Chapter 40
Prom Night
CHARLOTTE
A few hours later, Tracy kicked the guys out and declared it was time for us to start getting ready. She had brought her dress over a few days ago, so we had everything we needed. She dragged me up to my room and announced that step one was to shower, wash my hair, and shave.
She went to the guest bathroom down the hall, while I used my own.
After my shower, I wrapped my hair in a towel and slathered on my coconut-scented lotion. I smelled like a tropical island, and it made me smile.
When I walked into my bedroom wearing just a towel, Tracy handed me a small bag and told me to put on whatever was inside. I went back into my bathroom to see what she had given me. It was a dark-red thong and a white button-up shirt that was way too big.
“Tracy, why am I wearing a thong, and whose shirt is this? It’s huge,” I called out.
“Well, the thong is to avoid panty lines, but you can use your imagination for any other possible reasons. Given you’re dating my brother, I won’t explain further. The shirt is TJ’s. I needed a button-up so it wouldn’t mess up your hair or makeup,” she explained.
“I knew TJ was bigger than me, but dang! Are you wearing TJ’s shirt too?” I asked.
“Sure am. I love stealing his big shirts. They’re so comfy,” she replied.
“Hmm, I might have to start stealing his clothes too,” I mused.
Once we were both dressed in TJ’s shirts, we sat on my bed to paint each other’s nails. Tracy chose a dark green to match her dress, while I went with a dark red. Once our nails were dry, Tracy started applying various moisturizers and creams to our faces—prepping our skin for makeup.
Next, she started applying makeup. She knew I wasn’t a big fan of makeup, so she kept it simple for me—a bit of smoky eye and some nude lipstick. She went for a more dramatic look for herself, with winged liner and red lips. She looked stunning.
After the makeup, it was time for hair. I styled her hair into long, loose curls and pinned the top part up and out of her face. She looked elegant and fun.
She styled my hair so most of it was down in curls, but the top was in a loose, elegant braided crown with a golden hairpiece that looked like a laurel crown. The hairstyle really complemented the Roman goddess look of my dress.
By now, it was almost time to meet the guys downstairs for pictures, so we both took off the white shirts and put on our dresses. My dress was cut in such a way that I couldn’t wear a bra, so I felt very exposed in just the thong. I didn’t even own a thong—where did Tracy get this thing?
“You look amazing, Trace! Plut is gonna flip,” I told her.
“Thanks, you look like a goddess. I can’t even describe how incredible you look,” Tracy gushed, making me blush.
“Girls! Your dates are here,” my mom called from downstairs.
Tracy descended the stairs first, and I could hear Plut stumbling over his words while TJ laughed at him. He then complimented his twin on how nice she looked; she really did look amazing.
Next, it was my turn to walk down the stairs. I slowly descended, grateful that my shoes were Roman sandals and not high heels.
When I walked into the living room, Plut gasped.
“Wow! You look like a goddess—that’s awesome!” Plut exclaimed.
I looked over at TJ, but he was just staring at me with his mouth open, not saying a word.
“You look really handsome in your tux,” I told him shyly, but he still didn’t respond.
“Um, do I look okay?” I asked, starting to feel self-conscious. Did he
not like my outfit?
“Uh, wow!” was all he managed to say.
“You look amazing, sweetie,” my mom said, pulling me into a hug.
“Wow!” TJ repeated.
“I think you broke him this time,” Plut commented.
“I can’t even express how stunning you look, baby!” TJ finally managed
to say.
“Thanks,” I replied, blushing.
My mom quickly ushered us out to the garden to take pictures. I wasn’t sure why we even had a garden since no one ever used it, but she insisted and had even had a gardener come take care of it.
She had us pose first by the fountain and then among the flowers. She took pictures of the girls, the boys, the couples, all four of us—basically any and every combination you could think of.
It was a bit much, but it made my mom happy, and we didn’t do much together, so I didn’t mind.
I noticed that she would occasionally put down her camera and take pictures on her phone. When I asked her why, she explained that she was going to text some to TJ’s and Plut’s parents. That made sense, considering Plut didn’t live here and TJ’s parents had to work. I was sure their mom was upset about missing seeing Tracy and TJ off to their senior prom.
After what felt like a million pictures, my mom finally put her camera away, and we went back inside. Apparently, our ride to prom had arrived while we were taking pictures, but none of us knew what it was.
We walked out front, and I burst out laughing at the sight. I knew people tried to go to prom in the most unique vehicles, and I was pretty sure we were going to win. Our sponsor had hired a massive video game truck to take us there.
The truck was amazing! It was black with our logo prominently displayed on the side, along with pictures of our game avatars. I guessed they had started selling this type of truck for party rental facilities, using our images since we were the hottest new team.
It was a little intimidating—seeing our likenesses so large—but still cool.
