Not Just Another Cliché

"Okay girls, good job today. You can go home." I say walking over to my table and taking a sip of water.

I start talking to Holly and then she gets a text off Seth and she runs off.

Everyone has left the gym hall except me, Ava and Julie.

I see Julie rubbing Ava's back as she cries softly.

I furrow my eyebrows and walk up to them.

"Hey girls, is everything okay?" I question.

"Ava is just a bit upset about prom tomorrow, she doesn't have a date." Julie explains and my heart broke.

"You don't need a date Ava. Go with friends, it'll be just as fun if not more." I smile as I squat down.

"That was the plan Emily but then a bunch of the other JV cheerleaders made fun of me not having a date. I can't be the laughing stock of the whole Prom for not having a date. I won't."

"Do you like anyone?" I ask.

"Yeah, but he's going with Nicole."

I think silently to myself as I bite the inside of my mouth.

"Who are you going with Jules?" I question Julie.

"Wasn't planning on going at all."

I think a bit more to myself and then I get an idea.

"I have an idea."

*********

"No way Emily!" Casey argues as he throws himself onto my bed.

"Please Casey. I've never asked you for a favour before in all of our friendship."

"I'm not going to the junior prom with a bunch of Juniors."

My eyes soften and I slouch down and look Casey in the eyes, "please."

He sighs and shrugs his shoulders, "fine. But you're so chaperoning."

"Thank you Casey." Climbing onto the bed and giving him a quick kiss.

"You're lucky I love you."

"I'm very lucky." I smile and he kisses my forehead.

I walk towards my door.

"Where are you going?" Casey asks.

"To persuade Seth now." I smirk.

"Oh he is screwed."

"You thought it was hard saying yes to me. It'll be a miracle if Seth lasts 10 seconds with me and Holly fighting him."

We walk out to my car and Casey offers to drive.

We hop out at Seths house and walk in. Casey always does that.

"Holly." I call out hoping she's here.

"Upstairs." She calls back.

Casey takes my hand in his and guides me upstairs.

I see Holly lying on Seths stomach as they watch tv.

"TV off now." I order and Holly switches it off and then joins me in front of Seth.

"These JV cheerleaders have prom tomorrow and 2 amazing girls have no dates." I trail off.

"Their names are Ava and Julie. They are so sweet and cute." Holly continues.

"What we are asking is if you take them. Casey already agreed." I say.

"Sure." Seth says.

"I mean they are social outcasts and they don't have many fri-, wait what?" I say in shock.

"I'll do it." Seth says again.

"Okay cool. Seth who are you taking Julie or Ava?" Holly questions.

"Eh I'll have Julie."

"Cool looks like Case has Ava." Holly says.

"Thank you for doing this guys." I say making my way to Caseys lap.

"Once you guys are chaperoning." Seth warns.

"We are don't worry."

"Crap, we need dresses then." Holly panics.

"We can just wear any dresses in our closets Holls, it's not our prom."

I take my phone out and text Ava to meet me at Starbucks.

"We can go shopping on our way to meet Ava and Julie." I say.

"They don't know?" Seth asks.

"Well you only agreed 10 minutes ago." I said and they nod.

We all pile up into my car and drive to starbucks.

When we get out, Casey wraps his arm around my waist and leans on my shoulder as we walk in.

I see Ava and Julie sitting down and Ava's eyes are stained red from crying.

We walk over and a big smile takes over their faces when they see Casey and Seth.

"W-what's going on?" Ava stutters as she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and continues smiling.

Me and Holly look at each other then smile and walk towards the girls and grab their hands and set them in front of our boyfriends.

"Ava meet Casey. Julie meet Seth. Girls meet your dates for junior prom." I smirk and Holly smiles.

"Not only will you have dates but you will have the hottest guys of the whole school on your arms." Holly continues.

"And it'll be an honour." Seth and Casey say at the same time.

"We were on the way to the mall if you's wanna tag along. If you don't already have dresses anyway." I say.

"We don't have dresses." They both say in sync.

"Not for long."

********
I'm staring at a beautiful girl in a white dress with diamonds covering the waist band and lace over her chest.

"Ava you look amazing." I gasp.

"You think so?" She hides behind her auburn hair.

"I know so."

I see a curtain pull over and then Julie walks out in a pale pink dress with glassy eyes.

"It's too tight." She chokes out.

"I may have the perfect date but to wear a dress this gorgeous, I need the perfect body." She cries.

"There's nothing wrong with your body Julie." Me and Holly say at the same time.

"Easy for you two to say. You are both stunning. You never had to worry about not having a date to your prom. Don't tell me that my body is fine when I'm the only one can see it." Julie screams at us and then walks back into the changing room.

Soon enough, she walks back out and says "I'm not going."

She walks ahead of us and ignores us calling her name. She walks to Seth and Casey and looks away.

