CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
(chapter title – Ella's Point of View)
I sighed and lead against my locker, not looking forward to another boring day at school. I would rather be in the one place I love – the barn.
I turned the knob on my locker, turning my combination when something made me look over my shoulder. Sara came cantering towards me, a huge smile on her face.
"Hey. Make up with your parents?" I asked, getting the books I needed for that afternoon's classes.
"Yes! And lookit what I have!" Sara said, holding a paper in my face. I looked closer and saw a red A- on her latest French quiz.
"That's awesome! Your tutor, Will, must be so-" I started to say when something – or rather someone – caught my eye.
He looked to be the same age as Sara and I. He had brown dreadlocks that came to his shoulders, brown eyes and a handsome build. He wore a green T-shirt and jeans. On his feet, he wore white sneakers.
"Ella? Hello? Earth to Ella, Earth to Ella. Come in Ella!" I heard Sara's voice buzzing in my ears. I blinked and turned my attention to my best friend.
"Sorry. I was focusing on that hottie over there." I told her, nodding to the hot guy I had my eye on. She turned and looked at the guy I was staring at.
"Go talk to him! He's in my History class and is really sweet. His name is Tomas Horowitz." Sara told me, shoving me towards the handsome guy. I stumbled and felt him catch me.
"Careful. You okay?" he asked, his voice calm and warm, like butter melting over toast. I stared into his eyes and instantly felt a connection. I couldn't feel my tongue, so I just nodded.
The warning bell rang somewhere in the distance. I moved as quickly as I could to my next class, Sara and Tomas following behind me.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." Tomas said as we took our seats.
"E-E-Ella. My name is Ella." I told him, feeling my heart pound faster and my knees grow weak.
"I'm Tomas. It's a pleasure to meet you." He told me, reaching across the aisle and kissed my hand. I felt myself blush as our English Literature teacher, Mrs. Harris, entered the room, carrying a stack of papers.
She assigned us partners and a Shakespeare play. To my luck, I was paired with Tomas and our play was Romeo and Juliet. Our assignment was to read a scene from the play and act it out for the class.
"I think we should do the end of the play – it's my favorite part and the most powerful bit of the play." Tomas told me as we exited the classroom. It was our last class of the day. We decided to go to my place to do our homework.
"I agree – I love that part." I told him, going to my car as he went to his. I had given him directions to my place and we would do the assignment there. If things went well, I would ask him to stay for dinner, if it was okay with mom and dad.
We reached my place ten minutes later. I pulled into the driveway first, Tomas right behind me.
"Let's go to my room." I told Tomas as we entered the house. Mom was home, dad was working and my siblings, besides Felicity and Jace, were at school.
I opened the door and crept inside, motioning for Tomas to follow me. I closed the door behind him and the two of us crept upstairs to my room.
"Excuse the mess – I wasn't expecting company." I told Tomas as I turned on the overhead light and we entered my room.
"It's fine – you should see my room." Tomas said as we spread out on my bed. I made sure to keep my door open so I could hear my mom and siblings.
We did our homework for a while before I felt Tomas' eyes on me. I looked up from writing and looked over at him.
"I was wondering if you had a date for Prom." Tomas told me.
"Prom isn't for another four months." I reminded him.
"Are you going or not?" he asked.
"I am – Sara and I usually go together."
"How would you like to go with me?" he asked, catching me off-guard.
"I would love to, but you have to meet my parents first. Mom is taking care of my twin siblings and dad should be home from work soon," I told him, then slapping my forehead, "would you like to stay for dinner? It would be the opportune time to meet my parents and my younger brothers and sisters."
"Sure, that'd be cool. Then maybe tomorrow, you can meet my mom and brother." Tomas told me, pulling me close. I felt my heart racing in my chest as he continued to stare at me.
"Why are you always staring at me?" I asked as I put my books away.
"Because you are so pretty," He answered. I felt myself blush. "that's nothing to blush about. You really are beautiful."
I ran a hand through my hair and got off my bed as I heard someone come up the stairs. Anton poked his head in my room.
"Mom says she needs your help downstairs with Felicity and Jace," Anton told me, staring at Tomas. "who's that? Is he your boyfriend?"
"What? No! Anton, this is Tomas, Tomas this is my oldest brother, Anton." I introduced the two of them as Anton and I made our way down the stairs.
As Anton passed by us, I saw Tomas reach out and fluff his hair.
