Prom Queens

Chapter 2

Natalie's room was small and organized, the opposite of the rest of the house. Her bedroom door was perfectly centered in one of the walls, and the foot of her bed lined up with it. The mattress was covered with plain gray sheets and a yellowing white comforter, all of her blankets needing badly to be replaced. To the right of her bed was a vanity piled with a few beauty products, several empty nail polish bottles, and papers of all kinds. A window depicted a dying lawn outside. To the left was her dresser and clothes hamper. As for the walls, there was no paint and no posters. It almost resembled a glorified prison cell.

Nat's prom dress was laid out on her unmade bed. It was silky and watermelon-pink, with tiny ribbon straps and rhinestones swimming up from the hem. It would have been a beautiful dress if it wasn't a hand-me-down from Bethany. Nat made it work the best she could, but the truth was that Bethany was unnaturally skinny and the dress was too constricting. I had offered to buy her a brand-new dress, any kind she wanted, but she wouldn't let me. A pair of matching flats sat on the floor next to the bed.

Natalie had been talking about how she wanted to go to prom for weeks. She wanted her hair in a braided bun, her makeup to be noticeable but not over the top, and her nails to be plain, unpainted. She had already pulled her hair into a fishtail, so all I had to do was help her pin it up in the mirror of her vanity that sat against the wall. She could have done the makeup herself, but I offered to come over and help because it seemed like a romantic gesture and I loved her enough to do anything for her.

If we were going to prom, I was going to make it as perfect as I could for her. Nothing could stop me.

She closed the door behind us, and I almost wanted her to lock it, but I didn't say anything. She sat on her bed next to the dress and shed her sweatshirt. Under it was a plain gray tanktop and tiny pink shorts, both riddled with lint. Not only did Natalie need new bedsheets, she also needed new clothes. I had, again, offered to take her shopping, but she refused.

"Do you want me to wait out in the hall while you change, or face the wall or something?" I asked.

"No, you can watch," she said, smiling devilishly. I could always count on her to be a major flirt even when she had just finished breaking down.

Nat slowly pulled her top over her head, revealing a white strapless bra. For needing new clothes, she sure looked great in underwear. It hugged her form perfectly and I felt myself slipping out of reality until all I could see was her. Off came the shorts, her panties matching the bra. I enjoyed staring for a few seconds until she turned around to pick up the dress.

Have I mentioned that I really can't handle her ass?

She bent over her bed and grabbed the dress. I bit my lip so hard that I could almost feel blood swell into my mouth. I finally remembered to breathe and reality once again returned. The setting of her room reappeared within a few seconds and she was pulling the straps of the dress up over her arms.

"Could you zip up the back?" she asked me, turning back around so I could see what I was doing. I tugged the zipper up and fastened the silver clasp at the top.

"Okay?" I ensured as she turned back around.

She nodded, attempting to stretch the dress out at the hips. Failing, she sighed, "I'm too fat for this."

"Stop," I told her, hugging her around the stomach from behind. "You know Bethany's a twig."

We moved on to hair and makeup. I twisted her fishtail braid up and pinned it down with clips from my makeup bag. I had her check it in the vanity mirror, earning the response, "It looks fantastic."

"Only because you're wearing it," I commented, which I know sounds cheesy but I intended to remind Nat how flawless I found her every chance I got.

I swept eyeshadow, just a few shades darker than her skin, in the crease of her eyelid. I gently held her face still as I brushed on mascara and drew medium-sized wings with gel eyeliner. The next step was a clear lip gloss, which I applied with caution, but messed up the next moment when I captured her mouth in a kiss. I reapplied it, apologizing, but she just smiled.

I was wearing my dress and had brushed out my hair, but I hadn't done my makeup yet either. I wanted Natalie to do it, just as I had done hers, but she was too afraid she'd mess it up and refused. I sat in front of the mirror in the vanity, doing my eyeliner and mascara and deep, dark purple matte lipstick. I didn't look half as good as my girlfriend but you could tell I was trying.

Nat had been sitting on her bed while I did my makeup, but just as I was finishing up I heard her stand. I turned to see what she was doing, and she was pulling open the top drawer of her dresser.

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"A pair of scissors. I could have sworn I put a damn pair in here." She continued rummaging in the drawer until she pulled out a pair of shears, sharp and silver with a blue plastic handle.

"What are you doing with those?" I asked, curious.

She sat back down on the bed, her legs folded beside her. I realized what she was doing as she brought the scissors to the hem of the dress. I sat in silence as I watched her cut around the outside of the dress, shedding two feet of fabric. Now it barely reached her knees.

"That's much better," she remarked, returning the shears to their dresser drawer.

"Won't Bethany be pissed?"

"Probably not. She hasn't even looked at this dress for ages, but knowing her, she'll bitch about it some way or another."

I stood, facing her in front of the bed. "You look more confident. You're hot when you're confident."

A blush formed in Nat's face. "Really, Liz-"

"You look hot all the time," I corrected myself, stepping towards her. Our faces were just inches apart.

I felt her breath on my face, saw her eyes darting from side to side. She was nervous. She knew what was coming.

"And I'm sorry, but I think I'm about to mess up your lip gloss again."

With that, I prodded her upper chest so she fell back on the bed. She braced herself with her elbows as I lowered myself over her hips, straddling her. Her eyes were full of uncertainty, just as they always were when she knew I was going to kiss her. She loved how I was unpredictable in those moments.

I settled my palms on either side of her face and leaned in, closing the space between us. She pushed back, resting a hand on the curve of my ass, the other arm still propping her up.

Just as I felt her tongue prod the inside of my lip, I heard the doorknob click and turn. Mr. Mundy stood in the doorway, a limp arm clutching a partially used needle. I pulled away, staring at him in fear. Natalie squeezed her eyes shut, an act of defeat.

"Are you kissing her?" he roared at me. "What the fuck is going on in here?"