Jealous Minds Think Alike

-Jaycee-

The night of Prom was supposed to be a magical feeling, but I felt nothing at all. The closest I felt to an emotion was indifference, if that counted. While the thought of John lingered in my head sometimes, most of the time he was pushed to the back of my head. Stephen also wandered in my head sometimes, but I didn't think too much of it. I didn't really care for him as much as I did in the past and I'm sure he felt the same. Lately, Stephen must have been avoiding me, otherwise I'd see him all the time. The only time we've talked was today when he only called and told me what time I should arrive and where to meet him. He wasn't offering me a ride, which was incredibly okay with me, sparing the awkward car ride. This deeply angered Holly, who called Stephen a coward, but proceeded to do my hair and makeup anyway.

It took a while of preparation, when I had to sit there and let my hair under the command of a curling iron. After, Holly and had put my hair up and decorated my ears and neck, with a gold locket and matching dangly earrings. She applied mascara, sky blue mascara, a bit of eyeliner, and a shiny coat of lip gloss. I was in awe at myself in the mirror. For the first time, I felt beautiful, worth looking at.

“I can't believe that dick isn't even bothering to show up.” Holly gritted her teeth and teared out a single hair from my eyebrow, a little too harshly.

“Ow! He is coming! He just isn't picking me up.”

“What's his reason?”

“He said that he had some things to do.”

“That liar! You don't think he's embarrassed because he's taking a Sophomore to Senior Prom, is he?”

“I doubt it.”

“When I was a Senior, well....his name was was Michael. He was so perfect.” Holly started to gush. “He was just the cutest! He asked me to prom by...oh! It was during our first date, he - !” I watched and didn't listen as she rambled on about “perfect” Michael.

At the time, I felt completely envious towards her. She had such a perfect relationship because he actually asked her out. John and I's relationship was forged out of a single sheet of paper. Stephen did ask me out, but if not for John, it would have been perfect. Now I was starting to feel jealous because I wasn't excited about the “night you'll never forget.”

“And that's my story!” Holly had just finished. “I miss him all the time, since he moved to Mexico...”

“Holly,”

“Yeah?”

“Stop talking.”

“Sorry, I got carried away. Do you want me to drop you off now?”

“Yeah, it's already almost 7:30 anyway.”

Holly grabbed her car keys and skipped out the door. I grabbed my clutch and followed her, until stopping suddenly at the sigh of John's fake glasses staring at me from my dresser. I picked them up and let my fingers slide across the frame.

“Jaycee! Hurry girl! You don't wanna keep your man waiting!”

For some reason, John's glasses felt....different in my hands. I was supposed to throw them away yesterday, but something prevented me from doing so. I suddenly had the weirdest feeling to return them to John. I know he's not gonna be there, but maybe Stephen had some sense to make peace with John. I thought about it and laughed to myself. Can you imagine? Stephen and John finally becoming brother's again, after bonding over John's glasses. What a ridiculous thought.

–

The car ride was pretty neutral, except for when Holly started rambling on again on the “splendid” tales of Michael, which now I started to regret even having her come over.

“It's too bad,” Holly had finally got off the topic of losing my “v-card” at Prom. I assured her it wouldn't happen. “You guys wouldn't have any pictures to remember or anything.”

“I don't mind.” I shrugged, almost calling Holly to stop the car.

“What?!” She almost screamed, causing me to jump. “Did I hear you correctly?”

“I don't really mind,” I shrugged again and she simply stared at me. “No, really.”

“You're crazy, you've gone bonkers, you need a check up.”

“It's not really a big deal.”

“It is a big deal! That's like saying that you don't wanna remember this night!” She argued. “Jaycee, this is your first prom ever and you're acting like you don't even want this day to happen!”

“Opinions change.” I stared out the car window. Maybe she was right. Maybe I honestly didn't even wanna go to Prom tonight.

“You've been acting weird ever since that.....thing....at Starbucks.”

“Don't mention it,” I murmured. “It's giving me a headache.”

“Sorry. That was completely insensitive of me.” The rest of the car ride was driven in awkward silence. I closed my eyes and actually dozed off for a bit, before being shook awake by Holly.

“We're here, darling.”

“Mm?” I opened my eyes and saw a brightly lit gym, decorated with balloons and banners. I heard the loud dance music blaring and the amount of couples walking in, hand by hand or arm by arm. My eyes were popping out of my sockets at how many beautiful girls and handsome guys there were tonight.

“You look so surprised,” Holly chuckled, patting my shoulder. “It brings back memories of - “

“Say his name again and I will slaughter you.” I warned.

“Sorry, sorry!” She leaned over and attached the final piece of my dress, a corset. “Knock him dead kid.”

“Thanks Holly.” I was halfway out the car door, when she spoke again.

“Oh and if any Seniors are giving you trouble, call me okay? I wouldn't rely on Stephen.”

I couldn't help but give her a smile. “Thanks Holly. You know, I think we've bonded much better, after John and Stephen got introduced to my life. I can consider you a best friend.”

“Really?” Her smile grew so wide and I nodded. “Thanks Jaycee! I feel the same way! Go and have fun! Be sure to inform me with every single detail!”

“Sure thing.” I waved and she drove away. Suddenly, I was feeling a lot more happier, which I needed in order to be able to survive the night.

I took a deep breath, showed my ticket, and entered the gym, paying more attention to the people and decorations around me, rather than looking for Stephen. The dance floor was already filled and nearly all the tables were full of chatting couples. I walked past some girls who whispered something like, “Isn't that the girl that Karen fought?” I ignored them and headed towards the spot that Stephen told me to meet him at. It was the wall right next to the exit door, near the silver trash can.

“Excuse me,” I mumbled, pushing past several people. I looked above their heads and saw a figure standing at the wall. “Sorry.” I finally got out of the crowd of people and now stood out in the open, staring at the person who wasn't Stephen.

John who was leaning against the wall, dressed up in a spiffy suit, was staring at me with an equally alarmed expression.

Finally John opened his mouth, after a whole minute of stillness, uttering the word, “Shit.”