by T. K. Rapp
Chapter 26 ~ Finding Prom
“Mom, can you send Ree and Bailey up when they get here? I need some serious help,” I shout downstairs.
I run back to my vanity and look at my reflection.
My hair is a mess.
I have yet to do the makeup thing and all I’ve managed to do is shower. My dress is still hanging in the bag on the back of the closet door, and at this point I’m thinking I was insane to ever be excited about this. Mom tried to get me to do a manicure, but I hate people touching my nails so she gave up that fight and pushed to have me get my hair done instead. I fought that one too, because I thought I’d be able to do it myself.
“Bet you’re wishing you listened to me, huh?” Mom asks when she walks into the room and sits at the edge of my bed.
I turn to face her and throw my arms at my sides in defeat. There is nothing about getting dressed up for this that’s working out for me.
“Mom,” I whine, “this is crazy, I have no idea what I’m doing.”
I sit down next to her and throw myself back and stare at my ceiling and she mimics the movement.
Her hand reaches out for mine and she pats it, trying to calm me. “You’re fine. It’s prom—every girl looks forward to it, and then freaks out when it finally gets here. Would you like for me to help?”
“Yes.”
“You realize you could wear your gym clothes and Haden would still look at you like he always has.”
“Maybe so, but I’d rather not test that one out.”
“Then I suppose we better get moving,” she says as she sits up and drags me with her. “Show me the look you wanted to go for and we’ll see what we can do.”
I show her the image of what I found on Pinterest and she studies it for a few moments and sets my phone down before righting me in the mirror.
“You need to sit down, this could take a while,” she laughs. I’m a couple of inches taller than her, and seeing how much is going into the style, I do as instructed. She brushes my hair and starts to comb and part sections, pinning and curling when appropriate.
“Do you think you can do it?” I ask since she has my back to the mirror.
“Believe it or not, Laila, I’ve done your hair before. Granted, you were younger and didn’t sass me so much, but yeah, I got this.”
“I don’t want it too poufy or perfect,” I tell her. “I mean, I want it to look nice, but I don’t want to look like a princess.”
“Will you just relax and let me do this? And what’s wrong with looking like a princess every once in a while? It wasn’t too long ago that you got dressed up for Haden’s gallery opening, so something tells me you like this a lot more than you’re willing to admit.”
I can feel my neck getting hot and my face flushes. No I don’t, but I did it for my friend.
“Whatever,” I mutter, trying to change the subject. “Anything special going on?”
She doesn’t answer right away as she continues to piece the style together. Her hands stop moving and she moves in front of me and squats so that she’s at my level and looks at the progress before standing up to resume working.
“I’m taking Luka to Grandma’s house after you leave, and then your dad and I are going to set up for your after-party. I think the Jamesons’ are going to come over for a little, but that’s about it.”
“I still can’t believe y’all are letting everyone come over here and stay the night.”
“Why? I love those boys. Besides, if you’re not here, then there’s a chance for trouble. Dad and I will stay out of your way, and I think he’s heating the pool, so go wild.”
“Yeah, you know us,” I wave my hands around wildly, “we’re crazy!”
She tugs at my hair and I wince from the slight pain, but she only laughs.
“Are you nervous?” she asks.
“I’d lie and say no, but I think you already know the answer—this just isn’t my thing, but at the same time, I’ve always dreamed about prom.”
She puts a few more pins into my hair, and then pulls out the hairspray and puts an ungodly amount into my hair. I start coughing from the fumes and try to fan it out of my face, but she keeps spraying.
“Enough!” I cough-laugh. “I think you may have just clogged my lungs or something.”
“All right,” she smiles, “turn around.”
My eyes widen in awe when I see the look she created. It’s better than I expected and I turn to give her a hug but stop when I see the tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, pulling her to me and hugging her firmly.
“Nothing,” she lies, wiping a tear away.
“It’s just prom, Mom,” I remind her.
“Yeah, but then it’s graduation, then your road trip, college, marriage and kids,” she adds. I know the road trip is the one that worries her the most right now.
“Whoa, hold up! Now you’re marrying me off? Can I get through tonight first?”
She nods and laughs, but our time is interrupted when the doorbell rings.
“Okay, well, call me if you need me, I’ll be downstairs.” She kisses my cheek and disappears before the girls get to my room. It’s strange that all this time, the guys have been my only friends and the girls they’ve dated have been fleeting, yet that’s not the case with Bailey or Ree.
They come laughing into my room but both are frozen the moment they see me.
“Wow!” I gasp. “You both look amazing! Ree, I had no idea you were such a fashionista and Bailey -”
“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” Bailey interrupts my compliment and drops her overnight bag on the floor with a thud.
What the hell? It’s not something I do very often and she’s totally ruining the moment.
“This is me. Dressed,” I look down at my button-down shirt and give her a turn.
“You realize they’re going to be here in like thirty minutes, right?” She rolls her eyes to make sure I know how annoyed she is with me.
“Back off.” I try for nonchalance, but I don’t think it’s working. “Mom just finished my hair. All I have left is my dress.”
