"Which color should I go with?" Aly wiggled her fingers in front of my face. "Sea foam or nude?"

"Nude," Rachel said leaning over me.

"I was thinking sea foam. It matches your dress," I commented.

"Okay, how about this. Sea foam for the fingers, nude for the toes?" Aly looked at both of us. I shrugged.

"Sure."

"Yeah, let's go with that." Rachel nodded.

I leaned farther back in the leather seat, submerging my toes into the warm bucket of water.

"So whose house are we meeting at for pictures tonight?" Rachel asked. I already knew who's house we wouldn't be at. And that was Mason's.

"Drew's hosting the pregame," Aly reminded her. "We have to be there by six."

"Which should give us exactly four hours to get ready," Rachel said, setting the timer on her phone.

Trying to relax I rested my eyes closed. I should've been as ecstatic as Aly and Rachel for the night, but I just had a feeling that it wouldn't be what imagined. Not with such strong animosity still lying between me and Chase's friendship.

In the past for homecoming dances or winter formal, we'd meet up at his house to take pictures on his front porch. It was was a sad realization, knowing that this wouldn't be the case for prom. Everything had become too difficult. With his parents splitting up and Leah now in the picture. I just wished things could return to how  they used to be, but that reality didn't exist for us anymore.

I missed him.

The stubborn icy wedge that was fixed between us had melted, leaving me shivering cold standing  by myself on the other side.

I wasn't angry anymore. I was just exhausted.

By the time our nails had gone under two coats of paint and the drier, it was nearly three o clock.

We packed back into Aly's Volkswagen and drove back to my house where our dresses waited for us on closet hangers.

Shortly after getting back, the air was singed with the smell of curlers, flat irons, and hair removal creams. As I straightened the front strands of Aly's hair, the bedroom door edged open, and my mother peeked in from the other side.

"How's it coming along girls?" she asked, stepping into the room without invitation. Rachel's response was withheld by the charcoal mask that was cemented on her face. She struggled out a "fine."

"Good. Well when you girls are ready, let me know. In the meantime I'll be getting the camera set up downstairs." she brushed her hands alongside her jeans and shook her head, "As soon as I can figure out what your father did with the tripod," she muttered.

"Check the garage," I told her. "It's probably behind the stack of boxes filled with all the photo albums."

She waved her finger in the air as it clicked and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Okay your turn," Aly said standing from the desk chair. She patted the seat and spun it around to face me. "What do you want? Waves? Curls?"

"Soft waves," I said, sitting down. She reached over me to adjust the temperature on the curling iron.

"Coming right up."

Through the mirror's reflection I watched as Rachel peeled the mask off like an extra layer of skin. She ran a hand over her face before squinting her eyes with a frown.

"I look so blotchy," she pouted, reading over the label of the bottle. "Aly, you told me these things were supposed to make my skin baby smooth."

Aly took a strand of my hair with the iron.

"How long did you leave it on for?" she asked.

"Um, like fifteen or twenty minutes I think."

Aly drew her hand back, letting my hair fall.

"Rachel! You're only supposed to let that stay on for ten minutes."

Rachel craned her neck back to face us, mouth falling agape.

"What? Why didn't you tell me that!"

"Did you read the label?"

She blinked her eyes several times, scoffing to herself. Light patches of discoloration spotted her face.

"Yeah..." she admitted. "I just figured my skin could use the extra time."

Aly drew out an exasperated sigh.

"Oh my god."

"It's fine," I cut in. "We'll cover it with makeup."

Rachel covered her face with her hands.

"You guys relax," I smiled. "Both of you are being so dramatic."

"Easy for you to say," Rachel commented. "Everything's working out perfectly for you. You have a date. Chase would probably be your security back up even if you didn't. Oh, and you have perfectly clear skin. Not all of us can be so lucky."

"What?" I turned around to face her.

"Kaya!" Aly shouted, pulling the iron back right in time from scalding my face.

"I'm sorry, but have you even realized that Chase and I aren't talking?" I asked. "And just because you don't have a date doesn't mean that it's not gonna be a good night. As for your skin, I'm sure that it will fade in the next twenty minutes. If not, we'll just cover it up. It's senior prom. We're going to have fun tonight."

Aly rotated my head back to it's place to finish curling the remaining pieces. My phone buzzed on the desk, lit up by a text message. I slid my thumb over the screen to unlock it. The text was from Mason.

15 mins. away

"Oh god," I said with a gasp. Rachel shot me an accusatory look.

"What's wrong Kaya?" she taunted. "You don't sound very relaxed."

"Mason's on the way," I said. "We have fifteen minutes before he gets here."

Aly's grip slipped.

"Fifteen minutes?" she shrieked."There's no way we're gonna be ready in fifteen minutes. Can't he just wait?"

"He's the one driving us to Drew's. I don't wanna hold him back."

"How about this," Aly started. "Your hair is finished, so I'll start on your makeup. You leave with Mason, and Rachel and I will just get ready here. We'll meet you at Drew's."

"That's a nice plan, but I don't wanna split up with you guys. And we have to take pictures remember?"

"I think we'll be fine," Rachel said, removing curlers from her hair. "We can take picture's at Drew's."

"She's right," Aly said, spreading her makeup tools along the desk surface until it was covered completely. "Close your eyes."

I did as she said, sitting motionless until she told me to open my eyes before commanding me to shut them closed once more. Her eyeshadow brush swept over my eyelids, and I tried not to envision the minutes counting down on the clock.

"What color do you want for your lips?" she asked, patting my face with sponges and brushes.

"Nude."

Seconds later, a tube of lipgloss met my mouth.

"Okay now, up, up, up," she patted me on the back. "You need to change into your dress."

