They had found their dresses at a bridal shop. Renee looked terrific in a sleeveless, strapless black velvet number. The top half was in a triangular shape whose point joined the choker collar. Melissa gleamed in a silver get-up. It had a spaghetti strap with a velvet bodice and silky satin skirt, which was bedecked with tiny clear jewels. The only back it had was a string that tied, which was even with where the bodice and skirt met, right under the bust. Both dresses hit the floor and were A-line --not figure hugging, but not flared-- as well as both having a daring drop in the back. An inch lower and they would have had to forgo the idea of underwear or nylons.
They were gathered at Renee's house, and after smiling through many photos taken by her mom, went outside to wait for the limo. When it finally pulled up with a bunch of friends, the girls jumped in. The trip to the Convention Center was pretty quiet for them. Renee was thinking about Lance, and Melissa was thinking about JC and Michael. She'd asked Michael to be her date but he refused. "We already had our prom. We went. We had fun. It's over."
Humph. I bet JC wouldn't have said that. Melissa thought and made a face. She didn't want to think about him tonight. Tonight wasn't about him.
Upon arrival at the CC, Melissa and Renee made a beeline for the dance floor. The first hour of dancing went by quickly, for there were no slow songs. Those would came later in the night, almost non-stop, after dinner.
Dinner that year was better than the years Melissa actually attended high school. She opted for the sliced roast beef while Renee chose chicken. Desert was a slice of the richest chocolate cake they'd ever tasted. Rich or not, it didn't stop Melissa from finishing Renee's and then snagging a third piece.
After dinner, the royal court was announced. Just after the King and Queen were called, the buzz from the room became more erratic than it already was. Renee and Melissa were too deep in conversation to pay attention, but they noticed. They managed to hear "Is that...?" a few times. They even caught an "NSYNC?", but didn't think twice. Both girls received a tap on their shoulder at the same time.
"May I have this dance?" Lance asked Renee, sliding a white corsage onto her wrist.
Renee could only smile into Lance's green eyes as he led her onto the floor, everyone staring at them. JC took her seat as she left.
"Josh," Melissa began.
JC placed a finger to her lips. He produced a violet-colored corsage of little sweetheart roses and held it out in front of him. As Melissa slid her arm through, JC noticed she wasn't wearing her engagement ring. She opened her mouth again.
"Don't speak," JC ordered. "Just dance."
The opening chords to the prom song began playing, as Melissa allowed JC to pull her to her feet.
JC wrapped his arms around Melissa's hips and she raised her arms to his shoulders, resting her head against his chest. JC felt her slowly relax in his arms.
Halfway through, JC began singing another tune. "What can I do to make you see that I'm here, here for you? So tell me why you had to go. Was it me, I need to know," the lyrics from Together Again flowed softly from JC's lips.
A low groan sounded from Melissa's throat. "Josh, don't."
"Look, I care about you. And I know you would be lying if you said you didn't care about me too. I've been going crazy since you left --since before you left-- and I'm not gonna let you walk away from me so easily again. I can't," tears welled up in JC's eyes. "Letting you go after an argument was bad enough. If you think I'm gonna stand here and let you toss me away like garbage, you're wrong. My God, Melissa, my life is a mess, and it's pointless without you in it."
Now Melissa's cheeks were wet. "Josh...how can you...why are...," she stared at JC for a moment, then broke free of his hold and started to walk away briskly.
"Melissa, don't you dare."
Something in JC's voice told her to stay right where she was and turn around, but she ignored it and kept on walking. JC anticipated this and followed hot on her trail. In their haste, they bumped into a few people dancing here and there, who stopped dancing to watch the situation.
When JC was close enough, his arm shot out and grabbed Melissa's. She whirled around and slapped him hard across the face, but he held on.
"Why do you keep pushing me away, why? Why do you open the door, then slam it in my face? What is so wrong about us being together?" he practically screamed in her face.
"Nothing!"
"Then why are you always running away from me?"
"Because I love you!" Melissa shrieked and jerked free again.
JC's face softened and his heart melted. He responded quickly, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around. He laid a soft kiss on her lips.
"I just needed to hear you admit it," he murmured, his mouth pressed against hers.
"Is this why you wanted me to come here so bad?" Renee asked Lance as the song concluded.
Lance's only answer was a devilish smile.
"I'm gonna take that as a yes."
A quick kiss on the lips confirmed Renee's guess. "I just wanted you to have a memorable senior prom, something I didn't have."
"And that, my dear, is why I like you so much," Renee smiled and wrapped her arms around Lance's neck.
"And I love you as well."
Renee froze. This was the second time Lance had told her he loved her. This was also the second time she couldn't say it back. All she could manage was something as lame as 'I like you'. What was wrong here? Why couldn't she say it?
Because you don't feel it.
That's ridiculous. Of course you do. How can you not? He's everything you've been looking for, and much much more.
Then say it.
I can't.
Why not?
Justin.
Renee looked up into Lance's eyes and felt guilty. She knew she had trust issues, trust in guys and in herself. She owed it to herself to have this. She smiled at Lance and laid her head on his shoulder.
"Hey, where'd Justin go?" she asked after a minute, then chided herself silently. She'd meant to ask where everyone else had gone, and Justin came out instead.
"Mmm, I dunno," Lance's low voice rumbled from his chest. "Oh, he's over there with the blonde."
Renee looked up and felt a huge pang of jealousy. "Oh, that's Maggie," she recovered long enough to say. "Hey, Magz!"