“And makeup,” Ree adds.
Yep, forgot that part.
“I got it,” Bailey says walking over to me. “Get her dress out of that bag, will ya?”
Ree nods and sets to doing her task while Bailey makes me her project—now.
“I can do my own makeup,” I remind her.
“Yeah, well apparently you can’t because it’s still not done so sit still and shut up,” she orders.
“Damn, you’re bossy. No wonder Joey’s so hung up on you—you’re just like his mom,” I tease with a straight face, and I’m rewarded with a finger to my side.
“I will cut you,” she says with eyelash curlers in hand.
“Not with that you won’t,” Ree tells her.
She figures that she’s not getting anywhere so she starts to apply my makeup, and once again I don’t get to see a damn thing—except Ree in a dress I didn’t think was her style. It’s a purple and blue strapless flowing gown with a bedazzled empire waist. Her hair is curled in long flowing pieces and her rich olive complexion has only a small hint of makeup. The dress was gorgeous at the store, but on her with full hair and makeup, she looks amazing.
“Has Cole seen you, yet?” I ask her.
“He saw the dress, and said he’d find something to match, so we’ll see.”
“You left it in his hands?” I laugh but stop and turn serious. “Good thing I like you. He called and asked me to help him pick something that matched purple. That’s it—all the details he gave me.”
“Great,” she groans, and sits on the end of my bed.
“I took a picture of your dress, remember? I got you covered,” I laugh.
“Can you stop talking and shut your eyes?” Bailey orders.
“Fine,” I mutter, not liking her much at the moment.
“Has Haden seen your dress?” Bailey asks.
I drop my shoulders and
exhale before opening my eyes and staring at her.
“Talk. Don’t talk. Make up your mind already,” I say, standing up to look in the mirror. I don’t care that she’s not finished—I never asked her to do it anyway.
“You’re nervous,” she teases, joining me to look in the mirror.
“Yeah, well, so what?”
“I think it’s cute.” She grins. “C’mon, sit down, I’m almost done.”
I sit back in the chair because she’s done a good job so far. Considering that she hasn’t actually seen the dress yet, she’s done my makeup perfectly. She adds some blush to my cheeks and hands me a tube of mascara.
“Here: eyes. Lips. Then dress.”
I do a single nod and finish up the look, and then take in my appearance.
Aside from the shirt, I look really nice. Ree silently holds the dress up, telling me to get a move on, and I disappear into the bathroom. When Mom helped me pick the dress out a few weeks back, she said it was the one for me. The off-the-shoulder pinkish-nude chiffon number gathers over my chest and is supposed to be secured with a sash around the waist. I do my best to zip and tie it up before stepping out. I love how it flows freely to my feet and I guess the girls must like the dress, because neither says a thing, but their beaming smiles speak volumes.
“Can someone make sure I got it zipped all the way and tie this damn thing?” I laugh nervously.
Ree walks over and secures everything before grinning appreciatively. “Looks great.”
“Thanks,” I answer and then look to Bailey. “And thanks for the makeup.”
Bailey walks over with her phone in hand and holds it out. “Prom selfie, girls. Let’s do it.”
We squish our faces together, smile, and wait for the click before relaxing.
“All right, let’s get downstairs,” I tell them as I grab my clutch and turn off the lights after they leave.
It’s still amazing how much everything has changed this last year—just like Joey said it should.
We’re downstairs all of two seconds before Mom comes in with her own camera, snapping pictures of each of us alone and together—and of course I can’t take a serious picture, so she’s not too thrilled with me. I can tell she’s about to give me the mom-stare, but she isn’t able to shoot the look because Dad opens the door to let the guys in.
“Party’s here,” Cole shouts and gives my dad a handshake and my mom a hug. Each of the guys follows the same routine before walking over to see us.
Haden looks perfect. He cut his hair, despite my objections, and if I thought he couldn’t get any cuter, I was wrong. We opted out of the matchy thing, because black is his thing—yet here he is in a gray fitted suit with a white shirt and a tie that does match my dress. His shy smile sends tingles down my arms and I feel suddenly very aware that everyone is looking at us.
“You look amazing,” he whispers in my ear as Mom snaps pictures of us together by the fireplace.
Ree and Cole take a few pictures together before Mom drags Joey and Bailey in for theirs. Braxton and Scot finally show up and look awesome in their black tuxes with complementary ties. Of course, Mom wastes no time running them through the same song and dance as the rest of us.
“I want to get everyone together for a group shot, and then I want one of the gang,” Mom orders. The guys start acting like idiots, making up hand signals for gangs, and Mom rolls her eyes, but they finally straighten up to take the obligatory prom picture.
As everyone makes adjustments to their outfits and poses for the picture, Haden’s phone rings in his pocket and he darts out of the shot before Mom can take it.
“Dude, put the phone down so we can get this over with,” Cole bellows.
Haden waves him off and walks toward the window so he can listen to whoever is talking on the other end. Everyone goes about their business and Mom continues snapping a few more shots before Haden finally walks over.
