We're the last two to show up at Scarlett's. They are all standing outside the house snapping pictures of each other, and themselves.
Scarlett's parents rented a limo for all of us tonight. Zoe, and Zach are here, Shawn with some girl I've never met. Aiden said she doesn't go to our school, and Zach's best friend Danny who's taking Adriana Will's who is a grade below us. She's on our track team.
"About time!" Josh yells at us as Scarlett motions us over. That's when I notice Scarlett. She looks amazing. She's wearing a long white flowing dress that's embroidered with what looks like shiny silver lace. The dress lightly hangs on her shoulders, and the middle cuts down low but not in a slutty way, but more of a classy way. Her hair is pinned up tightly.
She has a way of making everyone feel like she's the only one here. My dress can't compare.
I look over at Aiden, but he doesn't seem to notice her at all. His eyes are only at me, and I immediately warm in his gaze.
After a moment I pull away from his stare to face Scarlett. "Scarlett, you look amazing!" I can't lie. She owns tonight.
She hugs me. "Thanks Mor. So do you."
"Well, you weren't lying. Your dress is the best." I say, while Aiden is talking to the guys, keeping his hand around my waist.
Zoe is in a bright red dress that poofs out like a ballerina dress. Just what I would have picked for her. "Let's go party!" she screams as the limo pulls up to pick us all up. "Andrews!" she locks her arm into mine, and pulls out what looks like a liquor bottle from her purse motioning it to me, and I just roll my eyes. Leave it to Zoe.
On the ride to the dance we listen to music, and the guys talk sports, and I catch myself looking at Aiden most of the ride there.
"What?" he whispers in my ear.
"Nothing." I smile back, and he turns back around to talk to the guys again while stroking my fingers with his. I could be with him forever in this moment.
The night goes by quickly. Zoe's already a little tipsy, and Scarlett won prom queen alongside Zach who won king. Of course Scarlett bragged the entire night after winning. I could tell she was getting on Aiden's nerves. He just rolled his eyes as she gloated at our table. I guess I'm used to her because she didn't bother me at all.
"Can you believe we have three weeks of school left." Zach says as we all take a break from dancing.
"No way man. It's crazy." Josh answers him, and we all nod. It's true. It's like we wish all this time to finish high school, and grow up but the closer we get there the scarier it becomes. I would pause this moment right now if I could.
As they talk about their plans, and reminisce on old times, I just take them all in. These are my people, my friends, and my family. I look at Scarlett and she's admiring Josh kissing his cheeks, while Zoe is lost in a song dancing alone next to us. At this moment my happiness turns into a small amount of sadness. This is it. We're no longer kids after tonight. I look over at Aiden, and he can tell I'm in my feelings.
He smiles at me. "You okay?" he tilts his head to the side, and squeezes my knee.
I kiss him. "Yes." I answer, and we all get up again to dance the rest of the night away.
"Last night was incredible!" Scarlett wakes me up by ripping her window drapes open letting the sun light up the room.
I cover my eyes with her bed comforter. "Scarlett!" I moan. "Can you please close those!" She always wakes up early and full of energy. I don't get it.
"Nope!" she says and I can hear her dancing around, so I adjust my eyes and lift my head out of the darkness slowly. When I finally see her, she's at her mirror staring at herself in her crown.
"Scarlett, could you be anymore in love with yourself." I sulk at her, but she doesn't stop admiring herself.
"Mora, this is it you know. Probably the last time I'll be admired like this again. I hope the real world treats me as well as high school did." her words are so honest and forward. I can't help but grow a little more respect for her.
She plops down on the bed finally removing the crown from her head to sit by me.
"I just hope it doesn't eat us alive." I respond, and sit up taking the crown in my hand to check it out. "It's pretty." I say and hand it back to her. She's worthy of it. If anyone cares what people think about them as much as she does then I would say they deserve it too. She sure has the spirit of a prom queen.
"Oh Mora. Don't be so dim. If this world was meant for anyone, it was meant for you. You're smart, and beautiful. Your future is so much brighter than this place." she bounces back up snatching her crown away from me, and I laugh.
"Thanks Scar." I respond. I'm so glad that she's going to college with me. I was uncertain for a while after she and Conner broke up, but if I had to leave without her, I think I would totally be lost; for a little while anyway.
