"You look so gorgeous!" 

An embarrassed grin crossed my face as I paused at the top of the stairs, glancing at my mom at the bottom of them. She wolf-whistled as I continued down them, taking extra care not to stumble in my heels. When I made it to the bottom, she gave me a suffocating hug. I stuck my arm out to avoid my mask being crushed between us. After a few moments she pulled away, leaving me nearly out of breath. 

"Is Jeremy still picking you up?" she inquired. 

I nodded. "He'll be here soon." 

"Is he bringing you home?" 

My heart skipped a beat at her question. Did I forget to tell her I was staying at Chris's? Crap! Would she allow me to? I hesitated a few moments, twiddling my thumbs nervously. "Um, actually..." 

"Actually?" 

"Well it's Chris's birthday tonight and he wanted me to stay at his place for the night because he won't be able to spend time with me at the dance and I want to give him his present, but it'd have to be at his house and-" 

My mom laughed, cutting me off. "Holly, it's fine." 

I blinked at her. After a second her words registered and I let out a sigh of relief. What was I so worried about? I forgot she loved when I was around him. 

"I trust you two, so it's not like I'm going to say no," she told me, smiling gently. "You're eighteen now too, so you can do whatever you want." 

"Oh, um, thanks..." 

She ruffled the top of my head. "Don't thank me. Just provide me with plenty of grandchildren-" 

"Mom!" 

"Holly!" 

I flushed, scowling at her. "I-I'm too young right now!" 

She cocked an eyebrow. "Right now? So you will later in life?" 

"It's not like I don't want children," I mumbled, shifting on my feet uncomfortably. "Maybe after I'm done with college." 

"That's a good idea," she responded, nodding her head. "You and Chris will make very cute babies." 

I half-smiled at her. "Mom... If he ever heard you saying something like that, you might scare him away." It was nice she was so confident we'd still be together then too. 

"I'll make sure to keep it on the down low for awhile... But when the time comes I'll be dropping hints," she added with a wink. 

Before I could respond, the doorbell rang. My mom basically flew to the door, wrenching it open excitedly. Jeremy was standing there, his blonde hair damp and messy from the wind. "Hello Lynn!" he greeted enthusiastically, pulling her into a bear hug. "You look as fine as ever!" 

She giggled, pushing him away. "You're too kind, Jeremy." 

I rolled my eyes. During my time in the hospital, somehow they'd created a surprisingly strong friendship- and apparently it didn't evaporate. 

"And of course, Holly, you look as gorgeous as you did the first time I saw you in that dress!" 

"You don't look half-bad either," I responded, eying him. 

I wasn't lying. He looked exceptionally handsome in his black tuxedo. He resembled an adorable penguin- with blonde hair. The sight of his deep pink tie resting around his neck and down his formally clad chest made me smile. Whether he planned on it or not, he'd chosen the same color as Casey's dress. 

"Well you two have a great night," my mom started, pushing me towards the door. "Jeremy, have her back by midnight." 

"She'll probably be very busy by then-" 

"Jeremy!" I cried, kicking him. 

He winced. "Sorry." 

My mom smirked. "Aw, Holly. You're so cute." 

I stared at her. "You sounded just like Chris..." 

"You look horrified," Jeremy snickered, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Come on. I have to be there a little early." 

"Bye Mom!" I called as he started pushing me through the door. "I'll text you later!" 

"Okay! Bye Holly! Bye Jeremy!" 

Jeremy turned to throw another quick grin to my mom. "Bye Lynn!" 

My mom shut the door behind us as we hurried towards Jeremy's running Honda. Frigid air nipped at my exposed skin the whole way, causing goosebumps to appear across every inch. The warm air the vents in the car were blowing was a welcomed feeling as I slid into the passenger's seat. Jeremy appeared at the driver's side a few moments later, quickly shutting the door behind him. 

"You should have put on a jacket," he told me reproachfully. "Chris won't be happy I let you leave in that skimpy dress." 

"It's not skimpy!" 

"For you it is." 

I glowered at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

He chuckled. "Don't get so offended, Holly. I was only joking... sort of. I've never seen you show as much skin as you do in that dress." 

"I don't generally wear dresses as everyday clothing. That might be why." 

"True." 

Silence settled in the car after that as we drove through the dark streets toward the school. I squirmed in my seat, feeling the antsy sensation I always felt before doing something exciting. Jeremy glanced at me, grinning again. 

"Are teachers allowed to dance with students?" 

I frowned. "I'm sure you can, but-" 

"Good. I have to have a dance with Casey." 

