Behind Closed Doors

29: Timeless

Typically, Fridays would be like any other. The last day of school until Monday, when Skyler would come back and do it all over again. But not this time. Today, they're coming back to the school late at night to go to prom. It's not something that Skyler ever saw themself doing. But they never saw themself with a girlfriend, either.

As soon as school gets out, Kai and Skyler meet by the doors. Kaimi's stomach is flittering with excitement, whereas Skye's is churning with extreme anxiety. So much so that they hope they don't lose their lunch.

"So, I'll meet you back at your house in about thirty minutes after I put on my dress and do my hair and makeup?" Kai asks for the tenth time today. Skyler isn't sure if she can actually get her entire look done in that short amount of time.

"Yes, Kai," they say, kissing her nose. "But look, here comes my dad, I gotta go."

Ashton comes down the hallway, smiling when he sees them. He had made sure there was nothing to do after school that he was there to help Skyler with their suit and see them off to prom.

"Ready to go kiddo?" he asks.

"Yep, I'm ready. See you in a little while, Kai," Skyler says, hugging her. They catch up with their dad, who had already made it out the big double doors.

"Are you ready for this?" Ashton asks upon seeing them.

"Definitely not, but I'll do it, for her. And because I want to try and be a normal teenager for once. Maybe by some miracle I'll enjoy it and want to go next year," they joke.

"At least try to pretend you're having fun even if you're miserable, okay? Kaimi had to rack up a lot of courage to do what she did."

"I know, I know. I'll be nice, I promise," Skyler says, getting into Ashton's car. When they get home, Bea already has one of Ashton's old suits laid out on their bed for Skyler to put on. It's a different one from what they wore at the funeral to avoid any unpleasant memories. This one has a special story behind it, if Skyler remembers right. Ashton had worn this suit when taking Bea to prom. She barely fit into her prom dress because of Skyler growing inside her. Despite that, she'd won prom queen, danced with Ashton, and they had some sort of magical moment underneath the stars in the middle of nowhere. Skyler had tried to get Bea to explain that last part, but her face turned red and she refused to go into the details.

Bea knocks, and then enters without permission to enter. She's holding something hidden behind her back.

"Welcome home! Are you excited?" she asks.

"More nervous than excited," they say. "But this is for Kaimi, so I'm going to do my best to have a good time. I will be wearing my headphones, though."

"I don't think anyone will care about you wearing headphones. Everyone will be too busy with their own dates. But do take them off for some nice pictures, okay? I'm sending you with enough money to go eat and for a good photo package," Bea says.

"I know, you don't need to remind me. I hate having my photo taken," Skye whines.

"But think about all the memories that you'll capture in the photos! Plus, if you guys are still together years down the road, after high school, it will be such a nice memento to have."

"I guess," Skyler says, rolling her eyes.

"I got you one other thing, so that you two can be as traditional as everyone else," Bea says, finally revealing what was behind her back. A beautiful carnation corsage. Skyler bites their lip. They're afraid that if they take it they might ruin it somehow.

"Go on, take it. It's perfect for her and her dress, and when prom's over, she can preserve it by letting it dry out," Bea explains. The main flower is marbled red and white, so they assume that Kaimi's dress is red. The color suits her, they're excited to see her soon. Skye takes the corsage, hands trembling, and immediately sets it down on their bed.