Just Friends

"How about this dress?" Cayla asked me as she held up a dress that might actually look good on me.

"Do you think that it will look okay?"

"YES! Now go try it on, okay?!"

"Fine." I groaned, and then I grabbed the dress and went into the dressing room. "Cayla! This dress looks terrible!"

"Whatever! That’s not possible."

"Is too!" I called back.

"Show me!" I slowly stepped out, and I hid my face. "You look great, Kate!"

"Thanks..." I mumbled. "Do you think that it looks okay?"

"It looks perfect!"

"Sure..."

"Buy it!"

"Okay..."

I still wasn’t sure.

*

"Are you almost done with your hair?" I questioned Cayla. We were in The Gaskarth’s bathroom getting ready for prom. I was super nervous. I had just finished my black eyeshadow that I had put on my eyes for tonight.

" Done." She smiled. "Look at us, I don’t think that we’ve ever looked older."

I nodded in agreement.

"My mom said that I looked older than 15, and if I get picked up by a guy in college, to politely turn him down." I giggled.

Cayla rolled her eyes.

"Come on, let’s get out there." She was basically jumping up and down from excitement.

I rolled my eyes.

"Don’t wet yourself."

Cayla stuck out her tongue at me, but we linked arms and headed toward Alex’s back yard. When we walked out there, I almost fell, but I didn’t! Thank God that Zack and Alex where in their own conversations. My mom and Isobel were talking quietly while my dad, Peter, and Cayla’s dad, Terry, were all talking. I cleared my throat, and Isobel and my mom looked up at me.

"Katelyn, you look so gorgeous!" Isobel’s voice rang. Alex’s head instantly shot toward us, and he smiled. "And Cayla, look at you! You’re so beautiful in that dress!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Gaskarth." Cayla replied with a blush.

"Just look at you girls." My mom smiled.

Alex and Zack were slowly walking over toward us. Alex wrapped me up in a warm hug before pulling back and looking at me.

"You look gorgeous, Katie."

I blushed even more.

"Thanks. You look great too, Lex."

"Thanks." He chuckled.

"Picture time!" My mom’s voice rang, and I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, but can we hurry?" Alex asked. "We’ve gotta get to the restaurant where Jack and Rian and their dates are at."

"Alexander, I will hurt you if you dare rush me." My mom kidded.

"Yes ma’am," He saluted her.

I laughed and shook my head before the parents started to snap pictures.

*

"Wow. Every girl in this whole place is going to kill me." I muttered to Alex.

He laughed, and rolled his eyes.

"Why are you suddenly aware of the other girls?"

"It’s not so sudden, Alex. Half of them have had a personal vendetta against me since the very first day of school. This is ridiculous."

"You’re overreacting."

I groaned before I sat down at the table our friends were all sitting at.

"No, you’re just under reacting..."

"I don’t think that’s a word, Kate." Kara laughed.

"Details," I waved my hand.

"Do you want a drink?" Alex asked me.

I nodded my head.

"Sure...punch would be great."

"You got it." He laughed and walked over to the punch bowl, leaving Kara, Cayla, Zack, Jack, his date Riley, and myself sitting there. Rian was in the bathroom, and Alex was...well getting me punch.

"I think someone has a crush." Kara sang.

My head snapped toward her.

"Who?! Tell me!!"

Kara giggled.

"You."

"And Alex." Jack added.

I tilted my head to the side and I was about to ask them when Alex sat back down beside me.

"Here you go."

I laughed.

"Thank you, kind sir!"

"I am a gentleman."

"Since when?" I scoffed.

"Since I got you a drink!" He argued.

"Awe, you deserve an award."

"I do, don’t I?"

I rolled my eyes and took a drink of the sweet liquid.

"Rian, I want to dance." Kara smiled at her boyfriend.

"Okay." He laughed and the pair walked off soon followed by Jack and Riley.

That left Zack, Cayla, Alex and myself.

"Having fun?" Zack asked Cayla.

She nodded and blushed.

"I am, actually. Thanks for inviting me."

"The pleasure is all mine."