"Jeremy-" I started but cut myself short. "Wait. Casey?" 

He nodded. "I promised her another dance at the wedding." 

"Um, well, actually, she has a date," I told him slowly, watching him carefully to gauge his reaction. 

His eyes snapped to mine. "What?" 

"Yeah. She was asked last night." 

"Who?" Jeremy demanded, his fists tightening on the steering wheel. 

The corners of my lips twitched. Was he feeling jealous? "Aaron." 

"You're kidding me!" he cried, turning to look at me fully. "Holly! Did you tell her what Aaron tried?" 

I shook my head. "No." 

"There's no way she's going near him!" 

"But Jeremy-" 

"No buts!" 

Biting my lip to keep from smiling, I decided to tell him my thoughts. "I agree with you. I don't trust Aaron around her either but... She was so happy to have a date, and Aaron actually isn't mean to her at all." 

"Aaron's not a good person, Holly." 

"I know that-" 

"No, you don't know." 

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What do you mean?" 

Jeremy pressed his lips into a tight line. "He's done a lot of things. I got to take a look at his criminal record today-" 

"How?" 

"It's on file with the school," he informed me. "That kid is a miscreant." 

"What did he do?" 

Jeremy gave me an apologetic look. "It's basically illegal to tell you, so I'm afraid I can't." 

"I won't tell!" 

"But you might blurt it out when you're angry," he replied simply. "I wasn't even supposed to see it." 

I pouted at him. "But..." 

"I'm going to keep an eye on Casey tonight," he informed me. "I don't trust Aaron." 

"Good idea," I agreed immediately, "but could you tell me a few of the things he did?" 

"No. Although I do want to disclose this bit of information to you because I'm finding him to be a bit hypocritical." 

"Which is?" 

Jeremy smirked. "You're not the only one interested in your teachers." 

I blanked. "What?" 

"You heard me." 

A gasp left my lips. "No way! He had a relationship with his teacher? Ugh! That's so gross! He's such a hypocrite- Oh my god! I can't believe it!" 

Jeremy chuckled at my reaction. "Calm down, Holly. You can use this against him. But why did you say that was gross?" 

"Cause the teacher is a woman!" 

He gave me a curious look. "So?" 

"It's just... It's weird." 

"It's the same as you and Chris dating." 

"No it's not," I responded flatly. "I can't believe that little hypocrite. He told me Lexi had a relationship with her teacher!" 

Jeremy clicked his tongue. "That's true too." 

My brain was beginning to hurt. How many lies did Aaron tell? What was the truth behind everything he'd said to me? Thinking about it made my blood boil. "Aaron... That arrogant jerk." 

"It's a wonder how he and Lexi are twins..." 

"Jeremy, Lexi is-" 

He cut me off. "Not who you think she is." 

"Oh yeah? Is that why she's taking Lance as a date tonight?" I snapped at him. 

He laughed. "Really, Holly? It's a school dance. She can take a date." 

"Jeremy!" 

"Yeah, yeah, you're worried about me. Trust me, everything's okay." 

"Don't be stupid." 

He scoffed. "You're being stupid." 

"No I'm not!" 

"You don't know Lexi, Holly." 

"I know enough!" 

"Just because you don't like to flirt doesn't mean every other girl has to dislike it too. Girls flirt, Holly. Even if they have a boyfriend." 

I clenched my jaw. "Fine. Don't come crying to me when she breaks your heart." 

Jeremy slammed on the car breaks, making me jolt forwards in my seat. "Don't worry about it. I can go to Casey." 

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Jeremy!" 

"What?" 

"That's my best friend you're talking about!" Who happens to like you! 

"What about her?" 

"You can't... You don't... What happened to you?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him. "Ever since Lexi came you've become a... a love-struck fool!" 

He rolled his eyes. "This again, Holly? Is it a crime to like someone?" 

"No, but-" 

"Then drop it. We're at the school, come on. Let's head to the gym." 

"Whatever," I muttered, pushing open the door. "I'm going ahead." 

I'd only made it halfway through the parking lot when Jeremy grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop. Turning my head, I gave him an annoyed look. 

"Wait, Holly. I don't want you to be mad at me. It's a dance, we should have fun tonight." 

"I'm not angry," I lied- well it wasn't a total lie. I wasn't angry, just upset. 

He gave me a flat look. "Yes you are. Give Lexi a chance. She's really not that bad." 

"She's leading both you and Lance on. One of you will be crushed." 

"Lance?" 

"She flirts with him all the time, Jeremy. He's not just a date." 