I went to the twins' nursery and saw mom running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Tomas leaned against the doorframe and watched us.
"Mom? What's going on?" I asked, watching her with the twins. They were now seven months old and the cutest little things I've ever seen.
"Bridget and I have some wedding planning to do – it's not easy being Maid of Honor. Your dad is running late, so I need you to help out." Mom told me as Felicity started crying.
"Mom, my friend Tomas and I can handle it from here, if you want to go." I assured her, picking Felicity up and held her to my chest. Tomas entered the room and stood next to me like a proud dad.
"May I hold her?" Tomas asked. I looked down at Felicity, kissed her forehead and handed her to Tomas. "What's her name?"
"Felicity." I answered as I felt someone grab my arm and yank me out of the room. I turned around and saw mom standing in front of me. "Ow! What the heck was that for?"
"Who is that boy?" mom asked.
"That's my friend, Tomas. He's really nice, polite and sweet." I told her.
"How long have you known him?" mom wanted to know.
"He's in my classes at school," I told her, half lying – I had only met him that afternoon, "we can handle it from here."
"I don't like the idea that the two of you are alone in the house." Mom told me.
"I could call someone if that would make you feel better," I suggested, "what about Feuilly?"
Mom hesitated for a moment before handing me the phone. I called Feuilly as Tomas came up beside me. I could feel mom staring at him, judging him.
I hung up the phone a short while later and turned to my mom.
"Feuilly will be here in ten minutes." I told her, rolling my eyes and went back to the nursery, Tomas following right behind me.
"So, what's going on?" Tomas whispered as I changed Jace's diaper.
"Mom doesn't trust me alone with you, so my dad's friend Feuilly is coming over to keep an eye on us until my dad gets home." I explained.
"That's fine. I have a feeling your mom doesn't like me." Tomas whispered in my ear.
"She does. She just doesn't trust me alone with you." I told him, finishing up with Jace. I slowly backed out of the room and turned on the monitor so we could hear the babies.
We moved our homework to the living room just as Feuilly arrived. He hugged me and I introduced him to Tomas. Feuilly smiled and shook Tomas' hand.
"Well, I better get going. Mom will wonder where I am." Tomas told me, kissing my forehead. I smiled up at him and walked him to his car.
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." I told him, feeling my heart melt like butter.
"Yeah. Maybe we could study at my place." Tomas said as the car roared to life.
"That'd be cool." I told him, watching him back out of the driveway and into the oncoming night.
I sighed and went back inside, pulling my sweater closer to my body. I took off my shoes and made myself a latte.
"Ella, who was that boy?" Feuilly asked.
"Friend from school. Don't worry, Feuilly, he's really nice." I assured him.
"It's not him that I'm worried about." Feuilly said. I rolled my eyes.
"Feuilly, I'm sixteen-" I started to argue.
"I don't care – I think you two should be supervised." Feuilly told me.
"We're high schoolers, not elementary school children!" I shot back.
"Ella, do not take that tone with me. I'm just concerned about you." He told me, his voice gentle.
"We haven't done anything!" I told him, tears stinging the back of my eyes. I don't know why I was getting worked up about this. Feuilly was just concerned about Tomas and my relationship. "We got assigned to work on a paper for our English Literature class. It's Romeo and Juliet – we're doing the final scene of the play. We have to write our own script and perform it for the class."
There was a moment of silence before Feuilly spoke.
"I guess I judged you too soon. I'm sorry – I thought you two were doing something else."
"It's okay," I told him, wrapping my arms around his waist, "we're saving that for Prom."
His eyes got wide and he paled a little.
"Feuilly, I'm kidding." I told him, laughing. Feuilly smiled and laughed nervously.
The two of us heated up some food as I finished my homework. The house was unusually quiet – Anton was at a friend's house, as were Ryan and Cosette. Felicity and Jace were in the nursery, fast asleep.
I was finishing my math homework when my dad entered the house. He kissed the top of my head and looked over my shoulder.
"What are you working on?" he asked.
"Homework for English Lit. We got assigned a partner and a Shakespeare play. My partner, Tomas, went home half an hour ago. Our play is Romeo and Juliet. We have to rewrite a scene from the play and perform it for the class." I explained, taking a sip of my latte.
"Are you hungry?" dad asked. I shook my head as Feuilly left.
