“I guess, I still don’t know what I’m doing yet,” she answered unenthused.
“What?” June piped in confused. “You should be so excited! Prom is amazing, over rated but still a rite of passage,” June continued. Mickey nodded along.
“Yeah, I want to go. I just haven’t planned anything,” she said softly and then quickly looked over to me shyly.
“James, have you even asked Mickey to prom?” June asked incredulously. I felt my face heat, under all their gaze and by the truth.
“No, but—” I started but all their gasps cut me off, Mickey’s silence was the worst, she merely looked down with pink cheeks. “I already bought your ticket,” I said aloud.
“You haven’t even asked her! What if she doesn’t want to go with you?” mom asked, making me even more embarrassed and nervous now. I gulped as dad smacked me lightly in the shoulder.
“Not cool, son,” he said quietly.
“Seriously James!” June chirped as well.
“I was planning on asking you! I thought you knew we were going to prom together,” I rambled out, feeling awful. Mickey laughed at me then.
“Is that your way of asking me to prom James?” she smiled.
“Yeah, I guess so,” I said lamely, wishing this conversation had never happened and I could have thought of a memorable way to ask her.
“Okay, yes, I will go to prom with you James.” She smiled widely now. I felt myself relax, even though I was pretty certain that she would never reject me.
“I’m sorry, I just wanted it to be memorable when I asked you. I shouldn’t have waited so long,” I told her sheepishly.
“Oh, it will definitely be memorable.” June laughed at me. I fought the urge to kick her under the table.
“So, you still need to go dress shopping!” mom exclaimed with excitement.
“Yeah, I guess so.” Mickey smiled at me.
“Can I go with you?” mom asked her, looking thrilled by the thought.
“Oh, me too, me too!” June said, just as thrilled.
“Of course!” Mickey said, looking relieved. She hated shopping and would have much more fun if mom and June were there.
“I guess that means we’re going shopping for a suit,” dad said looking at me, a grin on his face.
“I guess so,” I answered, happy everything was working out.
After dinner, Mickey and I went up to my room.
“I’m still really sorry about how I asked you to prom. I really did want to do something to make it special,” I told her honestly.
“James,” she sighed, “When will you understand, I don’t need you to try to make things special for me. All I need is you, that’s special enough.” She smiled and then kissed me deeply. I was reminded once again how lucky I was to have her. I just had to stop screwing up like this.
Spring Break was finally here and it was nice to have a break from everything and time for Mickey and I to get away alone. It was also great because I was finally allowed to drive again and my licence was reinstated. I’d been dying to drive and was so grateful to be able to drive my car again and not just be allowed to watch June borrow it. I’d missed this freedom and independence. I felt more like a man, being able to take Mickey out on our dates and chauffeur her wherever she needed to go. We had decided to go on a small road trip once I got my licence back, we had the time to do it and I’d been dying to really get behind the wheel. We had decided to drive down to Disney, neither of us had ever been and we’d always wanted to go. With my hand on the wheel and my arm around my girl, the music blaring and our off-key singing, nothing could get better. I was so thankful for the short break from school and, more importantly, from Gert and her gang. Gert was dead set on driving me mad. Every time any of them were near me, they’d call me chubby chaser, dork, loser, or poser. I had thick skin but it really sucked. At least before I had joined the group, I’d been invisible to them, now there was a target on my back and on Mickey’s. When school was done, I was relieved I’d never have to see any of those assholes again. Until then, I took it one day at a time and focused on what really mattered to me and she was sitting right beside me.
“I’m so excited!” Mickey cried out as we parked at the hotel.
“Me too,” I told her, chuckling at her excitement, she was too damn cute, like a little kid at Christmas. I knew already this was going to be a great Spring Break.
Michaela
I’d had the most amazing five days with James at Disney! I knew Disney was supposed to be for kids but I had loved every minute of it and wasn’t ashamed. The entire place had been magical and I think it was the best vacation I’d ever been on. We’d had so much fun, on the rides, just walking around the park and then when we went back to our hotel. It had all been too perfect. Now we were headed back to reality. Gert greeted me as I came in the house, a scowl etched across her face. She’d been treating me worse ever since James didn’t back down and leave me. I went to pass her and she purposefully bumped into me, making me drop my duffel bag.
“I don’t understand what I ever did to make you hate me so much,” I told her feeling very frustrated.
“You
