As Saturday dawned, I could feel the excitement building up for the prom – the most anticipated event of the year. Little did I know that this day would be filled with unexpected twists and turns that would forever change my life.
At three o’clock in the afternoon, my mother surprised me by sending Jace, the incredibly talented beautician, to our house. His expertise was renowned, and I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves as he prepared to work his magic on my face. My mother insisted that I needed to look nothing short of breathtaking for the prom tonight.
As Jace carefully applied the makeup, I couldn’t help but worry that I might end up looking like a clown with all those products on my face. I wasn’t accustomed to such intricate beauty routines. Lipstick, foundation, eye shadow, and mascara were all alien to me; my usual routine only involved some powder and a touch of lip gloss. However, I trusted Jace’s skills and hoped that his artistry would transform me into a vision of beauty.
At four-thirty, just as the sun was setting, Brent arrived at my house to pick me up. The moment I saw him, looking dashing in his tuxedo, my heart skipped a beat. We exchanged sweet goodbyes with my parents, and Brent promised to bring me home safely after the party.
I got nervous while waiting in line behind the grand balloon arc for our grand entrance. I took a deep breath and drew strength from Brent, who suddenly squeezed my hand. I took another deep breath as we finally entered the decorated grounds of our school.
Actually, it wasn’t the event that made my heart panic, but the guy I was currently holding hands with. I had already made up my mind last night. Tonight would be a night to remember! I was going to say my sweet “yes” to Brent.
“Are you nervous too?” He asked me.
He must have noticed how fidgety I was. How could I not be when Brent looked so handsome in his tuxedo? “A bit,” I replied.
“Just relax. It will be over in a few hours. Hmm, any plans for tonight?” He asked me as we walked towards our table. Since our theme this year was “A Night to Remember,” all tables were set for two.
There were three roses in a vase placed at the center of the round table. Like a true gentleman, Brent pulled out the chair for me to sit. Oh my, this guy is something!
After we were all seated, the invocation followed, and then the patriotic song. The flow of the program was very spontaneous, and everything was going perfectly according to schedule. But for me, it was more than perfect. What more could I wish for when I had my soulmate right beside me?
Moreover, Brent and I weren’t paying much attention to the program. I was busy listening to his corny jokes and even scripted pickup lines, but I still laughed. It felt like I was possessed!
“What did you say?” He leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear, asking what I said. Why did I choose the dance floor to tell him I’m okay with being his girlfriend?
“I said, I’m okay with being your girlfriend!” I raised my voice a bit so he could hear me. I wasn’t sure if he really heard it, but suddenly, he put his arm around my waist and hugged me in the middle of the dancing crowd. When the song ended, we went back to our table.
But then something changed; he became quiet and didn’t talk to me. I didn’t want to be annoying, but my curiosity got the best of me. “Do you not want me anymore?” I asked him.
“Nonsense! Why would you think I don’t want you?” He replied.
“You suddenly became quiet, and you’re not even talking to me,” I said to him. Brent stood up and told me that we should leave. I protested because the program wasn’t over yet, and it was still early. The program would end in just thirty minutes. It would be embarrassing to leave immediately.
“Let’s wait until the program ends,” I told him.
“Okay,” he said and signaled a waiter. As the waiter approached, he ordered a glass of fruit punch. Alcoholic beverages were not allowed at school events. “Have you ever tried drinking beer?” He asked me as the waiter walked away.
“Nope. It’s still not allowed for me. Don’t tell me you’re already drinking beer?” I asked him, even though I knew the answer.
“Yeah, on occasions like this. Also, when the weather is hot like tonight, an ice-cold beer is even more refreshing,” he explained.
“Really?” Now, even though it was a bit warm, I wanted to try beer. I wondered which brand tasted better. However, we were both still minors, so I wasn’t sure if we could buy it at the store.
“So, do you want to try it later?” He asked me.
“Sure,” I quickly agreed.
“By the way, about what you said to me earlier, is it true?” I looked away because I felt embarrassed to confess what I told him earlier. I realized we were actually quite close to Kevin and Michelle’s table.
