Twenty-Three

    Getting ready for the actual dance felt utterly surreal. Nora felt like she was the star protagonist in some stupid coming-of-age movie where she was finally undergoing her final transformation. This was her pulling off the glasses and letting down the hair moment as she twirled around in her dress and watched herself in the mirror as she did so. Kristen, Amarie, and she couldn't take their eyes off of themselves as they admired their hard work. It had been about a solid three hours of just makeup and hair, but judging by how amazing they looked, it had been one-hundred-percent worth it.

    Sighing, Nora slung her arms over both of her best friend's shoulders as she stood in between them. "We really made it to senior prom, huh. It's over after this."

    "I mean, finals next week and then grad prep. We're done," Kristen realized. None of them had truly registered how close the end of high school actually was. It was surreal, the thought that this never ending cycle of waking up at seven in the morning and seeing the same people every day for four years was actually, well, ending. It seemed like they were never going to get there, but now they were two weeks away from it. Nora was just hoping things could get better from here.

    "Is it normal to be scared that I'll wake up any moment and be a freshman all over again?" Amarie jokes, but the nervous smile on her face gave away everything she was really saying. "We started high school together and I'm so glad we're ending it together, too. I love you, both of you, endlessly."

    Nora breathed deeply, trying to control the overwhelming wave of emotions. "Okay, we spent way too long on this makeup to cry it off so let's cut the deep shit. We've got the whole world ahead of us, so, for tonight, let's just... be kids again. Let's also sincerely hope someone spikes the punch because I could go for a drink after the months I've had."

    "Damn and here I was thinking you were a good kid," the redhead laughed, hitting her best friend gently on the arm as the three of them burst into a fit of giggles.

    "I'm pretty sure that girl died a long time ago," Nora remarked with a soft chuckle as she walked over to the doorway where just next to it, their three pairs of heels sat. "Edison will be here any minute, you guys ready?"

    Sighing melodramatically, Amarie huffed and exclaimed, "Ready as we'll ever be! All right, we all look like princesses, but let's get the queen her crown!"

    "I am not going to win, the ASB kids always beat out everyone," Nora scoffed as the three of them began to put on their heels and head downstairs, "Shit's rigged, not that I mind losing. I can't believe I even got nominated. Talk about a pity vote."

    "If you're so sure, put some money on it. If you win, you owe me twenty bucks," Kristen suggested, holding out her hand for a shake and a solid deal. Nora had never seen her two friends as sure of anything than they were of her winning prom queen.

    Rolling her eyes, the girl knew her friends weren't going to drop the subject no matter what. So, she gave in and shook the other girl's hand, taking the deal. "I am going to be twenty dollars richer by the end of this night, then. You guys are ridiculous."

    "Oh, it is so on," Kristen laughed as they shook hands.

    With perfect timing, the doorbell rang as soon as they all arrived downstairs. Before the girls could get to the door, Nora's mom opened it.

    Edison looked immediately caught off guard as she cleared her throat and was clearly trying not to sound nervous, "Oh, hello Mrs. Watson, it's nice to... see you again."

    Nora snickered as she watches her mom stand there completely unphased. Without faltering in her kind tone, Nora's mother simply said, "Oh, please, call me Donna. Edison was it? Come on in, the girls were just coming down. Oh, there they are now!"

    As Edison walked into the house, Nora stopped in her tracks. She found it funny how the other girl did just the same. She was wearing a suit, which Nora hadn't expected. It was tailored to her perfectly and her tie was the exact same shade of emerald green as Nora's dress. Smiling to herself, she looked over at Kristen, who must have had a hand in the matching.

    "You clean up nice," Nora mused, lifting her hands to straighten out the girl's lapel. The simple touch was small, yet felt oddly intimate. She noted how her mother had left the room and the other couple were immersed in conversation, almost purposely leaving the two of them to be the center of each other's universes for just a moment.

    "I could say the same about you," Edison smiled brightly, pressing a quick kiss to the other girl's cheek. It was brief, but the feeling sent chills down Nora's spine. Whispering in her ear, "You look beautiful."

    "I hate to ruin the moment, but if we fall behind schedule I will kill each and every single one of you, so let's go, we got pictures to take!" Amarie interrupted as she practically shoved them out the door amidst the avid laughter from the group.

    Nora's mother re-entered the room, clearing her throat to get her daughter's attention, "Nora, can I talk to you for a moment?"

    The girl nodded, motioning for her friends to wait outside for her as she closed the door and walked over to where her mother was standing, "Yeah, what's up, mom?"

    The first thing she did was pull her daughter into a hug before she pulled back but kept her gentle grip on her arms. "I am so proud of the wonderful young woman that you've become, Nora. I was always scared to watch you grow up, but now I can't be more glad as I've watched you really come into your own. Now, go have fun and please be safe. Take lots of photos, this is the one you're going to want to remember."

    Doing her best to maintain her composure, Nora pulled her mother in for another hug before saying, "I love you, mom. And I'll be home by 11, promise."

    "I love you, Nora, now go! You've got a gorgeous girl waiting for you outside!"

    Blowing her mother a kiss, Nora walked over to the front door and left the house. Kristen and Amarie were already in the backseat of the car, but Edison was leaning against the passenger side, waiting for the girl.

    "Ready to do this thing?" Edison asked with her signature grin and a small laugh. Nora nodded, but before the other girl moved to open the door, she pulled Nora in by a gentle grasp of her wrist and pressed a kiss to her lips. Nora didn't even care that they were out in the open and anyone could see because in this moment, she couldn't be happier with her life. This was the part where things started feeling like they were going to be okay. That hope was enough to keep her going every day. Edison pulled away, a sly smile on her face as she bit her lip, "Sorry, I had to do that first."

    "You're a dork," Nora laughed, smiling as the other opened the door for her and helped her into the car. "And a gentleman, apparently."

    "And they say chivalry is dead," the dark-haired girl joked before jogging over to the other side and starting the car, "All right ladies, let's get this show on the road."

    Nora watched Edison as she drove, something she had done many times before. Maybe it was because she liked to stare at her strong jawline or the intricate features of her side profile, but regardless of reasoning, Nora was enamored with her. She was beginning to realize how lucky she was to have someone like Edison in her life and she never planned on letting her go. No matter what. This was something worth fighting for.

    "What are you looking at?" Edison noticed her staring as her gaze flickered over to the blonde in the passenger seat before sliding back over to the road purely for the sake of safety. "Is there something on my face?"

    The girl smiled ever so slightly at the question, "No, no. I just think you're pretty."

    "Puke in my mouth," Kristen interjected, Amarie nudging her gently as the redhead placed herself in between Nora and Edison. "God, what a car full of homos."

    "We were like that once, still are sometimes," the curly-haired girl next to her corrected with a chuckle. "You're ridiculous, let them have their moment."

    So, they did. Nora noticed Edison's right hand resting gently on the center console. Her mind flashed back to the second time they had ever driven to one of Edison's corners of the universe; the first time they let their fingers interlock. That was the night Edison admitted she may have had the slightest crush on Nora. It was funny to look back and see how far they had come in just a few short months.

    Sighing dreamily, remembering that pivotal moment in the car, Nora slipped their fingers together. She took note of how, even though her eyes stayed on the road, a bright smile crossed Edison's face. In this moment, this was everything.