I included links in my profile of Tatum's and Sidney's Homecoming dresses if you want to see them ️

To many teenagers, Homecoming was a big deal. The big game, the girls wearing their boyfriends' jerseys to show their support for the team, the dance…

Especially the dance.

Girls were asked by guys, they went shopping for pretty dresses that looked like they should be more suited for a wedding party, and they spent the entire night dancing with their champion boyfriends before going home to inevitably have sex as if that was some kind of rite of passage for them.

It was a simple affair when Billy asked Sidney to the Homecoming dance. He brought her flowers and asked if she would do him the honor of being his date, kissing her in front of the entire student body at the water fountain when she said yes.

A lot of girls, mainly the popular ones, would complain that it wasn't enough, but to Sidney, it was perfect. Billy didn't do anything frilly or showy because he knew she didn't like that. That was the true mark of a good boyfriend; someone who did things according to his girlfriend's personal tastes, not someone who just went ahead and did something elaborate just because he had a reputation to uphold. She was beyond satisfied with Billy's dance proposal.

A couple of days later, Tatum went dress shopping with Sidney. Her blonde best friend was going with Stu, whose dance proposal was somewhere between Steve Orth's to Casey Becker and Billy's to Sidney. Tatum wasn't like the other girls who loved everything to the nines, choosing to remain laid-back instead of high-maintenanced, but she also liked it when her men put in a little effort, and Stu always liked Tatum, even when he was dating Casey, so he made sure to do things the way he knew she liked.

The dress that Tatum selected was definitely her best friend's style. It was a short red dress that went above her knees and had spaghetti straps that exposed her smooth, unblemished, tanned skin. It was skin tight and accentuated all of her curves, especially around her chest. The V-line in the dress added to it, plunging down to the point where cleavage could be seen but stayed within the school dress code. The entire dress was covered in sparkles and sequins so that when the light was upon her, she looked less like a teenage girl at a school dance and more like a rising Hollywood star. It may have been a little revealing for Sidney's tastes, but Tatum was absolutely beautiful in it.

"Stu's not going to keep his hands off of you while you're in that dress," Sidney told her when she emerged from the dressing room.

"That's exactly why I'm getting it," Tatum had replied as she slid her hands slowly down her satin-clad hips before giving them a little shimmy.

Sidney had laughed at her best friend's antics before she entered the dressing room to try on her dress.

The dress she had chosen also stopped above the knee and was form fitting. It had a bit of a neckline, which she usually wouldn't go for, but it wasn't as low as Tatum's, so she didn't mind it so much. It had short sleeves and had a lot of lace, some of the patterns on the front actually being lace roses, which Sidney loved when she first laid eyes on it. The dress was royal blue, one of her favorite shades and, as Tatum teased her later, Billy's favorite. It felt very comfortable on her and she wanted it.

"You're gorgeous!" Tatum exclaimed when she emerged from the dressing room. "He's gonna love you in that!"

However, like the protective friend she is, the blonde immediately followed that comment up with: "But he better not love it too much because if his grubby paws go anywhere either of us doesn't like, I'm going to make it so that he can't have children."

"Tatum!" Sidney had squeaked, her face going red at the implications of not only having sex with Billy, but also of him being castrated by the other girl.

Tatum had laughed, but Sidney knew her well enough to know that she wasn't joking. The girls bought their dresses and left the store, feeling good about their purchases.

Now, Saturday night, only three days after their shopping excursion, Sidney was anxiously awaiting Billy's arrival.

"You look so beautiful, baby girl," her mother Maureen gushed as she gazed at her daughter.

Her father, Neil, was standing beside her, staring at his only child with a wide smile and pride in his eyes.

"Your mother's right, Sidney," Neil said warmly. "You're absolutely beautiful."

Sidney blushed. "Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad," she said softly, a shy smile stretching her mouth from ear to ear.

"When is Billy supposed to be here?" Neil asked.

His wife's smile fell at Billy's name and she gave an incoherent mutter, but that didn't surprise either father or daughter. Maureen made it very clear every time he was mentioned that she didn't approve of Billy or his relationship with Sidney. They had no idea why she wouldn't since he treated Sidney like a Queen, but it was an opinion that the Prescott matriarch just wouldn't change.

"7:30," Sidney answered, anxiously checking the clock to see that it had just turned to 7:00 pm.

"Are you excited?"

"Yeah, and nervous."

"That's natural, honey. It's the first Homecoming dance that you've gone to without going with your friends. You're going with your boyfriend."

Maureen gave a small huff and went into the kitchen, but Neil and Sidney paid her no mind.

Sidney played with her fingers and Neil walked towards her. He gently grasped her hands in his own and kissed her forehead. "You're going to be fine, sweetie. Billy's a good kid and I can tell that he loves you. You're going to have a great night."

Her father's words made her nerves abate slightly, just enough for her body to relax a bit. "Thanks, Dad," she said, smiling at him.

"You're welcome, honey."

The sound of Billy's convertible came roaring up the driveway, and Neil laughed, commenting to her, "I guess he just can't wait to see you since he's early."

In only a few minutes there was a knock at the door and Neil nudged his daughter forward, encouraging her to answer.

Sidney answered the door and she smiled at Billy, who stood in a suit, a bouquet of roses in his hand.

As soon as he saw her, his eyes widened and it seemed as if he'd lost the ability to speak. His mouth opened and closed for a few minutes before he finally swallowed and managed to say, "You look beautiful, Sid. Absolutely beautiful. The most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Sidney blushed. Being called beautiful by Billy hit different than being called beautiful by her parents or by Tatum did. He was her boyfriend and he'd been with other girls before, so being called the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen made her feel amazing.

"Thank you, Billy," she finally said, smiling at him and taking the roses that he offered her.

"I'll put these in some water. You two go to the dance and have fun," Neil assured her, coming up beside her and taking the roses from her.

"Thank you, Dad," Sidney said.

Neil nodded at her and Billy, who nodded back, before he went into the kitchen where his wife remained.

When Sidney turned back to face him, Billy couldn't help but blurt out again: "You're so beautiful, Princess."

"You're such a charmer," she giggled.

Billy shook his head, his eyes on her like she was the only thing that existed. "I mean it," he told her. "I've dated a lot of girls and I can be a flirt sometimes, but you…you're different. I've always thought you were beautiful, ever since I first met you, but tonight…you're absolutely gorgeous and I can't take my eyes off of you." His voice was sincere and passionate. He was completely awestruck by her.

Sidney felt her heart swell with love, her smile widening. "I love you, Billy," she said, stepping forward and framing his face in her small hands before leaning in and kissing him.

Instantly he deepened the kiss, placing his hands at her waist. The fireworks that went off in their blood was intense and it nearly brought both of them to their knees. If their friends weren't expecting them to be at the dance, the couple would have chosen to forego the event altogether and spend some alone time together.

Finally, they pulled away and rested their foreheads against each other. Their breathing was heavy from their kiss, but they were both smiling so wide their cheeks hurt.

"Come on, Princess," Billy said softly. "Let's go to the dance so I can show you just how beautiful you are."

A deliriously happy giggle left Sidney's lips and she nodded. "Okay, my Prince," she acquiesced. "Let's go to the dance."

Hand in hand and completely in love with one another, Billy and Sidney walked to his car and made their way to their first (and, hopefully, not their last) Homecoming dance as boyfriend and girlfriend.