He frowned. "She never mentions him..." 

"What if she doesn't choose you, Jeremy?" 

"Then that's that..." 

I shook my head. "I don't want to see you hurt." 

He bumped his hip into mine, sending me stumbling. "Don't worry, Holly. I've got it handled. You should let it go... Otherwise we'll have an argument like this every time we're alone together. I like her, Holly. It's not only because I think she's attractive." 

Reluctantly, I did let it go. As much as I wanted to continue to reproach him about it, it wasn't like I could tell him who he liked and who he didn't like. Eventually he'd come around and see Lexi for whom she was... Hopefully before she chose Lance over him if that was the case- which I secretly hoped was. Casey obviously liked Jeremy, and whether Jeremy knew it or not, he felt something for her too. 

"So are we good?" 

"We're good," I responded, offering him a sheepish smile. "I can't have you angry with me, anyway. I need you tonight." 

He wagged his eyebrows. "Does Chris know about this?" 

I rolled my eyes. "You know what I'm talking about." 

"I do indeed," he responded with a laugh. "I can't wait to see his face." 

"You can stay for a minute to see his face, but then you'll probably want to leave." 

He winced. "Yeah. He might kill me if I stay." 

"He probably would," I agreed, smiling in amusement. "By the way, Jeremy, what does your mask look like? I want to be able to find you." 

A flash of amusement crossed his eyes. "Not telling you. You'll have to find me if you want to dance with me." 

"I didn't say I wanted to-" 

"Too bad. I get one dance with you." 

"As long as you don't propose to me," I sighed, shaking my head. 

He chuckled. "I don't need to. You didn't refuse last time I asked you." 

"You proposed to me in front of everyone! I couldn't say no!" 

"You didn't want to say no," he corrected me. 

"You guys are getting married?" 

My hand shot out to grab Jeremy's arm as I jumped in shock. Twisting around, I came face-to-face with Aaron and Lexi.  

Aaron had an eyebrow cocked, a smug expression across his face. My eyes dropped down to his feet to survey his outfit. I wouldn't admit it, but he looked just as striking as Jeremy in a tuxedo. It was similar to Jeremy's, except Aaron was wearing a red tie. Which matched my dress perfectly. I resisted the urge to scowl.

Lexi was wearing a light purple, strapless, layered dress. To my surprise it was longer than mine- I'd assumed she would wear a dress as short as she could without getting in trouble. My eyes returned to her flabbergasted face. She stared between Jeremy and myself, her mouth dropping open. My eyes widened and I turned to Jeremy, who looked just as uncomfortable as me. 

"You two are together?" Lexi finally stated in disbelief. 

I held my breath. It wasn't like we could deny it in front of Aaron. But Lexi was with Jeremy... 

"That's so cute!" she gushed, a smile spreading across her face. "Aw!" 

Aaron turned to his sister, looking just as bewildered as I felt. "I thought you were dating Jeremy, Lex?" 

She pulled her eyebrows together. "What? No. We're just friends. Right, Mr. Ross?" 

Jeremy blanked. "What?" 

"You told me you went on a date with him though," I pointed out slowly, looking at Jeremy nervously. Didn't he assume he was dating her? Why wasn't he saying anything? 

"Dates as friends, silly," she told me. "I would never date another teacher. It's too risky. You two have to be careful." 

"But..." 

"Your Facebook says you're in a relationship," Aaron pointed out. 

"Yeah. With Willis." 

"Willis?" Jeremy, Aaron, and I all cried in unison.  

She blinked at us. "What?" 

"I thought you were dating Jeremy!" 

"Why would you think that? Aren't you dating him? Jeremy's a good guy. He wouldn't cheat on you." 

Aaron scowled. "Damn it." 

I glanced at Jeremy. "But..." 

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, Holly. We're just friends. You don't need to look so worried." 

"Jeremy..." 

Lexi grinned at him. "See? It's all good. I've got to go pick up my mask from my locker, so I'm going to head in. See you guys later!" 

We all bid her adieu, watching as she slinked away toward the school building. A stunned silence lasted after her departure. 

"And here I'd hoped Mr. Ross would be cheating on you, Holly." 

My eyes snapped to him. "Why would you want that?" I demanded angrily. 

"Why not?" 

"You-" 

"Little brat," Jeremy interjected, moving toward him. "Leave Holly alone." 

Aaron smirked. "Ooh, angry?" 

"I'll show you angry-" 

"Jeremy! No!" I cried, grabbing onto him. "Don't touch him." 

