**WORK IN PROGRESS**
What really happened before, during and after prom night?
How did Roger's treatment and manipulations affect Autumn, Reece and Mia?
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As Autumn stared at the note, shocked, she felt her heart begin to race. She held the piece of paper against her chest and smiled. Popularity had always alluded Autumn, having said that, it wasn't something that she'd ever desired anyway. Despite this she hadn't been immune from crushing on the most popular boy in school, much like every teenage girl within a two mile radius. Kyle Killerman was the quintessential teenage heartthrob, hazel eyes and dark hair, tanned skin and a winning smile. He was friendly and social and on the odd occasion Autumn had interacted with him, he'd been kind to her. It had never occurred to her however that a boy like him would ever have a crush on her. Momentarily, she closed her eyes and imagined Kyle slipping the note into her locker earlier that day.
Her Father had always insisted that she was worthless. Nothing that she'd ever achieved had been good enough and over the past couple of years, she'd finally stopped trying to please him. Reece had always told her that their Father's approval wasn't worth chasing. She knew that her big brother loved her and that was all she needed, it was Reece who had raised her, not Roger. It was Reece who had always attended her wrestling competitions, cheering her on from the sidelines and beaming with pride. Their Father had never bothered to show up, not even once.
As she packed her bag and walked towards the school gates, Autumn began to wonder if she was worth something after all. If a boy like Kyle thought she was beautiful perhaps it really was true. She felt her heart flutter as she imagined opening her front door tomorrow, at seven sharp as instructed and seeing Kyle stood waiting for her. Perhaps he'd be holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers - vibrant, colourful and full of life. Autumn had always loved flowers.
Autumn always took her time when walking home, she enjoyed the opportunity to daydream. She began to imagine how she would feel this time tomorrow as her prom preparations began. Mia had agreed to do her hair and makeup and Autumn was so excited to tell the older girl about her date. Well, supposedly.
The way that Autumn felt about Mia was somewhat complicated. Reece and Mia had met years ago in school, quickly forming a solid bond. As young children, wherever Reece went Autumn inevitably followed, so the three of them eventually became inseparable. Mia had always been kind to her and Autumn had often wished that she could be more like the older girl, she was so bubbly and confident. Recently Mia and Reece's relationship had shifted and now, they were dating. As much as Autumn had a crush on Kyle, she understood that it was mostly superficial.
When she was close to Mia, Autumns heart would beat just a little faster. Sometimes, Mias voice would cause butterflies in her stomach, especially when she called her sweetheart. At fifteen, Autumn still found attraction and sexuality confusing. She knew that she admired Mia, she always had, but deep down she knew that her feelings for her were far more intense.
Usually, Autumn would scribble the name Mrs Autumn Killerman all over her diary, thinking of Kyle and his boyish good looks. Last week however, she'd scribbled an entirely different name. She'd been daydreaming and genuinely hadn't realised until she'd looked down at the page after the fact. Surrounded by little love hearts and stars, she gasped when she realised what she'd written.
