"Beside Some Tall Hottie"

(HQ)

Bachelor thought he had it all under control, he didn’t care about most of the whole prom thing. He was going of course, it was his senior prom he had to go. But he didn’t have any illusions about winning prom king or anything, he understood that was never gonna happen.

But apparently he just assumed he would be nominated, it hadn’t even crossed his mind that he could just not be nominated at all. Not even considered for the prom king title... No of course he would.

So he was hardly paying attention when the prom court nominees were announced, it was just background noise as he thought about who to ask to prom, probably some pretty cheerleader, and then he heard the word prom king and perked up. He already had the fake surprised face planned, of course he was gonna soak up all the attention he got for being nominated even if he had no chance at winning, but the list went on and the nominees were announced and his name wasn’t even mentioned.

The first thing he felt was confusion, he wasn’t nominated? Not at all? Then he felt the embarrassment, of course he wasn’t nominated? Why had he even thought he would be, all his popularity was just through Preston and Darian, who he hadn’t even heard from since they left for college.

He felt sick honestly, and he knew he had to get out of class so he raised his hand and asked to be excused because he felt sick, it wasn’t completely a lie. The nurse was his moms best friend and she always let him do whatever he wanted.

The teacher let him go, casting him a sympathetic glance that he hoped had nothing to do with the whole prom court thing and instead with him believing that Bachelor actually felt sick.

Just as he round the corner to the nurse office already feeling himself relax a little, reasoning with himself a little about how he never even cared in the first place, he saw DaeRi heading in the same direction.

She stopped suddenly when she saw him and turned around quickly.

“Hey, where are you going?” Bachelor called, “No need to be afraid of me.”

She turned around slowly, looking a mix of annoyed and sheepish, “I... forgot something...”

“Hm, I guess neither of us are good liars,” Bachelor said, smirking.

“Yeah?” DaeRi scoffed, crossing her arms, “Well what are you doing here, shouldn’t you be in class?”

“I felt a little off,” Bachelor shruggef, gesturing the the nurses office.

Daeri looked thoughtful for a second then smiled mischievously, “so you wanted to be prom king?”

Bachelor frowned and shook his head quickly, “No, I don’t care about that.”

“Yeah, right,” DaeRi laughed.

“Well, it’s not like you were nominated either,” Bachelor said.

DaeRi sighed, shaking her head, “Yeah, but it’s no secret that I wanted to be. It’s also no secret that I had no chance, I don’t care about that.”

Her voice told a different story though.

Bachelor shrugged, “sure, whatever. So we both don’t care, then what are we doing here?”

“Not caring,” DaeRi cracked a smile, “I think skipping class is the ultimate not caring.”

“It’s just homeroom,” Bachelor said.

“I could go for the rest of the day,” DaeRi sighed, hanging her head back exasperated.

“Then let’s go,” Bachelor said.

Daeri stared at him, wondering if he was serious probably.

“I’m serious,” Bachelor said, “school sucks, let’s go.”

DaeRi shook her head, amused, “well, I can’t get in trouble. My mom’ll kill me.”

Bachelor stared at the nurses office, he had an idea to get around that.

“Well I happen to know someone who can get us out of here almost legally,” Bachelor said.

DaeRi looked where he was looking, “the nurse?” she said incredulously.

“A friend of my mom’s,” Bachelor said, “she’ll do anything for me.”

DaeRi laughed, “good luck.”

--

Thirty minutes later Daeri and Bachelor sat in the park across from the strip mall. During the summer this place is overrun with teens sunbathing while sipping on iced coffees from the Deli, but now it was virtually empty except two toddlers being pushed on the swing by an old woman, probably there grandmother. DaeRi and Bachelor sat far away from them, not wanting to be asked why they weren‘t in school.

It was hot. The sun glared at them from the perfectly pristine blue sky and DaeRi was thinking of just heading home. Her mom wouldn’t be home until after she was expected home from school, so she would never know. But something in her wanted to stay with Bachelor, who somehow talked the school nurse into writing them permission to leave the school.

He was kind of cool. In a trying hard loser way.

And despite what he said he was upset about not being nominated for prom king, she could just tell by the way he looked when he said he didn’t care. It did not look like someone who didn’t care.

Especially now as he sat hunched over pulling out the grass.

“So, are we gonna sit in a field all day?” DaeRi asked finally after a moment of silence.

“Got any better ideas?” Bachelor asked.

Daeri thought on it, they couldn’t go to the library, because anyone there would know they should be in school and probably tell on of their parents. And the Deli was out of the question, DaeRi was saving every cent towards getting a car before college, but that didn’t look like it was happening anyway.

