Senior Standoff | RETIRED VERSION

Season 1 - Episode 10 | NOT REVISED

Dedicated to punktrashchase for supporting the story; I always know I'll get at least one vote on my chapters.

Liv and I spent all day on Saturday together. In the morning, we'd gone out to get breakfast and get our nails done. Then, we took turns doing each other's hair. By the time we were ready to go, Ky was ready to leave to get Scarlet. We had to make it fast to go downstairs and get pictures for my mom.

Once Ky had left, Liv and I retreated to my bedroom. I looked over myself in the mirror, all glitter and curls. Asher and I had chosen orange as our color. My dress was pale orange with black mesh and sparkles over it. Mom had lent me some black jewelry and a sparkly black clutch that she'd used in high school.

The sound of a car door slamming came through my window that was open a crack. Christian had arrived. Liv and I ran downstairs to let him in. She opened the door, and he was on the other side, wearing a matching shade of teal. In his hand was a plastic box with a light corsage.

"You look incredible," he said softly. He unboxed the corsage and slipped it onto her wrist. She was blushing the entire time.

"Thanks," she replied.

While watching them, I heard another knock on the door. I opened it. All cleaned up, Asher stood on the other side with a corsage of his own in his hand. Mine was made of orange lillies and tiny white flowers. We matched. He'd actually worn dress clothes, from black shoes and pants to an orange button-down shirt and black tie. There was a smile on his face.

A lot of people know that moment where they realize that maybe, just maybe, they're actually attracted to someone. Up until now, I'd had the attitude that Asher was cute. That I'd probably make out with him if I was dared to at a party. But this was different, and the realization was sudden.

"Look at you," he said as he put my corsage around my wrist. The realization put butterflies in my stomach. My heart pounded.

"All right, everyone! Outside for pictures!" Mom said with her camera in hand. She corralled us into the back yard and had us pose by the trees for all the pictures she could think of. I looked at a couple of them before we left for dinner. I loved them. Liv and Christian looked adorable together, and looking at myself all dolled up, I felt more confident than I had in ages.

The poll for King and Queen was set up right inside the door. I stopped for a second to place my vote. Hailey and Ben, because with any luck, they'd win. King and Queen now was almost a death sentence in the game, because no one wanted to vote for the same couple twice. There was only once in the past where someone won Homecoming and Prom, and that was only because he and his girlfriend had broken up. He ended up winning with his new girlfriend.

King and Queen would be announced at 8:30, so we still had time to kill. The dance floor in the gym wasn't too full yet. Popular music was blaring, loud enough to impair my hearing. Most everyone that was already inside was dancing in a large cluster near the speakers.

"Do you want to dance?" Asher asked me. He held his hand out. I glanced around at the other couples dancing, which in high school was just another word for grinding. Hesitantly, I took his hand and followed him towards the pack.

Gently, he placed his hands on my hips and rocked me back and forth without trying to grind his hips into me like we were in some slutty nightclub. It was sweet. I put my hands on his. This was nice, and I didn't want to think about the dance being over and him letting me go. After tonight, we went back to just friends.

As the clock ticked forward, Liv and Christian found us and pulled us further into the crowd. Before I knew it, we were in the middle, soaking up everyone else's body heat. It was so dense there was barely any space to move or breathe. Both Asher and I were sweating a bit. He continued to rock me from behind. Nothing sexual. Just together.