𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐃

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Twenty-Three

    Getting ready for the actual dance felt utterly surreal. Nora felt like she was the star protagonist in some stupid coming-of-age movie where she was finally undergoing her final transformation. This was her pulling off the glasses and letting down the hair moment as she twirled around in her dress and watched herself in the mirror as she did so. Kristen, Amarie, and she couldn't take their eyes off of themselves as they admired their hard work. It had been about a solid three hours of just makeup and hair, but judging by how amazing they looked, it had been one-hundred-percent worth it.

    Sighing, Nora slung her arms over both of her best friend's shoulders as she stood in between them. "We really made it to senior prom, huh. It's over after this."

    "I mean, finals next week and then grad prep. We're done," Kristen realized. None of them had truly registered how close the end of high school actually was. It was surreal, the thought that this never ending cycle of waking up at seven in the morning and seeing the same people every day for four years was actually, well, ending. It seemed like they were never going to get there, but now they were two weeks away from it. Nora was just hoping things could get better from here.

    "Is it normal to be scared that I'll wake up any moment and be a freshman all over again?" Amarie jokes, but the nervous smile on her face gave away everything she was really saying. "We started high school together and I'm so glad we're ending it together, too. I love you, both of you, endlessly."

    Nora breathed deeply, trying to control the overwhelming wave of emotions. "Okay, we spent way too long on this makeup to cry it off so let's cut the deep shit. We've got the whole world ahead of us, so, for tonight, let's just... be kids again. Let's also sincerely hope someone spikes the punch because I could go for a drink after the months I've had."

    "Damn and here I was thinking you were a good kid," the redhead laughed, hitting her best friend gently on the arm as the three of them burst into a fit of giggles.

    "I'm pretty sure that girl died a long time ago," Nora remarked with a soft chuckle as she walked over to the doorway where just next to it, their three pairs of heels sat. "Edison will be here any minute, you guys ready?"

    Sighing melodramatically, Amarie huffed and exclaimed, "Ready as we'll ever be! All right, we all look like princesses, but let's get the queen her crown!"

    "I am not going to win, the ASB kids always beat out everyone," Nora scoffed as the three of them began to put on their heels and head downstairs, "Shit's rigged, not that I mind losing. I can't believe I even got nominated. Talk about a pity vote."

    "If you're so sure, put some money on it. If you win, you owe me twenty bucks," Kristen suggested, holding out her hand for a shake and a solid deal. Nora had never seen her two friends as sure of anything than they were of her winning prom queen.

    Rolling her eyes, the girl knew her friends weren't going to drop the subject no matter what. So, she gave in and shook the other girl's hand, taking the deal. "I am going to be twenty dollars richer by the end of this night, then. You guys are ridiculous."

    "Oh, it is so on," Kristen laughed as they shook hands.

    With perfect timing, the doorbell rang as soon as they all arrived downstairs. Before the girls could get to the door, Nora's mom opened it.

    Edison looked immediately caught off guard as she cleared her throat and was clearly trying not to sound nervous, "Oh, hello Mrs. Watson, it's nice to... see you again."

    Nora snickered as she watches her mom stand there completely unphased. Without faltering in her kind tone, Nora's mother simply said, "Oh, please, call me Donna. Edison was it? Come on in, the girls were just coming down. Oh, there they are now!"