Matt

"The Prom Queen and King of Avery High School, Class of 2023 are...Addison Miller and Jeff Lewis."

A deafening roar exploded from my classmates and from across the room, Addison let out a cry as she embraced Vanessa tightly. It was the first time I even noticed that Vanessa was in attendance. Devin was by her side of course, joining in on the hug and patting Addison on the back.

I smiled wistfully at them, momentarily longing to be a part of the celebration but oddly enough, okay that I wasn't. Even seeing Devin with his arm draped around Vanessa's shoulder didn't rip my heart out or shatter my soul. The only thing that mattered in that moment was that she was happy and if he did that for her, who was I to try and take that away?

I watched them for a second longer before a low growl caught my attention. Beside me, Kayla ripped her corsage off her wrist, throwing the wilted flower to the floor and stomping on it. When our eyes met, she pointed her finger at my face. "This is all your fault," she shrieked. "Can't you ever just dress normal for once? How could I have possibly won when my boyfriend looks as though he walks the cemeteries at night?!"

She pushed past me, storming towards the doors before I could even respond. I could have let her poison tongue infect me with her venom, but for the first time, I knew I wasn't the one to blame. She was stuck-up, rude and her classmates had seen right through her.

My gaze drifted over to where the newly crowned Addison and Jeff were slow dancing as the senior class looked on. The tiara on her head shimmered in the low, strobe lighting. The right person won. She was the only female in this place that was fit for diamonds, authentic or cubic zirconia.

Despite freezing her out for the past several months, I still held a great deal of affection for her. I would take that to my grave before ever admitting it aloud to her though. The only reason I had for exiling her was because she was Vanessa's best friend.

How could I ever move on if I associated myself with someone that only reminded me of all that I had lost?

It doesn't mean you can't at least be civil. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to her and Jeff as the song faded to an end. "Congratulations, Addison," I began, holding out my hand for her to shake.

She stared at it as though I were growing snake heads from my fingertips. Then promptly bursting into laughter, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to her. "Get over here, Matt," she said, enveloping me in a bear hug as she nuzzled her head into my shoulder. "You're so weird, you realize that," she whispered.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly. "I see the Queen of the Sparkles has finally earned her bedazzled crown."

"I love you too," she replied, pulling back just enough so that she could look me in the eyes.

Fingering her headpiece, I smiled at her. "I always knew you would be Prom Queen."

Her eyes glistened. "And I always knew you would be King of the Jackasses."

"Always with that smart mouth of yours," I retorted as I reached out to ruffle her hair.

She ducked away from my touch. "Watch the locks. A Queen must look flawless."

"I see I'm wearing off on you," I said through laughter. My gaze wandered over towards the door. I should probably go check on Kayla. I placed a hand on Addison's shoulder. "Enjoy your night. You deserve it."

I turned to leave but she grabbed me by the arm, stopping me. "For what's it worth," she muttered. "I voted for you. You're the only guy in this school that I wanted to share this honor with." She bit her lip before continuing. "I never saw you as the class loser. Not even for one second. Jeff may have won the title but to me, you're the real King."

Taking a deep breath, I removed her hold on me. "I think the King you already have suits you perfectly." I leaned in, placing a kiss on top of her head. "We all know I don't belong in that role. Like Troy once said, you're country club and I'm just low-class. Take care, Addison."

Exiting through the double doors, I went to seek out Kayla. She was my future now and Addison and Vanessa were my past. I would always care for them but like most high school friendships, we had outgrown ours.

I found her outside on the hood of my car, plucking the sequins from her dress. As I approached, she looked up at me and I noticed her face was splotchy red and her eyes were swollen. "It's just some dumb title," she said, her voice shaky. "I don't know why I wanted it so badly."

Shrugging, I joined her. "I don't know," I replied, gazing up at the stars. "I often ask myself why a bunch of stranger's opinions matter. So what if they think I'm uncool? My real friends won't care." It took me a long time to get to that realization, but I now knew that to be true.

Kayla burst into tears at my admission. "I really wanted that crown, Mattie. Would it have killed you to wear a pair of Nikes or a nice, cornflower blue button-up every now and again?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. I'm done trying to win everyone's approval. "This is who I am, Kayla," I spat out. "I like black, I enjoy spending my Saturday evenings getting lost in a good book, and I still get choked up that my mom's dead. If you don't like me, then find someone else to date."

She stared at me, her mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out. "I do like you," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I just thought that if I won maybe..." She looked down at her hands as she wrung them.

Crossing my arms, I planted my feet firmly on the ground. "Maybe what?"

She glanced up at me, her blue eyes clear. "I thought that perhaps, my mom would be proud of me for once."