She stared at Bachelor, he was shopping at the thrift store when she ran into him the other day. Did that mean he was poor too?

“So, you were shopping at the thrift store?” DaeRi asked, deciding wondering was pointless.

Bachelor stared at her warily, “Maybe, why?”

DaeRi shrugged, “I just thought all the cool kids were too rich to be seen anywhere near there.”

“I’m a cool kid?” He asked, grinning sloppily.

Loser.

DaeRi shook her head, amused, “you’re a jock, duh.”

“I guess I am huh?” Bachelor nodded, laying down on his back and staring up at the harshly blue sky for a second before closing his eyes.

“Just not prom king cool, sorry,” DaeRi said.

“Just pointing out the obvious,” Bachelor said.

“Apparently, neither am I,” DaeRi sighed, laying back too, “I mean, I thought my popularity had improved some bit since I made up with Tamarai and now Harriette is even letting me sit with them sometimes. I thought maybe I had a chance.

”I always dreams of being prom queen, it was that one thing I wanted from my high school years. I wanted that crown, I wanted pictures of be in my beautiful dress and crown, grinning ear to ear beside some tall hottie.”

Bachelor laughed.

“Don’t laugh,” DaeRi said, pushing him, “it’s not funny. My senior year is being thrown down the drains and I can’t do anything to fix it. It’s over.”

“A little dramatic, don’t you think?” Bachelor said, looking over at her.

“It’s okay to be dramatic sometimes,” DaeRi said, looking away.

---

Bachelor had to admit he hadn’t expected his Senior year to turn out like this either, his dreams had actually looked a bit like DaeRi’s. After last year he had expected to be on top, take Darian’s place as the top dog in school. By now he had realised that was not gonna happen, but not being nominated for prom king had never even crossed his mind.

He heard DaeRi get up and looked at her.

“I’m going home,” DaeRi said, “It’s hot and at least I have air conditioning.”

Bachelor got up, “I guess this failed, huh?”

DaeRi shrugged, “Not completely. I’m out of school at least.”

“Aren’t you worried that everyone’s gonna think you’re a wimp for ditching?” Bachelor asked.

DaeRi frowned, “frankly I don’t care about anything anymore.”

Bachelor nodded.

“See you later,” DaeRi said, turning around to head home.

“Hey,” Bachelor called after her after a second.

“Yeah?” She turned around.

“You wanna go to prom with me?” he asked.

DaeRi’s eyebrows shot up, “Oh?”

“I mean, it seems kind of appropriate,” Bachelor said.

“So you wanna go to prom with me because it’s ‘appropriate?” she asked.

“That, and I had a good time with you today,” he said.

DaeRi smiled then, “sure then. I’m wearing midnight blue, match accordingly.”

Bachelor laughed, “gotcha.”

DaeRi smiled again before turning back around and heading home.

--

So he wasn’t tall, but he was a little hot. And hey, everyone was taller than DaeRi.

A Different Kind of Prom Dress

(hq)

“So, you’re not going dress shopping?” DaeRi asked Tamarai.

“I am, just not in the mall,” Tamarai said.

“You just said you were ordering it online,” DaeRi said, “that’s not shopping, and what if it doesn’t fit?”

Tamarai laughed, shaking her head. They were sitting sitting in Tamarai’s room discussing proms dresses. DaeRi had asked when they were going dress shopping and was slightly dumbfounded when Tamarai replied with; “I’m getting mine online.”

“I’m getting it imported,” Tamarai explained, “I’m gonna wear a sari, from India.”

“Oh,” DaeRi said, nodding a little bit, “that’s kind of... cute. Non traditional.”

“I told you years ago I was gonna wear one to prom,” Tamarai said.

“I’m supposed to remember things you’ve told me years ago?” DaeRi said, “and anyway, when we talked about proms years ago it was just fanciful dreaming. You can’t hold me to what I said.”

“You said you wanted to wear something simple and with some glitter,”  Tamarai said.

“Well... okay I kind of still want that,” DaeRi said, “I want a dress that looks like the night sky.”

Tamarai nodded, “I’ll still go shopping with you, though.”

“Good, I can’t shop alone, that’s pitiful,” Daeri scoffed.

Tamarai just laughed and shook her head, DaeRi was crazy. But she was her friend.

--

“Oh my god, it’s here already?” Tamarai gazed at the package that had arrived from India with her name on it, it could only be her sari for prom. She and Harriette had just arrived home from school after an attempt to get DaeRi that dress of her dreams, they did the convincing and now it was up to DaeRi to take up their advice, it was a fool proof plan actually.

