Meet Me After Class

Chapter 45: Prom Night, Finally!

Prom is finally here.

I woke up late on Saturday—we're talking 10 a.m.—my eyes puffy like I went nine rounds with a bee swarm. By the time I dragged myself out of bed at noon, Dad had already left for work. I couldn't believe Dad and Mom let me skip breakfast; they must have realized I needed the extra rest.

I headed downstairs to find my sister Bella laughing with Audrey as they danced along to a round of Dance Dance Revolution. I smiled seeing Bella acting like her old self with Audrey again. Clearly, their falling out had blown over, and their friendship had been restored once more.

Audrey caught my eye with a knowing grin, and I barely resisted asking if she knew whether her brother planned on going to prom. I knew it wouldn't end well for me, as Audrey already firmly believed that her brother and I were dating, and right now, we're having some lover's quarrel.

In the kitchen, Mom raised her eyebrows at my late rise. "We thought you might be sick when you slept through breakfast."

"Just worn out, I guess," I explained, stifling a yawn. "Who knew last-minute dress shopping was so tiring?"

Mom just smiled sympathetically as she tucked something into the humming fridge. "Well, I'm making a salad and sandwiches for lunch if you girls get hungry."

I nodded; my nerves still felt raw and fragile as tissue paper. Tonight I'd hopefully get some clarity on making up with Adam too. My lingering anxiety almost ruined my appetite for Mom's cooking. Almost.

I vegged out the rest of the afternoon, binging junk food and trashy reality shows. Yes, reality shows—not books! I knew I was a nervous wreck. Belle and Audrey joined me for an hour before Audrey left.

Then Penny and Melissa came over, chatting a mile a minute about their prom expectations, while Belle did our hair and makeup.

"Then I'm picturing these flowing curls, you know, like the ones you see on fancy Hollywood stars," Penny said excitedly, running her fingers through her hair as if she were about to hit the red carpet. It was a new side of Penny, who used to just care about getting enough sleep.

Meanwhile, Melissa stayed calm and collected, sharing her plans confidently. "I'm thinking of a sleek bun. Can't risk any hair disasters—I want it all to stay put."

While they kept talking, Belle worked her magic on my hair, making it look fit for a prom queen.

"Ow, watch it!" I yelped as Belle yanked a comb through my tangled locks.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, maybe if someone conditioned it once in a while instead of just shoving it in a ponytail..."

"Hey, my hair regimen adds crucial minutes of sleep every day," I shot back, smudging on some lip gloss.

"Hi, girls!" Dad burst through the door with a grin that could light up a room, clearly excited to be home early. He had made a special effort not to miss out on the pre-dance photo session, knowing this was a momentous occasion for me—my first and probably last high school dance.

"Wow, Melissa, your eyeshadow looks really... really cool!" He pointed with a mix of admiration and cluelessness. "That's... um, really cool!"

"Oh, Dad," I chuckled, shaking my head and smiling. My dad wasn't exactly a makeup expert, but at least he was trying. Bless him for trying.

Melissa grinned and posed dramatically. "Why yes, I was going for smoky yet playful, Mr. Greene."

We dissolved into giggles, trying to snap decent photos while Dad called out cheesy "supermodel" prompts, before piling into the limo Melissa's dad rented, corsages and heels askew. Nothing like a little bond-girl glam!