Well, shit. Don't I know how she feels? How many times have I heard what a screw-up I am? Sighing, I wrapped my arms around her waist. "Your mom loves you no matter what, Kayla. That kind of affection is unconditional. She's just going through her own problems and taking them out on you."

She rested her head against my chest, and I could feel her hot tears seep through my shirt. "When did you get to be so wise," she teased through watery breaths.

"It's because of all those books I read."

She laughed softly before pulling me in for a kiss. "I really do love you, Matt."

Then how come I don't feel it?

***

Vanessa

In typical Devin fashion, he announced after Prom that he had a surprise for me. "I booked us a hotel room," he whispered in my ear as we cozied up in the limo. I plastered a smile on my face. Can't we just go to an after-party or hit up the diner for a late-night snack? I was slowly learning that whenever Devin sprung something on me, it usually tended to be the opposite of what I wanted.

As the limo pulled up in front of the local hotel, giggling students in sequins and disarrayed tuxedos flocked inside. Most of them had secured rooms as well, either to host after-parties or to lose their virginity. Unfortunately, Devin had chosen the latter.

"Our suite's right this way," he said, leading me down the corridor. He stuck his key card in the slot before opening the door. As I entered, I glanced around. There were two twin beds, a TV mounted over a dresser, and everything was coated in beige. Nothing special. Certainly not how I had imagined my first time with a guy.

Plopping down on the edge of the bed closest to the window, I rubbed the soles of my feet. They were aching from hours spent dancing in heels all night. There's a reason why I wore those ankle boots all these years.

Devin gave me a lopsided grin as he watched me from across the room. Something about his stare made me shudder. His eyes were dark and engulfed my body as though I were a pizza he wanted to devour. "God, you look sexy," he muttered.

I laughed nervously. Clearly, we have two different definitions of that word. My hair was a tangled mess from thrashing my head around all evening to the music and I had sweated off most of my makeup. I was certain that if I dared to peek in the mirror, my reflection would prove me to resemble a rabid raccoon.

He continued to study me, holding his fingers up in the shape of a rectangle as he pressed them against his eye. "Click. I just took a mental picture."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Stop it, Devin. I'm a total disaster right now. I don't want you having this image stored in your mind's photo gallery."

He scooted onto the bed, coming up behind me and massaging my shoulders. "Don't be embarrassed," he murmured as he placed a kiss on my bare shoulders. "You were the most beautiful girl in the room tonight."

I froze, remembering the last time somebody had uttered those words to me. How poorly that had gone. "I'm flattered," I said, leaning into his touch. "But I don't think anyone can outshine the Prom Queen."

"Why do you always do that?" He grazed his hand down my spine and I shivered.

Moaning softly, I closed my eyes. "Do what," I asked dreamily.

"You put yourself down. Can't you see how awesome you are? You're gorgeous and smart. Any guy would be lucky to have you. I'm lucky to have you."

I turned to face him, caressing his cheek with the back of my hand. "I'm blessed to have you too. You're so perfect."

He waved me off. "Nah. I'm close but I'm still one point away from making that one hundred percent."

Giggling, I slid my palm down his chest. "Oh yea? Am I about to uncover a deep, dark secret, here?"

"Mhm." He placed a feathery kiss on my lips. "I have split ends," he whispered. "Don't tell a soul." His gaze dropped to my own locks. "I like this hairstyle on you. It suits your face."

I groaned. "It's a shame I don't have my own personal hairdresser then. Don't get too used to this."

He smiled at me. "I'll take you either way." Running his hands through my tresses, he fingered the softened coils. He swallowed as his gaze met mine. "I love you, Nessa. Do you love me?"

I should have been jumping on the mattress with glee at his admission but instead, my breathing stilled as I considered his question. Did I? With Matt, there had been no doubt in my mind how I felt about him. He wasn't Prince Charming but there were butterflies and electricity. Whenever he said my name, it caused shivers to tingle throughout my entire body and his touch always left me floating away on cloud nine.

With Devin, there was nothing but fairytale romance. There were roses, grand gestures, and verbal poems about my beauty. Had this been the Eighth Century, I was certain he would have sung me sonnets as he rode up on a white horse. But something inside me still felt hollow whenever I was with him.

Can two things so different mean the same thing?

I wasn't sure but I knew that the thought of losing Devin sounded like a bad dream that I'd never wake up from. Surely, this must be love then.

Slowly, I nodded my head. "I do. I love you too, Devin."

***

Matt

I didn't love Kayla. I knew that as a fact which is why I chose to lean in for a kiss after she had professed those words to me. It's the perfect distraction. Maybe, she won't notice that I didn't say it back.

