Birthday Pool Party Ch. 36

"I guess it's okay." her dad reluctantly agrees.

"I'm with Mrs. Greene." Ashley's dad says. "Ashley is a good girl, and I don't want her corrupted."

"Please!" Ashley screeches. "That's wrong for so many reasons! First, having sex wouldn't mean I'm not a 'good girl'! Second, if anything, I'd be the one doing the corrupting! Get over it, Dad! I'm my own person, I'm an adult. A sexual being. Whether you like it or not!"

Ashley's father goes red in the face. He, along with Ashley's mother, move closer to their daughter and start a quiet conversation. I can hear hushed whispers, but I can't make out anything they're saying. Ashley looks like she's so angry she's about to start crying.

"I'm pregnant!" Hazel shouts as she steps up into the center of the group.

Everyone stops talking and looks over at the tall, tan girl. Hazel has a determined look on her face as she glances around the group. There are shocked faces everywhere, even from the people who know she's pregnant.

"Steven's the father!" Hazel announces. "It's my own fault, I forgot to take my pills for a few days, and I didn't tell him. My parents threw me out when they found out. My own father, he slapped me across the face and called me a whore!

"They judged me for my choices, decided I wasn't part of the family anymore. I've lost my mom, my dad, and my three brothers. I miss my brothers every day, but not my parents. They don't deserve my affection. Not anymore." Hazel takes a deep breath before continuing. "Look inside yourselves; are you perfect? No. You fucking aren't. So how DARE you judge me? How DARE you judge Lexi and Steven!

"Now, look at me." Hazel spreads her arms in an open gesture. "It's my Senior Prom and my parents aren't here to see me in my dress. The harder they try to judge me, the more it pushes me away, especially when I need the support the most."

"Don't push me away, Mom." Ashley says loudly, looking at her mother. "I'm staying over tonight. It's my decision."

"I'm not happy about it, but you're right, you're an adult." Ashley's mom admits. "I'll let it go."

"Two girlfriends and a baby on the way with a third girl!" Mrs. Greene screeches. "Why would I even consider letting Josh stay here?!"

Various people glare at Josh's mother. Mrs. Greene just stands her ground. No one says anything, and it seems obvious that the woman feels she's winning something. I'm about to speak up when Josh mumbles something, something I can't make out.

"I don't need your-" Mrs. Greene starts berating him.

"Jennifer Cartridge!" Josh exclaims, interrupting his mother.

"W-what are you talking about?" Josh's mom asks, her face going first red, then pale.

"I know, Mom!" Josh continues. "I know she's not just a friend. Dad knows, too. We came home after the soccer game. It was rained out. We heard you two, Mom! For the record, I don't care if you're sleeping with women, but really? The lying and hypocrisy is bullshit!"

Marcia's mom starts laughing before she can get herself under control. She still giggles slightly as everyone looks at the scene with wide eyes. Josh? Really? The kid can't say two words without mumbling, now this? Holy shit!

"Well, I, um..." Mrs. Greene stammers before spinning around and fleeing toward their car.

"Be safe. Don't drink and drive. Call if you need anything, Josh." Mr. Greene claps his son's shoulder before turning to the rest of us and gesturing toward his wife. "Well, I guess I have to go deal with that. It was sure nice to meet everyone."

Josh blushes and looks down at his feet, his confidence gone again. I glance over and see Mr. and Mrs. Greene deep in conversation. Mrs. Greene is crying. We start making small talk to try and ease the tension. Nicole asks when the limousine is arriving, Marcia's mom comments on the weather, Ian Sr. brings up graduation.

Mr. and Mrs. Greene eventually return, and I'm surprised to see that they're holding hands. Mrs. Greene actually has a small smile on her face. Looks like they are starting to resolve their issues. Before either of Josh's parents can say anything, a beautiful stretch limousine is seen coming down the street.

"Oh, the limo's here!" Lexi claps.

Fortunately, the limousine is able to park on the street. The Seniors all rush to the large vehicle in order to check it out. The driver gets out and walks around the car. I step up and shake the man's hand as we introduce ourselves.

The girls and guys all spend several minutes gushing over the limousine. It really is nice. It seats twelve, so there is plenty of room for all nine of them. We parents take a few more pictures of the Seniors gathered around the limousine.

Before long, it's time to head to the Senior Prom. The six girls and three guys pile into the large vehicle. The rest of us are all waving as the limousine pulls away and starts driving down the street. I have to wipe away a tear as they turn out of sight.