“What is it?” Harriette asked, poking at the box that sat on the kitchen table.

“Oh, girls you’re home!” Their mom said entering the kitchen just then.

“Hi, mom,” they said.

“Where’s Collin?” their mom asked.

“Hanging out with Amado,” Harriette said.

“Alright,” their mom said, nodding, “Well Tamarai, this arrived just a few moments ago. I’ve been dying to see what’s inside, care to open it?”

“You bet I do,” Tamarai grinned. Her mom laughed and handed her a pair of scissors as Harriette took a seat and the table.

Tamarai excitedly cut all the tape off and slowly, or as slowly as she could, opened the box. The bright pink and mint green of the Sari showed through the light paper it was wrapped in, Tamarai just wanted to see the dress already!

“Stop being dramatic and just take the thing out already,” Harriette said.

“Sorry,” Tamarai apologised, quickly pulling apart the paper and pulling out first the pink cropped blouse, but that was the least important part so she set that aside after the oohing and ahing from her mom and sister and then pulled out the bundle of silky fabric that was the actually sari. It was a hot pink net with sequins, little stones and beads and mint green stitching in the pattern of flowers and vines. And it was huge, Tamarai was overwhelmed with the beauty and size of it, and suddenly a little worried about putting it on. she mentally made a note to do a lot of research on how to put on a Sari.

“Wow, it’s see through?” Harriette said, “sexy.”

“It’s gorgeous, Tamarai,” her mom said, lightly touching the fabric, “such a beautiful feel to it too, you’re gonna look beautiful.”

“And sexy,” Harriette laughed.

“I hope so,” Tamarai said, still gazing at her beautiful sari, she could not wait for prom.

Now she just hoped DaeRi would have the dress of her dreams too. That would just be perfect.

“A tiara would look great with this dress.”

(HQ)

After being forced to sit through hours of dress fittings with the evil soon to be stepmother Tracy was pretty sure she never wanted to be in another dress store again, she was tempted to just buy her prom dress online. But after some convincing from Heather and some reasonable reasoning she found herself in their favorite designer dress store downtown. Thankfully not the same one that the soon to be evil stepmother got her surprisingly not too bad bridesmaid’s dresses at.

“I really think you just need to relax,” Heather said as she shifted through the dress catalog, “I mean, you can’t let Patty ruin prom and dress shopping.”

“I guess,” Tracy shrugged, she did not want to talk about that soon to be evil stepmother right then.

Heather cast her a sympathetic look then looked back at the dresses. “Should I go with blue or purple?”

“Why purple?” Tracy asked, Blue was Heather’s favorite color and she had just assumed she would stick with that, plus it complimented her deep blue eyes.

“I don’t know, I thought I would switch it up a bit,” Heather said.

“Well, I just want a pale pink color,” Tracy said, flipping through another catalog.

“Do you guys have anything you wanna try on yet?” the salesperson asked.

“Yep,” Heather said, holding open the catalog and showing the salesperson the pic of a pretty teal dress with an empire waist and pearl detailing.

“Okay, only that?” the salesperson asked.

“Also anything else that looks like this,” Heather laughed, “I want a sea blue with lace or pearls.”

“I can think of a couple dresses that fit that bill,” the salesperson said, turning to Tracy, “and you?”

“Pale pink, almost white, long with a high neckline,” Tracy said.

“I got it,” the salesperson said, “I’ll get a couple that fit your requests then be right back for some fittings.”

“Thanks,” Heather said.

“I love shopping here, being catered to like this,” Tracy sighed.

“Right?” Heather asked, “So, who do you think’ll ask you to prom?”

“If I wanted someone to go to prom with me, I’d just ask them myself,” Tracy shrugged, and she didn’t. Personally dates were just another thing to cause her to worry and her biggest problem was trying not to worry herself sick.

“Well, do you think anyone will ask you?” Heather rephrased her question.

“Maybe,” Tracy shrugged, “We’re not too popular.”

“But someone must like us, right?” Heather asked.

Tracy shrugged, “I don’t want a date. I just wanna go with you, full out girls night.”

“So, I can’t get a date?” Heather asked.

“You can, if you care that much or if someone asks you,” Tracy shrugged, “but why do we need dates?”

Heather shrugged, “going dateless is a classic sign of being an outcast loser.”

“Well, how about we be each other’s dates?” Tracy asked.

Heather laughed, “are you asking me to prom?”

Tracy shrugged, “I guess so.”

“Wow, I expect a bigger proposal than that,” Heather laughed, “If you want me to show up at prom with you, you better pull out all the stops.”