Plunging my fingers into her hair, I covered her lips with mine until she was breathless. Realizing that we were still on the hood of my car, she pulled away. "How about we move this to the backseat?"

I gave her a devilish grin. Now that's something I can agree with you on. I scooted off the Jetta, stumbling slightly as my feet hit the ground. So much for being suave.

We settled into the cushioned seats of the vehicle, and she smiled nervously as our eyes locked. "Shall we continue," she purred.

Reaching up, I pulled the elastic from her ponytail, and she shook out her hair. Her flaxen waves cascaded over her bronzed shoulders. I was mesmerized. She really is quite stunning.

Sliding in closer, she tucked one finger underneath my chin as she brought my mouth to hers. Her plush lips caressed mine. She let her hands roam over my chest before grabbing hold of one of the buttons to my shirt and undoing it, her fingers working quickly over the rest.

She leaned in, trailing her tongue from my pecs down to my abdomen. What was that, I wondered as mini fireworks shot off in my groin. Do it again, please.

She looked up at me, her face hovering by the zipper to my pants for an instant before she moved in for another searing kiss. Unable to resist temptation any longer, I nudged her back until she was laying down on the seat.

Her hair sprawled around her as though it were a golden halo. But she was no angel. She gasped as I slipped one hand inside the front opening of her dress and began caressing her breast.

Our gazes collided and I could feel her heart thudding beneath my palm. "Make love to me, Matt," she whispered.

My touch stilled at her request and the conversation I had with Addison at Junior Prom came flooding back to me. What if I messed this up like I had done everything else? Please God, just let me get this one thing right and I promise I'll start going to church.

Without waiting for an answer, Kayla's hand flew down to unclasp the buckle of my pants. She fumbled to undo it and we both laughed nervously. "Here, let me get that for you," I said, relieved to have the tension lightened somewhat.

I shimmied out of my clothes in record speed before realizing that she was still fully dressed, and I was completely naked. "Um...do you want to take your gown off or should I?"

"I'll do it." She slipped the garment over her head, pausing when the sequins got tangled up in her hair. "Ow," she exclaimed as I tried to pull some of the stuck strands free.

When she finally managed to yank herself loose, she dropped her dress onto the floor of the car. Swallowing, I let my eyes roam her body. You've got this, Matt.

I positioned myself over her as she wiggled out of her panties. "Um..." I hovered, unsure of what I should do next. Should I kiss her? Yea, that sounds like a plan.

I went in for her mouth the same time she went in for mine and we ended up knocking heads. "Sorry," I muttered, as she grimaced and rubbed her skull.

Shifting my gaze, I stared out the window. Perhaps, this is a bad idea. Maybe, we just aren't ready.

As I contemplated how to proceed, she surprised me by grabbing a hold of my member and stroking it furiously with her hand. Wincing, I placed my fingers over hers and slowed her movements. "Easy. It won't work if you chafe it."

Hurt flashed in her eyes as she haughtily removed her touch. Way to go, champ. You really know how to sweet talk the ladies.

"Let me make it up to you." I grazed my palm over her thigh, edging it closer and closer to her privates with each stroke. Finally working up the courage, I let my fingers explore the inside of her. She felt warm and wet. Now what? I knew there was something called the G-spot but had no idea what it was or where it was located.

Fumbling around, I let her moans guide me. When she began to writhe from my touch, I pulled my fingers out. Reaching for the condom I kept in the center console, I tore open the package and slid the latex over me.

I moved my body over hers once more, placing a hand against the window for support. Should I announce my entry? "Okay," was all I said before I plunged inside of her and began to thrust.

She inhaled sharply and terrified I had ripped her open, I abruptly stopped my movements. "Are you alright," I squeaked out. "What happened?"

She nodded. "Don't stop," she said through labored breaths.

"Um...Kayla. I'm pretty sure sex is supposed to be pleasurable. You kind of sound like you're in pain. We can stop if you want."

She dug her nails into my butt, urging me to continue. I resumed thrusting and the car rocked back and forth to our movements. She cried out as I my speed picked up and unsure of whether she had actually orgasmed, I tried to hold on. Too late.

My body shook in waves as sheer ecstasy washed over me. I collapsed on top of her, my breathing rapid-fire and my skin slicked with sweat. Rolling over, I stared up at the ceiling of the vehicle. That was incredible. I can't believe I allowed myself to miss out on that for so long.

I vowed to never make that mistake again. "Amazing," was the only word I managed to get out.

Sliding my gaze over to Kayla, our eyes met briefly before we both quickly looked away and a bout of awkwardness hung heavy in the air.

***