“Yes. But it seems like you don’t want it anymore,” I teased him.
“What do you mean? I’m actually very happy. You know, if it were just the two of us here, I might have kissed you,” he threatened.
“Oh, there goes your lewdness again. Hey, man, don’t forget we’re still young. If you keep on kissing me like that, you might get tired of it later,” I said. The awkward stage between us disappeared, and we went back to our normal banter, no matter how green the jokes were.
“Promise, I won’t get tired of you,” he assured me.
“I know,” I said, and he laughed heartily at my self-confidence.
While we were laughing, everyone else was listening attentively to the inspirational message from our school principal. It was the signal we were waiting for-the program was about to end.
Finally!
I couldn’t help but notice the secret language of my male classmates. Just like last year, they were planning to sneak in alcoholic beverages for the party later. After the program, the most awaited part would come-the disco!
“Jamie, let’s go home together later.”
I was surprised when Kevin suddenly approached us and said he wanted to go home with us. I wanted to stop him, but Brent beat me to it.
“Respectfully, Kevin, but I’ll be the one to take Jamie home later,” Brent said to Kevin.
I saw the surprised expression on Kevin’s face as Brent declined his request. Oh no, this could lead to a fight. Why does Kevin always approach me these days? They might end up fighting! I quickly stood up and followed Brent.
“Ouch!” I screamed as Kevin’s elbow accidentally hit Brent’s face. “What’s going on?” I scolded Kevin while standing between the two of them. “Kevin, what happened to you? Why did you get like this?”
“Why am I the one at fault here? Jamie, wake up! You should be thankful to me because I’m just protecting you from people like him!” Kevin insisted.
The tone of his words bothered me. “People like him? What do you mean?”
“Brent is useless, Jamie. You have no future with him, so stop your foolishness!” Kevin continued.
I gave Kevin a strong slap. Who was he to judge someone like that?
“Listen here, Mr. Kevin Tugot! You have no right to judge him. Are you God?” Everyone fell silent as I scolded Kevin for his judgmental behavior towards others. He was known to be nice in class and God-fearing. “Brent, let’s go.”
I was the first to walk out from under the balloon arc, heading towards the school’s exit. There was no point in staying inside when everything had been ruined, thanks to Kevin Tugot. I waited for Brent outside as he parked the motorcycle. As the theme of our JS Prom was “A Night to Remember,” it truly became one for me.
“Where do you want to go?” Brent asked as he started the motorcycle.
“Anywhere,” I replied.
“Sure?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Okay,” he replied.
The wind gently touched my skin as the motorcycle sped along. Since I was wearing a sleeveless gown with a plunging neckline, I hugged Brent tightly to feel a bit of warmth from his body.
Only then did I realize that we were heading toward his house? I almost asked why, but we arrived at the gate.
“Do you need to get something inside?” I asked him so as not to seem hesitant to enter.
“Yes, my gift for you,” he said.
“Gift? For what?” I asked because I didn’t prepare any gift for him.
“Does a gift need a reason?” He teased.
“Well, no, but it’s embarrassing that I didn’t prepare anything for you,” I said.
“No need. We didn’t do an exchange gift anyway. Christmas is still far away,” he joked.
He opened the gate, and we entered. I don’t know why, but I suddenly felt nervous. I knew we were the only ones at home. “I’ll wait outside,” I told him when he opened the main door.
“Are you afraid of me?” He asked.
“Me? No, I just want to get some fresh air,” I lied.
“Sure,” he replied.
I found it easier to breathe when Brent left, scolding myself for having such thoughts about the guy. It seemed like I wanted something to happen between us, for heaven’s sake! After a while, he came back, carrying a wrapped box.
“Open it,” he said to me.
I carefully opened his gift, not wanting to ruin the packaging. It was beautifully wrapped. “Flared pants?” I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw what was inside the box. How did he know that I wanted to have flared pants, the trendy ones on our school campus now?
“Try them on and the matching blouse,” he said.
Yipeey! Finally, I had flared pants. I really wanted to try them on, but I hesitated.
“Come on, try them on. You can use my room to change,” he offered.