~Kayla~

The limousine is so nice! We girls are all giggling as our eyes dart around the inside of the large vehicle. There's a ton of leg room, even with nine people in here. There's great lighting, a refrigerator full of drinks, and a surround system to go with the built-in television. A privacy screen separates us from the driver.

"This is so cool!" Marcia gushes as she plays with the lighting.

"What kind of drinks are in the fridge?" Ashley wonders.

"Just water and soda." Lexi sighs as she looks into the refrigerator. "No booze, since they know we're all under twenty-one."

"Boo!" I say loudly.

"We'll just have to make up for it tonight!" I suggest.

"My Dad did tell me not to drink." Josh mumbles.

"No, he told you not to drink and drive, there's a difference." Shawn points out.

"That's tonight!" Stephanie exclaims. "Let's not rush things. For now, toss me a soda!"

"I can't drink anyway." Hazel shrugs as Lexi gives Stephanie a soda.

"Oh, right." Shawn says with wide eyes. "Um, congratulations!"

"Yeah, congrats." Josh smiles nervously.

"Thanks, guys." Hazel replies.

The location for Prom is about forty minutes away. We spend the entire time talking and laughing. Everyone has on a huge smile, and is clearly happy. I'm so glad the parents all agree that we're adults, even if a few are reluctant. Yeah, today isn't perfect, but it is still going to be unforgettable.

Before long, we arrive at the banquet hall. The driver opens the door and the guys step out. They each offer their hands and help us girls out of the limousine. Hazel offers her hand to Lexi, helping the redhead step out. Then to make sure every girl is treated like a princess, I take Stephanie's hand and smile at the tall girl as she steps out of the vehicle.

We present our tickets and are allowed to enter. Our group of nine steps into the banquet hall with wide eyes; the four couples plus Stephanie. The venue is decorated with sparkling lights and fancy streamers. It's beautiful!

A table presents itself upon our entering. There's a couple stacks of papers and two voting boxes. Time to vote for the Prom King and Prom Queen! None of my close friends are on the list, though I can always write someone in. I make my selection for King, then I decide to write in Stephanie for Queen. She isn't going to win, but the courageous girl deserves the recognition.

Like so many proms, ours begins with a fancy dinner. Fortunately, a lot of people go to the Prom in big groups; there are a number of large tables that will accommodate a good amount of people. We are easily able to find a table that seats ten, and the nine of us all sit down.

Students keep filing in over the next half-an-hour. Everyone looks amazing, beautiful dresses and dapper tuxedos. I glance over at Ian and catch him beaming at me, love written as plain as day all over his handsome face. He blushes when I catch him staring.

Dinner! There's a menu on top of each of our plates. I pick up mine and begin to peruse. There aren't a lot of options, but they all sound great. Plus, it's going to be a three course meal. We discuss what we're gonna order as a waiter fills all our glasses with ice water.

I start off with a delicious French onion soup. I am careful not to get anything on my dress as I slurp. My main course is pan-seared chicken, and dessert is a chocolate lava cake. At one point during the meal, Ian reaches beneath the table and grips my knee affectionately. I turn my head to face Ian and give him a cheeky smile.

Once everyone is done with the meal, we begin making our way to the other side of the massive hall. There's a huge dance floor, a raised platform for the DJ, and a photo booth. The DJ welcomes all of us to our Senior Prom as we cheer. Then he starts up a fast song.

Grabbing Ian's arm, I drag him out onto the dance floor, laughing the entire time. Our group of nine dances to a couple of fast songs as one big group. The first slow song starts playing, and Ian and I start dancing; my hands around his neck as he holds my waist. Marcia dances with Shawn, Ashley dances with Josh, and Hazel dances with Lexi. Sadly, Stephanie is standing around, looking awkward.

After the slow dance, we decide to explore the banquet hall. The four couples hold hands as Stephanie walks with us to the exit. The grounds are absolutely beautiful. There's a small bridge going over a small, man made stream, well-kept grass, flowerbeds, and a gazebo in the center.

The nine of us take a romantic stroll through the grounds. This early into the night, most people are still dancing, so we have the grounds mostly to ourselves. We pull out our phones and take a bunch of pictures; pictures of the grounds, pictures of individuals, pictures of couples posing and groups.

When we head back inside, we start seeing people we know well. Brittney looks stunning in a low-cut dress, even Dan is rather handsome in his tuxedo. It looks like both of them are flying solo. Katie, the class Valedictorian, waves to us as she walks by with her date.

