Ocean Blue & You

posters and prom dresses

It was a few weeks after my strange talk with Emma, on the first day of July, that they had started taping sixth form prom posters all over the school. Unlike most schools, we had prom the first and second year of sixth form annually. It was an event I had always dreamed of in my head, like any girl did for all my years in Littleton school. What I would wear, who I would go with, what the evening would be like. I dreamed up all these scenarios in my head, with lots including Anna, Faith and I having so much fun. I would wear the perfect dress, that made me look stunning, and have the perfect, handsome boy to go with. I'd dance all night with him or (in a different scenario) with Anna and Faith. It would be a magical night, and afterwards, I would have the perfect first kiss with my date. Now, thinking about it more realistically, I was pretty sure it wouldn't pan out the way I thought it would in my head.

You see, I may have had more hope had it been a month ago, when I was so clueless and in love with Jack, and I didn't think he felt the same way. At least I had a shred of hope that he did, not heightened by Faith's remarks though. But now he was very distant and shy around me once more, and I was puzzled as to why. In art classes, when I made casual conversation with him, or asked him for something or to see his work, he got all tense and nervous. I knew he and I both felt this when we first met each other, but we had moved past that now. Emma's party and all that previous stuff seemed so long ago and forgotten. I thought we had relaxed enough around each other to be friends now and have easy talks. I may still have a huge crush on him that I was trying to hide, but I felt relaxed around him. But he wasn't really relaxed around me anymore, and it was very strange. We barely ever walked round the school courtyard together as we had done so many times before anymore, and when I suggested it or asked if he wanted to hang out after school he hesitated and then hastily muttered something about being busy or homework before rushing off. It hurt me inside a little. What was he giving me the cold shoulder for? I hadn't done anything wrong, had I? Had his parents talked to him about not seeing me? Had Emma said anything? I was baffled and deeply saddened.

Meanwhile though, the posters were getting people excited and the hype for prom rose higher than ever. Girls could be found walking from lessons chattering excitedly about what they were going to wear, squealing and giggling, and boys could be found groaning and sighing tiredly, wondering how they were going to ask a girl out and wishing they didn't have to wear a tux. The two sides were so opposite it was almost laughable. Frequently girls would drop very big hints at the boys, which would fail, with either the boy ignoring her or not getting what they were hinting at. But was worse of all, was when Anna and Faith started gossiping about who was going to prom with who and who they were thinking of going with.

"I think this guy in my Psychology class, Daniel might ask me out," Anna said nervously, blushing, "he keeps staring at me and I think he likes me."

Faith however, had a more confident and impatient attitude.

"Matt better take me or I swear another boy will sometime soon."

"I better hope he does, he's been snogging you for the past few months!" I exclaimed.

"I know, but it seems like all he cares about is snogging," she said, sighing.

"Isn't that all you care about?" Anna said.

"Yeah," Faith replied honestly, a big grin on her face. Anna and I both laughed.

"So is Jack going to ask you any time soon Posy?" Faith asked. I stopped smiling and looked down at the ground.

"What? Has he already?"

"No. He hasn't," I muttered, "and he's gone all weird and distant and shy again. I thought we had gotten past that awkward stage, but now it feels like he's gone back to it. It's really weird."