Sameen leaned back against the wall next to Root's mirror and watched Mrs. Rousseau push one last bobby pin into Root's up-do. She sighed. They'd been at the hair salon forever and Sameen hadn't even gotten in the chair yet. Prom was in five hours and the salon was packed with high school girls. Sameen looked around at Zoe and Joss, sitting in the waiting chairs on the other side of the front desk, their hair perfectly curled.
Sameen was actually looking forward to prom, but the last few weeks had been exhausting. Between camping and soccer games, Root's Science Bowl competition and Championships, John's last Lacrosse game and way too many family dinners, Sameen was ready for the school year to end. She would miss John, Zoe, and Joss, sure, but maybe she and Root could go back to just hanging out at home.
They'd made a lot of progress since they got back together. Sameen still hated when Root wanted to spend time alone and Root knew Sameen snuck out for midnight runs. She was sure they'd talk about it eventually, they had all summer, but for right now, there was just prom.
Prom would be nice, Sameen knew. Maybe she'd even consent to slow dance with Root for a few songs. There weren't a lot of big opportunities and Prom was a staple. Maybe if they went to this one their junior year, Sameen could convince Root to stay home next year.
"So," Mrs. Rousseau started, putting hands on Root's shoulder and smiling at Sameen over her head, "I think you're good to go! Sameen, honey, come sit down."
"Yeah, Honey," Root giggled, climbing out of the chair, "sit down!"
Rolling her eyes, Sameen waited for Root to take off the black apron. She snatched it out of her hands and dropped into the seat, impatient. No one had done hair since her mother died almost five years ago. If Mrs. Rousseau hadn't done such a good job on Joss' hair, she might have been skeptical.
"Nothing fancy," Sameen demanded, glaring at Mrs. Rousseau through the mirror. "Just curl it or something. Put it in a bun."
Mrs. Rousseau laughed and picked up her spray bottle. "You're the opinionated one of the group, huh? I'll do my best." She turned to wink at the other girls.
Root giggled, sitting on the front desk next to Sameen. "She's the stubborn one, anyway. Too butch for her own good."
"Excuse me?" Sameen reached for the collar of the apron and started climbing out of the chair. "I can go."
"Sit." Mrs. Rousseau commanded, her face stony. She waited until Sameen had sat down again before smiling. "Good girl. Listen to your girlfriend."
Sameen crossed her arms under the apron, grumbling. Root had gotten a sensible braid, but Sameen was stuck getting princess curls. It wasn't that she didn't like dressing up, Sameen loved it, but dressing up to go to prom and be just like all the other girls was weird.
Sameen wasn't like everyone else. She didn't get excited for things like prom. She didn't get excited for anything. If Root hadn't been so adamant that they were doing this, Sameen would have just gotten into RBG and gone to Corpus Christi for ice cream. She glared at herself in the mirror. If Mrs. Rousseau put a single sparkly clip in her hair, she was leaving.
"It's a miracle we got her here at all," Zoe joked, tossing her magazine onto the table in front of her. "She was going to just braid her hair like always and call it done."
"But it's prom!" Mrs. Rousseau gasped. "Girls have to dress up!"
"Root's in a braid!" Sameen protested, indignant. "How would my braid be any different?"
Joss snorted. "Root never wears her hair up, so when she does, it's fancy. You always do, so it means nothing."
"Ridiculous," Sameen mumbled as Mrs. Rousseau combed her hair. "Unbelievable."
"I'm glad they let you girls go together," Mrs. Rousseau said before sticking a butterfly clip in her mouth. "I was afraid that stuffy old Elaine would forbid it."
"She was fine." Root swung her legs against the front desk, her hands clasped in her lap. "Control has actually been supportive of our relationship from the beginning."
"Control?" Mrs. Rousseau clipped Sameen's hair into sections, tugging sharply when Sameen made a face. "Because she's controlling? I like that. I'll call her that this evening."
"I came up with it," Joss bragged. "Freshman year."
"Bullshit," Zoe said, punching Joss in the arm. "It was my idea."
"Watch the language, girls," Mrs. Rousseau chastised them. "This is a Christian establishment."
"Sorry, Mrs. Rousseau," Zoe apologized. "It was my idea, though."
"I'm sure it was, sweetheart." Mrs. Rousseau gathered a section of Sameen's hair in her hands and picked up her curling iron. "Now, which one of you girls is going with the Reese boy? I've heard you all have an arrangement."
"Um," Zoe said, pushing her hair behind her ears, flushing, "you have?"
"This is a small town, Dear. Everybody knows everything."
"Oh god," Joss whispered, "do you think my parents know? Is that why my dad tried to have the sex talk with me?"
Root laughed and turned to look over her shoulder at them. "The Sheriff tried to give you the sex talk? That's so weird. Mrs. Reese gave us ours." She thought about it for a moment. "It was short."
"I remember when I gave Martine the sex talk," Mrs. Rousseau said thoughtfully. Her hands expertly twisted Sameen's hair around the curler. "She was embarrassed, of course. Still, I think she learned some things."
Sameen snorted. It was almost impossible to think about Martine having sex. Would it be with Lambert? That was disgusting. A group of girls across the salon laughed loudly.
"Huh," Root offered, distracted by the noise. She scratched her shoulder. "I'm sure Martine enjoyed it, too."
"As much as Martine enjoys anything," Sameen scoffed. "She is ice cold. Oh, sorry, Mrs. Rousseau."
"It's alright," Mrs. Rousseau smiled at her in the mirror, pulling a curl free. "I know she can be hard to read. I always thought the two of you would be friends. You're very similar."
Joss snorted. "If they actually got along, I think they'd have burned down the school."
"Yeah," Zoe added, "and not in an 'accidental Chem lab' way like Root."
"Ok, first of all," Root started, defending herself, "if they don't want us to experiment after hours, they should have better locks. Second of all, Harold gave me that book. Who gives a sophomore that kind of knowledge? He practically asked me to start that fire!"
