by Raathi Chota
“It went by so fast, all these years…”
“Yeah, but it’s been the…most interesting school year of my life.”
We laughed, and after a while, it was time to switch. Benny twirled me around, and I was immediately caught by someone’s hands. “Silhouette” by Aquilo began to play, and as his grip on my side and waist tightened, I looked at him. He wore a white shirt yet the two buttons at the top were unbuttoned. Black jacket and tight trousers with…black Timberlands. The familiar presence of him made me look at his face. He smiled, yet his eyes were covered by a black mask engraved with white designs. His sleek black hair covered his forehead, and as he twirled me around, I saw a tattoo of a bird on his neck. I let out a slight gasp when his hand was back on my waist again.
“Hey, princess,” he said then lowered his head. “Yet tonight you’re looking like a queen.”
“Levi, what are you doing here?” I asked and looked around to see if anyone noticed him.
“No questions, let’s just dance. I went through so much to get a suit, mask, and ticket for tonight because I realized on the bucket list, we had no dancing,” he calmly stated then spun me around again.
“Oh, but why are you here and why are you acting so weird?” I asked when his arms were back on me again, except this time he rested both hands on my hips as I wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Even though we’re not a hundred percent right now, I’m gonna try not being much of an ass because I realize it’s not you and me anymore. It’s everyone else and me,” he said as I stared at him. “Yet you’re worth fighting for.”
“Levi, what do yo—”
“Princess, I can’t let go of you like you’ve let go of me,” he cut me off. The song ended, and I pulled away, but he pulled me toward him so that my back was against his chest. His arms wrapped around me, and I felt his breaths on my neck. “I can’t and I won’t.”
***
Blake
I ran my finger across the engraved names on my Zippo that Lana got me for Christmas. I swung it open and lit my cigarette. As I inhaled the familiar tobacco, I leaned my head back against the seat. I offered Carter a cigarette, but he shook his head and drove. We were on our way to prom. I made no effort, just put on a black suit because I had no date and indeed no interest.
“I stopped,” Carter said as I put my lighter and pack in my pocket.
“Does this have to do with your change for Lana to finally notice you?” I snorted then turned to him.
“No, I quit because my sister is coming from the UK this summer and she doesn’t know that I was a smoker,” he said. “Plus, if I get into Yale, she should see that I’ve been looking after Mom because she’s moving back.”
“Your mom can’t cope on her own?”
“Not really, she doesn’t even know about Yale. I just give her papers, and she signs, doesn’t give a crap. So, if Lana gets in, that’ll be a bonus because I want to change for myself, leave all the bad habits in Illinois.”
“Keene told me that she’s been waitlisted.”
“Yeah, that’s tough,” he mumbled then looked at me from the corner of his eye. “I…err, I heard she was at Jaden’s party.”
My jaw tightened as I thought of that night. I barely remembered what happened, but after the party, Jaden told me what a dick I was to do that. I was drunk, and to see her on the dance floor, moving her hips, lured me toward her. When she pushed me away, it triggered me, and I pressured her into feeling sorry for me. Yet I wanted her to know how I felt, how I suffered.
“I fucked up,” I said then dumped a few ashes out the window. “I totally lashed out on Lana then touched her.”
“Where?” Carter demanded as he turned to me.
“Don’t worry, I just touched her cheek but…freaking gripped so hard because I was frustrated,” I muttered. “Then Jaden came and pulled me off.”
“You’re making it worse. Just try to gain her trust, bro, she doesn’t even want you near her.”
“It’s not that easy when she thinks everything will fuck up again. She says I deserve better because what if she fucks up?”
“Wow, that’s err…hard to deal with,” he mumbled. “Have you told Levi?”
“No, after we beat up Benny, we’ve never been the same. We might look like friends and act like it, but I don’t know…I just get this feeling that he’ll go against me.” I shook my head. “And since they’ve known each other for so long, there’s a good chance that she might forgive him rather than me.”
“You can try.”