"Awe." I whispered mostly to myself as I watched the two giggle and flirt.

"What?" Alex asked with a small laugh.

I turned to look at my best friend.

"Zack and Cayla are really hitting it off."

"They are acting really flirty."

"That’s for sure."

"Okay, so I figured that it’s about time for me to ask you this, are you having a great time?"

I shrugged.

"It’s alright."

"So you aren’t having a great time?"

"I mean, it’s great to be with friends and all but...I don’t know..."

Before Alex could open his mouth to say something, someone interrupted him.

"Katelyn?"

I turned my head to the left of me to see Adam.

"Oh, hi."

"Would you like to dance?"

I thought about it for a minute and stole a quick glance at Alex, whom wasn’t saying anything. Great, he’s turning back into an asshole. Why does he do this whenever Adam is around?!

"I would love that. No one has asked me all night." I made sure that Alex knew what I was hinting at. I slowly stood up and followed Adam out on the dance floor. We started to dance next to a fast beat song.

"Having a good time?"

"Um...yeah," I nodded, not caring if we actually talked or not.

"This is nice."

"Yupp."

He laughed awkwardly.

"So you and Gaskarth?"

I shook my head.

"Nope."

"Could’ve fooled me."

"What do you mean?" I asked him as I suddenly stopped dancing.

"I mean he doesn’t look at you like best friends should. He looks at you like he wants to get into your pants."

I laughed loudly.

"That’s not gonna happen."

"I think that it will." He replied with a light shrug.

"Not me...unless we get married. And that is NEVER going to happen."

[Haha ^^ see what I did there? ;)]

"You wear a purity ring?"

"She does." Both of us turned to see Alex awkwardly standing there. "May I cut in?" He asked as the music changed from the dance song to a slow one.

"Yeah." I nodded before Adam could say anything.

"Be my guest." Adam didn’t sound happy, but he walked away.

Alex took his place in front of me, and slowly wrapped his arms around my lower back. He brought me close to his chest, and I gingerly snaked my arms around his neck. I held Alex close to me, and he did the same with me.

"So, what were you and the douche talking about."

I rolled my eyes.

"You."

"Me?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, you." I laughed in return. "Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Lex."

He laughed.

"I won’t, Katie. I won’t."

Truth was, I knew that we both were going to be thinking about it. It was going to drive Alex crazy until he found out.

"Okay, since you’re a terrible liar, I know that you’re already thinking about it."

"Am not."

I scoffed.

"Lex, you may be able to lie to girls that want to get in your pants, but you can’t lie to me. We both know that."

Alex laughed again and pulled me closer so that. I was resting my head on his shoulder.

"Okay, since you know so much about me, why don’t you just go ahead and tell me what you two were talking about?"

I sighed heavily.

"Adam thinks that you want to get into my pants. I told him that he was crazy."

"Yeah...crazy."

I pulled away, and I looked up at him.

"Lex?" He didn’t make eye contact. "Lex, look at me."

"Okay, so what if I said that he’s not totally wrong?" I automatically retracted my arms from around his neck. "Wow, calm down, Katie." He stated as he un-hooked his arms from my waist, and pulled both of my arms back around his neck. I felt self conscious all of the sudden. He replaced his arms back around my waist.

"So..."

"What I was saying was that you aren’t totally ugly."

I scoffed.

"That makes me feel better."

Alex rolled his eyes.

"Okay so maybe your totally hot, and I honestly feel myself attracted to you."

"Um?"

"You don’t have to say anything." He laughed. "I’m just saying that you’re gorgeous, and I kind of might want to get in your pants."

I shook my head.

"You’re too honest for your own good."

"Why should I lie? You would see right through it anyway, so what is the point?"

"You’re right." I nodded.

Alex smiled at me, and I felt my heart melt.

"I know I am. Now dance, woman!" He ordered.

I shook my head, but then I started to sway and tighten my arms around his neck. I rested my head on my chest, and his arms tightened around my waist.

Yes, I had expected Alex to be honest.

No, I didn’t expect it to be that freaking honest.