The Safety Pin Affair

b o n u s - they also mean new beginnings

i can see that you're the first one
in a long time that had
some faith in m e . . .

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◇ p r o m n i g h t ◇

At approximately quarter to noon on Friday the 14th, everyone going to Prom was dismissed from school. With only a few hours until pictures at the town park before our departure to the hall where Prom is being held, we need all the time we can get. That's the one good thing about our school – they've generously given us that extra time by letting us out early.

The downside of having a half a day of school is no lunch, so Blair and I planned a quick lunch date before we set off to get ready for the night. Right on time with a smile on her face, she met me at my car and I drove us to Fry It Up.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with my hair," I mused, tapping my glossy, French manicured fingertips against our table. Somehow, Blair convinced me to tag along with her to get our nails done last night. Normally I would've rather done them myself, but with her whole speech about how we "never get to do things like this" and "it's our last high school dance ever", I couldn't say no to my best friend.

Blair just grinned at me as she sipped from her water. I then rolled my eyes because I realized she picked up on the fact that I'm actually worried about how I'm going to look for a guy. Something I never would have done, had this been a year ago. But times have changed and so have I.

"I still can't believe how all of this worked out," she sighed. "Two weeks ago, we were sitting here for my birthday dinner, wondering if you were even still going to Prom at all."

"Thank God for Mikey because if it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't be going," I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to dwell on that idea for too long.

"Hey, I kept a secret from you for a whole week. I think I had a big part in this plan too," Blair pouted and crossed her arms.

I laughed, getting her to emit a giggle too even though she tried to keep a fake sulky expression. "How could I forget the most important part? Josh asking me to Prom is nothing compared to my best friend keeping her mouth shut for seven days."

"Six, actually. And it was the hardest thing I ever had to do."

We held back our laughter while the waiter brought over our food and the minute he left us, we were in stitches. Not for too long though, because we had plates on plates of steaming hot food we were ready to shovel into our mouths. Realistically, we probably took too long because by the time we both got home, it was already half past 2 o'clock which meant only three hours until we had to meet with the rest of our class at Ridgeway Park for pictures. But we were too busy gossiping to notice the time – typical of us.

I clambered into my house, fumbling with my car keys, phone and handbag because now I was panicking with the short amount of time I had left to get ready for tonight.

"Vicky! I steamed your dress and it's hanging in your room!" My mom called from the kitchen.

"Thanks, Mom!" I hollered while I climbed the stairs, falling out of breath when I reached the top.

When I entered my room, my simple knit dress was hanging on the door of my closet, staring back at me as it was perfectly wrinkle-free and crying for me to put it on. Throwing my things on my bed, I ran to the bathroom and took the quickest shower of my life. I didn't bother washing my hair because one, I did that last night and two, I literally have no time or patience to blow dry that shit.