“Even if I do, Levi will always be one step ahead of me. Before, when he came, he thought she deserved better, that he wasn’t independent and good enough for her. Now that he’s getting his life back together, he thinks he can get Lana back,” I mumbled then threw my cigarette out.
“Yeah, I remember when he told us about the heroin. How he thought Lana would think differently of him being kicked out of college.”
“Yeah, then he says all this ‘I did it for you’ bullshit, which Lana falls for every time.”
“Maybe you should take lessons from him.” Carter chuckled, and I flipped him off.
Most people were already inside once we arrived at the venue. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and walked beside Carter. We went inside, and I glanced up to see the staircase.
“What the fuck?” I groaned. “Isn’t there an elevator?”
“Nope,” Carter said then dragged me up the stairs. After what felt like an eternity, we reached the top of the stairs. I adjusted my jacket then ran my hand through my hair as we walked in. Music played through the hall, and people danced, talked, and ate. I searched the dark room for Lana but couldn’t find her.
“I thought you guys wouldn’t come,” someone said, and I looked in front to see Aidan and Tiffany. He wore a white suit and black bowtie, which I assumed he wanted to match with Tiffany.
“We thought we ought to make an appearance.” Carter chuckled.
“Well, it’s good that you guys came now, because we just finished dancing, and I think I left my legs on the dance floor,” Liam joked.
“It was fun!” Tiffany piped up. “Especially dancing with that mysterious guy with that beautiful mask on.”
“Who? Where is he?” Aidan looked around.
“I don’t know. After the dance, he must’ve disappeared,” Tiffany answered with a grin.
“Well, there’ll be more dancing later through the night, but right now, I’m hungry,” Carter stated, and we walked to the nearest table. The table was decorated with black and red ribbons, and in the center stood a pole with two masks.
“Hey, man,” Carter greeted someone, and I looked up, only to be met by Benny. Carter greeted Benny with a handshake then turned to me. Even though I’ve apologized, we rarely talked, so I nodded, and he returned the gesture. I thought Lana would be with him, but apparently, she wasn’t.
“Where’s Lana?” Carter asked.
“She went to the bathroom,” Benny answered then looked behind us. “There she is.”
Carter and I looked over our shoulders to see a girl who raised her black dress as she walked. I knew it was Lana even though she had a black mask with white outlines on it. Her lips sparkled in the light as she approached us. Even though her hair wasn’t curled, she still looked magnificent. I somehow adored it when she wore black. She seemed so mysterious and elegant yet when you looked into her mesmerizing blue eyes, you’d see a fallen angel.
“Hey, Lana.” Carter smiled as she approached us then stood beside Benny.
“Hi.” She nodded at Carter then took a quick glance at me.
“You changed your mask?” Benny raised a brow as she smiled.
“Yeah, err…someone thought the black would look better on me,” she mumbled then put a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Well, it does,” Benny said, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Carter ate the odd finger food while I rubbed the back of my neck. I looked at Lana because I had to apologize
sooner or later.
“Err…Lana, can I talk to you?”
She turned to me with her lips drawn into a straight line. Her lips twisted up, and I knew that she bit the inside of her cheek. I glanced down at her fingers slipped into Benny’s.
“Sure.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and out of the corner of my eye; I noticed Carter’s stare on us as he stuffed his face with food. It didn’t look like he or Benny were going anywhere, so I had to tell her now.
“I-I’m sorry for what happened at Jaden’s party the other night. I was drunk and didn’t mean to err…do that to you.”
“What did yo—” Benny started, but Lana cut him off when she gripped his hand.
“Okay.” She nodded then pulled him away from us. Once they were out of sight, I saw Carter shake his head in amusement.
“Nice going, bro.” he chuckled, and I punched his arm.
“Okay? What does ‘okay’ mean?” I demanded.
“It means thanks for trying, but it’s not your day.” Carter shook his head, and I rolled my eyes. We stood in silence for a few seconds and took in the atmosphere of our youth. Half either had real fun and the others were on their phones. I glanced up at the stage where Jennifer set up along with Miss Rosa, probably for the prom king and queen.
