Giselle lied in bed staring at her closed door hoping maybe if she stared enough, he'd have a change of heart and wander back through it. Minutes passed. It was a little after midnight, so she slowly and disappointedly rose from her bed and headed to lock up like her mother had reminded her.
She headed for the front door to put the deadbolt across it but did otherwise. She hadn't heard his Honda's muffler or him rev up and leave. She unlocked the door and turned the knob to be greeted by a cold October night. She stepped out onto the low-lit porch and winced as the brisk wind blew harshly. It reminded her that she was barely dressed. She looked around and rubbed her bare arms to generate heat before closing the door behind her. She walked over to the wooden railing that closed in the porch, and leaned against it. She closed her eyes as the wind blew stray strands of hair against her face. When she opened her eyes she spotted him.
Brian sat in his car and watched as the wind blew and Giselle closed her eyes. He knew she was probably upset despite the serene look she was giving off. He was sure thousands of thoughts were going through her mind just as they were his.
He had to leave. For one, he didn't want her mother finding out and flipping out on him. Secondly, he was scared. He was scared of so many things despite the facade he put up. He was afraid of fatherhood. He was scared of the way things felt so right with Giselle. He didn't want to get too close to her in fear that they'd only end up being apart. He was graduating soon. He'd told Giselle's mother that he was looking into some jobs, and he was. But the one job opportunity that caught his eye was miles away. The thought of breaking Giselle's heart by abandoning her ripped him to pieces. They weren't officially a couple but despite Giselle's thoughts and beliefs, she was his heart. She was the only girl he was having sex with.
Victoria was just a jealous girl with a huge chip on her shoulder. She wanted Brian for herself and had always being so used to getting anything she wanted. She didn't take to rejection so well. She saw that Giselle was too close to Brian for comfort and immediately considered her a threat, sinking her claws and fangs into her victim whenever she saw fit. But she wasn't a factor. He didn't want her. He wanted Giselle. He just wasn't sure if he was ready for all the obligations that's came with being with her.
Brian laughed bitterly at his last thought. He could believe he'd even thought that. That growing baby was just as much his as it was Giselle's responsibility.
He looked back up at the dimly-lit porch she stood on and saw that her eyes were on him. She stared at him a few moments more before heading back into the house and dead bolting the door.
Restless hearts sleep alone tonight.
******************** ********************
Giselle closed her eyes and thought back to that first night when all of this began.
"A Teenage Dream," Ashley read the invitation aloud. "I bet they're gonna have Katy Perry there."
"Really Ashley? Really?" Giselle asked with her hand on her hip. "Katy Perry at our prom? Don't think so," she laughed and shook her head in disbelief.
"Yea, I know. But wouldn't that be great? Our prom would be the talk of the century! Gosh, I should've got mom and dad to pay to get her. Then the whole school would like be indebted to me for putting us on the map."
"Yea, for making complete fools of ourselves. If Katy Perry showed up, no one would know how to act."
"Maybe you're right. But it still would've been cool."
The two girls were in the mirror preparing for their senior prom. This was supposed to be the biggest night of their high school lives. Or their lives period. Giselle wasn't nearly as excited as Ashley was. For one, Giselle didn't have a real date. Brian was escorting them. She felt so lame. Everyone else would probably be showing up with their college boyfriends or studs from other schools. Ashley had many guys ask her to prom, and she was going to go with the cute guy from their Chemistry class, but once she found out Giselle was dateless she told him she was going to prom with her best friend. Of course Giselle tried to get her to change her mind, but Ashley was always a stubborn one. Not one guy had asked her. Even the geeks and nerds had dates. That's when Ashley came up with the brilliant idea of Brian escorting them. He was hesitant at first, but after some thinking he agreed.
Whatever money Giselle had left from her paycheck after helping her mom with bills, she put toward prom night. Her mother gave her some of her saved up money to help as well.
"This is my baby's special night," she had said happily as she handed Giselle some money.
"Mom, I can't take this. You need this for bills," Giselle had insisted looking down at the handful of her mother's hard-earned cash. Only to be rebutted with her mother's, "You earned this baby girl."
With that and her own money she managed to afford a beautiful dress that she couldn't wait to step in. She hadn't even let Ashley see it. She wanted her to be surprised.
Much to Giselle's disapproval, Ashley insisted that they get full manicures and pedicures.
"Ashley, that's like 40 bucks that I don't need to spend. I can paint my own nails," she had said wiggling her toes in Ashley's direction.
"Gross," Ashley said, swatting at Giselle's toes. "I know you can paint your own nails, I just figure since this is our big night that we have to do it big. And you know you don't have to pay for a thing. Mom and dad are paying for all this. They gave me the black card, get ready. We got a limo and everything!!"
"They're back in town?"
"No. They're still in Bermuda. They won't be back for weeks."
Giselle looked over at Ashley as she drove them in her BMW. She could tell she was upset. She could hear the spite and disappointment in her voice.
"That sucks."
Ashley gave her a half smile and shrug. "It happens. But it's okay."
"Yea. My mom's excited. She can't wait to see you and Brian's outfits. She went out and bought new batteries for her camera. She got the name-brand batteries too," Giselle laughed.
"This is something serious!" Ashley joined in with Giselle. "But back to this nail situation..."
Giselle put up a fuss but inevitably Ashley won. She tried to get Giselle to schedule a hair and brow appointment but Giselle won that one. She let her mom do her hair and insisted that they get dressed at her house.
Giselle stood in front of her mom's vanity mirror in her rollers and hair pins and applied liquid eyeliner, a hint of eye shadow, and thin coat of pink tinted lip gloss.