I finished writing my part of the script and went to my room to get ready for bed. I read a little bit of my new book before feeling myself grow tired. I turned off the lamp next to my bed and got comfortable. I fell asleep a few minutes later, dreaming of Tomas.
The following day at school, I couldn't concentrate. I could feel Tomas' eyes on me wherever I went or whatever I did. It also didn't help that we had most of our classes together.
That afternoon, we went to his place to finish working on the script for English Lit. We were in his room, his ten-year-old brother, Kevin, was in the other room, playing video games with a friend. Tomas' mother, Helen, was working and wouldn't be home until later.
I was working at Tomas' desk when I felt him come up behind me and run a hand down my jawline. I looked over my shoulder and saw Tomas standing there, a big smile on his face.
"What are you always smiling about?" I asked, rising from the chair.
"You. I can't stop thinking about you." He purred in my ear. I pulled away from him and stared at him.
"Tomas, what are you saying?" I asked, my heart and thoughts racing.
"I love you, Ella." He whispered in my ear. I was shocked as he drew me closer to him.
"I-I don't know what to say." I answered, feeling him kiss my neck. I wanted to pull away, but I couldn't.
"Don't you love me?" Tomas inquired, leading me to his bed. He laid on top of me and looked into my eyes.
"I do," I said, feeling him put his hands under my shirt and run his fingers over my skin. I didn't know what he was doing, but I enjoyed it. He had me sit up so he could remove my shirt. "What are you doing?"
"Loving you." He answered, kissing my collarbone, his hands on my ribcage. He put a hand under my chin and drew me close to him. I kissed him, taking in his salty-sweet taste.
He lifted my shirt over my head and unsnapped my bra. His hands went to my breasts and massaged them, still kissing me.
"Tomas." The word escaped my lips as he put a hand down my jeans.
"It's okay. I won't hurt you." He assured me as he unzipped my jeans.
"Tomas, I have to go. I'm sorry." I apologized, getting off of him. I found my clothes and put them back on.
"Did I go to far?" he asked, putting his shirt back on.
"No, you didn't," I answered, zipping my jeans up. "It's just – I've never done that before."
"You've never made out with someone?" he asked as we headed upstairs.
"No – I've never had a boyfriend," I told him. I found my sandals and put them on just as my phone rang. "Hello?...Courfrayac?...what's going on?...she is! I'm on my way!"
"Who was that?" Tomas asked as I headed out the door.
"That was my uncle Courfrayac – my horse, Windy, is having her foal!" I squeaked. I had gotten a ride from Tomas from school, since my car had broken down.
"Who is Windy and what's a foal?" Tomas asked as I climbed into the front seat of his car.
"Windy is my horse – actually, my horse's daughter and a foal is horse talk for baby." I explained, giving him directions to Joly and Courfrayac's barn.
We arrived twenty minutes later. I got out of the car before Tomas turned off the ignition. I made a mad dash for the barn, but slowed down when I came to Windy's stall.
The top half of her tail was wrapped with green medical tape. She was pacing the length of her stall and occasionally, bit at her side.
"How long has she been in labor?" I asked, not taking my eyes off Windy. I felt Tomas come up next to me.
"For two hours," Courfrayac answered, looking over at me. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Tomas. Tomas, these are my dad's good friends, Courfrayac and Joly." I introduced the three of them, returning my gaze to Windy.
"What a pretty horse." Tomas marveled as Windy looked over at us. She then nickered in pain as a contraction shot through her.
"She's mine – her full name is Tomorrow's Wind, but I call her Windy. Her mother died a year ago – her name was Hope For Tomorrow," I said. I then turned my attention to Courfrayac. "has the vet been called yet?"
"Yeah. He should be here soon." Courfrayac told me.
Dr. Cole arrived five minutes later and entered Windy's stall. I ducked under the guardrail and held Windy's halter so that the vet could examine her properly. I stroked her nose as the vet checked the foal's positioning.
"The foal looks good, but it's a wee bit stuck. I'm going to try and help her." Dr. Cole told me. I nodded and tightened my hold on Windy's halter.
Fifteen minutes later, the vet said I could let go. Windy went to the middle of her stall and laid down on her side. I ducked back under the guardrail and stood next to Tomas as the vet stood in the back of the stall, just in case Windy needed help at all.
