Three Brothers (Completed)

Prom always sucks, except for mine, mine was awesome

Chapter Eight

Prom always sucks, except for mine, mine was awesome

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I broke up with Helen a week before prom, and though I could have asked any other girl to go to prom with me, my mind was stuck on one girl: Lily.

I knew Lily was older than me, but I also knew that she had a horrible prom. Plus, she did owe me one. I knew there was a slim chance I could convince her to go with me, and I was going to take it. To do it I pulled out all the stops. I took her to her very favourite coffee shop, wore an outfit Sean had helped me color coordinate and opened with the line"So thanks to you I don't have a date to prom."

Lilly groaned into her coffee. "Oh Royce, I'm sorry!" she cried reaching for my hand and holding it. "Can I it make up to you somehow?"

"I'm so glad you offered." I said leaning forward. "I need a date for prom..."

"And you want me to help you find one?" Lily asked.

"No, don't interrupt me anymore," I say quickly. "I want you to be my date."

Instantly Lily let go of my hand, she back in her chair and stared at me with wide eyes. "I can't go with you to prom, I'm twenty three!"

"I know, but you don't look it!" and it was true. Everyone at our summer pool thought Lily was nineteen. "Plus you owe me!" I added. Lily's mouth was open in shock, she blinked her eyes rapidly as she looked all around. I knew what that was, instantly I grabbed her hand to keep her from bolting. "Please Lily, I swear to you I'll tell everyone you're nineteen, I just really need a date and you're the only person left to ask." Lily still looked unconvinced. "Come on Lily, you owe me!"

After an hour of cajoling and guilt- , Lily finally said yes.

I was ecstatic. I was over the moon, and every cliché you could think of for being happier then I had ever been before in my life. In one short week I would be taking the girl of my dreams to prom, I had so much to plan. I had to get my tux ready, I had to pick my shoes, which watch should I wear? My tie would have to match Lily's dress, and so would the corsage I'd have to get her. Luckily I had Sean to help me; he was the king of style.

That week of planning and trying to dress to match Lily also turned into a week where I literally spent every hour re-talking her back into going to the prom with me. You see, every couple hours or so, Lily would think of an amazing reason as to why she shouldn't go to prom with me, and I shot down every one of them. Sure that involved making Lily feel guilty every time, but it's what I had to do. That's right, I was taking my dream girl to prom and there was nothing anyone could say to stop me.

The only thing Lily had told me about her dress was that it was black with gold accents. On the night of prom I picked her up and my heart nearly stopped in my chest. Lily was in a pair of black shimmering high heels and a black strapless dress that was short at the front and had a long train at the back. She had pinned most of her hair back, but had let some of it hang over her shoulders.

I couldn't speak as I strapped the white rose to her wrist. I was breathless as I escorted her to the car. I could barely keep my eyes on the road with her beside me. I was going to be walking into prom with the hottest girl of the century.

The ballroom was dimly lit. I introduced Lily to my friends, as a nineteen-year-old lifeguard that I worked with and of course they all bought it. Lily made small talk with my friends, we ate dinner quietly and then as soon as the dancing started she and I were on the dance floor. I thought Lily was having the time of her life, I thought I was making up for the horrible prom she had back in high school. I couldn't tell this but Lily was actually miserable, she didn't like being the twenty-three-year-old at the prom, she felt old and out of place, but she had a fake smile on her face for me because she didn't want me to have the sort of prom she had.

Lily's prom had been on her birthday. Her boyfriend at the time was an hour late picking her up, and instead of picking up her corsage he was too busy waxing his car. He then abandoned her at the prom to drive around town to find a corsage, like he was going to find an open florist at eleven o'clock at night. Regardless, Lily had been upset to be abandoned and had gone home disheartened and upset. Not a very good birthday for her that year.

The point was, this was the best prom ever. I know everyone tells you stories about how prom is awful and what not, but my prom was going just the way I wanted it to. The night was perfect, we danced, we laughed, we had fun, and then I took her home. I stood on her porch with her, watching her unlock the door. "I had a great time Royce, I hope you did too."

"Lily, I have one more proposition," I said, moving a little closer to her. "I hope you're okay with it." Then before she could answer, before I could lose my courage, I trapped her head between my hands and I kissed her. Our lips met in what was the softest, chaste kiss I had ever given a girl, and yet it made my heart race, and I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing a halleluiah chorus with fireworks and bells in the background. I pulled away from her and looked into her blue eyes and whispered, "Wow."

Lily pushed her door open. "Good night Royce," she murmured, unsmiling and cold, but I didn't notice this. All I could think was that I had finally made some sort of progress with Lily. I had kissed her and it had been everything I had ever thought it would be.

When I got home I found James on my bed, smirking at me. "What are you doing here?"

"Just making sure you didn't take Lily home with you. I wouldn't put it past you to take advantage of her," he snarled. He caught my unimpressed glare as I slid my jacket off and began to loosen my tie. "I'm just joking Royce. Did you and Lily have fun?"

I didn't answer his question. I was half way through unbuttoning my white dress shirt, when I turned around to face him. "I want you to promise me something," I said. James just stared at me confused. "I really like Lily, and I need you to not steal her from me. Promise me that you won't date her."

James slowly got off my bed to stare at me. "Royce, she's five years older then you. I don't think she's going to date you."

I knew I wasn't being rational, I knew I didn't actually stand a chance with her, but I had kissed her that night, I had fallen a little more in love with her and I would be damned if I was going to watch James with her without even giving it a shot. "James, this is important to me. You're more attractive, you're closer to her age but I think I'm in love with her and if you take her from me I'll never forgive you. Now will you promise me or not?"

For a moment James was silent, and for that moment I was convinced he wouldn't answer me. Instead James clapped a hand to my shoulder and said, "I promise I won't date Lily."

Maybe it was because I was so happy that I didn't see it, I guess I was so wrapped up in my own little world that I didn't see it in my brother eyes. I had just forced him through the hardest decision of his life, I had just put a little crack in that guarded heart he pretended not to have. But as I said, I was too busy being happy that I had just kissed Lily to notice.