| �Hey Maria,� Tess said as she applied her eyeshadow. �Yeah?� Maria has been staring at herself in the mirror for the past ten minutes. She couldn�t believe she was wearing something so gorgeous to the party. It hugged her body closely and shimmered in the precise places. The dress wasn�t blinding in its glitter, but it was eye-catching just the same. �So how�s our taste?� Isabel inquired earlier. Maria was still breathless when she replied, �Exquisite, Iz. Thank you so much.� Isabel hugged Maria, careful not to crease their attires. �You are so welcome, Maria. It was the least we could do.� Maria knew very well that it was Isabel who chose and paid for the dress. Isabel was funny like that. She would build this exterior of being really untouchable and then she�d shatter the very image because she just can�t help being so darned nice. She owed Tess a lot this past months though. She filled the void that losing Liz as a best friend left her. In fact, Tess turned out to be so much more fun that Liz had been. �Do you think Kyle loves me?� Both Maria�s and Isabel�s eyes flew to the smallest girl in their trio. It was Isabel who responded, �The guy is insane about you!� Tess seemed thoughtful as she sat down on the dresser. �Insane�s as insane does. I�m looking for something more.� Intrigued, Isabel stepped closer while adjusting the pins on her hair. �Something more? Like what?� �I don�t know what�� Maria interrupted Tess� frustrated sigh. �She obviously means that warm fuzzy feeling when you look at each other, Izzie. Or that restlessness when you know he�s just outside your classroom door and the teacher won�t dismiss you early. Maybe even that panic you feel when you think he�s hurting inside�� her voice trailed off. Tess blinked at Maria. �Well isn�t that what you�re looking for?� Tess nodded. �How�d you know?� Maria�s lips curved into a smile. She had decided something tonight, but these two girls, although very close to her, were not the ones who would know about it first. She was reserving the knowledge for her best friend. �I saw it in the movies,� she told them offhandedly. �So you think?� Tess asked again. Isabel found the conversation train rather unappealing, so she peered over Tess� shoulder at the mirror to check her eye make up. Maria went over to Tess and said, �Look me in the eye, Tess.� When blue met green, she continued, �The guy has been sniffing after Liz Parker for years and then you come and suddenly, he�s forgotten about her. He missed basketball night to order you around in the diner and take you riding. He borrowed Steel Magnolias to watch it with you, when the guy at the counter is like one of his toughest rivals for team captain position. Then you blew him off to go shopping with Isabel and right now he�s still downstairs waiting for you, fidgeting because he�s not sure you�d like how he looks. So having said all that� what do you think?� �I think,� she started. �I think�� �Yes�� Her eyes crinkled at the corners. �I think there�s a huge possibility he thinks I�m �it.�� Tess jumped off the dresser and grabbed her gown. Isabel breathed a thank you that the dresser was free. �Well done, Maria.� �Ah well,� she grinned. ~~ Kyle, Michael and Alex were lined up at the living room, waiting. Amy had asked them to sit down, and they did. But they fidgeted so much and finally stood up again that Amy decided it was best to let them remain as they were. She was surprised to open the door to a bickering Kyle and Michael, muttering something about idiots and the idiocy of requiring ties with clothes. Standing behind them was someone she wasn�t really familiar with. When they introduced him as Alex Whitman, she was hugged by the lanky boy warmly. �Mrs. De Luca. By any chance are you the wife of Maria�s brother?� �Oh stop it,� she giggled, slapping the boy playfully on the arm. She had never enjoyed herself so much. Maybe this sober thing wasn�t so bad. �They�ll be down shortly. Tess can�t seem to find one of her shoes.� �Figures,� Michael muttered, and Kyle jabbed him with an elbow. �What man!? I meant figures there must be something wrong that they�re not down here yet.� �Sure, Guerin. Now shut up. I should�ve known you shouldn�t have been encouraged to speak more around us.� �Stuff it, Valenti.� �Can I help?� Alex asked, and the two guys turned shocked expressions on him. �I wouldn�t go there if I were you,� Amy advised. �They�re all on their hands and knees crawling on the floor, looking everywhere.� It was like lunch bell, and Amy�s announcement made their ears ring in excitement. Kyle and Michael straightened readily and started up the stairs. �We should really help,� Kyle said. �We can�t be late.