Maggie Larson lifted her head dreamily. "Hmm?" she breathed in Renee's general direction. She was too enraptured by Justin's presence to pay much attention to anything else. In a daze, she waved at Renee, causing Justin to turn in that direction. He, too, grinned at Renee, then groaned inwardly.
Maggie is a sweet girl. But I’m not being true to anybody here, he told himself. He knew in his heart that he was doing this to get Renee’s attention. The original plan that Lance had was for JC and himself to dance with their ladies, while Justin, Chris and Joe faded into the crowd. They eventually would mingle, but only if someone asked them to dance. Instead, Justin had waited until he saw Renee speak animatedly with some girl, then tracked that girl down. She turned out to be Maggie, who hadn’t left his side in three songs. He was dying to go up to Renee and Lance and butt in.
“Hey, Maggie?” he began, “I’m gonna go dance with my friend, okay?”
“Alright,” she answered slowly.
Justin made his way toward his friends. “Hey guys,” he stated, and asked, “May I cut in?”
Renee smiled and looked at Lance.
“Be my guest,” he held Renee out to Justin.
“Thanks. Wow, you look great. Better than great. Maybe I shouldn’t be near you. You’re making me all...well...,”
“Alright, that's enough description for me,” Renee clapped a hand over Justin’s mouth. “It’s much more than I need to know.” God, I want him, she contradicted herself silently. I want to know every last detail.
Damn, you’re gorgeous. I wasn’t lying to you, girl. I could easily take you right here, right now, Justin told Renee in his mind.
The two began to dance to Heat it Up by 98°. Obviously Justin was a good dancer, but Renee had no problem keeping up. They were both having a great time, each wanting the other but trying to hide it. JC and Melissa bopped over, a relaxed look on both their faces.
“Hey guys,” Renee said in a skeptical tone, knowing something had gone on. Melissa wasn’t wearing her pantyhose anymore and her string wasn’t tied the way it had been when they left the house. Renee raised an eyebrow at her. Melissa smiled and winked. She’d tell Renee later.
“Hello,” JC replied as a new song came on, one of those songs that’s too fast to slow dance, but too slow to just dance. JC slid his arms around Melissa’s waist and pulled her close as she moved her hips against him to the music.
Justin did the same with Renee, since Lance was nowhere in sight. He was surprised when she didn’t resist. She sensed this and turned so that her back was against him and gave him a devious smile. In tune to the music, moved her body against his in a way that was down right sexual, knowing he‘d get excited. As she rubbed against him, she could feel it was working. Renee could feel Justin’s eyes on her as she pressed her tailbone into his pelvic region.
“Renee, what are you doing?” he asked in a strangled whisper.
“I don’t know,” she answered. It was the truth. She honestly didn’t know what came over her.
Yes, you did, stupid. You knew exactly what you were doing and why you did it.
“You know we shouldn’t be doing this,” Justin continued to whisper in Renee’s ear. “Lance will get mad. We already fought over you once, I’m really not up for it again.”
“Who cares what Lance thinks?” Renee turned around. “This is my life.” She draped her arms loosely around Justin’s shoulders and kept her movement up, rotating her hips against his. She couldn’t believe she had just said that, but done can‘t be undone. She looked over to see how her friend was faring.
Melissa and JC were close enough to be having sex on the dance floor. JC was holding Melissa’s leg up around his hip by her thigh, and they were slowly grinding into each other. Their foreheads were pressed together and they were gazing into each other’s eyes. Melissa knew what JC was thinking, because she was thinking it too. Just moments before, they had made a mad dash down the hall of the Convention Center. In the forgotten restroom, they had quickly made love. They both knew it shouldn’t have happened, but they also knew how right it felt. As they moved together with the rhythm, Melissa felt JC’s excitement grow stronger every minute.
He had to be with her again. The first time wasn’t as big a deal. That time had been to prove something, and even though he had, she hadn’t accepted the truth. This time, however, was after she admitted her love for him, and it had brought tears to his eyes when she held him tight and sighed those words, “I love you”, to him breathlessly during the height of their passion.
An internal struggled waged within JC, however. Deep in his heart, he knew they shouldn’t be doing this. It had taken Melissa shoving her ring in his face for it to sink in. Then she went home and he hadn’t heard from her. To top that off, the first time they see each other in a few weeks, they run to a restroom to have sex. On one hand, being with Melissa was wonderful, but then again, she was engaged. If he were Melissa’s fiancé, he wouldn’t want her messing around with some other guy. He knew now that this had to stop. The only problem was he didn’t want to be the one to end it.
Melissa felt JC’s entire upper body tense up and saw the look of deep thought on his face. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“Honey, your whole body just turned to stone. Something is wrong,” Melissa stepped back and folded her arms across her chest. “Now tell me what it is.”
JC heaved a sigh, “Well, if you must know, I was thinking about you-”
“Naturally.”
The comment was met with a groan. “I was thinking of you, and me...and...well...him.”
“What?”
“Um, remember how you were kind of...like...resistant to this whole thing, and you kept throwing being engaged in my face?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, now it’s sinking in. I mean, what we do...it isn’t right. We really shouldn’t have just been in the bathroom, we never should have gotten so carried away in Florida. It just shouldn’t have happened. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it when it was happening, but...the morals we have...we have to stop. Isn’t that what you said?”
Melissa’s jaw dropped. “Outside. Now”