Prom Night

"Come on Jenna, just answer the question. Are you coming tonight or not?"

"I don't know Nancy"

"What do you mean you don't know?" Nancy asks sarcastically.

"I don't know if I can stand to see Chris with that bitch! We did just broke up last week and he's already got a new girlfriend!" I yell.

"That's why you should go!" Nancy shouts excitedly. "Yeah! You have to go to prom! You'll walk in all hot and confident. Act like you couldn't care less about Chris. That will show him!" she says all proud.

"You really think that's the best thing to do?" I ask.

"Hell yes! He'll be begging you to take him back!"

"Haha! I don't want him back! But, I'd love to make him regret ever letting me go... Ok, I'll go to prom." I say giving in. "What's the theme again?"

"Yes! This is going to be great!" Nancy shouts. "The theme is a "Masquerade Ball", with the masks and everything. This is going to be so fun! Let's get you ready!" Nancy says, taking my hand as we run to her car.

-----

"Weren't you just here?" I ask Nancy as we park the car in front of "RUBY'S DRESSES".

"Yeah, but I didn’t find a dress I liked and you need a dress now. Plus "RUBY'S DRESSES" is the best place to buy dresses in town," Nancy explains.

"More like the only one in town," I mumble.

"Hey, don't hate on Ruby. I know you're kinda new in town but having one good dress store in a small southern town is pretty good," Nancy says before opening the door.

"Nancy, back so soon?"

"Ruby you won't believe it! Jenna has finally agreed to go to prom!" Nancy announces.

"That's great Jenna! But, isn't prom tonight?" Ruby asks.

"Yeah, it is," I say.

"Then we have some work to do!" Ruby says running over with pins and measuring tape.

-----

"So, what do you think Jenna?" Ruby asks.

I study myself in the mirror. I look beautiful. I am wearing a blood-red pencil dress. With a slit going down half the dress. Starting at my thigh exposing all of my right leg. There is a V neckline going halfway down my chest. I am wearing five inch black high heels with red gemstones. My hair is curled up in a high messy bun with glitter all around it. My make-up is done in a natural look other than my bright red lipstick. I have on a red and black mask with snakes dancing around it. I have never looked so good. This will show Chris what he's missing.

"Who cares what she thinks. I think Chris is going to drop dead!" Nancy says laughing.

"I hope so! I love this dress! Thank you for doing my hair and make-up also," I say to Ruby.

"I'm so glad!" Ruby says, clapping.

"Nancy you look beautiful, stop messing with your hair!" I said to my friend. She is wearing a light blue dress with rhinestones covering it. She is wearing three inch dark blue high heels. Her hair is curled with a blue flower tying it together in the back. And she is wearing a blue rose petal mask to match it. She went for a more bold make-up look, with birth blue eyeshadow and hot pink lipstick. I think her boyfriend Josh will love it.

"Ahh ok, I just can't get this flower to stay!" she says frustrated.

"You both look gorgeous! But no one will get to see it if you don't get going!" Ruby says fixing Nancy's flower. "Go on, get!"

------

"Jenna let's go in, we can't wait out here all night!" Nancy says opening the gym door. I stare at it before slamming it shut. 

"Come on Jenna, you look great. Chris is going to kill himself for letting you go," Josh says.

"Ok, ok you guys are right, let's go!" I say walking in.

I take a deep breath and push open the double doors. I walk in feeling more confident than I ever have. I don’t know where I’m getting it from. I got this I think to myself. People are staring... They are actually staring at me! Oh, God there's Chris, with that slut. Crap, he's looking at me!

"Hi Chris, Joanna," I say walking up to Chris and his hoe.

"J-Jenna?" Chris asks with his mouth falling open. 

"The one and only," I say.

"Shit, I didn't even recognize you!" he says trying to contain himself.

"I know. Why else would your tongue be falling out of your mouth?" I say closing his mouth. "Don't want your new girlfriend to see you slobber all over me. Now do we?" I say smiling as I walk away. I think Chris is in shock. Otherwise he would have made another snarky comment. I don't even know why I dated Chris. He was a dick! I just needed to forget...forget. No, don't think about him, I tell myself. "Ugh," I breathe out, I need a drink.

-------

Yup, somebody spiked the punch I think to myself as I taste the drink. Good, I needed a real drink. Suddenly I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see a handsome stranger. He is the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. Although, I think I need to add scarcely muscler to the mix. He has dark hair and blue piercing eyes. They make his mask almost disappear. It is red and black to match his tux.

 It matches my costume perfectly. We look like a coordinated couple. Only one other person has ever dressed in red and black with me to a party before. Is it? No, STOP! It’s impossible. But, I can't help but feel like I've met him before.

"Would you like to dance?" he asks. He has a British accent. I've only met one other person with a British accent like his. 

"Do I know you?" I ask confused.

"No, I don't believe so," he says. "My name is Ben," he says, extending his hand. Ben. No way, it can't be him. Lots of people are named Ben. Drop it Jenna, relax. 

"Nice to meet you Ben, my name is Jenna," I say, shaking his hand.

"Jenna?" he asks. "I used to know- Nevermind," he says, cutting himself off. "Dance?" he asks again, extending his arm.

"Sure," I say, taking his hand. I hope Chris is watching.

------

"So, are you new in town?" I ask as he spins me.

"Yes, actually I moved here after..." he starts to say but stops. He looks pained by whatever brought him here.

"It's ok, you don't need to tell me," I say, placing my hand in his as we start to dance. “I don’t like talking about what brought me here either,” I say quietly.

"No, it's ok," he says. "It happened about a year ago back in my old town. The local Church caught fire. I was with my girlfriend and..."

"What's wrong? I know it's bad but I didn't even get to the worst part," he says.

I closed my shocked mouth. "Sorry, it's just... No, nevermind it's not possible," I say.

"What! What is it! Tell me please!" he says, grasping my shoulders. Wow this guy might be just as nuts as I am.

"Ok, but don't call me crazy. Alright?" I ask. He nodded. "I came here about a year ago after my town's local Church cot on fire. Well, it's not that simple actually. I was in it when the Church cot on fire with my-my..." I can't continue because of all the tears falling from my eyes.

"Your boyfriend. Your town was called Oxford and the Church was on Maple Street," he says with tears filling in his eyes.

I've stopped crying now. I'm so shocked. "H-how do you? Did you? Are you? No! No way! You- you died!" I shout. Before he can say anything I rip off his mask and throw it. Exposing his face.

"Hugh!" I gasp covering my mouth. I just stare at him. "Benedict?" I ask crying again.

He takes off my mask before letting his tears fall. "Genevive," he says before caressing my check. "My parents told me you died," he says confused.

"My parents told me YOU died," I echo. "How could they do this to us?"

"They never approved of us," he says.

"Starting a fire was the perfect opportunity for them to make us believe each other died," I say now angry.

"Then they moved us to new towns so we would never see eachother again," he says, also angry. "But the same new town," he says with a smirk.

"What are you thinking?" I ask, smiling.

"They started the fire didn't they?"

"I think so," I say.

"How about we call our parents to pick us up and confront them together, at the same time. Then we tell them we are leaving together forever," he says.

"That sounds great and all but we can't leave without parental consent we're only 17th, still minors. They'll never agree to that," I say, sighing.

But Ben's smile only grows. "If they don't agree, we'll tell them we'll go to the police and tell them what they did," he says proudly.

"Oh, I love you," I say before kissing him. "Let's do it!"