“H-Hi Blake.” Someone poked my shoulder, and I turned my head to see Erwin. He even looked better than me in his fancy midnight blue suit and black tie.
“Yo, Erwin.” Carter beat me to it. “You cleaned up nicely, you got a date?”
“Y-Yeah she just went to go…powder her nose or something like that.”
“Sure.” Carter laughed, and I glared at him.
“Where’re your dates?” Erwin asked.
“We don’t have dates,” I bluntly stated.
“Yet Carter’s making fun of me? That doesn’t make sense.” He tilted his head, and I laughed at Carter.
“Blake’s my date; we even came together,” Carter said then swung his arm around my shoulder. I shrugged him off, and he laughed then walked off. Erwin and I stood side by side and watched the people. I noticed Lana and Benny talking, and a few times he’d look at me. She must’ve told him what happened.
“Y’know I would’ve thought that you’d be dancing with Lana by now,” Erwin spoke up.
“You and me both.”
“Don’t give up, though. That’s what you always told me.”
I didn’t say anything and let out a sigh. I glanced back at Lana and Benny, who hugged. I scrunched my nose up then looked elsewhere.
“Blake, you always told me not to give up, and I just wanna thank you for being the best lab partner because we really bonded. You helped me get a girlfriend and a scholarship to Princeton.”
“That’s all on you, Erwin.”
“No, you encouraged me because I always felt like a big loser, smart or not, yet Bianca likes me for who I am. That’s all thanks to you for telling me to be myself.”
“I wish other people would take my advice,” I mumbled as I watched Lana tilt her head back and laugh at whatever Liam said.
“Don’t give up, Blake. She’ll come to her senses soon and see what a great guy you are,” he said then lightly punched my shoulder. “If it makes you feel any better, that individuals section in the yearbook…I put you next to Lana.”
“Thanks, Erwin.” The corner of my mouth turned up. “And good luck with Princeton.”
“Thank you. I-I don’t want to leave you here alone, but I have to go find Bian—”
“Just go.” I cut him off. He thanked me once again then got lost in the crowd. I was bored, I had no reason to be here, yet Carter and Axel forced me to come. Momma also said that she liked to see Axel and me in suits, so that at least persuaded me.
“Hey, they’re announcing king and queen,” Aidan said, and I looked up to see him, Tiffany, Carter, Erwin, and Bianca, who wore a red dress, approach me.
“People said that Tyler might win. He’s sporty, and he’s smart,” Carter stated. I noticed people gathered in front of the stage while we hung out in the back.
“Bet you that Kelly will win again.” Aidan rolled his eyes.
“I hope everyone is having an exceptional night. Everything so far has gone so well, and can we just have a round of applause to this beautiful venue and catering?” Jennifer clapped, and everyone followed in unison. “Announcing this year’s prom king and queen will be Miss Rosa,” she said, and as always everyone cheered the young teacher on. Miss Rosa wore a light pink dress that flared out yet still showed her black heels. She approached the mic with a warm smile.
“Evening, everyone, I hope you’re all enjoying yourselves, because this is the last event where you’ll all be together as seniors. It was honestly a pleasure teaching you all, and to announce two students tonight is an honor. First, your prom king for Jefferson High is…” She trailed off, and everyone watched as she took her time to open the envelope. Her eyes seemed to widen as she stared at the name. “Blake Gunner.”
“What the fu—” I cut off when Carter, Aidan, and Erwin cheered on either side of me. They pushed me toward the stage. I felt everyone’s eyes on me. Some filled with excitement while others seemed confused. I was too because I definitely didn’t sign up for this shit. I approached the stage and walked toward Jennifer and Miss Rosa. They looked at me with smiles plastered on their faces while I forced one. I stood beside Miss Rosa and looked at the seniors. They clapped as Jennifer put the sash and crown on me.
“Congratulations, Blake.” Jennifer smiled.