“Hey,” he says, reaching for my hand and pulling me away. “I’m gonna have to meet you there. Mom just called and she’s upset because my grandma isn’t doing so well. But I won’t be long, I’ll meet you there.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” I ask, trying to meet his eyes, but he avoids making eye contact.
“No, you go have fun. I don’t think I’ll be long.” He kisses my cheek and takes off without another word.
“Everything okay?” Joey walks over and asks so no one else hears.
“I don’t think his grandma is doing well, but he said to go on without him and he’ll meet us there,” I tell him.
He wraps an arm around my shoulder and hugs me. “Then he’ll meet us there.”
I nod, and everyone hurries outside to the limo laughing and smiling. Something about the way Haden took off nags at me, but I’m trying my best to ignore it. This is prom, the night I’ve been waiting for since I was a kid, yet with him not here, it doesn’t feel right.
“Joey,” I say, as he helps Bailey into the limo, but I never finish.
He nods his head and closes the door when he climbs in. I wave to everyone as the car drives off and stand at the end of the street unsure of my choice.
“What’s wrong?” Dad asks walking toward me.
“I don’t know. Haden said that his grandma isn’t doing so well. He said he’ll meet me at prom, but I feel like I should be with him.”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of car keys and hands them over to me.
“Be careful. Call to let us know you’re okay,” he says before kissing my head and walking inside.
I can’t believe I’m about to miss my prom.
Even though I could walk the short distance to the Searle’s house, these heels and dress aren’t exactly the right attire. I start the car and drive a block before reaching their house and pulling into the driveway. When I step out, I get to the front door and ring the doorbell.
I should’ve waited.
All of a sudden I hear Mrs. Searle shouting something, and crashing noises inside. I debate walking back to the car and leaving when the door swings open and Haden’s face pales; he looks completely broken.
“What are you doing here?” he asks with a hint of anger. “I told you I’d meet you there.”
“I know, but you know me, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine,” he says, but his mom cuts in and swings the door open.
“Laila, you look beautiful,” she slurs, walking toward me for a hug, but Haden blocks her access.
“You need to go,” Haden says with a calm, straight face.
“I just wanted to see how your grandma is doing.”
Ms. Searle swings her head and looks at Haden in shock before starting to cry.
“What happened to her?” she wails.
“Nothing,” he answers as she falls into his arms. He wraps them around her and tries to soothe his mom, but she only keeps crying. When his eyes meet mine, they are filled with sadness and he motions for me to follow them inside while he walks her to the couch.
The living room is in complete disarray. Pillows are strewn about the room, a vase is shattered on the floor near the coffee table, and pictures are scattered all over the couch. There is a small glass on the table with a half empty bottle of tequila next to it, and the pieces start to fall into place. Haden walks her to the recliner and gets her to sit down while I walk over to the couch and begin picking up the images.
“Why did he have to go?” she cries quietly. I don’t have to ask whom she’s talking about. Haden’s dad was the love of her life. She’s never dated anyone since he died and even though she rarely shows it, I know that even all these years later, it’s still fresh for her when she thinks about it.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Haden says with a loving calm. “Just get some rest.”
There is a small box on a shelf next to her, so I walk over to set the pictures in it, but she takes my hand and stops me so I kneel down next to her. She takes the stack from my hands and flips through them
until she finds the one she wants and hands the rest to me. She holds the image close to her chest and quietly cries until she’s asleep.
Chapter 27 ~ Finding Caroline
Dad: Everything okay?
Me: Yeah. Just sitting here with Haden & Ms. Searle.
I place my phone on the mantel before leaving her alone in her chair.
“Don’t,” Haden says when I find him in the kitchen standing still at the sink, but I refuse to listen.
Instead, I walk over and wrap my arms around his waist and hug him.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Neither of us says a word and he finally turns around to face me and buries his head in my neck. Slowly, his breathing becomes normal as he relaxes, but I know he’s holding back. I wish I knew what to say, but I say nothing, opting to be whatever he needs right now. When he releases me from his grasp, I look up at him and see the worry in his eyes so I reach up and smooth the furrow in his brow.
“I don’t know what to do anymore.”
He walks over to the kitchen table and takes a seat, so I do the same. I reach for his hand and he squeezes it and keeps his eyes trained on that sole connection. I wish I could take away whatever it is he’s feeling, but something tells me I can’t.
“How am I supposed to leave her?”
“What are you talking about?” I finally ask.
“When Dad died, she started drinking more. It wasn’t anything too bad, but now it’s out of control. Luckily, on days that she works, she’s clean. But the times that she’s off, well—she’s really off.” He scoffs to himself.
I think about it for a moment and realize that in the years since his dad died, I’ve never noticed her drinking.
“She hides it well,” he answers, as if he can read my mind.
“So what happened tonight?”
“I’m so sorry, Lai. I wanted tonight to be perfect for you.”
“It’s fine.” I try my best to sound convincing. “Maybe we’ll go later.”
He shakes his head and finally looks at me. “I need to get her to bed. She’s going to be embarrassed when she realizes you saw her like this.”