When it looked like Windy wasn't getting anywhere, Courfrayac and Joly went up to the house to make something to eat. Tomas, the vet and I stayed with Windy. I didn't want to leave her and I'm sure Tomas didn't want to leave me.
"Tomas, if you need to go home, you're more than welcome to go. Dr. Cole and I can handle it from here." I told him, putting two hay bales together and found a horse blanket to use.
"I just called my mom to let her know what was going on. She says I can stay with you." Tomas told me, also getting two hay bales to sleep on. I found him an extra horse blanket just as Courfrayac entered the barn with two steaming plates of food.
We ate our food and played at least four games of Go Fish before Dr. Cole signaled me over. I put my cards down and went to Windy's stall.
She was on her side, grunting in pain. I ducked under the guardrail and went to Windy's side. I could see a foreleg sticking out.
It took ten pushes before the most beautiful little foal entered the world. The foal was the color of burnt straw with a darker mane and tail. The foal also had a blaze that ran down the middle of its forehead. I could also see three uneven white socks – two on its front feet on one on its left back leg.
"What did she have?" I asked the vet as Windy licked her foal clean. Windy got to her feet and encouraged her foal to do the same. The vet went to the foal and looked under its tail.
"She had a filly!" the vet announced, startling the foal.
"She's beautiful!" I whispered, feeling tears in my eyes. I knew that Hope was looking down from Horse Heaven, happy with her new grandfoal. I suddenly got the perfect name "Hope II."
"What?" the vet asked as he did a full inspection on the foal, making sure she was okay.
"Her name – Hope II." I told him, watching as the little foal nursed for the first time. I exited the stall and went to write the foal's information in the foal book near Joly's barn office.
I then went back to my hay bale and looked at Tomas. He had moved his hay bale bed closer to mine.
"I'm going to leave now, since both mother and daughter seem fine." Dr. Cole told me.
"Thank you so much for everything." I thanked him, watching him leave.
"I think I better go, too, but not before I meet Hope II." Tomas told me, getting up from the hay bale. We put the bales back, along with the horse blankets. I led the way to the birthing stall and the two of them watched the horses inside the stall. Windy had her head resting on Hope II's hindquarters. Hope II had her head on Windy's shoulder. The two of them were fast asleep.
"What do you think?" I asked.
"She's beautiful, and her owner's not bad, either." Tomas answered, kissing my cheek. I rested my head on his shoulder before leaving the barn.
"I was wondering if you would like to be my plus one for my aunt Bridget's wedding. It's the 24th of September. I know it's kind of short notice." I said.
"I would love to." He told me as he got into his car.
"I'm one of the bridesmaids, so I would have to sit at the Head Table, but I think you're sitting with some nice people." I told him.
"I'll see you tomorrow, as always. Do you need a ride home?" he asked. I nodded and climbed into the front seat. I held onto the sides of the seat as we zoomed to my house. Loud heavy metal music poured from the speakers as Tomas sang along.
We reached my house a few minutes later. I thanked Tomas for the ride and entered the house as he zoomed off.
I entered the house and went right to my room to take a shower and go to bed. As I took my shower, I could feel Tomas' hands on me, his lips caressing my skin.
I got out of my shower and was about to get into bed when my cell phone rang. I looked at who was calling – it was Sara.
"Hey." I greeted my best friend.
"Ella, is mother there?" she asked.
"I don't think so. Why? Are you okay?" I asked, a little frantic.
"I'm fine, but she's been missing all day. She's not answering her phone or returning any of my texts." Sara told me.
"Maybe her phone died." I suggested.
"ELLA! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" dad roared.
"Um, I need to go – I'm being summoned. Let me know when you find your mom." I told Sara, hanging up my phone and went downstairs. Dad stood at the bottom of the stairs, an angry look on his face.
"When were you going to tell me that you had a boy in your room without my permission?" dad questioned.
"Mom didn't tell you he was here? He's a friend of mine from school – we're working on a script together for our English Lit class." I said, my voice trembling.
"She told me that you two were working in your room!" dad said, his voice rising.
"We had the door open!" I argued, feeling my temper rise.
His face softened as he looked at me. I blinked back tears as he stared at me.
"Windy had her foal – a filly that I named Hope II." I told my dad, changing the subject.
"Congratulations to her. Was your friend with you?" he inquired.
"Yeah, but also Courfrayac, Joly and Dr. Cole." I answered honestly.