More dancing! During the slow songs, we start to switch partners. I dance with Josh, Shawn, Lexi. It's mostly fast songs, but we do get enough slow songs to dance in many configurations. I even have a very romantic slow dance with Stephanie, which leaves me tingling and even more confused about my feelings for her.

There's a tense moment when Shawn offers Stephanie a dance. The dark-haired girl nods her assent and reaches for Shawn's hand. As soon as they touch, Stephanie flinches and pulls away from him, a look of horror on her face. Lexi immediately realizes what's going on and launches herself into Shawn's arms to take Stephanie's place.

"Are you okay?" I whisper to Stephanie after I lead her off the dance floor.

"Y-yeah, I t-think so." she stammers.

"Here, have some water." I say, offering her an open bottle.

"Thanks." Stephanie replies before taking a sip.

"Flashback?" I inquire.

"Yes." Stephanie nods. "As soon as he touched me, I felt, well, you know..."

"I know." I say as I take Stephanie's hand and squeeze it.

"I'm okay, I'm ready to go back." she says.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"I'm sure." Stephanie nods.

We return to the group and get back to dancing. Thankfully, it's a few fast songs in a row. Stephanie dances with all of us, but she is careful to stick close to the girls and avoid the guys. I don't have time to think about her; Ian holds up my hand and spins me around as I giggle. I can feel my dress swirling around my ankles as I twirl.

Several of our fellow students join and leave our group. I see Dan and Brittney dancing together in the distance. The two horny teens are a good combination. I smirk as I imagine them using each other tonight, after Prom. Who knows, it might happen!

When we take another break from dancing, we grab waters and drink them before making our way to the photo booth. After waiting in a short line, it's our turn! We pose together in front of fun backdrops as a photographer takes pictures of all of us. There's only so much time, so we do couples shots, and a few images of all the girls.

Yes, the pictures are way overpriced. Still, we buy digital files of all the images. We'll post them to social media. We can also use Daddy's expensive printer and photo paper to print out the ones we want to frame in the future.

Okay, I think we finally have enough pictures. Now, we can focus on dancing the night away. The nine of us end up in a big group with several other students, including Dan and Brittney. We go through several popular dances, very famous songs, some fast, others slow.

"Mind if I cut in?" Dan smoothly asks Ian when the next slow song comes on.

"Um, okay, I guess." Ian nods nervously.

"Don't worry, big guy!" Brittney interjects. "You won't be alone, you can dance with me!"

"Have fun!" I giggle as Dan takes my hand and pulls me into his arms.

The slow song begins. I'm a little nervous; Ian knows that Dan and I are intimately familiar with each other. I know that Brittney is a nymphomaniac, and Ian is a very cute guy. I trust Ian completely, I just hope he isn't feeling any jealousy; I'm not interested in Dan. Glancing over, I see Ian holding Brittney's hips as she rests her head on his chest.

"You look amazing." Dan whispers, reminding me of my current dance partner.

"Thank you." I smile softly. "You're very handsome."

"We make a great looking couple." he comments.

"Dan..."I trail off.

"You and Ian make a better one." Dan admits. "I saw you two dancing together. There's a calmness about you with him that you never had with me. I'm happy for you, Kayla. Really. I wish you nothing but the best, even though I blew my chance."

The slow song ends and a fast one immediately starts up. Dan kisses my forehead before pulling away. Turning my head around, I start looking for Ian and Brittney in the sea of students. Over in the corner, I see Brittney. Then I see her lean up and deeply kiss the tall man she's dancing with. My heart stops. My stomach clenches. I start to hyperventilate before it finally registers that it isn't Ian she's with.

I take a deep breath and stand there, rooted in place as I use the 5-4-3-2-1 method that Kasey recommends. I walk over to our table and sit down. Placing my hands on my knees, I lower my head and do my best to relax. Where is Ian?

"Kayla? What's wrong?" Ian's voice asks as I feel a hand touch my bare shoulder.

"Where were you?" I ask as I look up at Ian with wide eyes.

"Bathroom." he answers simply. "Brittney said she really wanted to make out, so I told her Adam didn't have a date, and I left to pee."

"She wanted to make out with you!" I tell him as I snap out of my panic attack and start giggling uncontrollably.

"What? Really? Why?" Ian asks with a look of confusion. "I'm dating you."

"I love you, Ian." I gush happily.

"I love you, too." he replies. "Wait. Were you worried I was gonna kiss Brittney?"

"I saw her kiss someone and thought it was you for a second." I admit. "I was an idiot, sorry."

"I'd never do that!" Ian insists.

"I know." I smile and nod. "Ian?"

"Yes?" he asks.

