Leanne
Who thought I would be going to prom with one of the most popular guys in our school? And I never thought I'd be free of the bullying. What a strange sensation after all these years. Jo-Jo's apology letter last week seems genuine. Her father's influence saved her from the worst of the consequences.
Garret's in therapy, getting the help he needs. Keith is waiting for his trial in jail. They set his bail at two million. Guess I got lucky there. Even though he turned his whole ring of accomplices in, they didn't let him out.
Leanne studied her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was still long, but the feathers were gone. Her bangs, cut in a jagged fringe on her forehead, exposed her bright green eyes behind her round burgundy frames.
Her prom dress was a sleek deep spruce green sheath. Leanne's shoulders were bare, her peridot necklace nestled in the dip of the daring neckline. A long toned leg peeked from a sequin accented slit that reached nearly to her hip.
She turned to face her mother, and the inevitable camera.
"God, I still hate having my picture taken, Mom."
"Get used to it. You have a career as a concert soloist coming in your future. Jason was incredibly generous once he found out you were my daughter. Jo-Jo's mother knew, but my boss – Jason never clued in. She was having his baby and smug beyond bearable. I never changed my name when I married your father, and he was good with it."
"I know. Now Jason's paying for everything at Julliard. I kept my father's last name. You insisted."
"I loved your father, dearly. You look like him and I wanted to keep his memory alive. I should have changed your name to match mine. I should have kept up therapy instead of dropping it, after what happened to you. So many should haves. But hindsight is twenty-twenty." Delta shrugged her shoulders. "Now smile. You're gorgeous and I want to remember your senior prom forever. We'll get pictures with Wilson in a bit."
Leanne waited for her mother to get the shots she wanted, and they went out her bedroom door.
Silly that we have separate bedrooms, but we'd never get any studying done if we were in the same room. Setting up a strict schedule for schoolwork like Mom insisted was a great idea.
"Go down first. I'm grabbing a photo of Wilson watching you," her mom whispered in her ear. "He looks at you like you're his whole world."
Leanne nodded as she spotted him with a florist's box. "Wilson, you got my corsage! Orchids. Your mother did it."
She hurried down the stairs to join him.
"It made it here this afternoon. Mom put the flowers together early yesterday and overnighted it. When she saw the picture of your gown, she put it on a wristband." He slipped it over her left hand and kissed it.
"Prom is going to be a dream," Leanne sighed.
"And tomorrow is your Mom's first big performance with the choir. Delta, you rock. All the hard work is paying off," Wilson kissed Leanne's mother on the cheek.
"A big weekend for all of us. Your limo is here kids." Delta picked up an ivory lace wrap with hints of pistachio in it from the banister. "Put this on, Leanne. One more picture and you can go."
Wilson pulled his tuxedo jacket on. The silk trim matched Leanne's dress perfectly. His bow tie picked up the lighter green in her lace shawl.
"You two are going to be the hit of the prom," Delta said as she opened the door.
Leanne stopped to kiss her mother's cheek. "And you're the biggest winner here. Two months sober and I know it hasn't been easy."
"Thanks to the two of you. I thought withdrawal would crush me, but instead I'm stronger."
"Family Mom. We're stronger together." Leanne promised. "You'll meet Willa, her boyfriend, Alistair, and Elise at the graduation ceremony. We still don't know if she can talk her fiancé Arlo into coming."
"Come on, Leanne," Wilson called from the path to the driveway, "We're going to be late."
Leanne went down the steps, her smile a mile wide. Sniffing her corsage with its intoxicating scent, she walked to the limo. Wilson held the door for her, and she felt like she had the world at her feet.
When he joined her on the plush leather seat, he asked, "Are you ready for the rest of our life?
"I can't wait!"
Total Word Count 38853
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Crush Me
RomanceWilson Quaring is everyone's friend and always surrounded by students wherever he goes. He's carrying around a huge secret, and he's trying to figure out how to stop the teasing at school and satisfy his father's demands. When he spots Leanne stru...