Aaron shook his head. "No, Holly. Let him go. This way when he punches me it will be on camera... Although I still have a bruise..." He lifted the hair on his forehead to show us a nasty blue and purple bruise. "This should be enough evidence." 

"Evidence of what?" Jeremy snapped. 

"That you attacked me." 

I glared at Aaron. "You spiked my drink!" 

"Big deal." 

"It is a big deal since you basically tried to rape me!" 

"I'm not interested in seconds," he responded, rolling his eyes. 

I scowled. "Just because your relationship didn't work out for you, doesn't mean mine won't!" 

His face hardened and he took a menacing step toward me. "What are you talking about?" 

"I know that you-" 

"Holly!" 

I turned to Jeremy in surprise. "What?" 

"Don't say another word." 

"Tell me," Aaron growled, grabbing my arm. "What do you know?" 

"Let go of her!" Jeremy demanded, yanking on Aaron's arm. 

He gripped me tighter, making me wince. I didn't know whether to talk or not. Why wasn't Jeremy letting me say what I knew? Isn't that why he told me? So that I could use it against him? I tried to think of a reason why I couldn't tell Aaron... 

"Ow!" I cried as Aaron clenched my arm tighter. 

"Tell your boyfriend to let go of me and I'll let go of you." 

"You let go of me first!" I cried, stomping on his foot. "Why are you so violent?" 

Aaron abruptly let go of my arm. "Why not?" 

"I..." 

"You really piss me off, Holly," he commented, jerking his arm out of Jeremy's grasp. "Stop acting like everything is so damn perfect for you." 

I stared at him in confusion. "I don't-" 

"I've got to go pick up Casey, otherwise we'll be late. It's not nice to make a girl wait," he said, smiling sweetly. "Especially when such a fun night is in store." 

"What are you planning?" 

"Nothing," he responded innocently. "I'm just going to have a fun night." 

Jeremy snorted. "Like your fun with Holly?" 

He laughed, but didn't respond. Instead, he started walking off in the direction of the parking lot. I glared at his back, not realizing I'd been breathing more heavily than usual until he was gone. 

"I hate that kid," Jeremy and I stated simultaneously. 

The corners of his lips twitched. "I don't understand him. You're the nicest person on earth. Why does he hate you so much? He barely knows you!" 

"I ask myself that every day." 

"There must be something wrong with him," Jeremy mused, pulling his eyebrows together. "Maybe he was raised wrong? No, actually I feel like he might have anger problems." 

"Road rage?" I joked. 

He chuckled. "Probably." 

"We have to keep an eye on him tonight," I declared, crossing my arms. "He might be nice to Casey but..." 

"Leave that all to me." 

I hesitated a moment before speaking again. "I'm sorry, Jeremy." 

He cocked an eyebrow. "For what?" 

"Lexi..." 

"It's no problem," he said flatly. "I didn't realize she thought friends went on dates and kissed. You can say I told you so if you want." 

I shook my head vehemently. "I don't want to! But maybe if you weren't pretending to date me it would have gone differently-" 

"No, it probably wouldn't if she doesn't want another relationship with a teacher," he replied. "Maybe I should quit..." 

I slapped his back. "No! You're a good gym teacher." 

"Really?" 

"A whole bunch of students like you! Including girls. You can find someone new to like." 

"Like who?" 

I smirked. "What about Casey?" 

He snorted. "She doesn't like me like that." 

"Oh really?" 

"Really." 

"Oh and I bet you don't like her, huh?" I commented as casually as I could. 

He gave me a crazy look. "What? No, I do like her." 

"Then go for it!" 

He rolled his eyes. "Holly, honestly, I'm not that upset over Lexi. I'm fine being single." 

"You liar." 

"How do you know?" he snapped. 

I smiled, nodding toward his hands. "Well you're tense for one." 

He shook his head. "Whatever. It's fine. She's a student anyway. I'd rather keep my job." 

"It's okay," I told him, grabbing his clenched fist and opening it. "She wasn't worth it." 

"Such a clichéd line..." 

I laughed. "Come on, let's go in now. If we wait any longer everyone else will be showing up and you'll be late to being early." 

"Sounds good," he responded, dragging me toward the building. "Let's make this a night to remember." 

"Let's," I agreed. 

______________________________________________ 

The whole dance was going to be in one chapter... but I got occupied with Jeremy -_- he's so easy to write with... Oh well xD it's pretty long. On Word at least.

FB page in external link. 

I'm hungry. And I love PTV.

Today's song is Gorgeous Nightmare by Escape the Fate! It's such a good song for that okay album.