It Started With Hello

Chap. 126

"Are you not going with Blake to prom?" her mother asked as Emma walked down the stairs in her lavender gown. The dress was strapless with a slit down the leg. She had bought it with the intention of wearing it for prom with Blake, but plans had changed. Now, she was wearing it for herself. She chose to wear the heart necklace Blake had gotten her despite everything, but she left the ring in her room.

Her hair was pulled up and out of her face in a high ponytail, her bangs slightly curled. She walked to the couch and sat down, waiting for Chris to pick her up. She was about to reply to her mother when her father spoke up. "Speaking of Blake, I haven't seen him around in a while..."

Emma bit her lip. She didn't want to tell them they broke up, but she knew they would have to find out eventually. She felt like her mother would just rub it in her face. "Actually, we're not together anymore. Blake broke up with me. Tonight, I'm going to prom with a friend of mine, Chris. He's Kandy's—well, um, Clementine's—boyfriend."

Her mother shook her head, not looking very surprised before turning her attention back to the TV. Her silence said it all. Her father, on the other hand, did look surprised. "Why would he break up with you?"

A knock came at the door. Emma stood to answer it. When she opened the door, Chris stood there with a smile. His hair was now jet black, styled smoothly.
"Hey, pretty lady. Ready for prom?"
She gave him a small smile. He looked past her into the house and waved toward her parents. "Hey, Mr. and Ms. Pear! I'll get her back in one piece for ya."

Her mother gave him a small smile, while her father looked hesitant about the whole ordeal. Emma walked out of the house, closing the door behind her. They walked toward the car together.
"Are you channeling your inner Blake with the black hair or something?" she asked softly, pointing at his hair as she laughed.

They reached his highlighter-green sports car, and he opened her door. "I kinda like this look on me. They say once you go black, you can't go back. Blake knows a thing or two about that."
She laughed, pushing him slightly. "Shut up, Chris."

He grinned before walking around to his side of the car. Around Chris, it was always a good time. He was the life of any party. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad after all. He drove toward the school after she gave him the directions, and they pulled up outside a few minutes later. The music was blaring from the open doors. The windows were blacked out, but you could see the flashing lights behind them.

He parked the car, getting a few jealous looks from other students. Emma's hands trembled slightly in her lap from anxiety. Chris reached over, grabbing her hand and making her meet his eyes. "Relax, Emma. Tonight's gonna be great. And if it's not, we can blow this place and get pizza and ice cream."

She laughed and nodded. He pulled his hand away, and they both climbed out of the car, making their way inside. Once they got inside, all eyes turned to them, whether from jealousy because she was with Chris or from curiosity.

"Haven't been to a prom in years. Let's dance first; that'll be fun." She nodded, and he took her hand, leading her farther onto the dance floor. Chris danced around like a manic, completely off-beat, making her laugh.

"What the heck are you doing?" He stopped mid-robot, looking at her. "Dancing!" It looked more like he was being electrocuted or his pants were on fire, but it was clear he was having so much fun.

She shrugged, copying his dance moves. While people around them were grinding on each other, they were jumping around, waving their hands in the air. After a few minutes, they were both already tired and out of breath
.
Chris put his hands on his hips, letting out a puff of air. "Wow, being a beast on the dance floor is tiring. I'll go get you some punch and a cupcake." He made his way through the crowd toward the snack table.

She looked around, and her eyes fell on a familiar face leaning against the wall. He looked dark and moody in the leather jacket she had gotten him for Christmas, which was zipped all the way up. His black jeans were a stark contrast to the colorful room. His hair was messy in front of his eyes, and his eyes were focused on her.

She swallowed hard, looking away for a moment before walking toward him. He didn't move from his spot, holding her eye contact before his eyes ran over her dress. He seemed to approve.

"You look good tonight," he whispered, looking down, which made her bite her lip. She wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms, but she wouldn't let herself give in.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Did he come here with another girl or something? She hadn't seen anyone when she was walking over.

"I wasn't going to come. But when I went over to try to hang with Chris, Kandy said he was here with you." His voice was slightly deeper than usual; he seemed jealous.

He swallowed, his eyes flicking from her face to the dance floor. "I didn't expect to see you... with him. Honestly... I didn't expect you'd want to be hanging out with other guys so quickly."

"Other guys? It's Chris, Blake. Your best friend. And Kandy's boyfriend." Her voice was low and incredulous. "What did you expect? That I'd just sit at home and wait for you to come back?"

He clenched his jaw, looking away. "No... of course not. It's just... a week ago, we were together. Now you're here with him, looking... happy. I guess I didn't think you'd move on so fast."

Her own hurt flared up, cutting through the shock. "Move on? You're the one who pushed me away, Blake! So what, you came to stalk me? To make sure I wasn't hanging out with other guys? You have no right to be jealous. After all, you're the one who said, 'forget you and live my life.'"

That left him speechless. She turned, looking at him again. "Enjoy your night..."

She turned away before he could reply, walking outside to get some space, leaving him standing alone.