When Our Stars Aligned

Chapter Sixty-One

Throughout lunch we all just made small talk, but it was mainly Kendall and I peppering each other questions about what the other had been up to in the weeks we had been apart.

I mentioned the fact that I had been on a date with Evan and I could tell it kind of bothered Kendall. However, once I told him the date was a dud he bounced right back into his happy mood.

"What did you think about Parallel when you heard it for the first time?" he asked as he popped a potato chip into his mouth. I swallowed my sip of water before I responded.

"I was actually in Matt's car and he kept changing the station to keep me from hearing it," I said laughing now that I looked back at how he acted, "It was just after you had texted me about the showing for the house and we were headed home from the mall. It actually kind of relaxed me after all the prom shopping."

"Prom shopping?" Kevin asked as he crunched a chip.

"Aww sweetie! Show me the dress!" Kathy cooed.

"Oh no, I didn't get a dress. I went with my best friend to help him pick out a tux. I'm not going to prom" I said calmly.

"Why not?" Kendall asked as he leaned forward on the table.

"Just don't want to" I shrugged.

"Nice try hot stuff" Kendall said laughing and leaning back against the back of his chair.

"What?" I questioned him.

"You're lying" he accused. My jaw dropped in shock at what he had just said but he just laughed. "You always move your class ring around with your thumb when you're lying or when you're nervous. Take a look at your right hand" he pointed out.

Sure enough my thumb was playing with my ring on my right ring finger just like he said. "Come on" he said as he stood up from the table and slid my chair out for me.

"Where are we going?" I asked curiously.

"To the mall. We're getting you a dress and you will go to your senior prom" he said.

"Kendall, no. That's really sweet but-"

"Ah! No buts. The only 'butt' I want to see is yours walking up those stairs so that you can get ready. We leave in half an hour" he instructed.

I playfully saluted him before kissing his cheek and bounding up the stairs towards his room and bathroom. About thirty minutes later I was pinning my side braid back when Kendall yelled up the stairs at me.

"Celineeeeee!" he hollered kind of singsongy. I chuckled to myself as I flipped off the light switch in the bathroom and jogged downstairs.

"Yes?" I asked as I poked my head around the doorframe of the kitchen.

"You ready?" Kendall asked as he grabbed his keys off the counter. I stayed where I was and puckered my lips. He laughed and pecked my lips.

"Now I am" I winked as I turned and walked out the door toward his car.

Kendall followed close behind me and climbed in the drivers seat; before he even buckled his seatbelt he grabbed ahold of my hand and kissed it. He shot me a cheesy little grin before buckling, starting the car, and driving toward the mall.

With the traffic we got there about twenty minutes later and thankfully got into a dress store without causing a big commotion.

"Welcome to South's," an older sales rep greeted us and we walked through the door, "What can we do for you today?"

"Oh we're just looking" I said waving her off.

"No we're not. She needs a prom dress" Kendall said butting in.

The sales rep got a pad of paper out and jotted down the things I said I was looking for in a dress; sweetheart neckline, with or without straps, and preferably blue.

I waited in a dressing room as she scoured the racks and brought back several dresses. She helped me into each dress but none of them seemed to do anything for me.

"None of these feel like me" I said upset as I showed Kendall a dress for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Let me try" Kendall said as he got up and went back to all the dresses. A few minutes later the sales lady came back in with a aqua blue dress.

She help me slip into it and I fell head over heels in love with it. It was the perfect shade of blue with one shoulder but the fabric that stretched across my back was sheer with lace and sparkle accents on the top of my shoulder and down on my side. I threw the curtain back and stepped out of the dressing room.

"How'd I do?" Kendall asked as he searched my face for some sort of reaction.

"It's perfect" I said breathlessly.

"Do I know my girlfriend or do I know my girlfriend?" he said sarcastically.

I laughed as I walked over to him and kissed his lips lightly. "You did a great job babe. I'll be right back" I said as I turned and walked back into the dressing room.

I hung the dress back on the hanger and put my own clothes back on before walking back out. "Kendall?" I called as I looked around the little area near the dressing rooms, "Kendall?" He wasn't in sight so I took my dress up to the register.

"Did you happen to see the guy that was with me?" I asked the woman who had been helping us. "Mhm" she nodded as she smiled. I felt like she was looking past me so I turned around.

My heart started to beat fast as my eyes landed on Kendall who was dressed in a tux that didn't quite fit him. "Whatcha doing?" I asked as I tried to suppress a laugh.

He smirked as he plucked one of the fake roses out of a display vase and waltzed over to me. "Would you do me the honor of being my prom date? Or letting me be your prom date to your prom?" he asked as he scrambled for the right question to ask.

I smiled up at him as I took the rose from him and slipped my arm around his waist. Knowing what I was intending on doing he leaned down and met my lips with his.

"I'd love for you to be my date to my senior prom" I said as I tried to string together the awkward sounding words.

"Looks like I'm finally going to a prom," he said as he snickered, "and I'm glad its with the girl I love."