“All right, now prom queen,” Miss Rosa said into the mic as she opened the envelope. I tried to peek over her shoulder and see the name, but it was no use since her hair was styled to stand out. “Miranda Stevens!” she exclaimed, and that’s when everyone was puzzled. Some people cheered while others laughed, and mostly my friends “oohed.” I turned to Miranda, who made her way up the stage. She picked up her dress, and her eyes met mine. I noticed how annoyed she was, and I turned to Ethan and grinned. I scanned the audience for Lana and was surprised when she was already looking at me. A blank look filled her face, and I noticed her mask was off. Miranda stood beside me while Jennifer put the sash and crown on her. Everyone clapped and applauded again. We walked down, and I groaned because we had to dance. Miranda must’ve realized it too when “If I Run” by Voxhaul Broadcast began to play. We stood in the center of everyone, and I held out my hand. Miranda exhaled deeply and accepted it. I entwined my fingers with hers then put my other hand on her waist. She looked up at me as we started to dance, and I awkwardly smiled. Somehow Miranda and I never got along. In the beginning we did, but ever since Benny popped into the picture, it’s like she hated me. I got annoyed at her attitude toward me, so whenever we hung out, we ignored each other.
“Who would have thought us, huh?”
“Yep,” I said then spun her around.
“I see you don’t have a date.”
“Yep.”
“Either way, you wanted to be with Lana, right?” I looked down at her as my jaw tightened, and I noticed that mischievous, evil look in her blue eyes. They seemed oddly familiar and made the hair on my neck rise.
“What’s it to you?”
“Can’t you just see that Lana is happy, Blake?” she said. As we moved, I glanced up to see Lana’s arms wrapped around Benny as they slowly danced. “They’re perfect. They were made for each other.”
“Isn’t that what you said about you and Marcus?” I raised a brow. “How did that turn out?”
She looked down and let out a scoff. I closed my eyes for a moment when her grip loosened on me. The song ended, and I opened my eyes.
“Lana Willson is a very unhappy person. Yet she’s very good at acting. It’s sad that her own best friend doesn’t realize it, let alone her boyfriend,” I said then walked away because I didn’t bother to see her reaction. I stepped out of the hall and into the small corridor before the stairs. I searched for my cigarettes as well as a
“do not smoke” sign but didn’t see anything, so I sat outside on a lovely white sofa. It still gave a glimpse of the hall inside where people danced. I sat down then propped my legs on the small coffee table. I took the stupid crown off then tossed it on the table, next to my feet. As I took out my cigarette and Zippo, another song played, yet this one was energetic and joyful. I held the cigarette between my lips, lit it, then inhaled. I put my Zippo and pack back in my pocket then leaned my head back. Out the corner of my eye, I saw someone sit beside me and sigh. I removed the cigarette and exhaled above me. I lowered my head to see Liam observed my crown.
“Congrats, Blake. You’re lucky that you got to dance with Miranda,” he said. “Can I wear your crown? So y’know…I can feel important?”
“Knock yourself out.” I chuckled and noticed that he put a beer bottle on the table then put the crown on. “Where’d you get the alcohol?”
“Tyler managed to score a few bottles,” he said then took out his phone. I watched in amusement as he took photos with the crown on. He shifted his phone to me, and I was unaware that he took pictures of us. “With a bit of Photoshop, I can make it look like I won.” He laughed then took off the crown. He set it on the table then grabbed his bottle. He leaned back on the sofa, offered some to me, but I kindly declined as I enjoyed my cigarette.
“I heard you were going to ask Miranda.”
“Yeah, but I can’t compete with Ethan. He’s too perfect.”
“Oh, trust me. No one’s perfect.”
“Miranda’s perfect to me,” he said then looked ahead. I followed his gaze to see her and Ethan. “Even if she has problems at home, it doesn’t matter, ’cause don’t we all?”
I nodded in response then was about to dump the ash from my cigarette, but I had no ashtray. There was a potted plant nearby, so I quickly reached over and tapped it off.
“You never got to dance with Lana.”
“Yeah, I don’t think we’re okay.”
“I thought when you guys did the dishes together, it might’ve brought you together or something because in the woods she was harsh.”
