If It Keeps You Around Then I'm Down

"Prom tonight!" My mother came in my room singing, waking me up from a very nice sleep. I groaned hoping she could decipher it as I don't really care. She pulled my dress from my closet and hooked it on the door and imagined it probably on herself before turning to me and sitting on the edge of my bed.

"What?" I moaned sitting up, I was relatively certain that my hair was up in every which way possible. She was grinning a little over eagerly for my liking. I rolled my eyes and collapsed into my pillow. She patted my butt and told me to get up and I sighed.

"Alex is downstairs to take you to your hair appointment," she said sternly. I heard my father's boisterous laughter and chuckled to myself, he was indeed. I propped myself up and realized I really had to pee. I ran past her and saw Alex standing in my hall with my father telling him some bad joke that Alex was chuckling at.

He looked different today, he had a sadness in his eyes. I waved and his eyes flickered up to me and a smile spread across his face. He said good morning and I held up my index finger to say I'd be right back and finished my way to the bathroom. After which, I jogged down my stairs and smiled at him.

"So that's when I told him, if you're going to make a sandwich, you gotta add the pastrami," My father finished his strange New York/Texan accent coming out and noted my presence. He grabbed me and kissed me on the top of the head, I smiled shyly at Alex. "Ah, I'm so lucky to have such a gorgeous daughter." He said changing the subject to involve me.

"Yeah," Alex said looking into my eyes, I blushed and my dad rubbed my arm before telling me to get dressed. I overheard from my room Alex asking my dad, "Can I ask you something?" I really wanted to hear what he was going to say, until someone knocked on my door and busted in.

"Jeez," I said covering up my naked chest. I was relieved when it was my mother, she handed me one of her button down shirts for work.

"Here sweetie, so you don't mess up your hair when you change," She extended her arm. I took the shirt and thanked her, after I had finished dressing, by simply adding a bra, shirt and denim shorts I ran down stairs to get my converse. Alex stopped talking at both him and my dad looked up.

"What?" I asked knowing they were talking about me, now they were going to say nothing, even though you technically can't really talk about nothing.

"Nothing." They said shortly in unison. I told you.

"Whatever," I chuckled to myself plopping down on the floor to pull my shoes over my bare feet.

"Darling, don't you want to put on socks?" My dad asked me.

"She never wears socks," Alex answered before I could even open my mouth, my surprised eyes met his mysterious ones, before his classic grin spread across his face, "It's totally disgusting."

"Thanks guys," I said standing up and rubbing my hands on my pants even though there was nothing on them, I smiled at Alex. He nodded and said goodbye to my father, who in turn kissed my head and told us to have fun.

"I definitely like your dad so much better when he knows I'm not your date," Alex smiled and I nodded in agreement.

"He's ever so slightly less bitter," I said sarcastically. Alex let out a laugh and we made our way to the salon where Alex stood awkwardly, "I appreciate you driving me and everything, but I could've driven myself so you don't have to wait for me," I smiled brightly.

"Maybe I wanted to come?" Alex replied coyly. I put my hand on his shoulder and feigned concern.

"Maybe you're gay," I said shrugging and Alex slapped me jokingly. A very, very flamboyant man came out with tight gray slacks who eye-violated Alex and then looked to me.

"Ava?" He asked, pulling of the sleeves of his black turtle neck. I bit my lip nervously and nodded. "Girl, don't be scared, it's hair you don't really need it!"

"Alright," I said grabbing his hand that he had extended to me. Alex was laughing to himself and followed a couple of steps behind. I got directed to a chair in front of bright lights and big mirrors.

"So what did you want to do?" He asked playing with my hair and looking at me through the mirror and I thought.

"Well, I have prom tonight-"

"Oh! Prom, he must be whipped taking you to your hair appointment and paying for the prom tickets, but I must say I do not see enough boyfriends like that," He said excitedly flipping through a collection of celebrities with gorgeous hair.

"He's not-" I began before getting interrupted again.

"Oh, this would be perfect for you!" He said pointed to a picture of Gisele, I nodded, it probably wouldn't look as good as hers but it still would look pretty good. "So, I'm thinking you need some highlights to bring out the golden tones in your skin," He said separating a few strands of hair for highlighting.

"I don't know how much I can spend," I said referring to my mother's credit card she had given me to get my hair done and I didn't want to overspend on something I didn't really need.

"Oh girl, you need them, I'll do them for free," He said getting the mix ready, once he was done I had a head full of foil. Alex was holding himself up from laughing at my expense.

"Thanks Alex, maybe you can get yours touched up while we're here!" I said sarcastically and he flicked me off. I slid down further into the chair. I was pretty terrified, I'd never done anything to my hair besides dying it red in sixth grade, which turned out orange and I got it dyed back to my normal color and never touched it again.

"Do you get HBO with those things?" He said taking a stool and bringing it next to me. I laughed a little bit as he started to poke them like they were a dangerous animal. Finally I smacked his hand away.

"It sounds like I'm wearing a chalkboard bowl on my head and your scratching it," I laughed and he tried to do it again because I had said something. I smacked his hand away again.