Tracy laughed, “Whatever, Heather.”

The salesperson came the with a rack full of dresses, “here they are, ladies.”

“Thank you,” they said.

“I’ll just be right here if you need any help.” The salesperson said.

“Alright,” Heather said walking up to the dresses and picking up three blue ones, “these look perfect! How am I gonna choose?”

“Good luck,” Tracy said grabbing the three pale pink floor length dresses, “let’s get started.”

They entered their respective dressing room and and proceeded to put on each dress one by one, showing them off between dresses.

Tracy’s first dress was a satin-y pale pink sleeveless dress with the high neckline she asked for, with no bells or whistles. She looked elegant and old hollywood, or current hollywood.

“I love it,” Heather said, “But it’s a bit vanilla, isn’t it?’

“It’s classic,” Tracy said.

Heather’s first dress was a short sky blue a line dress with an exaggerated heart neckline with pearls lining the waist.  It was what she wanted, except the a line skirt. She did not want that, it was too commercial.

“Yeah, too commercial,” Tracy said, “You don’t wanna looks like half the girls there.”

Tracy’s next dress was a more silky, flowy dress, the same pale pink, with a lacy sheer high neckline and three quarter length sleeves.

“It’s looks like a wedding dress,” Heather said.

Tracy nodded.

Heather’s second dress was a darker, more teal blue and was not an a-line skirt, instead it just flowed around her hips and to her knees. The fabric looked almost multicolored, flowing from a green to a blue.

“I like it,” Tracy said, “especially the pearls on the neckline.”

“Yes, it’s nice,” Heather said, “One last dress though.”

Tracy’s last dress was kind of a mix of the first at the last, it has the sheer high neckline but also the satiny material of the first dress. It was the one.

“I like this one, it’s sophisticated, almost basically a wedding dress but not completely one” Tracy said, staring at herself in the mirror, it flowed just right and made her look red carpet ready, she could imagine herself accepting some kind of fashion award wearing this dress. It was the dress.

Heather agreed.

Heather’s last dress was a dark sky blue, like a really sunny September sky through sunglasses, it had a heart neckline and pearls stitched into the skirts that flowed just above her knees.

And it was her dress.

“Gosh, you look perfect,” Tracy said, “like that dress was made for you.”

“Well it will be,” Heather laughed, “After I get it properly fitted to my size.”

“We are going to own that prom.” Tracy said, “if only we could get prom queen, both of us.”

“Or just one of us,” Heather said, “A tiara would look great with this dress.”

“Or mine,” Tracy said.

“Or yours,” Heather said, smiling at Tracy. This was the first time in a while that she had seen Tracy truly happy and it lit up her insides, and in that amazing dress she looked like she could rule the world.

“Yes,” Heather said.

“Hm?” Tracy asked,still admiring herself in the mirror.

“I’ll go to prom with you,” Heather laughed.

Tracy turned to look at Heather then, grinning, “this prom is ours!”

Hearts and Prom Invitations

(HQ)

It’s impossible to keep the halls of A.L. High from gossiping about you, especially when you get a very public invitation to prom and say “I’ll think about it.”

What Collin hated more than anything was public displays of... well anything. Helso really didn’t like it when people talked about him, and after this morning’s very public prom invitation everyone was. People were staring at him in the halls, and not like they used to. Now everyone casted confused glances his way, like they were trying to figure him out.

All because this morning he had arrived to his locker to find Amado with paper hearts taped all over himself, holding a big sign that said “Will you go to prom with me, amor?”.

Collin stopped a few steps away from Amado, trying to think of a way to get away from this scene without being noticed. But it was too late, people were staring and Amado was grinning in his direction. Collin managed a small smile. Amado shook the sign lightly, a questioning smile on his face.

Then Collin was past the whole people staring thing enough to realise what was happening. Amado was asking him to prom. Obviously Collin had seen this coming, he had just been hoping he would have more time to think. Or that it would just miraculously never happen, and that maybe Amado didn’t even want to go to prom. But of course he did, he lived for this stuff.

The first thing on Collin’s mind was Harriette, her probable reaction when he told her he’d be going to prom with Amado. Before her. Without her.

Harriette used to love to to talk about when they would go to prom, she would talk about how they would wear blue to complement their eyes and how they’d win prom queen and king. She hadn’t brought it up in a while though, but it still felt kind of wrong to go with someone else. Like betraying her.

Obviously it was crazy but it’s what he thought.

And now the people were staring and Amado was looking confused and Collin just said quickly “I’ll think about it” before turning around quickly and breaking through the crowd before he could see Amado’s reaction.

