18 Going On 30 || h.s. au

four

YEAR THIRTEEN
HOLMES CHAPEL, ENGLAND
SPRING

The last year of school was going by in the blink of an eye. Days were filled with uni decisions and studying for exams, and free time was a once in a blue moon occurrence. Harry and Maddie were beginning to think like adults as they made decisions about what they would do after they graduated, each one more stressful than the next.

Not to mention both of them were working, Harry earning his money from a local bakery and Maddie from a daycare. Harry always managed to swipe a muffin or scone for her because he knew how draining being around the kids all day can be.

Even with their busy schedules, they still managed to spend time together. Whether it was doing homework or even just accompanying the other on a quick trip to the pharmacy, they were always caught up with each other's lives.

When prom rolled around, unspoken feelings caused tension that both Maddie and Harry could sense, but wouldn't acknowledge.

Everyone around them was securing dates and buying tickets. Harry felt comfortable enough to ask Lainey if they could go together as friends, but that was quickly squashed when he witnessed Niall Horan ask her to the dance in the middle of the hallway.

Maddie seemed happy about it, she was grateful that Niall was just a carefree guy who wanted to go with her as a friend, and not someone wanting to take her on a date afterward. She didn't mind going with Niall because she knew it was as good as she was going to get if she couldn't go with Harry.

So, Harry ended up asking Alice Walker to the dance, as friends, of course. He heard she was feeling down about not getting asked, so he figured it would be a win-win. She got a date, and he didn't have to go alone to the dance while the girl he was in love with hung out with another guy the whole time.

It was a huge night for the school. The only thing anyone spoke about for an entire month leading up to it was the dance itself. Who's going with who? Which girls will mistakenly get the same dress? Who's hosting the afterparty? It was all the buzz, especially the day of.

Maddie woke up excited. She had the entire day planned down to the minute. First, she would wake up and eat breakfast, then go for a walk. She felt that starting her day with a little exercise would help her feel good about herself. Then she would come home and shower, able to take her time until her hair appointment after lunch. She would come right back home from getting her hair done so she could start on her makeup.

So, she did. When she woke up around nine am, she took her time eating breakfast, and then she went on a long walk before coming back home and taking a long shower. After that, she had lunch, and then headed straight to get her hair done, extremely careful not to mess it up when she came home. She sat on her floor for an hour and a half perfecting her makeup, and then with about fifteen minutes until Niall picked her up, she put on her dress, jewelry, and shoes.

Her mum was teary eyed looking at her little girl who was growing up into a beautiful young woman. Even though Maddie was eighteen, her mum still viewed her as her little girl.

Niall picked her up, looking spiffy in his suit as he gave Maddie the bouquet of flowers he bought for her. He was a gentleman, just a boy who wanted to have fun tonight with no strings attached. Making conversation with him in the car wasn't awkward at all, thankfully, and when they arrived at where their group was taking pictures, he offered his arm for Maddie to hold so she didn't trip in her heels. They were the last to arrive, the rest of the group and all the parents already here.

Emily saw them approaching first, and she walked as quickly as she could over to her friend and told her how stunning she looked.

When Harry heard the commotion of voices behind him, he turned around in curiosity. His entire world stopped when he saw Lainey standing there in her soft, pale blue, silk dress that reached the ground. Her red hair was in soft curls that fell on her shoulders with two front pieces pulled back into a twist. Her skin looked soft as velvet. Simple but glamorous makeup accentuated her already picture-perfect features, and he couldn't look away if he tried.