"Ow, violent," He said stroking his hand jutting out his bottom lip. I rolled my eyes and Gregory came out, or glided should I say.

"Alright, Girl! Let's get you washed out," He said waving me over. He was ranting about some beauty school terminology I wasn't familiar with and then shampooed my hair, it felt amazing. Alex was on his phone texting someone and flipped his phone up and smiled. I looked to the mirror to see what he was talking about and I couldn't even tell he did anything to my hair.

"You look pretty," he said in his five-year-old voice. I flicked him off and smiled to myself. Gregory awed.

"You guys are freaking adorable, like you two should get married and make lots of lots of gorgeous babies. All these high school couples come in all they do is stroke the weasel, you know what I mean, but you two, ah!" He exasperated bringing his hand up a blow-dryer in his hand and his eyes going to the ceiling. I smiled at Alex.

"Thank you! You know we are just so excited to start our life together," Alex cooed and I couldn't help but shake from laughter. He made a kissy face at me towards the mirror and I air kissed him.

"Alright girl, you are all done!" He said releasing my last curl from the iron, my hair tumbled over my shoulders and looked pretty perfect. I didn't want to brag, but it was awesome. I handed Gregory my mother's credit card and stood up shoving my hands in my pocket waiting for him.

"You look really pretty," He said into my ear and my cheeks lit up, I whispered a thank you. I saw a very happy Gregory holding my card and placed it on my hand.

"Thank you," I said he held his arms out and I walked into his hug. He waved his hand that was free and beckoned Alex. I laughed as he hugged us both, it was pretty epic.

"You two, ah," He exclaimed again. I waved over my shoulder as Alex wrapped his arm around my waist and we made our way to the entrance. He opened the door and I ran over to his car.

"Why does everything think we're dating?!" I asked sitting in the passenger seat and Alex chuckled.

"Because you're totally whipped," He said cockily, deepening his voice to sound more masculine. I whacked him on the arm hard.

"Says the one who went with me to my salon appointment," I raised my eyebrow.

"Shut up!" He said in a whiny cartoon-ish voice. I laughed trying to keep my hair from touching things. When I got upstairs my mother berated me with hairspray.

"Your appointment took too long, I only have an hour to do your makeup!" She said panicked. I brushed past her and she kept squirting little burst of hairspray at me.

"Okay mom! It's solid now can you stop!" I said waving her away and she snuck one more burst in there before she put the can down, Alex was following us before taking a peek at his cellphone and deciding he had to go.

"I should get ready, you know shave," He shrugged, rubbing his face with one hand looking up and feeling for scruff.

"You shave?" I asked sarcastically and my mother bopped me on the head, then smoothed it over remember the hair.

"You be nice, we'll see you in an hour Alex," My mother called out after him as he walked down the stairs. Now that it was dry I could see subtle highlights throughout my hair making it look sun-kissed and giving me a slight glow.

"Alright, and we are done," My mother said with her tongue out in concentration, finishing my eyeliner. She smiled proudly but then checked her watch and hurried me to my room and told me to put on my dress. I didn't even get to look in a mirror.

I think the dress fit me right, it was a strapless 1950's looking dress. It was a cream colored silk that laid over my curves and was tight over my chest. I put on a silver necklace with a little charm on it and flipped my hair. I slipped on my six-inch heels, I was excited for once Jack wouldn't be towering over me.

I came out and saw Alex and Lisa sitting in a stale silence. I smiled and she ran over and hugged me. We exchanged compliments. Alex hugged me and then pointed over to Jack who was staring into space like he had been traumatized.

"Hello?" I said bending over to get in his eye line, he popped out of his daze and smiled at me, As if he had forgotten everything he smiled and stood up. He was still a good five or six inches taller than me, I sighed and smiled.

"You look perfect," He smiled and I cocked my head at the weird compliment and I thanked him playing with his red tie over a white shirt and black suit.

"You don't look to shabby yourself," I smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. "So," I began awkwardly looking at him for any future bruises or marks, "what did my dad say?" I asked and he shook his head.

"It's not important," He smiled and wrapped his arm around me rubbing it casually. My mom and Alex's mom were gossiping in hushed whispers and then came out excitedly when Zack, Kara, Rian and Laura, Zack's date, came.

"Pictures!" My mother said holding up her new Nikon, she had been relentless ever since. We did a complilation of pictures, a group picture, just the girls, just the guys, each couple, but we finished with Alex and I, it was clear we weren't dates dude to Alex's light blue tie and white rose on his lapel, and my red rose corsage.

"Alright smile!" Our mothers smiled and checking each picture after taking it, "one more!" they pleaded and my jaw was tired from smiling too much. I rolled my eyes and Alex bent backwards strangely. "Nope, that doesn't count one more!" Alex stuck his tongue out at me and crossed his eyes, I laughed and tucked my hair behind my ear and Alex's face relaxed into a giant smile.

"Oh, now that is precious," My mother called out and I rolled my eyes. We all climbed into the limo and I saw my father staring down Jack as if he was even looking. Zack had a mysterious smile on his face and pulled out a flask, the group cheered as Rian did the same. We all passed it around and started laughing. Tonight would be epic.