"Yeah, like Grace 'asked' you to almost destroy her kitchen making bread. You're a junior now." Sameen rolled her eyes. "It was bread, Root."
"Whatever," Root scoffed, flicking her hair over her shoulder, "you love me."
"It comes and goes."
Mrs. Beecher walked up to the front desk and shooed Root off so she could check someone out. Sameen watched as Root hopped off the desk and moved to leaned against the mirror. Root stuck her tongue out at her and she rolled her eyes.
"Are we doing make up after this?" Sameen asked her as Mrs. Rousseau pull another chunk of hair down. "At home?"
"Yeah," Root answered, sticking her hands in her pockets, "why?"
"I'm hungry." Sameen stuck her hand out from under the apron and scratched her nose. "I need food before we go."
"We'll eat," Zoe spoke up from the other side of Mrs. Beecher. "We don't want to drink on an empty stomach. Uh…I mean-"
"It's alright," Mrs. Beecher assured her as Mrs. Rousseau laughed. "We all went to Bishop High. We know how kids are."
She finished ringing her customer up and wandered away. Sameen watched as Root waited an appropriate amount of time before moving back to the desk and hopping up. She smiled to herself. As annoyed as she was that Root was getting away with a braid, she had to admit that Root looked good.
The braid pulled all of her hair away from her face and her accentuated her cheekbones. The tattoo behind her ear stood out against her pale skin. Sometimes, when Sameen looked at pictures of Root from when they first met, she didn't recognize her. Root had still had blonde hair and she hadn't gone through her end-of-freshman-year growth spurt. Root looked like an adult now. Sameen smirked. Root had gotten hot.
The bell above the front door rang and Sameen turned to look. Martine stomped through the door way, her face twisted into a scowl. From her messy appearance, Sameen guessed she wasn't ready for prom.
"Honey?" Mrs. Rousseau asked her, wrapping another curl around the curler. "Everything alright?"
"Prom is stupid. Boys are stupid. This whole goddamn town is stupid." Martine crossed the waiting room, stopping next to her mother. "I'm not going to prom, so don't even worry about my hair."
"You're not? Is it because of that boyfriend of yours?"
"He's not my boyfriend," Martine scoffed and crossed her arms. "He's just some asshole who 'doesn't believe in ceremonies'."
Sameen bit her tongue, holding back a snide comment. Martine and Lambert were perfect for each other. Both of them were assholes and both of them were stupid. Besides, if Martine actually hated him, she wouldn't have gotten back together with him last summer.
"Well, you could go by yourself," Root tried. "Go stag. Wait. Is it…Doe, if it's a girl alone?"
Martine glared at her, fists clenched. "Fuck off."
"Martine!" Mrs. Rousseau reprimanded. "Apologize! You shouldn't speak to people like that."
"Mom!" Martine pointed at Sameen. "She has said worse to me!"
"Yeah, but you deserved it." Sameen smiled at her through the mirror.
"Now, girls," Mrs. Rousseau started, "you two should try to be friends. You have a lot in common. You both think prom is stupid. You both think boys are stupid. Start there."
Martine glared at Sameen for another moment before stomping away. She disappeared into the back, slamming the door shut behind her. Sameen didn't really hate Martine. Well, that wasn't true, but she did feel bad for her sometimes. Lambert treated her like shit and Hersch was only friends with her when Lambert was.
Sameen rolled her eyes. Maybe she and Root could try being nicer. It wouldn't hurt, and they could always go back to being mean if it didn't work out.
"I'm almost done," Mrs. Rousseau said, smiling. "You look great!"
Sameen looked at her curls in the mirror. She looked good like this. She always looked good, but the curls did add a special something. Sameen remembered their trip to the Symphony. They'd both dressed up and Root had looked amazing. She hoped Root really dressed up for tonight.
She and Root had gone dress shopping separately. Apparently, girlfriends weren't supposed to see each other's dresses before prom. It was bad luck or something. Sameen was pretty sure Root had just made that up. Root was looking at her from her position on the desk and Sameen turned, glaring.
"Can I help you?" Sameen asked, annoyed. "Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to stare?"
Root just winked at her, her whole face moving, and kicked her feet against the desk.
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Root smoothed her clothing down nervously. She was standing in front of Sameen's room, trying to gather the courage to knock on her closed door. She felt a little dumb; it wasn't like she and Sameen hadn't gone somewhere fancy before and it wasn't like they hadn't been dating for a while. Still, it was prom and that was a big deal.
Before Sameen, Root would never have dreamed her life could be this good. Sure, she was deaf in one ear and both her parents had left her, but now she had caring parents and a girlfriend who loved her and real friends.
It was difficult to believe it had only been five months since they'd made up. Ten months since they'd come back from their roadtrip. Root swallowed hard. Was it wrong of her to be so happy now? It hadn't even been a year since her mother had left.
Root hadn't gotten angry in weeks and Sameen had finally stopped asking her if she was ok. They were doing good. Back to normal. Prom would be great.
Root ran a hand over her hair and took a deep breath. She reached out and knocked on the door, waiting for Sameen's 'come in' before opening it.
"Wow," she breathed, taking in Sameen, "you look beautiful."
Sameen was wearing a strapless black dress. It hugged her body to her waist and then fell heavily to the ground. Root ran her eyes over Sameen's strong arms, her tan skin smooth. Sameen's collarbones were amazing, and Root couldn't wait to run her teeth over them later. Sameen looked like a movie star, her hair curled and her make-up perfect. Mrs. Reese finished zipping up the dress and stepped back.
"What?" Sameen asked, glaring at Root. "Why are you in a tux? I thought we were dressing up."
"We are dressed up," Root said, stepping forward. She placed her hands on Sameen's waist, running her thumbs over the soft fabric. "You look wonderful. You are wonderful."