"Is this what it feels like when you imagine me with other guys?" I wonder.

"Like your heart is breaking and you're gonna throw up?" Ian suggests.

"Yes." I confirm.

"Then, yeah, that's what it's like." he responds.

"I'm sorry." I say in a small voice as I look away from Ian in shame.

"Hey." he says as he gently places his hand beneath my chin and turns my head to face him. "You and your dad... I get it. You two are special. As long as it's no other guy, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" I inquire.

"I'm sure." Ian confirms as he sits down beside me and wraps an arm around my shoulders.

I smile and rest my head on him. Together, we watch as our fellow students dance. I slip my hand into Ian's, and he laces our fingers. We stay like this for a couple songs, before deciding it's time to join in the fun again.

A slow song starts, and Ian draws me into his arms. I gaze into his eyes, smiling softly as we sway to the music. My heart feels so full. I can't help but lean up as my eyes start to close. Our lips meet in a loving kiss.

The kiss only lasts a few heartbeats, but it makes my spirit soar. When we break apart and look at each other, I can't help but giggle. Ian smiles back before leaning forward and playfully kissing the tip of my nose.

The night is truly magical. Sometimes, it feels so surreal I think I might be dreaming. But no, I'm awake. This is happening. So many moments stand out in my mind. Lexi and Hazel softly kissing as they hold each other, Josh confidently dancing with Ashley, Stephanie, Ian, and I all dancing in a circle during a fast song.

I dance with Ian and Stephanie for some time before reaching out and taking each of them by the hand. There's a tense moment, but when Ian offers his hand, Stephanie takes a deep breath and accepts it. We dance in one big circle as I try and figure out a way to help my friend feel more comfortable. That's when a slow song comes on.

"Oh, I need to go talk to Lexi. You two keep dancing." I say as I release Ian's hand. I then squeeze Stephanie's hand while looking into her panic-filled eyes. "It'll be okay, it's Ian. I promise, it's okay."

Stephanie gives me a terse nod, her lips tightly clenched as I release her hand and disappear into the crowd. Yeah, I'm lying, I don't have to talk with Lexi. I weave through the various dancing couples before turning around to see how Stephanie is doing.

Ian and Stephanie are at arms length; his hands are on her waist, and she's got her hands wrapped around his neck. She's not flinching, but she does look uncomfortable as the two of them sway softly to the music. I wince and decide to go over to relieve her.

I take a step forward when I see Stephanie give Ian a small smile and a light nod. Freezing in place, I watch as Stephanie gets slightly closer to Ian, looking less nervous. Over the course of the song, Stephanie becomes less and less stiff as she shuffles closer to Ian.

Toward the end of the song, I smile as I watch Stephanie rest her head on Ian's chest as they dance. That's when I notice a tall guy approaching them, clearly checking out Stephanie. Shit, he wants to cut in. As I hurry toward the dancing couple, the guy touches Stephanie's shoulder.

I can see Stephanie's eyes go wide from here. She jerks in Ian's grip as she pulls away from him and the other guy. She's clearly breathing heavily as she backs away, panic on her face. Ian then steps in front of Stephanie just as I arrive.

"She's with me." he says firmly.

"She's with us." I add, taking Ian's hand and facing the guy.

"Sure, no problem." the guy says, hands raised as he backs away.

Once the guy is gone, Ian and I comfort Stephanie. It takes a minute, but we're able to calm her down. Stephanie then excuses herself to use the restroom. I turn to face Ian and see that he's looking at me, oddly at first, and then with a slightly bashful smile.

"She's with us?" he asks with a smirk.

"Yes." I confirm with a nod as realization dawns on me. I try to pour out all my love and affection for Ian through my gaze. "She's our date. All night."

"Kayla..." he trails off, eyes wide.

"Shh." I whisper as I put my fingers to his lips. "We'll figure it out. Together."

Ian nods. Soon, Stephanie returns and we're all back to dancing. We get back with the rest of our friends and dance as one big group. I twirl Lexi around as Ian dances with Ashley. Yeah, there are some bumpy parts, but this is an amazing Prom!

Finally, it's time for the announcement of Prom King and Prom Queen. We all gather to listen. No one we're close with wins, but that's okay. We aren't the most popular group at the school, but we're a group full of love.

The King and Queen start their dance. Every student watches for a minute, but various couples soon start dancing as well. I grab Ian and start dancing with him, my eyes never leaving his. Then I guide us over to Stephanie and we attempt a three-person slow dance. Yeah, it doesn't work. Oh well, worth a shot.