"Seth Julie isn't going prom." Holly informs him.

"Julie you have to go! I can't go without a date. Don't leave me hanging." Seth says and I smile.

These guys really are amazing. They always make people feel special.

I walk up to Julie and touch her arm making her turn around.

"If you could see yourself for just a day, you'd see the way everyone else sees you and you're beautiful." I say.

"They called me fat." She chocked out.

"Make them regret calling you fat then." I smile.

She looks at the ground and slowly raises her head and smiles back at me.

"The dress, um it didn't fit."

"So what, I didn't like it anyway." Casey says and we all chuckle.

"Go pick out a new dress." Holly says.

********

In the end, Ava buys her white dress and Julie found a navy one that looked amazing on her.

Seth and Casey are riding together and collecting the girls then meeting us at the dance.

I'm wearing a black and white stripped skort playsuit with my black and white superstars and a light blue denim jacket that reaches my waist. My hair is in a neat donut bun with my loose parts escaping to shape my face.

Holls is wearing a black long sleeve top and a black and white checkered skirt with black ankle boots. Her hair is down with a small braid going around the back of it to finish the look.

We pull up outside and meet Seth and Casey with the girls.

"You girls look so amazing." Holly says to Ava and Julie and I smile and nod in agreement. They really did.

"Shall we?" Casey asks putting his arm out to Ava and she blushes a bit and links her arm through his and then they begin to walk in with Seth and Julie following as Seth places his hand on the small of Julie's back.

We rush in after them to see everyone's reactions.

When they make it to the door, everyone goes silent until one person gasps and starts to whisper.

"How did she get Casey St Cloud?" The person whispers.

"Isn't that Julie Ross with Seth Mitchell? She must be blackmailing him into this." Another whispered.

I lean into the girls and rub their arms.

"Don't listen to them. Jealousy doesn't look good on them." I whisper.

They both take deep breaths and walk over to the punch table.

Everyone continues staring but it's not silent anymore.

"Why don't you guys go dance." I yell over the music after a while:

Casey and Seth guide their dates onto the dance floor.

The door opens and everyone turns their attention to it and the sight in front of me makes me smile.

It's Amber with a junior, she's his date.

Again the gym goes quiet but then there's a sudden bolt of laughter including mine and the rest.

The junior is Ambers cousin and he has spots all over his face and he's tiny.

Amber looks around the gym frantically until her gaze lands on me and Holly and then she stomps her foot and bolts to the door.

Suddenly, I feel bad. I know what it's like to feel embarrassed in front of a crowd. But hell, this is the girl who nearly killed me when she just decided not to catch me.

I think she deserves a little bit of what she gives to everyone else. After all, when you make your bed you have to sleep in it yourself.

Time ticks on and soon enough, it's the last dance.

"May I have this dance?" A voice asks from behind me and after smiling, I turn around to be met with the love of my life.

"It's not 'crush' tho." I smirk.

He looks over at the DJ and turns back to me afterwards.

"Well this song is pretty rubbish, how about a new song. Crush is our best friend song and this, whatever it is called, is our relationship song." He says wrapping his arms around my waist.

"It's Beautiful Soul."

"It's brutal." He says and I chuckle as I wrap my arms around his neck and he guides me onto the dance floor.

"I like it. It's, sweet."

"Well if you like, then I like it." He says pecking me on the lips making me smile beneath his lips.

I turn my head to Ava and Julie talking to two cute juniors.

"Thanks for doing this Case. They are beautiful girls, they just needed to break out of their shells." I say turning back to look him in the eyes.

"You know, I had fun. Ava is a great girl but you are my only girl." He says and I smile and feel butterflies erupt in my stomach.

"I love you Emily."

I take a moment before replying then I look up and see Holly and Casey dancing beside us.

I feel tears blur my vision and then I reply back to Casey.

"I can't believe this is almost over. It only feels like we went to our junior prom last week."

Casey raises his hand and places it on my cheek and wipes away a tear that escapes my eyes.

"What if nothing is ever the same? You're going Louisville, Seth and Holly are going Illinois and if I get in, I'm off to New York. Our lives are changing whether we like it or not and there's nothing we can do to stop it. I-I, I just wish everything stayed the same after high school." I rant on.

"Hey, we still have our prom, senior lock in, senior camp and then graduation." Casey assures me.

"I know we still have 2 months. But after them months, It's over. I'm sorry I'm being really sappy." I chuckle as I wipe under my eye.

"Don't be silly. I'd be lying if I said it never crossed my mind."

I can't believe this will all end eventually. I suppose good things don't last forever.

After years of being super close and seeing each other everyday, we will all be separated.

*******
The next chapter is gonna be scary yet will keep you on the edge of your seat.

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-Maddie🤘🏻🤘🏻