Sameen rolled her eyes, even as her cheeks turned pink. "I would have worn a tux, too, if I had known."
"But Sam," Mrs. Reese pouted, "we had a lot of fun dress shopping, didn't we?" She turned to smile at Root. "I always wanted a daughter to go prom dress shopping with."
"Next year, you can come with me and Grace," Root offered, her hands still on Sameen's bodice. "I know Sameen will want to wear a tux."
"I want to wear a tux this year," Sameen repeated. She crossed her arms. "Why do you get to wear one?"
"Because," Root grinned, "I look good in a tux."
"And I don't?" Sameen scoffed. "I would look great in a tux."
"Ok," Mrs. Reese interrupted, "I'm going to go downstairs and get the…you-know-what."
Root turned to her, frowning. "The what?"
"Sameen will tell you." Mrs. Reese walked out of the room and started for the stairs.
"You look great," Sameen said softly, pulling Root's attention back to her. "It's nice that we're going to prom."
"I know it's an outdated tradition, but it is good to do something romantic, you know?" Root ran her eyes over Sameen's face, trying to see how she really felt. "Are you ok with it? We don't have to go."
Sameen sighed and wrapped her arms around Root's shoulders. "I want to go, I guess. I never really expected to go to prom. Once I met you…maybe, but before that I wouldn't have wanted to. It seemed like one of those things other girls did."
"Like dating and marriage and kids?" Root asked. Sameen was impossible to read when she got like this. Her face was blank, the only hint of emotion was the soft look in her eyes. "I don't want to push you. I know this whole relationship has been a lot of pushing. Pushing together, pushing away…"
"Root," Sameen wrapped her hands around Root's braid, tugging slightly, "I wouldn't let you push if I didn't want you to."
"You'd just beat me up, right?" Root smiled down at her. Even in heels, Sameen was shorter.
Sameen nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Exactly. I taught you my work outs, but not my fighting skills."
"You'll teach me someday," Root stated, confident. "If not, I'll put myself in increasingly dangerous situations and you'll have to keep finding me and saving me."
Sameen just laughed and stepped forward, pressing their bodies together. Root moved her arms, wrapping them around Sameen's waist. She dipped her head down, brushing her lips against Sameen's, feeling the satin of her lipstick. Sameen pushed forward insistently, and Root kissed her fully, shivering slightly at the feeling of Sameen's fingers tracing her tattoo.
A loud cough and a knock on the open door pulled them apart and Root turned around to see Mrs. Reese standing in the doorway holding two corsages.
"Here you go," Mrs. Reese said, offering the flowers.
Sameen untangled herself from Root and walked around her, unsteady in her heels on the carpet. She took the corsages and turned back to Root. Mrs. Reese winked at Root before leaving the room again.
"I got one to pin on a chest and one that goes on wrists. I wasn't sure which was right or which you'd want."
Root smiled, surprised. "You got me flowers?"
"Yeah." Sameen frowned. "Girls like flowers, right? You wear these to prom? If John lied to me, I'm going to kill him."
"No," Root laughed, "this is right. I'm just surprised. You haven't gotten me anything in a while."
Sameen glanced at the snow globe sitting on Root's bookshelf. "I haven't? Well…Sorry, I guess."
Root rolled her eyes and took the corsage with a pin from Sameen. "Don't be sorry. We're together; you don't have to get me gifts all the time. You've already won me over."
She could feel Sameen's eyes on her as she tried to pin the flowers to her chest, fingers fumbling. Root was happy with their new relationship, post 'break-up.' Sure, there were things they could talk about, but overall things were great.
"Here," Sameen said, tossing her flowers onto the bed and crossing the room to help Root, "let me help."
She took the flower pin from Root, her brow clenched in concentration. Root's eyes fluttered at their closeness as Sameen expertly pinned the flowers to her lapel. They were going to prom.
"Alright," Sameen sighed, stepping back, "good to go."
"Let me get yours." Root leaned forward to pick up the other corsage and opened the box.
Sameen had bought them white corsages. The flowers looked like the ones that grew near the train, a lot of petals and perfectly round. Root smiled fondly at them as she stretched out the elastic they were sown to.
"Hold your hand out," she ordered Sameen. "Hurry or Mrs. Reese will come back to yell at us."
Sameen rolled her eyes and held her wrist out. Root slid the elastic on, carefully removing her fingers. She suddenly remembered something.
"Hold on a minute," Root said, jogging over to Sameen's desk. She lifted the HAM radio necklace from where it sat in a small dish. She turned back to Sameen grinning. "Wear this."
"As if we weren't nerdy enough," Sameen scoffed, but she walked over to Root and spun around.
Sameen lifted her curls carefully and Root laid the necklace on her chest. She closed the clasp and smiled happily.
"Now everyone will know you're mine."
Sameen snorted and dropped her hair, turning to face Root. "No one needs to remember, Root. Everyone knows."
"Still," Root shrugged, running her eyes over the necklace settled on Sameen's chest, "it's nice."
"I know," Sameen said softly. "You're mine."
Root felt her eyes water and she drew a shaking breath. "Forever, Sameen. No more fighting."
"Well," Sameen scrunched her nose, "no promises there."
Root laughed and nodded, wiping her eyes quickly. She pressed a kiss to Sameen's lips. "That's fair. Ok, we've stalled long enough. Let's go downstairs for pictures."
"Oh god," Sameen moaned, letting Root turn her around by her shoulders, "do we have to?"
"Yes!" Root laughed, pushing her out of the room and down the hall. "How else will we remember this night?"
"Our fucking memory?" Sameen scoffed, starting down the stairs. "I know Harold is old as hell, but the rest of us will remember this."
Root just sighed happily as they walked downstairs. John's head poked out from the living room and disappeared again. A moment later, everyone started spilling out into the foyer. Sheriff and Dr. Carter were here and Zoe's mom. All of their parents had come over to take pictures and send them off. Harold and Grace grinned at them and Grace raised a small digital camera.
