are not the only nice ride but certainly one of the fanciest. He opens the door and stands at attention as we crawl out. Chase presses a tip into his hand and tells him to expect a call later.
The next limo inches forward and the door opens wide. Bree steps out and I see a princess from a fairytale book.
Her sleeveless dress reminds me of dropping red food coloring into a glass of water, the way it starts white at the top, fades to pink and then to red. The many frills exaggerate the multiple colors in the dress. It reaches just above her her knees and frankly, I am surprised Davenport consented to a dress that short. The heels on her feet make her a good inch or two taller and I notice her slight wobble as she walks. Well, there will be no running of any kind tonight. Bree has her hair up in a bun and adorned by a circle of rubies. Against her collarbone rests a sun pendant on a gold chain. I recognize it as the one Owen made for her.
Her eyes grow wide as she spots me and we rush forward. Both of us exclaim how wonderful the other looks and giggle together. Owen stands at Bree's elbow and seems slightly uncomfortable. She scans Chase and shrugs.
"Better than usual." He sticks his tongue out at her and she does the same. We share a humorous look. Owen bows, offering his hand to her. She waves and pulls him into the school. I slip mine through Chase's extended arm and we walk proudly in.
Chaperones stand guard at each door and hall, watching everyone like hawks spying on prairie dog holes. The lights are dim and cardboard cutouts painted silver hang from the ceiling along with a crescent moon. Music drifts over the heads and weaves in and out of couples wandering around, dancing and talking.
As we walk past the refreshment table Chase pours two glasses of punch and hands one to me. We mill around, chatting with friends and complimenting others' on their clothing.
"Do you want to dance?" I ask after a while when the question has not yet been posed. Chase looks like I just asked him to help me bury a body. He scans the room, observing the dance floor and takes an unconscious step back.
"Are you alright?" I ask. He nods unconvincingly and puts on a brave face.
"Why don't you wait here and I'll be back in a minute?" Before I can answer he places a kiss on my cheek and hurries off. I stare after him inquisitively. Why is he so nervous all of a sudden?
I turn and find Caitlin standing inches from my face. I shuffle back and almost fall over. She points a menacing finer in my face. "I don't care if he asked you to come with him. Chase is mine, not yours. So you keep those grimy paws away from him and back off, girl!"
My eyes narrow. "First, my hands are clean. Second, Chase asked me, not you. And third, if you make a move on him, you will be sorry. As much as you may dream it, he is my boyfriend, not yours," I snap back. She glares at me and I return the stare, silently daring her to challenge me.
Adam waltzes up holding two cups of punch. "Hey, Audrey, what's up?"
"Oh, nothing," Caitlin brightens instantly. "I hope you two have a wonderful time," she smiles at us and weaves through the crowd. With her gone I sigh. A small victory but I'll take it.
"Adam, do you know where Chase went?"
"No idea, but this punch is really good." He takes a sip and offers me the same cup. I decline and he shrugs. "Oh, he was heading in the direction of the bathroom. Maybe all that cologne he put on makes him want to throw up." I thank him and find a chair to wait in while watching the other students. Leo somehow managed to convince Jenelle to come with him and is flirting hopelessly by the food table. Bree is teaching Owen a simple four-step and looks as though she could do it forever. Principal Perry is hovering by the back doors, probably waiting to pounce on the first couple to try slipping away.
Twenty minutes pass before Chase shows up again.
"There you are. I was beginning to get worried."
"Don't be. There was...something I had to take care of." He holds out a hand. "Would you care to dance?" I take it and we step into the center of the floor where couples are dancing. He timidly places both hands on my waist and I on his shoulders. Adam was right about the cologne but to me it isn't too much. His white-tooth smile and hazel eyes are incredibly distracting and I lose sight of everything else but him.
Dad would have a fit if he saw us, I think. As though reading my mind the already short distance between us is closed. I rest my head on Chase's shoulder and bury my face in his neck. He places his face in my hair and breaths deeply. We slowly sway back and forth to the gentle hum of music. There is absolutely no single word to begin explaining how I feel. My heart is ready to burst and everything is making me giddy with something I cannot explain. No one says anything because words are not necessary. This language requires no verbal communication to express what is felt inside.
While sitting in chairs in a corner away from the majority of people my mind wanders freely. "Where did you go earlier?" I ask Chase. His thumb, which is rubbing slow circles on the back of my hand, ceases.
He clears his throat and laughs uncomfortably. "I went to the bathroom to look something up." He continues reluctantly when I press further. "I downloaded videos to my chip to study. I was studying dance," he sighs.
"Why?"
"Because this is a big night and I don't want to let you down. I have no idea how to slow dance and you wanted to." My hand travels to my heart. That is so sweet of him. I am lost for words so instead I reach up and kiss him.
"Thank you for everything," I say next to his ear.
He turns his head and gives a look between bewilderment and affection. "I would do anything for you. Never forget that."
Smiling I swallow a lump lodged in my esophagus. Chase is all any girl could ever dream of and so much more than that. Imagining a life without Chase is not only unbearable but also impossible.
"Do you want to see how well those crash courses paid off?" I accept his hand and wrap my arms loosely around his neck, his locked on my lower back. There are plenty of other couples dancing and I relax into the lull of chatter and music. One hand slides down his back until his heartbeat is felt under my fingers. In return Chase brushes a hand against the base of my neck.
"This is going to sound really cruel but I'm glad you were given bionics," he whispers. "If not I don't know if I could ever have worked up the courage on my own to ask you out."
"I would have eventually if you didn't. Not even fate can keep us apart."
"No, probably not," he chuckles. "You would fight it with bare hands if it came to that."
Laughing and rising voices sound from where Adam is leading a conga line. Chase shakes his head as his older brother snakes about the room, more people joining onto the end at each turn. Giggling I latch on and Chase follows, holding onto my shoulders. Seeing Bree and Owen standing by I motion them over and they squeeze in before me. Leo drags Jenelle over and they fall in behind Chase.
"This is the best night of my life!" Bree turns around and says with a grin that would put toothpaste advertisers to shame. I can only agree and enjoy myself as everyone—including Principal Perry—join in on Adam's conga line in the middle of the spring fling dance.
Hi, I know it has been a super long time since the last time I updated. I am going to post the story so you don't have to wait months for me to update again. So sorry about that.