There was no talk after that – we were both tired. I hugged him and went back to my room. I dialed Tomas' number and waited for an answer.
"Hello!" Tomas' soothing voice greeted me.
"Hey. Just wanted to see if you made it home safely."
"I did. I'm fine. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just missing you."
"I miss you, too."
"We'll see each other tomorrow – school."
"Want to do something after school?"
"Like what?"
"Go to a movie or something."
"A movie sounds good to me."
"Great. Afterwards, we can go to my place and hang out."
"Okay."
We talked for a while longer before Tomas had to go – his phone was low on battery. He said those three sacred words that I have heard only my family members and Tomas one time utter.
"I love you."
I finally had the courage to say them back to him.
"I love you, too."
After school the following day, Tomas and I decided to see a movie and go to his place afterwards. Kevin was at a friend's house and their mother was working late.
We were both sitting on Tomas' bed, holding hands. Tomas would stroke my hair and look into my eyes.
"I just want us to try it for a while before Prom night." Tomas told me. I nodded and felt him climb on top of me. We kissed each other for a while before Tomas lifted my shirt over my head. He then removed his shirt and removed my bra. He kissed my chest for a while, his hands sneaking down my body.
"You won't hurt me, will you?" I asked, kissing him.
"I won't hurt you – I promise," He replied, unzipping my jeans. He removed them, along with my underwear. He also removed his jeans and boxers. "you ready?"
"Yeah." I answered. He kissed my collarbone as he entered me, making me gasp.
"It's okay." Tomas assured me, going even further inside me. I felt him find his rhythm as he continued to make love to me.
By the time we finished, I was sweating profusely, as was Tomas.
"How are you feeling?" Tomas asked as we put our clothes back on.
"I feel great – that was wonderful." I told him, completely satisfied.
"You were wonderful," Tomas said, kissing my temple. "I got you something."
"You didn't have to get me anything," I told him as he sat next to me and placed a necklace around my neck. It was a silver chain with a silver horsehead charm on it. "Tomas, it's beautiful! Thank you!"
"You're welcome. It looks beautiful on you." Tomas told me, kissing my collarbone. I turned so I was facing him and kissed him back.
He held me for a while longer before I had to get home. Tomas offered to give me a ride, which I was grateful for.
"The school musical is coming up. I was thinking about auditioning." Tomas told me, turning down the volume on the radio.
"What musical is it?" I asked.
"Fiddler on the Roof. I'm auditioning for Perchik. You should audition for Tzidle."
"I really can't sing, but other than that, I love the theater." I told him, looking out the window.
Tomas turned off the radio and stopped at a red light.
"Sing me something – anything."
"Um, o-kay. Why exactly?"
"I've never heard you sing."
"Okay. I'll sing Misty Mountain – it's from The Hobbit."
"I like that song."
"Far over the Misty Mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day,
To find our long-forgotten gold
The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed the night – that's all I remember." I told him, brushing my hair out of my face.
"That was really good! You should sing that for your audition song!" Tomas told me as we pulled into the driveway. I smiled and kissed his cheek. He kissed me and smiled against my lips. I got out of the car and thanked him for the ride.
My parents were at a doctor's appointment for Felicity and Jace, Anton was at a soccer game and the older twins were at a friend's house, according to the note my dad left me.
I went upstairs to my room and called Sara.
"Hey. How's your cold doing?" I asked.
"It's a little better. How was your date with Tomas?"
"Great. We went to a movie and then went back to his place."
"What are you up to now?"
"Watching last night's episode of The White Queen. Dad was right – this is a really good show!"
"I've seen bits and pieces. I can't wait for Black Sails in January."
"What's that?"
"It's the show about pirates."
"Oh, that does look good!"
"It's not Pirates of the Caribbean."
"I know – it's your favorite movie series," I told my best friend, grinning. My phone buzzed, which meant I was getting another call. "Hold on, I'm getting another call. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Okay."
I hung up with Sara and pressed the 'call waiting' button on my phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ella." It was Tomas, but he didn't sound like himself. I turned off the TV so I could hear him properly.
"Tomas? Sweetie, are you okay?"
"Yes and no – I'm getting ready for surgery now."
"Surgery? For what?"
"When I was coming home from dropping you off, I hit a deer and some of the glass from the windshield got in my leg."
"Oh my God! I'm on my way!"
"Do you have a ride?"
"No, but I could ride my bike – it's not that far."