"Smile, girls!" She took a picture. Lowering the camera, she wiped an eye. "You both look so beautiful. It still feels like the first day of school."
Root stepped off the stairs, stopping next to Zoe. Zoe looked beautiful, her dark purple dress suiting her skin tone. Her hair slicked back, a few curls falling from her bun. Root had always thought Zoe was beautiful. If she hadn't met Sameen, maybe Root would have had a crush on her instead.
"You look great, Root," Zoe complimented her, smiling. "How mad is Sameen that you're wearing a tux and she isn't?"
Root shrugged. "I'll make it up to her."
"I'm sure you will," Zoe winked. She bumped Root with her shoulder. "You guys coming to Dairy Queen after?"
Root nodded. She watched Sameen talk to Joss across room, her long hair cascading down her back.
"You really love her, huh?" Zoe asked, wistfully.
Root smiled fondly, still tracing Sameen with her eyes. "Yeah. I do. She's the one."
"Not to brag," Zoe chuckled, "but I have two of those."
Finally turning to look at Zoe, Root laughed. "Whatever. You also have twice the drama. A boy and a girl to deal with."
Zoe groaned, crossing her arms. "Don't remind me. I have to live with them next year."
"You have to live with them forever."
Mrs. Reese gasped loudly and Root turned to look at her. She was looking to the top of the staircase. Following her gaze, Root grinned. Lionel was posing on the top step, his hands shoved into the pockets of his tux and his hair slicked back. Someone had tamed his wild curls and he looked sleek and handsome.
"Damn, Lionel," Sameen whistled, "Who taught you how to work out? Oh, yeah. Me."
Lionel snorted and started down the stairs, his face red. "You can't take all the credit. Some of this is just good genetics."
Root crossed the room to stand with Sameen. Lionel did look good. He'd lost some weight since last summer, working out with Sameen and playing lacrosse. He'd probably never be thin, but he looked strong. She wouldn't be surprised if he got a girlfriend soon.
"Alright," Sheriff Carter said loudly, "everyone on the stairs for pictures. Keep your hands where I can see them, John."
John flushed and made sure to put some distance between himself and the girls. Sameen grumbled next to Root as she started towards the stairs.
"You're lucky I love you."
Root followed her, smiling. "Yeah, I am."
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Sameen took Root's hand as they walked into the gymnasium. It had been transformed overnight into someone's interpretation of Paris in Autumn. Sameen had actually been to Paris in Autumn and she knew for a fact that the decorations were lacking.
Bright red, orange, and yellow streamers had been draped along the ceiling in rows and matching balloons clung to the ceiling. A large balloon arch stretched across the room diving the tables from the dance floor. The table are right in front of them was teaming with high schoolers. Sameen sighed. Almost everyone from their school was here.
The dance floor was almost empty. Apparently, these kids were afraid to dance. Sameen knew Root would want to dance and she had already resigned herself to it. In fact, she'd even watched some videos on how to slow dance. This was their first big event together since New Year's and she wanted to impress Root.
A small band played in the back corner and there were way too many lights pointing in every direction. Sameen snorted and turned to Root to make fun of the décor, but hesitated.
Root was staring around the room like she was in heaven. The bright, colored lights played across her face, illuminating her wide eyes. Even Sameen could tell that Root didn't think this was stupid. Root looked ecstatic, happier than she'd been in a long time.
Sameen's eyes slid passed her to look at the others. John stood between Joss and Zoe, the three of them grinning. Lionel had his hands shoved in his pockets, but he was nodding his head along with them music and looking around for any girls alone. Sameen was the only one who seemed to hate this whole thing.
She looked at Root again, wondering what it felt like to be that excited. If Sameen really tried, she could imagine she was excited for prom. Prom meant she and Root were girlfriends. Prom meant the school year was almost over. Prom meant she was actually a normal teenager.
Looking around the room, Sameen started to doubt that this was a good idea. She wasn't exactly the romantic type. She and Root had just gotten back together and prom was a big deal. What if she ruined it for Root?
She felt a squeeze and looked down at their connected hands. Glancing up at Root, their eyes met. Root smiled at her, eyes twinkling.
"You ok?" Root asked.
Sameen nodded. Had Root been able to tell that she was worried? How did Root do that? Sameen didn't have feelings, but Root always knew what she was thinking.
"Yeah," Sameen answered. "Just thinking about how much these decorations sucked."
Root laughed and rolled her eyes. "I know. Why is the theme Paris in Autumn? It's May in Texas."
Sameen breathed a sigh of relief and led them further into the room. So far so good, Root hated the decorations, too. Maybe she wasn't totally swept up in all the prom nonsense. Sameen stopped next to a table and turned to Root.
"What first? We could get punch or dance?"
Root looked around the room, thinking it over. Lionel dropped into a chair at their table, accidentally knocking a plastic cup over. He fixed it quickly, blushing.
"Nervous, Lionel?" Sameen asked, dropping Root's hand. She sat in the chair next to him. "Just pretend you don't even want to be here. Works for me."
Lionel snorted. "You actually don't want to be here and you never get nervous, so your advice is useless."
Sameen just shrugged and looked away. "Suit yourself."
They sat at the table for a moment as Root tried to decide. John and his girls had gone straight for the punch. Sameen chuckled. She knew that Zoe had a small flask of rum in her handbag, ready to party. Next to her, Lionel sniffed loudly.
"Hey, Shaw?" Lionel asked, reaching out to tap her arm. "Hey."
Sameen turned slowly to look at him, her eyebrows raised. "What?"
Lionel blushed slightly, running a hand over his stiff hair. "You and Root are dating…"
Sameen waited for him to go on, but he just stared into his lap. She sighed and dropped her arms onto the table. "Lionel. Spit it out."