Yeah, he wasn’t sure why he said it either.

--

It was obvious that the news had traveled fast as Collin entered homeroom and the entire room went silent and just stared at him. He just looked down and took his usual seat next to Harriette, who was also staring at him.

“Hey,” he said.

“You got invited to prom?” Harriette said slowly.

“Uh, yeah,” Collin said, “You know, Amado’s a senior... so yeah.”

“You didn’t say yes?” Harriette said, smiling a little bit, “why?”

“I don’t... know,” Collin said, “I guess because, I didn’t want to go... without you.”

Harriette bit her lip, trying to stop herself from grinning.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said.

Collin was silent, he didn’t exactly do anything. He just said “I’ll think about it”. It wasn’t no.

“You should go, I mean he’s your boyfriend,” Harriette said, “I thought you would.”

Collin nodded, “He’s probably  really upset now, I can’t believe he did that.”

“Really, you didn’t see something like that happening?” Harriette laughed quietly, “This is Amado we’re speaking of.”

Collin sighed, “yeah, I guess.”

“Alright class, listen up,” the teacher called out.

Collin hardly listening at the Teacher filled the class in on everything happening in school that day, the Prom theme had been revealed, “A night under the Stars”, and tickets could be purchased in cafeteria during lunch. Collin was wondering if he really want to go to prom, if he didn’t Amado would be horribly upset, he just knew it. And he didn’t want to make Amado upset, but he didn’t want to make Harriette upset either. But she might be upset if he didn’t go too. Was there anyway where everyone would be happy?

Probably not.

And what did Collin really want anyway?

---

It’s safe to say that that was not what Amado expected to happen, at all. He had expected that Collin would arrive see Amado’s ridiculous get up, maybe laugh a little, and say yes. He expected that Collin would then joke about how stupid Amado looked and help him get all of these stupid hearts off of him.

But that did not happen, not even close. Collin looked horrified instead of amused and he said “I’ll think about it” instead of yes. Not to forgot that he just turned and ran instead of helping Amado with the stupid hearts, he didn’t even wait for some sort of reply or reaction. He just took off, leaving a distraught Amado behind to rid himself of the stupid hearts...

Amado was one half upset and one half angry. As the crowd dispersed whispering to each other Amado stood there with the two feelings battling over him, on one side he really wanted to cry and on the other he wanted to chase down Collin and yell at him for embarrassing him.

Collin was the nicest person he knew, he couldn’t believe that he would do something to insensitive, like saying no to a public prom invitation. Didn't he think for a second how Amado would look?

And why didn’t he say yes? They were dating, this whole asking to prom thing was really just a formality. Amado had just assumed that Collin had already just assumed they would go together.

So what just happened here?

---

Collin knew he had to apologise to Amado, he also knew that if he apologised that meant him saying yes to his prom invitation and he figured he might as well. Harriette was right, Amado was his boyfriend so of course he should go to prom with him. Amado had probably assumed Collin would just say yes, but why did he have to go and surprise him in an embarrassing public invitation?

After the last class of the day Collin waited by Amado’s locker, but when Amado arrive dher promptly ignored him and silently got his stuff out of his locker.

“Uhm, hey,” Collin said, he hadn’t exactly expected Amado to be mad at him. He had never seen Amado mad at anyone but his parents and sometimes his aunt. And especially not Collin himself.

“Hi,” Amado said, not looking at Collin.

Collin tried not to be annoyed, since Amado had a reason to be mad at him.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Collin continued, “you kind of surprised me, I guess I kind of freaked out.”

Amado looked at him then, smiling a bit as if giving up, “Collin, I don’t think I could mad at you if I tried.”

Collin sighed, relieved.

“But you are going to prom with me?” Amado asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Collin said.

“You do not sound exciting,” Amado said, ”Excited, I mean.”

“I am,” Collin shrugged, “You know I don’t like dances.”

“No? I do not,” Amado said slowly, then smiled, “you are the best boyfriend ever, amor!”

Suddenly Amado hugged Collin, catching him off guard.

“Uh, thanks?”

“No, I am thanks!” Amado said,”No, wait. Thank you!”

Collin tried not to laugh and Amado’s poor english, three years in America and he still has trouble with the language.

Amado pulled away from the hug and kissed Collin quickly, ”I have to be somewhere, but you can call me. Tonight, okay?”

Collin nodded.

“Good!” Amado grinned, “Te amo, amor!”

And with one last kiss Amado skipped away down the halls, looking back at Collin once before disappearing around the corner.

Collin smiled to himself, blushing slightly. Amado was definitely mildly insane, but also incredibly cute.