She spins around in circles. "What are we doing today?" she asks as I put my feet on the floor, and stretch out my arms.
"I think we should go shopping for summer clothes, and then Zach is having a party tonight."
"Okay. Let me go get some cash from my mom." she chimes, and quickly runs out of the room.
While she's out of the room. I text Aiden.
GM. Last night was amazing. ILY!
I get up to go change and get ready for the day when he quickly texts me back.
GM babe. What r u doing 2day?
Scarlett, and I are going shopping then going to Zach's tonight.
Cool. Want me to pick u up or are u riding with Scar?
Pick me up please.
K. Be there at 9.
Suddenly Scarlett barges in the room and I jump covering my chest to get my breath back. "Damn it Scarlett. You scared the shit out of me." I say off guard.
"Sorry!" she's laughing at me. "Mom gave me a hundred dollars." I wish my dad just handed out money to me like that.
"So the mall?" I ask.
"Yes." she answers, and after getting ready we leave her house.
"The mall is so busy today." I complain trying to find a parking spot while Scarlett looks at herself in my sun visor applying lipstick.
"Oh well. Hey what are we shopping for?" she snaps the lid back on her makeup, and zips it in her makeup bag. "I think I want to buy a sundress for tonight."
I finally find a parking spot close enough where we don't have to walk too long. I park, and turn my car off. "I need to find a bathing suit too." I say.
"Okay. Let's shop the top floor first, then we'll hit the bathing suits on the way out." Of course she wants to shop her favorite stores first.
"Okay." I say, and as we are walking through the front door I hear someone yell mine and Scarlett's names. I turn around, and it's Ross. Of course it's Ross. Can't I ever come to the mall and not run into someone I know.
"Ross!" Scarlett runs up to him to give him a hug. "How have you been?" she pulls away to look at him.
I slowly walk up to them. "Hey." I say quietly, and that's when it registers with Scarlett that I'm uncomfortable so she keeps talking to him pulling his focus from me to her.
"So what brings you to the mall?" she asks him, and he laughs at her.
"Well I thought I might do a little shopping." he responds to her, and then he shoots his eyes to me quickly, and then back to Scarlett. He's as awkward as I am. "Anyway, I just wanted to say hey." he directs his comment to Scarlett only. "I'm gonna go ahead and go now. Talk to you guys later." he says and Scarlett scoops him up in a hug.
"Okay. Talk to you later." she says, and he gives me a small waive as he walks away. "This entire situation is sad." she says to me as soon as he's far away where he can't hear us. I don't like it but I agree with her.
"It sucks. What am I supposed to do about it though?" I ask her.
She grabs my hand to hold it. "I don't know Mor. I guess there's not much you can do. You're not wrong for choosing Aiden."
"Yeah, well I wish I didn't have to choose period, but I can't just be friends with him because Aiden doesn't trust him, and honestly neither do I."
"Time heals all wounds. Isn't that what one of those famous Kennedy's said?" she asks, and I'm surprised she even knows that.
I look at her shocked. "No, Rose Kennedy disagreed with the saying, but did say it. It's unknown who originally said it" I smile at her, and suddenly my mind is off Ross. "Seriously though, I'm pleased that you even knew she said it."
"I know some things Mora. Give me more credit please." she rolls her eyes at me, and I just giggle.
We both find cute dresses to wear to the party tonight. Scarlett's is a bright sky blue sundress. Her straps tie into little bow ties on top of her shoulders, and it's shorter than mine.
My dress is a peachy color that ties around my neck, and lands at my knee. It's ruffled on the bottom, and ties around my waist area. "Mora, why don't you ever show your cleavage." she's asking as we're waiting in the check out line. I can feel my face heat up.
"Oh my gosh Scarlett. Shut up!" I whisper to her, and shoot my eyes to the people around us to see if they heard her, and it doesn't appear they did. "And I don't have to show my boobs every time we go out like you do." I snap at her, and she rolls her eyes at me.
"Geeze, I was just asking." she says as she hands the cashier her cash. Suddenly my phone goes off, and it's Conner trying to face time me. I reject it quickly hoping Scarlett didn't see it was him, and text him.
With Scarlett. Call you later.
"Was that Conner?" she asks. I wish she didn't see that.