"How do you get girls to notice you?"
"Oh," Sameen blinked. She hadn't expected him to ask that. Looking him over, she remembered how young he was, and how self-conscious. Lionel was a good kid; he just had problems making friends. "Um…Be yourself?"
Lionel rolled his eyes. "Thanks."
"I don't know!" Sameen leaned towards him, conspiratorially. "God knows why, but Root likes me for who I am. Just be yourself and someone will find you. Also," she added, "buy them flowers."
"But how can I get a girl here to dance with me?"
"Ask them?" Sameen pulled back and crossed her arms. "Tonight's a good night for you, Lionel. I can feel it. Pick a girl, ask her to dance, then dance with her."
Lionel shook his head, waving a hand at her. "They'd never say yes."
Watching him for a moment, Sameen tried to think of something comforting to say. The band played in the far corner and kids were weaving their way through the tables around them. There had to be something good to say, but Sameen couldn't come up with anything.
A pretty girl walked by and Sameen shot her hand out, grabbing the girl by the wrist, startling her.
"Are you here with someone?" Sameen asked roughly, glaring up at the girl.
"No?" The girl asked, nervously. "I, um, I like boys, though."
"Great!" Sameen looked at Lionel and jerked her head. "Do your thing."
Lionel smiled nervously and stood. He ran shaking hands over the front of his tux and stepped towards the girl. "Um, I know this is weird, but…Do you want to dance with me?"
The girl grinned at him and Sameen let her go.
"Of course, Lionel! I'm glad you asked."
Lionel looked shell-shocked, his mouth open. Recovering quickly, he nodded and held his hand out for her to take. As they walked away, Lionel turned back to smiled at Sameen. He gave her a thumbs-up.
Sameen just winked at him and turned her attention back to Root, who was still staring around at all the decorations and people. Running her eyes over Root, Sameen took a deep breath. How did she make Root like her? Had she even done anything? Root had just shown up one day and Sameen had let her in. Maybe that was all it took.
She watched as Root's eyes landed on the dance floor. Root was beautiful. The tuxedo covered most of her skin, but Sameen knew it was soft and smooth. Root's dark hair was already coming out of the braid and falling around her face. After a few dances, she would pull it out and let it hang loose. Sameen couldn't wait to dig her fingers into it.
One good thing about prom was what happened after prom. Sameen didn't know much, but if the cheesy movies Root liked were anything like real life, they were going to have sex later. Sameen had already hidden some champagne in the train for later. Root didn't know it, but Sameen had worn new, lacy underwear.
"Sameen?" Root asked. "Did you hear me?"
"Uh," Sameen flushed and stood up, "no, sorry. I was…distracted."
Root smirked at her and started walking backwards to the dance floor. "Was my beauty too much for you? Am I too tempting in this suit?"
"I'm tempted to punch you," Sameen replied, following her. She glared at everyone in their way, making sure Root had a clear path to the dance floor.
Root just grinned at her, holding her arms out. Sameen took her hands and closed the distance, Root stumbling against her slightly as she was pulled off balance. Sameen smiled as she wrapped her arms around Root, keeping her upright and close.
"Sameen," Root breathed, putting her hands on Sameen's shoulders and looking around. "People are looking."
"Fuck them," Sameen said, not taking her eyes off Root's face. "I worked too hard to get you back to care what some small town losers think."
Root grinned at her, eyes fluttering. Her hands slid up Sameen's neck to cup her face. Pressing a kiss to Sameen's lips, Root sighed. Sameen deepened the kiss, sucking Root's lip into her mouth and digging her fingers into her back. Root's thumbs ran along her cheekbones and Sameen hummed, content.
The music changed and a slower song started. Sameen adjusted them, taking one of Root's hands in her own and shaking her head to move her hair out of her face. They started dancing slowly, almost alone on the dance floor. As she looked into Root's eyes, Sameen relaxed.
They were so close to the future, leaving Bishop behind and starting their real life somewhere else. This summer was their real test. After all the fighting and anger, could they just…be? Be together, be normal, be in love? Sameen shifted her hand on Root's waist, the soft fabric of her suit brushing against her fingertips. The band played softly as they swayed.
At least they'd be busy, Sameen thought. Plenty to talk about between Root's NASA internship and Sameen's medical one. Some topics were still off limits between them and it wasn't easy to bring up the future without talking about the past. They didn't talk about next year's Halloween costumes. They didn't talk about what Root was going to do with her mother's house. They didn't talk about how Sameen left the bed some nights to sleep across the room.
Sameen looked at their joined hands, Root's cupped gently in her own. They'd both worn their matching rings. She ran her thumb over Root's index finger, feeling the cool metal on Root's hand. It reminded her of Valentine's day, of the day they became girlfriends. Sameen had thought they were together for months before that, since she'd broken up with Tomas.
Apparently, Root had needed formal confirmation. Sameen pulled her closer, putting their cheeks together. As much as she protested, Sameen had thought about marrying Root. She smiled; Root would say yes in a heartbeat if she asked now. Her smiled faltered. Well, probably.
Maybe Root needed some time. Maybe they should sort out their lingering issues before getting married. Still, Sameen thought, running her hand over Root's back. So, they weren't totally fine, yet, but here, under the too bright lights, with Root so close to her, Sameen almost felt happy. As Root's fingers brushed against her neck, and their eyes stayed fixed on each other, everything was looking good.
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Root looked over the town. It looked small from her high perspective. Well, smaller than usual. They'd gone up to roof of the gym to get some space. Lionel had gotten too excited during the Macarena and here they were, enjoying the breeze and overseeing the town.
Even though she knew she'd never be able to see it, Root still looked for her house. Her old house, she corrected herself. Harold's house was her house now. She sighed, leaning against the ledge around the roof. She didn't know if she would ever consider Harold's house hers. It was too weird and still so new.