"I'm going into surgery now. I'll see you soon."
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
I quickly ran down the stairs, scribbled a note for my parents, grabbed my bike helmet and got my bike out of the garage. I pedaled as fast as I could towards the hospital, hoping that I wasn't too late.
I reached the hospital half an hour later. I locked my bike on the bike rack and stepped inside the hospital.
I walked to the nurse's station and asked about Tomas Horowitz.
"Are you family?" the nurse asked.
"I'm his girlfriend." I told the nurse, stroking the horsehead charm around my neck, praying that she would let me see him.
"He's in surgery right now, but should be in recovery in an hour." The nurse told me, handing me a nametag. I quickly scribbled down my name and handed the paper to the nurse.
"What floor is he on?" I asked.
"The fourth." She answered, going back to her paperwork. I thanked her and made my way to the elevator. I stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor.
I stepped out of the elevator and went to the fourth-floor waiting room. I got my phone out of my pocket and called my parents to let them know what was going on. I told them I would grab something to eat downtown as well.
"Be home before dark." Mom told me.
"I will be," I assured her as a doctor came into the waiting room. There was no one else but me here, so I knew he was here for me. "I gotta go. I'll see you later."
"Are you here for Tomas Horowitz?" the doctor asked. I nodded and stood up. "I'm Dr. Black and I've been taking care of him since he arrived."
"Has his mother or brother been in to see him yet?" I asked as I followed him down the hall.
"No – you're the first visitor he's had. He has some damage to his upper leg, calf and his ankle. He'll be fine, don't worry," The doctor assured me, indicting to a dimly lit hospital room. "he's asleep right now, but I'm sure he'll wake up when he senses your company."
I thanked the doctor and took a step into the room. The only other time I had been in a hospital room was when my mom had Anton. I hated hospitals and wanted to be out of here as soon as possible.
He was fast asleep towards the back of the room. The only sounds that filled the air was the machines he was hooked up to and my breathing. I sat next to him and took his hand in mine. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open and he smiled up at me.
"Hi. How are you feeling?" I asked, running my thumb up and down his knuckle.
"I could be better." He answered, his voice hoarse.
"Other than your leg, do you have any other damage?" I inquired.
"No, I don't." He told me, bringing his hand to my face. I closed my eyes as he ran his thumb over my cheek. "Honey, don't cry. I only have to stay in the hospital for a week then I'll be in a wheelchair for a while."
"What about Prom and my aunt Bridget's wedding?" I asked, feeling the tears run down my cheeks.
"I'll be up and around for Prom, but for your aunt's wedding, I'll have my wheelchair. We'll still have fun," he assured me. "tell me about your bridesmaids dress."
"It's black with a low-cut neck and comes mid-calf. It also has a pretty pink bow around the middle." I told him.
"It sounds beautiful. How are you going to style your hair?"
"French knot. It's what all the bridesmaids are getting."
"You're going to be the prettiest one there." He told me, his voice heavy with sleep.
"I should let you sleep," I said, rising from the chair. I glanced out the window and was happy that the sun was still shining. "I told my parents I would be home before dark and that I would get something to eat downtown."
"Okay. I'll call you tomorrow. I love you."
"I love you, too."
I placed a kiss on his cheek and exited the room, hoping that I would see him soon.
I stood in the mirror and admired myself from every angle. It was the day of aunt Bridget's wedding and all of us bridesmaids – Eponine, Evanna, mom, Cosette, Felicity Sara and myself – were getting ready. Cosette and Felicity were flower girls. Jace and Ryan were the ring bearers.
I slipped on my black shoes and smiled at aunt Bridget. She looked so beautiful – she wore an ivory dress that came mid-thigh and had quarter-length sleeves. It also had a six-foot train. Her veil completely hid her face, but I could see that she looked amazing.
"Girls? Are you ready?" dad called into the dressing room.
"Yes!" we all shouted back. We filed out of the room and went to stand with our partners. I was walking with Anton and we were fourth in line. The order went – mom and dad, Grantaire, Thomas and Evanna, Anton and myself, Enjolras and Eponine, Felicity and Cosette, Jace and Ryan. Aunt Bridget and Javert brought up the rear.
I smiled at everyone as Anton and I made our way down the aisle. Dad smiled at us as we took our spots – I stood behind aunt Evanna, while Anton stood behind uncle Thomas.
