Don't Get Sentimental On Me

My mom made me get up so early the next morning. She was more excited about Homecoming than I was. She insisted that I get my nails done and my hair done.

We stopped by the nail salon and let them do french tips on my toe and finger nails. My mom then dragged me off to a hair salon. I don't think I've ever been to two salons in one day... She wanted my hair to be an updo, but I wasn't sure about that. I liked having hair to hide my face. It took an hour and a half for them to just clip my hair up into some wierd bun thing that would end up falling out before the end of the night.

It didn't look wierd, it just felt wierd on me. I wasn't really a girly girl.

Then I had to go back home to put my dress on, after eating lunch of course. I had a turkey and cheese sandwhich. My mom insisted that Garrett and I go out to eat before Homecoming, but I was against that. I just knew, being the klutz that I am, that I would drop food on my gorgeous dress.

After I slipped my dress on, somehow keeping my hair in perfect codition, I let my mom apply my make up. She did it just like I would have, which was the most comfortable I had felt all day. At least my face wasn't being weighed down. My mom had also gotten out my contacts (that I had never worn) and showed me how to put them in.

I looked in the mirror. I actually looked like...me. Only this time, I felt prettier...more beautiful.

My phone began ringing as I checked the caller ID to see it was Garrett.

"Hey, Gary," I sighed.

"You sound tired."

"You have no idea."

"So...my mom wants to get you a little earlier so we can go take pictures...and stuff."

"Garrett! You promised me none of this shit!" Then again, my mother promised not to go overboard for this too...

"Sorry, Adri! My mom really wants pictures!"

"Is that Garrett?" my mom asked as she re-entered the bathroom.

"Yes."

"What does he want, niña?"

"His mom wants to pick me up a little earlier to take pictures."

"What?" Garrett asked.

"I'm talking to my mom, hold on."

"Oh good, I can't wait to meet her!"

"Garrett, when are you going to be here?"

"In, like, an hour." I heard a voice in the background, "Nevermind, we'll be there in half an hour."

"Alright, Garrett," I said before hanging up.

We finished accessorizing just before the doorbell rang. Mom insisted that I walk down the stairs in a cheesy fashion like they do in those movies. When I walked down the stairs, I felt like I had been attacked by the paparazzi. I tried to smile the best I knew how, but I couldn't help but feel awwkard. Garrett gaped with one eyebrow raised before chuckling as I stood before him.

"What's so funny?!" I asked, feeling insecure.

"You're a girl," he laughed under his breath.

"Thanks, Garrett."

"You look very pretty. I...I got this for you," he said, holding out a corsage.

"Thanks...," I said, taking the plastic container.

"Garrett." his mother simply said, pulling away from my mother for a second.

"Oh, sorry," he muttered before taking the container back into his hands and opening it, placing the corsage on my wrist.

We loaded into Mrs. Nickelsen's car, but only after she promised my mother to make copies of the pictures. After half an hour of ridiculous posing, we finally left to go to the dance. At this point, I just wanted to get this over with.

When I entered the gymnasium, I didn't even recognize it. Balloons and curtains of silver and black and white draped the walls and the lights were dimmed. Loud music emanated from the speakers. Garrett and I were so overwhelmed. John and Jared bounced towards us, leaving their dates at the punch table.

"Holy shit, you're hot!" John yelled.

"Thank you, John Ohh," I sighed.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't know that something so hot was hidden underneath that geeky exterior!" he said, lifting the edge of my dress to get a good look at me.

"Aww, Garrett got her a flower bracelet!" Jared said, lifting my wrist.

"We didn't even get our dates corsages," John said, nonchalantly.

"You're true gentleman," I said.

There were two missing from our group, Pat and Kennedy. Pat didn't go to Homecoming and I was trying my best to avoid Kennedy. I peeked through the crowd to see him standing outside of a circle with who I recognized as his date and a group of cheerleaders. He was holding onto his punch, looking bored while his date just blabbed to her friends like she was so awesome.

She looked so...slutty too. She was wearing a strapless red dress that reached the middle of her thighs - and it was skin-tight! Her heels were at least three inches high, making it so that the top of her head aligned with Kennedy's chin. If she hadn't been wearing those shoes, she would have been a little less than shoulder length.

"That's his bitch," Garrett said.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know," I said.

"Come on, Adri. Tonight's your night. You look pretty and you deserve some fun."

"Thanks, Garrett," I smiled brightly, showing my teeth. The first genuine smile I had procured in what seemed like forever.

I danced - something I did not do often - until the whole thing was over with.

"Hey, Adri, I'm going to go outside for a minute to see if my mom is here." Garrett said, excusing himself from the gymnasium, now being emptied.

Music was still being played although the lights had been turned on. I stood in the middle of the dance floor, looking to see if Kennedy and his date were still here. I didn't see Haley or whatever her name was. I heard someone clear their throat from behind. Expecting to see Garrett, I turned joyfully, my smile fading, my eyes saddening, when I saw Kennedy

"Wow," he said, looking me over, making me feel insecure again.

"What?"

"You're absolutely beautiful," he said, hands in his pockets.

"Where is your date?"

"She wanted to go out to eat with the rest of the cheerleaders," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Did you have fun tonight?" I asked.

"Yeah...tons." I knew he was lying, but I wasn't going to call him out for it, "How about you?"

"Yeah. Fun, fun. Running around all day getting ready and taking stupid pictures...and Garrett got this flowery thing for me," I said, holding out my wrist to him, hand limp.

He then did something unexpected as he grabbed my hand, planting his soft lips to the skin of my hand. He looked up at me with his big brown eyes. A slow song began to play. I couldn't tell you the name of it even if I tried. Kennedy got very close to me then and put his hands on my waist. I limply put my arms around his neck, feeling unsure at first.

Kennedy moved closer to me, if possible, our pelvises now touching. A warm blush flooded my cheeks, my entire face feeling warm. He just smiled before looking off into the distance. I knew then that I never wanted to fight with Kennedy again...

And then there was that part of me that went back to wanting him so badly it hurt.