She looked at Sameen, leaning against the wall looking at the stars with her arms crossed. After a couple hours of dancing, the curls in Sameen's hair had started to sag. Her long hair hung halfway down her back, shining in the lights on the roof. Her skin gleamed with a thin layer of sweat.
A cool breeze blew around them, lifting Root's jacket and blowing through their hair. Sameen shivered and Root started to pull her jacket off.
"Here," Root said, handing it to Sameen, "put it on."
Sameen wrinkled her nose, but uncrossed her arms and took it. "It's all sweaty."
"You're all sweaty," Root chuckled. "That's why you're shivering."
"I was thinking," Sameen started, stepping away from the wall and pushing her arms into the jacket, "we should pick a summer constellation."
"Why?" Root reached out to fix the jacket's collar, her fingers brushing against Sameen's neck and the cool metal of her necklace.
Sameen smacked her hands away. "Stop, that feels weird. I'm just saying we always complain when we can't see Orion, so let's pick a summer one."
"Hmm." Root thought about it for a moment. She spun on her heel and walked away, moving further into the roof. "I like that we have to wait for winter. It's a guarantee that we'll be together to see it."
"We weren't together last winter," Sameen said quietly from behind her. Root turned around to see her shrug, face blank. "So, your theory is a little flawed."
"You're right," Root acknowledged, shoving her hands in her pockets. "We weren't. Well, I wasn't with you."
Sameen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Yeah, I'm the better girlfriend. We know this. So, summer constellation?"
Root smiled as Sameen steered the conversation away from their break-up. She crossed back across the roof, leaning against the ledge. She looked up at the sky, taking in the constellations she could see. Up on the roof, under the orange lights, it was hard to see anything, but she knew the sky above Bishop by heart.
"How about Capricorn?" Sameen suggested. "We're both Capricorns."
Root's eyebrows drew down. "You're a Sagittarius…"
"No," Sameen argued back, "I know that you're a Capricorn and we're only a month apart."
"…Sure." Root rolled her eyes. "That doesn't change anything. You're on the other side of the line. You didn't make the cut off."
Sameen threw her hands up and closed the distance between them, leaning next to Root. "You suggest something, then."
"A Summer constellation?" Root looked at Sameen, her eyes drifting to her mouth and down to her necklace. "Oh! Sagitta!"
Sameen frowned and glanced up at the sky, searching the stars. "That's near Vulpecula, right? I recognize the name."
"It's the Arrow. Like our HAM radio, like you."
Sameen eyes dropped down to meet Root's and her head slowly followed. "Like me?"
"Yeah," Root nodded. She reached out to take Sameen's hand. "Leading us to the future."
Sameen shifted her hand, intertwining their fingers and stepping closer. "You're the one who cares about the future. I'm just keeping an eye on the present."
Root took a breath to say…something. Maybe she would ask if they were really ok or if Sameen had fully forgiven her. She could say she was sorry again, see if that would help. Her chest hurt, pulling her towards Sameen and begging for an answer.
They'd been doing so well recently; it felt like nothing had ever happened. It almost felt like Root was still pining away and Sameen still seemed unattainable. The constant uncertainty was still familiar. Maybe this summer…Root thought about last year and her certainty that getting together would make her feel grounded. Then, she was sure the roadtrip would bring them closer. Then, the new school year. Now, looking Sameen, surrounded by stars and glowing in the orange light of the roof, she was only certain about one thing.
Root reached out with her free hand, laying it softly on Sameen's cheek. She smiled. "I love you."
Despite her frown, Sameen seemed happy. "Yeah, I love you, too. Loser."
Root kissed her, running her thumb across Sameen's cheek and humming softly. As she tore herself away, she squeezed Sameen's hand.
"Ok, let's go back inside. Prom's probably over."
Sameen sighed loudly, pumping her hand in the air. "Thank god. I'm happy for Zoe, but this was the least fun thing we've done all year."
Root just laughed and pulled Sameen along to the staircase. "Just wait until we take to SATs in the fall."
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Root looked around the gym as they walked back into the room. The band was still playing music even though most of the people had left. She saw Lionel and the girl Sameen had snagged for him on the dance floor, still dancing together. Root smiled, happy for him.
Sameen brushed passed her, heading for Zoe and John. Root followed along behind her, admiring the way her jacket fit Sameen, too tight in the shoulders and too long in the arms. She'd have to make sure Sameen went to a good tailor next year. Maybe Harold would help her like he helped Root this year.
Zoe grinned at them as they got closer. She waved her hand regally, her Prom Queen sash displayed proudly across her chest. Beside her, John held the glittering scepter she'd received. It was dwarfed in his large hands and Root laughed.
"Feel like a princess, John?" she asked, punching his arm.
John grimaced. "I held their purses all night long and then had to whole this wand while Zoe slow-danced with Lambert."
"Harsh." Sameen snorted. She nodded to the crown on Zoe's head. "Congrats."
Zoe delicately pushed a loose piece of hair from her face. "It's a total surprise. I didn't even know I was nominated!"
"Please," Joss chuckled, appearing beside them, a small potted cactus in her hands, "you 'accidentally' brought cookies to lunch every day for the past two weeks."
"Still," Zoe shrugged, unaffected, "It's an honor just to be nominated."
Joss rolled her eyes and handed the small plant to John. "I have to use the ladies' room."
She headed for the door, Zoe trailing after her. Root watched them go for a minute before turning around and heading back to their table. She'd left her phone when they'd gone upstairs and she wanted to check her messages. She'd posted a very cute picture of her and Sameen on Instagram.
Weaving her way through the tables, she glanced over her shoulder to see Sameen and John watching Lionel dance. Sameen was going to miss John next year, Root knew. Even though she assured them all that she would gladly eat the extra food, Sameen had been making an effort to join him at the gym and squeeze in some quality time.