Ashley looked at her and reached for the eye shadow.
"You just need a little more to make your eyes pop a little," she said brushing the brush across the eye shadow minerals and then gently blowing, only to have the brush taken away from her.
"I don't want any more eye shadow. My eyes are big enough. If they pop anymore, they're gonna pop outta my head. Chill out, Ash."
"Gosh. Okay, Elle," she said defeated but pleased with her best friend's appearance. Giselle never wore make-up. She looked beautiful. "You look gorgeous, doll," she said.
Giselle stared at her reflection and smiled. She was gorgeous. For once, she felt pretty.
"Wait 'til you see my dress!"
"Well put it on!" Ashley said equally as excited about the dress.
"Okay, okay. First, let me get my mama to take this stuff outta my hair.
*****************
Giselle struggled with the zipper of her gown before Ashley shooed her hand away.
"Let me or you're gonna ruin this beautiful dress," she'd said.
It was beautiful indeed.
She stared at her reflection in awe. Ashley looked over Giselle's shoulder and into the mirror at the two of them. They both looked like princesses. They stared a little longer before Ashley kissed her best friend's cheek and said she was going to go announce they were ready to appear before Giselle's family and Brian.
"Wait! Don't you want to make the grand entrance to them together? It is our big night." Ashley just shrugged.
"Ehh. It's no biggie to me. I always dress fabulous. This is new for you."
"Ouch," Giselle laughed.
"Oh, you know what I meant," Ashley dismissed and left the room. Giselle could hear the cat calls her two brothers were giving Ashley. Little grown asses. She also heard her mom compliment Ashley.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Introducing the beautiful and all dolled up Giselle, Gigi, or who most of us refer to as Elle!" Giselle heard her and laughed. For some reason or another she was nervous. She wiped her sweaty palm on her dress before quietly scolding herself and left the room.
She grew more and more nervous as she slowly and consciously sauntered down the dark hall leading into her living room. She wasn't a heel's kind of girl, but this was a big night. When she finally got there they were all standing for her. Ashley displayed all her pearly, whitening striped teeth as she smiled brightly.
Her brothers both yelled, jumped, clapped loudly, and each gave her wide smiles. Isaiah went as far as to jump from the couch and onto the floor with a loud thud. They seemed just as excited as she was. But she knew they were just taking advantage of the situation. They just wanted a reason to be wild.
Giselle's mother didn't seem to mind the boys being erratic. She was too entranced with her daughter. She stood teary-eyed with her hands clasped over her mouth. Giselle stared at her mother and waited for her to speak.
"Giselle Marie Johnson. You look beautiful, baby," she said as she admired her daughter's appearance.
Giselle smiled and stepped into her mother's now open arms.
"Thank you Mama."
"You're welcome baby."
Giselle composed herself and turned to face Brian. When she did, he was staring at her.
"Wow," he finally said. "You look gorgeous."
Gorgeous wasn't even the word. Giselle was already beautiful, but tonight she took it to a whole new level. He dress was a teal blue that flowed down to the floor. It had a split up to about mid right thigh, and it hugged the curves of her body. It was a strapless number with diamond studs that lined the edges. She wore little make-up which only added to her natural beauty.
Ashley was beautiful too, but she was his sister. Her dress was... fun. It was a short tutu style dress with lots of pink, purple, and yellow in it. But Giselle, goodness.
Giselle let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. He was what was making her nervous.
"Thank you," she said quietly. He stared at her much longer than she'd anticipated, and to avoid his gaze she turned and looked away.
"Are you gonna take pictures Ma?" she asked.
"I got the camera right here. You three get together. We'll take a few in here and take some outside."
The three posed together with Brian in the middle. The two girls took some together, then Brian and Giselle, and he and his sister. Giselle took a few with her mother and a few with her brothers. Ashley and Brian did as well.
The limo showed up and the three piled in. Giselle had never been inside a limo before, and it was beautiful. This was the start to a beautiful evening.
*****************
The girls had a blast that night. They danced together until the guy that had asked Ashley to prom asked her to dance. She hesitated initially, but Giselle convinced her to go and that she'd be fine. Giselle's eyes searched for Brian. She spotted him near the corner of the ballroom with a group of guys that seemed more than thrilled to see him. He tore his gaze from the group of boys and bore his light brown eyes at Giselle. She smiled and turned her attention back to Ashley. She watched as the guy twirled Ashley, and she laughed and smiled. She was happy for her. Nobody had asked her to dance, so she made her way over to the punch fountain where she saw Chris.
"Giselle, you look amazing," he said.
"So do you."
"Are you having fun?"
"Surprisingly, I am," she smiled. "You?"
"I would if you'd dance with me," he said smoothly.
She smiled and accepted his offer. They danced slowly to about the last minute of OneRepublic's "Good Life" until the music changed to the more upbeat "What's My Name" by Rihanna. Giselle was by no means shy on the dance floor. She loved to dance, so when they got out there she put her body to work. It was hard dancing in a long prom dress, but damn if she didn't make it look easy. Before she knew it, Ashley was beside her dancing.
After the song was over, the DJ announced it was time to announce the king and queen. Giselle grabbed Ashley's hand.
"I know you're gonna win," she said.
"I hope so," Ashley said nervously.
"And the queen is.... Ashley McKay!!"
The two girls squealed with delight. Giselle hugged her best friend and gently nudged her in the direction of the stage. Ashley grabbed her hand and pulled her along until she got near the stage. She climbed the stairs and accepted her crown.