Felicity, Ryan, Jace and Cosette sat in the front row as everyone rose. Here Comes the Bride was played by the string quartet in the corner. I smiled as aunt Bridget and Javert walked down the aisle. I leaned over and saw Grantaire smiling from ear-to-ear. I then stood straight and adjusted the flowers in my hands.
The ceremony lasted a couple hours, all of which I cried at. While they recited their vows, my gaze wandered over to Tomas. He was seated in the second row, next to Cassidy's son from her previous marriage. His name was James and he seemed really nice. His wife was at home in Ireland with their two-month-old daughter Erin.
"You look beautiful!" Tomas mouthed.
"Thank you!" I mouthed back, turning my attention forward.
The ceremony ended with the priest telling Grantaire that he could kiss his bride. He stepped closer to her, removed her veil and kissed her. The new couple made their way up the aisle as joyful music played. All of us followed them up the aisle as applause rang out throughout the church.
"We're going in the carriage. Are you going to be okay?" mom asked as she, dad, aunt Bridget and uncle Grantaire climbed into a carriage pulled by two elegant white horses.
"Yeah. I think uncle Courfrayac is going to give Anton and I a ride to the reception." I told her as the wedding photographer climbed into the carriage.
"Okay. When we get to the reception hall, the photographer wants to get a photo of us." Dad told me as the driver urged the horses forward. I smiled and followed Courfrayac to his car. Anton and I climbed in the back as Joly got in the front.
It was a short drive to the reception hall. I stood outside the building as the three of them entered. I saw Tomas wheel up and walked over to him, removing my shoes in the process.
"You look absolutely beautiful!" Tomas told me, taking my hand in his. He gently kissed it as I felt myself blush. We entered the building together and found our names and table numbers.
"I'm at the Head Table, but you're at Table Seven with James and some of my dad's friends." I told him, leaning down to kiss Tomas' cheek.
"I think you should wear your dress to Prom." Tomas whispered in my ear.
"Sara and I are going dress shopping this weekend. You don't have to worry about matching my dress, unless you want to." I told him, kissing him again as the DJ announced that the Bride and Groom had arrived.
I found Anton and went to stand in line with my family. I quickly put my shoes back on as Anton and my names were called. There was applause as we went to the Head Table.
Aunt Bridget and uncle Grantaire were the last ones to enter the room. They made their way to the dance floor and held each other as they danced to Unchained Melody.
"The dance floor is now open!" the DJ announced, playing some song from the 80's. I didn't feel like dancing, so I watched everyone else.
"Ella, will you dance with me?" Tomas asked, wheeling over to the Head Table. I smiled and followed him to the dance floor. He put the brakes on his wheelchair and put his hands on my waist, drawing me close. "You're even more beautiful close-up."
"Thank you." I thanked him, looking around. "Want to get out of here? Dinner isn't served for another hour, which will give us time to talk."
"Sure." He told me. I made my way off the dance floor, taking off my shoes again. I found a quiet corner and looked over my shoulder, making sure that Tomas was following me. He was.
I sat on the chair next to his wheelchair and placed my lips on his. He put his hands behind my head and deepened the kisses.
"I can't wait until Prom." He whispered in my ear. I grinned wickedly and placed his hands on my chest. I closed my eyes as he put a hand between my legs, feeling around. I let out a quiet moan as he went further inside me.
"Neither can I." I whispered back, nibbling on his earlobe.
We kissed and talked for a while longer before Anton came over to us. We straightened up and held each other's hands.
"Mom wants us outside so we can take a family picture before Javert takes the younger kids home." He informed me. I kissed Tomas before following my family outside into the cool air.
Before I knew it, the reception ended. Tomas got a ride home from Gavroche, who had a wheelchair lift in his van. His current girlfriend, Anna, was in a wheelchair.
I hummed a random song as I took off my dress and hung it in my closet. I then took out all twenty-seven bobby pins and put them in a drawer in my room.
I was about to get into my shower when my cell phone rang. I made my way back into my room and answered it.
"Hi!" I greeted Tomas a little too loudly.
"I can't stop thinking about you. What are you wearing right now?" Tomas questioned.
"Um, I'm in my bra and underwear. I'm about to get into my shower." I told him, going across the hall to my bathroom and closed the door.
"I bet you look beautiful." Tomas said. I put my phone down and put it on speaker as I removed what I had on and turned on the water for my shower. "YES!"