Shaking her head, Root stopped in front of her table and dropped into a chair. Her feet were starting to hurt. She picked up her phone, unlocking it and opened her text messages. There were a couple from Joss asking where'd they disappeared to and one from Hanna.
Root hesitated before opening the message from Hanna. They hadn't talked much since she left after the holidays. Hanna had been understanding when Root explained the situation, but it was still weird to talk to her knowing how much Sameen hated her. Maybe one day Root could have more than one female friend.
'Hey! I saw your insta! You two look great! Hope prom was fun! Have a dance for me!'
Her thumbs hesitated over the keyboard, not sure how to respond. She wanted to be friends with Hanna, but…Root didn't know how to think about her. Was she just an old friend? Was she an ex-girlfriend? An ex-almost?
Sameen dropped into the seat next to her and Root sighed. She handed Sameen her phone, the message open. As she read, the muscles in her jaw clenched and Root wanted to reach out, run her fingers over them.
"Cool." Sameen tossed the phone onto the table. "Say thanks or something."
"It's fine," Root replied, pulling the phone towards her and locking it again. "I'll text her later."
Sameen rolled her eyes and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, her body slumped forward. "Text her back, Root. I'm not going to break up with you because you have another friend."
"It's not weird?" Root asked nervously. "I don't want it to be weird."
"I mean," Sameen shrugged, "it's weird. Whatever."
"Ok, as long as your sure." Root raised her eyebrows and waited for Sameen to nod.
She opened her phone again, keeping one eye on Sameen. Sameen just rested her head on her arms, her messy hair spilling over the table. Closing her eyes, Sameen sighed loudly, clearly exhausted.
Before Sameen could notice, Root took a picture, capturing her muscular arms and fading lipstick. She looked amazing. Root sent the picture to Hanna with the caption 'she looks even better 5 hours later!'
Dropping her phone into her pocket, she looked around the gym. They were the only people still in the gym. Even the band was starting to pack up. Lionel and his girlfriend were just standing on the dance floor, talking to each other. She found John and the girls standing in a corner, admiring the plant Joss had found.
"Sameen," Root said softly, reaching out to shake her shoulder. When Sameen opened her eyes, Root smiled at her. "We should go. Dairy Queen closes soon."
Sameen nodded sleepily, standing. She looked around the room for a moment before whistling loudly.
"Reese's!" She waved her hand, summoning them. "Let's roll out. Bring your girls."
Root just laughed as the boys jogged towards her, their girls following at a slower pace. Lionel stopped next to them.
"Can I bring Riley?" Lionel asked, turning to smile at her. "She's really cool."
"Sure, Lionel," Sameen shrugged. "She rides in the girl car, though."
John frowned from behind Lionel. "Girl car? Why would five of you ride in one car and the two of us in another."
Root looked meaningfully at Zoe, her eyes glancing over at Riley. "It's tradition…"
"Tradition?" Zoe repeated, confused. She saw Root nodding towards Riley and gasped. "Oh. Yes! Tradition. Girls to one side, boys to the other."
"O…K?" Lionel relented. "I guess so."
Joss smiled at Riley, still holding her plant. "Is that ok with you?"
"Sure!" Riley laughed. "I'd love to meet Lionel's friends."
"Great!" Root clapped her hands. "Let's get out of here!"
The group started for the exit, talking amongst themselves. Root took Sameen's hand as they walked through the main hallway towards the exit. Sameen was deep in conversation with Joss about some sporting event, but her fingers closed around Root's.
They all burst out into the warm night air, their voices carrying over the empty school parking lot. Sameen pulled her hand free to jog up to her car. As she pushed the key into the lock, Joss groaned loudly.
"Why is your car so old?" she asked, leaning against the back door. "Are you supposed to be a mechanic? Install automatic locks."
Sameen glared at her as she pulled her door open. She turned to Root and jerked her head across the car. "Get in. These losers can walk."
Root jogged around the car as Zoe protested.
"Don't punish me for her words," Zoe said, following Root around the car. "We're girlfriends, but we're not a hivemind. I like RBG."
Root watched as Sameen unlocked her door from the inside and opened it. Carefully threading her arm behind her seat, she pulled up the lock on the back door. Untangling herself, she climbed into the car, kicking her dress shows off as she closed the door.
"RBG?" Riley asked, scooting into the back seat and unlocking Joss' side. "What is that?"
Root turned in her seat, watching Joss and Zoe climb into the car, trapping Riley in the center. "RBG is Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Ruth Bader Ginsberg is the name of Sameen's car."
"Like the Justice? Nice!" Riley looked around for a seatbelt. "Um, is there a seatbelt for the middle?"
"No," Joss replied, buckling herself in, "because this car is old as dirt and people who have bucket seats, don't care about safety."
Sameen started the car, shifted into gear, and headed out of the parking lot. Root waited for her to defend RBG, but instead, her eyes slid to the rearview mirror and narrowed dangerously.
"So," she started, her voice suspiciously casual, "Riley, is it?"
Root snorted loudly, leaning back in her seat. Apparently, Sameen had decided to play Older Sibling and interrogate Lionel's new friend.
"Um, Yes?" Riley answered from the back seat. "You're Sameen."
"I am," Sameen agreed, clicking on her turn signal. She rotated the wheel slowly. "How do you know Lionel?"
Root reached out to turn on the air conditioning. The Diary Queen was only 10 minutes from school, but Sameen was driving so slowly, it could take twice as long. She peaked over the back seat to see Zoe and Joss watching Riley with interest.
"We're in Algebra together. Also, PE. Lionel's pretty good at sports, you know. He's so handsome." Riley sighed dreamily.
Root glanced at Sameen to see her gagging. Now Sameen was understanding how John probably felt when they talked about each other. John had put up with a lot.
"That's cute!" Zoe laughed, adjusting the crown on her head. "So, you liked him before tonight?"