“Well, we won’t get bored on the way there,” Plut said, picking up a controller as he climbed in.
“Are video games all you guys think about?” Tracy asked, rolling her eyes.
“Yup,” I replied, grabbing another controller and sitting next to Plut before tossing the third controller to TJ.
“Have fun, kids!” my mom called out as the truck drove away.
We managed to play an entire game before we arrived at the hotel where prom was being held. We even got Tracy to play, although she was terrible.
Once we arrived, we put away the controllers and got out of the truck to walk down the red carpet. Tracy and Plut went first, then TJ and me.
Everyone gasped when we got out—I guessed my goddess outfit was pretty eye-catching. It definitely wasn’t your standard prom dress, but it was perfect for me.
After we walked in, TJ immediately pulled me onto the dance floor for a slow song. I wasn’t the best dancer, but TJ was amazing. He held me close and guided me around the room. I felt like I was floating on a cloud, safe in his arms. This was where I belonged, here with TJ.
After the song ended, we went to get some punch before Tracy dragged me out onto the floor to dance to some fast songs. The prom was more than half over, and I hadn’t even sat down yet. Plut managed to get me to dance with him, but I stepped on his foot, so he didn’t ask me to dance a second time. I didn’t think TJ minded that, however.
The music came to a halt, and one of our teachers took center stage. He announced it was time to crown the prom king and queen. I hadn’t even considered that they did that. I mean, it should have been obvious, but it just never crossed my mind. I found myself wondering who the lucky winners would be.
TJ pulled me closer, his arms wrapping securely around me. I wasn’t really paying attention to the teacher’s words, lost in the warmth of TJ’s embrace. That was until we heard the teacher call out TJ’s name. I turned to him, my eyes wide with surprise, as the crowd began to turn our way.
“Did you just get crowned prom king?” I asked, my voice filled with disbelief. He simply shrugged before making his way to the stage.
I guessed it made sense, considering his popularity. I moved closer to Tracy, not wanting to be left alone. I had just reached Tracy when they announced the prom queen. I hadn’t been paying attention, so I was taken aback when Tracy started jumping up and down. What was she so excited
about?
“Go, go, go!” she urged me.
“Go where? What are you talking about?” I asked, utterly confused.
“You won! Get up there!”
“Won what?” I was still lost.
“Prom queen, obviously!”
“What? How?”
Still in shock, I made my way to the stage next to TJ. He quickly took my hand as they delicately placed a tiara on my head, careful not to ruin my hairstyle. TJ then led me off the stage and onto the dance floor for the
traditional king and queen’s dance.
“How did I win?” I whispered to TJ.
“Sweetheart, after the tournament, you’re a celebrity. Even if you disregard the TV ads and interviews, you’re on gaming equipment boxes and posters. Everyone in school watched the tournament. I would have been
surprised if you hadn’t won.”
“Really? Everyone knows me?”
“Absolutely!” TJ confirmed, planting a kiss on my forehead.
After our dance, everyone returned to the dance floor to enjoy the rest of the evening. By the time the prom ended, I was completely worn out.
“I think you’re going to have to carry me home. I can’t walk anymore,”
I joked to TJ, only to be surprised when he scooped me up and carried me
out of the ballroom.
“I was kidding,” I laughed.
“That’s fine, I wanted to carry you,” he replied, refusing to put me down, which only made me laugh harder.
Mom had dropped off my car at the hotel, so we didn’t have to take the game truck home. When we reached the car, Tracy and Plut climbed into the back seat while TJ helped me into the passenger side. He took my keys and went around to the driver’s side. I was too tired to argue about him driving my car—not that I would have, anyway.
By the time we reached my house, we were all too tired to party any longer. I headed straight to my room to shower and change out of my dress, while Tracy used the guest bathroom.
Plut must have used the bathroom attached to his room, because he was already showered by the time I came out. Tracy announced she was going to stay with Frank and quickly disappeared into his room, leaving me alone with TJ, who was still in his tux.
I told TJ he could use my bathroom to shower, while I collapsed onto my bed, utterly exhausted. About ten minutes later, he emerged from my
bathroom wearing only a towel.
Wow!
I couldn’t help but stare at him, watching as water droplets fell from his hair onto his bare chest.
“Like what you see?” he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Um.” I blushed.
He casually walked over to his bag on the floor and picked it up, disappearing back into the bathroom. A minute later, he emerged wearing athletic shorts, still shirtless. I certainly wasn’t complaining.
“You look really tired, sweetheart. Want me to go sleep on the couch downstairs so you can get some rest?”
“Will you stay with me for a little while?” I asked, my cheeks flushing.
“Of course,” he replied, sliding into bed next to me.
I quickly snuggled up to him, resting my head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
“Mmm, I love you,” I murmured, my words muffled by sleepiness.
“I love you too,” were the last words I heard before sleep claimed me.
