Ilana could practically hear the clock strike twelve - well, technically eleven - as Newton walked up to them and whispered the time in Lance's ear. The young corporal's eyes widened and he gently broke away from Ilana as he muttered an expletive under his breath. He looked at her with apologetic eyes, and she shook her head with a smile.

"I know, Lance. It's time to go home." She looked around and found a shock of red hair walking toward them, accompanied by a hazelnut brown-haired head next to it. Soon, Amy emerged from the mob next to their little group, Andre holding her hand. Ilana had to stifle a giggle as Lance choked back a gag and turned a shade pinker. She turned toward Amy. "Right on time."

Amy smiled wistfully. "I wish we had more." Ilana embraced the girl in a small hug.

"I know."

They parted, and Newton nodded. "Right." He turned toward Kimmy, a look of wistful disappointment on his face. "Honey… we have to go. I just- I think you should know -"

An index finger to the boy's lips silenced the goodbye speech he had planned. Newton's brow furrowed, and he looked cross-eyed down at his date's finger before she spoke.

Well, huffed was more like it. "Newton. Honey." She removed her finger from his lips and smirked at him, placing a hand on her hip. "You need to go, or you'll be late for your flight. We can say good-bye at the airport."

Newton's eyebrows furrowed once more in confusion, before his eyes widened with the realization of what she meant, and a bit of fear at being caught in a lie. "Oh, we're not flying out of any airport around here - it's, uh-uh- " He looked at his comrades, lightly panicking for one of the first times since he was activated more than a year prior. Unfortunately, Lance, Ilana, and Amy were similarly flustered, none of them having prepared a cover story themselves. Newton looked back to Kimmy, who was now watching with a tint of annoyance and more than a little confusion as she watched her normally articulate boyfriend suddenly stumble for words.

"Um, anyway, don't you want to stay for the rest of Prom? It's your senior year, and the last dance of your high school career. I know how much this meant to you." Newton's obvious attempt to change the subject was accompanied by a convincing look of worry and sorrow on his face as he attempted to match his expression to his words.

Kimmy scrunched up her face and laughed. "Puh-lease! I'd rather spend Prom night with my great big hunk of man-" she grabbed Newton by the arm aggressively, shooting her blushing date a teasing wink - "than on the dance floor with the rest of these losers here!" An annoyed glance from a passerby made Kimmy fumble. "Um, no offense", she assured him.

Said student simply shrugged and continued on his way. Meanwhile, Newton was eyeing Kimmy warily, trying to decide how he'd lose her once they got home before the spaceship arrived. Suddenly, the decision was made for him as Andre grinned hugely and turned to his own date. "I'm with Kimmy! I don't know what the deal is with everything going on tonight," he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "but I don't want to waste a second I have left with you tonight."

Amy's eyes softened, and Ilana could've sworn she saw the girl melt. "Andre, you know we need to -"

"Yup!" He interrupted her brightly, with a mischievous glint in his eye. "You need to catch your limo so you don't miss whatever illegal flight you have planned to drop you off in the middle of 'Canada', or whatever crazy thing you're really doing. So," he added, "you really won't have time to argue when I do" - he suddenly stopped talking, swept his arms under Amy's legs, and hoisted her onto his shoulder, surprising everyone - "this! Ha-haaaa!" He laughed gleefully as Amy tried to figure out a way to get down that wouldn't severely injure her date and ruin her dress.

As he began to walk toward the limo with his precious cargo, he looked back at the group and winked. "Come on, guys! We don't want to be late for this mysterious fli….." Andre gulped as he saw Lance walking briskly toward him, disapproval in his eyes. "I - I'm carrying her to the limo!" Andre yelped. "It's romantic! And yo-you can't stop me!"

Lance laughed in both amusement and annoyance. "One: yes, I could stop you if I wanted to. Two: I'm not saying anything except this:" Lance looked up at his disabled sister, then back down in brotherly-protective-anger at her date. "That is not a good fashion to carry someone wearing a dress."

Andre turned a bright red as he realized what Lance meant, and quickly swung Amy down to carry her in a fireman's carry instead. "S-sorry." He grinned sheepishly, the apology directed toward both his date and her brother.

Amy blushed a little. "It's fine. I'm wearing a long dress, anyway…"

"With a slit up to your thigh", Lance reminded her as he took a giggling Ilana abruptly by the hand and started pulling her toward the limo and away from the blushing couple. "Come on, we'll be late…"

As they approached the limo, Ilana pulled him back toward her from his brisk walk and surprised him with a kiss on the cheek. She promptly walked past him with a wink over her shoulder as she stalked toward the limo, calling back, "Prom King dork."

Lance quickly recovered from his immobilized state and rushed forward to open the door to the limo for his princess. She giggled and thanked him as she slid in, and as he shuffled in after her, leaving the door open for the two other couples hurrying toward the vehicle, he muttered under his breath.

"What do you expect?"

I SWEAR I'M NOT DEAD

ALL MY IB SCHOOLWORK STUFF SHOULD BE DONE IN A WEEK-ISH

(Though I still have to bring up my math grade... anyone tutor in AP Calculus AB? ;-;)

Quickie chapter because I know I haven't been updating and I feel guilty. I still plan on having this finished by the end of spring break - which, for me, is the week after this one (April 4th to 9th, I think). Hope you're all doing well, and see you on the flip side!

I LOVE reviews!