Riley nodded. "Yeah. I wanted him to ask me to prom. I know we're both just freshman, but I came with my older sister and I knew he was coming with you all."
"You could have asked him," Root countered. She leaned on the arm rest between the front seats. "He probably would have said yes."
"Oh," Riley laughed, "No! He's too cool. I was too nervous."
"Gross," Sameen muttered. She sped up, changing her mind about the slow pace.
Joss kicked the back of Sameen's seat. "Let the girl have a crush! Don't you want Lionel to have a girlfriend."
"Whatever," Sameen scoffed. "Maybe if you two get together, he won't follow me around as much next year."
"He told me about your work out routine," Riley tried. She glanced at Root and Root nodded encouragingly. "I think it's really awesome that you have a six-pack."
Root watched as Sameen adjusted herself, sitting straighter in the seat. "I do have a six-pack."
"It's pretty nice," Root said, winking at Riley. "Lionel could get a six-pack, too."
Riley shrugged. "I like him now. He was so cute when he first moved here. I just wanted to hug him."
Leaning back in her seat again, Root smiled. She'd never known Sameen without muscles. Well, she did lose them a bit on the roadtrip, but she'd still been strong. Thinking about Sameen as weak was weird. It was like thinking about Sameen as a child, just wrong.
The car jostled as they pulled into the DQ parking lot. Sameen parked next to John's car and they started climbing out. Root opened her door, breathing in the fresh air and looking around the parking lot. There were more cars than she expected; some of the other kids had found their way here, too.
Sameen appeared at her side, awkwardly twisting her arm, trying to scratch her back. Root pulled her arm away and scratched for her. Sameen sighed.
"Would you still love me if I was fat?"
"No," Root answered. "Definitely not."
Sameen stepped away from her and turned around. Trying to keep a straight face, Root held back her laughter. After a moment, Sameen rolled her eyes.
"Loser. Come on, I'm starving."
They joined the group near the entrance to the restaurant. Lionel was apologizing to Riley.
"…if they bothered you," Lionel was saying nervously. "They're usually nice."
Riley just grinned at him. "I liked meeting your sisters, Lionel. It's cute that they're so protective."
"Oh," Lionel's eyebrows drew down. "I only have one sister. Just Shaw."
"I hate to break it to you," Sameen said, pushing her way through the group to the door. "You have four sisters."
She pulled the door open, holding it for Root. John clapped Lionel loudly on the back.
"Couldn't you have been gay, too? Just…so many girls."
Joss snorted and followed Root inside, her plant carefully cradled in her arms. "Welcome to the rest of your life."
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Sameen closed her eyes as Root traced the bare skin on her back. They cuddled together in the train. It was too warm to be this close, but Sameen was comfortable and Root smelled sex and floral shampoo. The train was filled with a soft hum as a fan blew cool air in their direction.
They'd split the bottle of Champagne Sameen had hidden away, and now Sameen's skin buzzed, making her sleepy. Root hand moved to her side, her nail lightly scratching at Sameen's hip.
"Did you have fun tonight?" Root asked her, voice raspy with exhaustion.
Sameen nodded, scooting closer to Root and tangling their legs together. She tucked her arms between them, fingers brushing Root's neck. Root's breathing was slow and even and if her hands hadn't still been moving, Sameen might have thought she was sleeping.
"Oh," Root muttered. "Hold on."
She started pulling away and Sameen moaned, cracking open an eye. Root smiled at her and slipped out of bed. Moving to stand in front of the glass computer on the wall, Root tapped the screen, bringing it to life. Sameen slowly took Root in, naked and glowing in the lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling.
"Computer," Root whispered, "Play playlist four."
A soft song started playing in the train, gentle and relaxing. Sameen rolled onto her back, tearing her eyes from Root's body and looking around the car for speakers, but she couldn't find any. She ran her eyes over every visible inch of the metal walls.
"Where is it coming from?"
Root smirked, looking smug. "It's a secret."
"Oh god," Sameen rolled her eyes, raising her arms to push hair from her face. "I'm too tired for nerd games."
Laughing, Root climbed back into bed, sliding under the sheets. She sat up for a moment, arranging the blankets on her legs. Reaching out, Sameen ran her hand gently over the scar on Root's back.
"Do you miss her?" Sameen asked softly. "Do you ever go to the house?"
Root stopped fussing with the blankets, but kept her face forward. "Is it bad if I say yes? To both?"
"I don't know," Sameen answered honestly. "I can't understand. Either way."
Root glanced over her shoulder at Sameen, her face still. "I do miss her. I miss my dad, too, sometimes. I don't know why. I should hate them. I do hate them."
Outside the car, cicadas chirped loudly, the sound filling the silence inside. Sameen sat up, leaning against Root, their skin sticking together. She rested her head on Root's shoulder, not sure what to say.
Sameen missed her parents sometimes, but her parents had been good to her. She didn't doubt that they loved her. The only time they'd hurt her was when they died, and even then…Sameen was fine. She shifted her head to look at Root.
Tears slowly ran down Root's face, ruining what was left of her make-up. Slowly, carefully, Sameen wiped them away.
"I don't have an answer for you, Root. I'm sorry."
"It's ok," Root shrugged, sniffing as she tried to pull herself together. "I know the deal."
Sameen frowned, not sure how to take that. She decided not to care, instead choosing to slowly push Root down onto the bed. Climbing on top of her, Sameen lowered herself down until most of her weight was on Root.
Dipping down, she traced her lips over Root's. "I love you. You know that, right?"
Root nodded, their lips brushing together. "I do."
"Good," Sameen smirked, flicking her tongue out. "I've only got one emotion at a time and it's usually love for you."
"Sameen…" Root ran her hands up Sameen's sides, her hips lifting to press into Sameen. "I love you, too."
Smirking, Sameen slid a hand over Root's breast, squeezing. "Prove it."
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