"Yes, I just text him to let him know I'm with you and I'll talk to him later." I tell her the truth.
"You could have answered it. I wouldn't have been mad." she claims as we leave the store.
I look over at her, and her face looks how mine did earlier with Ross. "I know, I just didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable."
"Well at some point we all have to get over what happened especially if we're all going to school together next year." She's trying to sound confident, but I can hear the pain in her voice.
"I know. I'm going to have to try to find a way to juggle the two of you, because I don't think you two can be friends."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Break ups suck so bad." she says as we sit down in the food court.
"I'm sorry Scar. But hey, didn't one of those famous Kennedy's say that time heals all wounds?" I nudge her shoulder, and before she can answer, Josh pulls out a seat spinning it around to sit on it backwards.
"So I saw these two pretty girls from across the room and had to ask... did you two fall from heaven?" I roll my eyes, and Scarlett laughs loudly.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" she giggles, and kisses his cheek. It only takes one glance at Josh, and she's happy again.
Josh ignores her questions. "Babe, you have something in your eye." he goes to point at it. "nope, sorry. Just a sparkle." and winks at her. He is so goofy. He reminds me a lot of Conner. It's weird.
She eats up all his corny pickup lines, when I'm suddenly blindfolded by someone's hands. "Ahh, let me guess." I say, and bend my head back to look up. Aiden let's my face go, and kisses my forehead before sitting down with a box of pizza. "Seriously what are you two up to?" I repeat Scarlett's question.
"We were bored, and Aiden said you two were here, so here we are."
"Oh yeah?" I eye Aiden, as he's taking a bite of his pizza. He's in a hoodie, and joggers. He looks good in anything. Josh is dressed the same way.
"Want a piece of pizza?" Aiden asks us.
"No thank you." Scarlett, and I both say at the same time. "What are you guys doing after this?" she asks both of them.
"I guess going home until tonight, and Aiden has something going on with his mom." he says, and Aiden scowls at him, and everyone at the table notices.
I don't have the control to stay quiet. "What's going on with your mom?" I ask him. His reaction makes me think he doesn't want me to know, which means he's hiding something.
"Honestly I don't know. My mom wants to talk to me about school." he says, and I'm confused.
"About college?" I dig for more information.
"I think so, but I really don't know. I just told her I would be home in an hour so we could talk." I know he's uncomfortable and obviously doesn't want to talk about it. I want to push him, but I won't. Not here anyway.
I raise one of my eye brows. "Oh, okay." I give up, and he leans over to kiss me.
Josh is leaning back in his chair now, and has one leg kicked up on a neighboring chair while Scarlett munches on a salad. Aiden has his chair facing me as he sits there eating his pizza.
I see Josh drop his chair back down, and stare behind us so I automatically look behind us curious what has his attention. It's Ross leaving the mall.
"Hey. Was that Ross?" he asks, pointing in our direction, and Aiden quickly shoots his eyes at the door.
"I guess the mall is popular today." he says, and turns back around to face me and stroke my neck again. He seems un-bothered by it until I shoot my eyes at Scarlett. He takes notice. "So did you already know he was here?" he asks me. I look over at Scarlett again, and she motions her eyes to just answer him. I can tell Josh regrets even saying his name, because he rolls his eyes.
"Yeah, we ran into him when we got here." I answer.
"I swear that the guy is always around." Aiden says.
Josh leans forward onto the table. "Bro, I think he has a crush on you." Josh jokes with Aiden, and we all can't help but laugh a little. Josh is trying to lighten the mood and it works because Aiden drops the subject. He doesn't even ask me what happened. I'm glad he's letting it go and isn't acting so jealous.
"Well I have to go meet up with mom. Am I still picking you up?" he asks me.
"Yes sir." I smile at him, and he lightly kisses my lips goodbye.
"You ready?" he directs his eyes at Josh, and Josh looks at Scarlett and I. He's obviously not ready to leave yet. Scarlett then looks over at me with begging eyes.
"I can just drop him off at Scarlett's after we leave." I say, and they both smile at me.
"Okay. Cool. Well I'll see you in a little bit." he hugs me and walks out.
"Thanks Andrews!" Josh says as I throw away Aiden's empty pizza box.
"No problem." I say, and we get up to finish shopping.