� They stepped on each other in a hurry to open the door first. Alex followed closely behind. Being an athlete, it was Kyle who reached the door first and pushed it open. The three young men looked in to find Tess putting on the stray shoe, and Isabel dusting her skirt with long elegant hands. Michael helped Maria off the floor and finally got a good look at her. The material fell heavily around her, snug and shivery to look at. The front revealed just enough skin to expose the curve of her breasts, and Michael was possessed by the urge to dip his head and just� smell her. He tamped down the desire and said, �You look amazing.� �Yes she does, doesn�t she, Kyle? Now quit that and pick up your jaw. I�m your date.� Embarrassed, Kyle looked at Tess up and down. �What can I say, babe? I�ll be walking to the prom with an angel.� While Tess was blushing at Kyle�s comment, and Michael was still awestruck, Isabel arched her brow at Alex. �So don�t you have any flattery for me too?� �You already know how beautiful you look, Isabel. You don�t need me to tell you,� Alex told her matter-of-factly. Isabel frowned. �Well I think I�d enjoy hearing something!� �Yeah all right.� Alex leaned close to whisper stringed together sentences that made her cheeks burn with pleasure. �So are you all shoed?� Michael cracked, but no one laughed. Kyle said, �You have to accept the fact that you�re one of those people meant to say just a little, Michael.� Alex turned to the girls. �So ladies, all ready to go?� Isabel reached for Maria�s and Tess� hands. �Well let�s rock Roswell High!� ~~ They arrived at the prom with the usual fanfare of people staring at them waiting for something dramatic to unfold. They were disappointed to see that the three couples were acting normal, flirting, laughing and dancing. At the dancefloor, Tess Harding and Jock Kyle were having the time of their lives. They watched closely to see if they would grind their hips together and create scandalous moves. Unfortunately, those two were pretty General Patronage-Admit all Audiences. When they looked for Isabel Evans and Alex Whitman, the two were murmuring to each other by the punch bowl. There was nothing special about the sight really. Of course they hadn�t seen Isabel look softly at a guy like she�s doing now. But that in itself wasn�t titillating� So they scanned the crowd for where Maria De Luca and date Michael Guerin went. Speaking of the two, were they back together? They looked awfully close there by the sidelines. Was that Maria De Luca trying to pull Michael to the dancefloor? Well this is something they just had to see! That was soooo comical. But it wasn�t soap material. Was life getting boring? Hey, would you get a look at the back of that dress! Maria De Luca�s gown was barebacked. It was so low. That�s probably why Michael Guerin�s insisting that they stay out of the dancefloor. He wouldn�t want anyone to cut, now would he? All eyes turned to the swinging doors, as Jared Tyler stepped into prom with a brown lump hanging on his arm. He walked forward and was bathed in light. And the brown lump was revealed to be Liz Parker. Was she wearing the same gown as Maria De Luca? The students saw Liz�s eyes rest on Maria, and those brown eyes slitted. Liz was monochrome� but that was really beside the point. She looked pissed. Liz started pulling her date in the general direction of Maria and Michael. Isabel at the punch bowl and Tess on the dancefloor were too far to beat her to their friend. �Looks like we shopped in the same boutique,� Liz said. �Is the tag still hanging there, Maria? �Coz I know you can�t afford that with the pittance your mom makes. Better be careful not to spill anything. You know you can�t return damaged items.� Now the soap has begun! The crowd started closer on the show. Like the supporter of feminism that he has suddenly become, Michael leaned back and let Maria fight her own battle. Maria mocked a gasp. �Are we wearing the same gown, Liz? Because this mermaid cut was given to me by my best friends, and it doesn�t look like that sack you�re wearing.� And then she looked directly at Jared. �Or is just the plain lack of curves that�s making an expensive dress look like rag?� Liz Parker�s date actually chuckled at that. Growling, Liz raised her palm and stepped closer to Maria, when a bouquet of roses was thrust in front of her. She glared at her attacker. Suddenly, her hard fa�ade softened. �Max.� Max Evans was using the bouquet of pink roses to ward her off. �Leave Maria alone, Liz. Why don�t you dance with your date?� Angry but distracted upon seeing Max�s deep meaningful, Liz allowed Jared to lead her off in the meantime. Left to themselves, Max looked at Maria from underneath the dark half moon shadows created by his long, thick lashes. He offered the bouquet to her in two hands. �Awww Max, didn�t I specifically ask you not to do that!?� Isabel cried, stalking with Alex to where Max was standing with Maria and Michael. TBC |
| Part 17 |
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