I barely got a chance to look at my reflection, before Rachel was fitting the hanger into my hands. I took it to the bathroom, and stripped out of my robe, stepping into the white gown. The length fell to the marble tiled floor.

I rose my head, staring at myself in the mirror. My waves framed my face, reaching the edge of the strapless neckline.

Though it felt like Aly had packed on a ton of products, my face emanated a soft glow, sparkling with a light layer of highlighter and frosty eyeshadow.

A knock on the bathroom door pulled me away from my own image. I opened it to find Rachel on the other side.

"He's here," she said handing over silver my clutch and heels.

I stepped out, raising the fabric of my dress as I approached the top of the staircase. My parents voices carried upstairs as they spoke with him in the foyer. My father's stood out the most.

"So how's the college hunt coming? Have you made a decision yet?" he was asking.

"Yes, I think so. I'm still waiting to hear back about the scholarship, but I think my heart's set on State."

"Wonderful." I could picture my dad's smile, stretching ear to ear. "They have a great team. You'll get in. I made sure to put in a good word for you."

I wasn't surprised. It was his alma mater after all. I only wished that he'd shown half the enthusiasm when I finally showed him my acceptance letter.

"I really appreciate that Mr. Fischer," Mason said. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. You've been a great help to the boys on my team. It's the least that I could do."

With my hand on the rail, I started down the stairs and their discussion ceased. The tripod came into view before I was blinded with a flash. I put a smile on my face as my eyes saw white, giving my mother her perfect picture.

When my vision cleared Mason was the first thing I saw as I descended towards him. His black tuxedo was pressed wrinkle free, with a satin white bowtie fitted beneath the collar.

His grey eyes connected with mine, not once shifting as I took his hand.

My mother shifted into action, pointing the camera lens at us. There came another white flash.

"This way," she directed, waving her hand. "Let's see a smile. Kaya, take a step closer. That's it."

I did as she asked planting a smile onto my face. As I closed the space between Mason and I, he leaned into my ear.

"You look beautiful," he whispered, placing a palm on the small of my back. I didn't break the smile as I shifted my gaze to him.

"Perfect!" my mother gawked. "Don't move. That looks lovely."

My father stood a few feet away, with his chin held in the air. But the corners of his mouth had turned up into a smile. A rare sighting.

"Alright, now let's see the corsage." my mom said.

Mason tucked his hand into his jacket pocket and retrieved a clear box. He removed the lid, exposing a white rose inside. I extended my wrist to him, and he slid on the silver sequined band of the corsage.

My father stepped forward next, and handed me Mason's boutonniere.

"Thank you," I said, taking it from his hands. I secured it onto the fold of Mason's blazer, pinning it in place.

"Beautiful," my mother said. "We're going to need a photo album for these."

Mason looked down at me.

"Are you ready?" he asked. I nodded my head.

"We're going to head out," I told my parents, while my mother was distracted with adjusting the camera angle. Hearing that, she stopped what she was doing.

"But, your friends haven't come down-"

"They're going to meet up with us later. I'll send you the pictures from the dance alright?"

She opened her mouth to object, but my father came to my aid.

"That's quite alright. You both have fun tonight."

"Will do Mr. Fischer," Mason said leading me towards the door. Giving my mother one last photo opportunity, I glanced over my shoulder and smiled before stepping through the door.

Mason followed behind me as I walked to his car trying desperately not to catch the fabric of the dress with my heels. He clicked the locks and I slid inside, pulling my dress over the edge of the car.

His scent was even more overwhelming as he took a seat beside me. The cologne that he wore smelled of spice.

I fastened my seatbelt as he turned out of my driveway onto the road. He turned down Chase's street, heading towards the back exit of the neighborhood. I looked out of my window as we pulled close to his house.

He happened to be outside, standing on the front steps of his home. His arms were wrapped around Leah's waist, as the two of them stood beneath the roof of his porch, beaming at the camera that his father had set up in the lawn. Right where I used to stand.

We passed them quickly, but I caught myself turning my head back to watch their figures grow smaller in the distance.

"What are you looking at," Mason asked. His eyes weren't watching me, but the rearview mirror.

"Just...nothing," I turned back around in the seat. He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, but he didn't ask again.

I changed the subject.

"Are you excited for tonight?" I gave him a smile.

"I am," he nodded. "I'm glad you decided to come with me."

"Yeah. Me too."

I twisted my wrist surveying the white rose petals on my corsage.

He reached over and took my hand in his.

"You know, I thought about you every single day that we were apart. I never really showed you before, but you mean so much to me. The worst mistake I ever made was treating you so terribly that you'd rather have walked away." he said. "God knows you deserve so much better than me. But, I won't lose you again this time."

He brought my hand to his lips, pressing them against my skin.

"I love you," he said.

A petal slipped away from the rose, fluttering in the air as it fell. I watched it touch the floor and before lifting my eyes to his.

And maybe I did deserve better, but I was willing to try again.

Starting with tonight.

"I love you too."

________________________________________________________

A/N: The end.

Hahaha JUST KIDDING. There's still a whole lot left to this story. I'll spare you all the apologies of my late updates. All I have to say is junior year of college is no joke! Plus I have a part time job now which leaves me with nonexistent time for updates. So, I hope you all take this as a Christmas present (or if you don't celebrate Christmas, then have this gift anyway!) But, thanks to everyone who's still keeping up with this story. You guys are the best! I see each and every comment and vote that you leave and it really means so much to me! Hopefully I'll be able to post more next semester, and maybe even another chapter while I'm still on break. So keep on the lookout :)

Last thing I'll bother you with.

Question: Do you think Kaya made the right choice taking Mason back?

Let me know in the comments.

Thank you all!