"What?" I asked, poking my head out of the shower.
"I'm just picturing what you look like and I can see it perfectly." Tomas said.
We talked dirty as I took my shower. I had to be careful what I said and how loud I said it – Anton and the older set of twins' rooms were on this level, along with my room.
"I can't wait to see you at Prom. Any idea what color your dress is going to be yet?" Tomas asked as I got out of the shower.
"I've been looking at dresses online – I'm leaning between green and blue." I told him, going across the hall to my room. I closed the door behind me and got dressed, still talking to Tomas.
We talked for twenty more minutes before my phone beeped – it was getting low on battery.
"I'll see you soon. I love you." I told him, climbing into bed.
"I love you, too. Sleep well." He told me.
I hung up my phone and put it in its charger. I then got into a comfortable position and instantly fell asleep.
I stood in my bedroom mirror, looking at my dress. It was Prom Night and the theme was Viva Las Vegas. My dress didn't fit with the theme, but I didn't care.
My dress was a sleeveless, ankle-length pale blue dress that came with elbow-length white gloves. My hair was styled in an elegant bun and my nails were painted light blue to match my dress. I had black ballet flats on, since they were the most comfortable shoes I could find.
I put my phone, lip balm, brush and some condoms in my purse before snapping it shut. The purse was also light blue and had a thick strap. I wore it draped over my shoulder at the moment.
I carefully made my way down the stairs and saw my parents, Anton, Cosette, Ryan and Tomas standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"Ella! You look stunning!" dad told me as he snapped a picture of me. The flash caught me off-guard and I almost tumbled down the stairs. Tomas reached out a hand and steadied me.
Mom and dad snapped picture after picture of the two of us. I pinned his flower to the lapel of his jacket as he placed a beautiful light blue corsage around my wrist.
"Have fun kids!" mom told us, kissing my forehead and watched the two of us go into the night.
Prom was pretty fun. We saw Sara and her date, Eric from the football team. Tomas and I were crowned Prom King and Queen. We danced to a lot of Lady Gaga, Madonna, Prince, Ke$ha, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and Jay-Z songs.
Prom ended around midnight, although Tomas and I left around 10:30. We drove a short way to the hotel where Post-Prom was going to be.
"Are you ready?" Tomas asked as we made our way to the hotel room he had rented for the night.
"Yeah." I answered as I followed him into the room. There were rose petals and candles everywhere. He closed the door behind me and placed his hands on my upper arms. He drew me closer to him as he covered me in kisses, his hands going to the back of my dress and unzipped it.
I removed my gloves and shoes as we continued to kiss and explore each other. Tomas led me over to the bed and had me lay down on it. He slid off my underwear as he removed his pants and boxers. He had me sit up so he could discard my bra. He smiled at me as he kissed my collarbone.
"Here we go," he said as he entered me, instantly finding his rhythm. I unbuttoned his shirt with trembling hands and kissed his chest. "Do you mind if I undo your hair?"
"Go ahead." I told him, kissing his sweet face. I felt my hair cascade down my back and Tomas run his fingers through it.
I climbed under the covers and felt Tomas do the same. I rested my head on his chest and fell asleep to the sound of his heart.
"Ella, come on. We need to get you home." Tomas whispered in my ear. I opened my eyes and looked at him, a concerned look on his face.
"Why? What's going on?" I asked, finding my clothes.
"It's 12:30 AM. I told your parents I would have you home at 1:30."
I quickly put my dress on and had Tomas help me with the zipper.
"Do we dare tell our parents that we had sex?" I asked.
"Have you told your parents?" Tomas inquired.
"No. Have you told your mom?"
"No. Let's just keep it that way."
"Tomas, did you use protection?" I asked.
"No. Did you?"
"No." I felt tears in my eyes.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Tomas asked.
"What if I get pregnant? My parents will kill me!" I cried.
"It'll be okay. If you do become pregnant, we'll tell your parents and my mom together." Tomas assured me, kissing my forehead.
We blew out the candles, put on our shoes and exited the room hand-in-hand.
I went straight upstairs when Tomas dropped me off. I was so glad that the following day was Saturday, which meant I got to sleep in.
After I took my shower, I snuck across the hall to my room and put my pajamas on. I then turned off the overhead light, got into bed and was asleep within minutes, dreaming of Tomas and my life together.