Chapter 16
1799 Words
Chapter 16, Prom Dresses
Iris's POV
I was going prom dress shopping with Laurie. Then after I was supposed to have dinner with her whole family. So that would mean some little extra time with handsome Keith Partridge. I was really looking forward to that.
I hoped dress shopping would not take to long for me. Selfish yes but I wanted time to see his handsome smile. Get to talk to him. Maybe end up in his arms a time or two would not hurt.
Laurie picked me up from my house. Then we drove downtown to the mall. I was so excited for the prom. No one asked me to the junior prom back in Michigan. So, I had went with my friends.
We still have a lot of fun. But there never had been a guy I had been crazy about back in Michigan. Now I had a guy I sure was crazy about.
He won me over so fast. I was wearing his necklace. And the perfume he bought me. I had on his ring to. But that was after I left the house. Mom still has not saw he had given me his ring.
♡♪♬♪♡
"Can I ask you something Laurie?" I softly ask as we drive to the mall.
She nods. "Yes, sure anything" she tells me.
"Will you keep this between you and I?" I worry.
"Sure, you know I won't tell a soul" she tells me.
"Even Keith?" I ask.
She smiles then laughs. "I am your friend. You can trust me. Even Keith. I won't tell a soul. What is going on?" she wonders.
"Okay.... here it goes. I am in love. With your brother. And I want to tell him. But I am scared to say anything. And I was wondering should a girl now in these days say it first? Or should the guy? Will I scare him off? How do I know if he feels the same and I make a fool out of myself" I sigh. I was confused.
"I can't speak for Keith. But I never saw him act this way around anyone. I mean any girl. He has never been this serious or asked a girl to go steady before" she informs me.
I beam a happy smile. "Really?" I ask.
She nods. "You are good for my brother. And I think its fine if you tell him. But as for me I am rather a chicken as one says. I would wait for the guy to say it first myself" she explains.
"I was thinking that to. Love is complicated" I tell her. "has Keith ever been in love before?"
"Every week" she jokes.
"Huh?"
"Sorry just a joke. No, he has not been in real love before. He came close with that Rachel girl. He was writing classical music for her. But it ended" she explains. "she kept trying to change him"
"That is not love" I mention. "to change the other person"
She nods. "Right"
"I want to talk to Keith about our feeling. And my own. But it is scary to put yourself out there. My mom would throw a fit if she knew I was in love with him" I mutter.
"Why so?" asks Laurie.
"She is not so keen on love these days. She thinks I need to focus on school and not on boys" I laugh.
"Mom's can be like that" says Laurie.
"Tell me about it" I sigh.
We get to the mall. We park. Then we go shopping for dresses within our budget. Mom gave me money. And dad had sent me some money for the dress and new shoes and a purse to match. I could not help thinking about that Rachel girl.
How Keith was so into her. That he was writing classical music. Changing for her. Willing to do anything for her. I would not want to change a thing about him. He always made me smile so much.
♡♪♬♪♡
"What color dress are you thinking of?" asks Laurie. "there are so many great options here"
She was thumbing through dresses. There were some beautiful gowns. But a lot of them were not within my price rang.
I would have to shop some more around here. To find what I was looking for. I wanted to look great for Keith.
"Maybe an orange dress. Light orange. Or yellow maybe" I say. It went good with my dark hair color if I wore a light colored dress. I had begun to tan some being out there in California.
"Yellow would look lovely on you" agrees Laurie.
She picked out some yellow dress for me to try on. Then she picked a few. We went to the dressing room and had a blast trying them on.
"Man some of these are so pricy" I sigh as I look at the tags.
"I know. I wanted to get a new purse to go with mine" mutters Laurie.
"Should we look at a few more stores?" I ask.
She nods. "Yes"
We head into the mall. We find a dress soon enough.
"This....."I sigh as I look in the mirror. I had to have it. It was yellow. Not to bright. A light summer yellow. So pretty. Flowy. I looked pretty in it.
"Let me see!" begs Laurie.
I come out. She claps and nods in agreement.
"You have to get it" she tells me.
I check the price. "In my range to! YES!"
We hug. "I will check this one" she says.
She goes to try on dresses. I change out of the dress. I was getting my dress that day!
Success!!
She comes out in one. She did not like the arm straps. Then one more she tried on.
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"I like this blue one" she is saying to me.
"Let's see" I ask her.
She comes out. She looked so pretty. She always did.
"I love it! Perfect fit" I say to her.
"You think so?" she asks me.
"I know it! Let's get our dresses" I happily say.
We pay for our dresses. At another store we get shoes. And then one more a purse. We were all set for prom. I was happy! We made sure everything was bagged up. I did not want Keith to see the dresses when we came in from the mall.
♡♪♬♪♡
"Wow that wore me out" laughs Laurie.
"Me to. I can't wait to eat. Your mom sure can cook to" I brag.
"She sure can" says Laurie with a nod.
We pull in her place.
Her mom was waiting for us.
"Did you find dresses girls?" she asks curiously.
"Sure did! Mom, we shopped so much my feet ache" jokes Laurie.
"But we did it" I say.
"Let me see" says her mom.
We almost go to show her when Keith walks in with Danny Rueben and the other kids.
"Not yet" I tell Laurie.
"Hi Iris! Did you find a dress?" asks Keith curiously.
"Yes, and you have to wait to see it" I tease.
"At least tell me what color it is?" he begs to know.
"A summer yellow" I tell him.
"Yellow. I can't wait to see it on you" he tells me.
"Me to" says Danny.
Everyone laughs.
"Come to dinner you guys" says his mother.
"Come on upstairs. Put our dresses away so they can't snoop" says Laurie to me.
♡♪♬♪♡
We head up to her room. Hide the dresses in her closet. Then head downstairs. There was a seat waiting for me at the table beside Keith. Laurie sat on the other side of me.
"I can't wait to see the dress on you" he whispers to me.
"You are going to love it" I promise him. He grins.
"I am sure I will" he agrees. He leans in and kisses me on the cheek.
"You are wearing my necklace." he notices.
He looks pleased.
"Of course, and your ring. And something more" I whisper. "Smell..." I order as I lean in a bit to tease. He sniffs my neck.
"I do think that scent fits you perfectly Iris" he whispers.
"Me to" I say with a grin.
"NO PDA at the table" coughs Danny.
I blush as does Keith.
Laurie laughs.
"Dig in everyone and enjoy dinner" says Keith's mother.
We have a nice night. Dinner was fantastic. She had made chicken parma. One of my favorites. And fruit salad for dessert to. After dinner Keith walked me home once I got my dress from Laurie's room. We sit at the bench outside.
I hold my dress on my lap.
♡♪♬♪♡
"Come on one little peek" he begs me.
"No, you have to wait like all the boys do" I joke.
"Tease!" he laughs.
"It will be worth the wait" I promise him.
He kisses me. "I know you are worth the wait."
I blush with pleasure.
"I am so glad we found our way to each other" I softly say.
"Me to Iris. Who knew a fan would meet her idol. And he would fall for her?" he jokes. "now are you my idol?"
I giggle at that riddle.
"Oh, Keith you are a poet" I sigh.
"We have so much to look forward to" he says to me.
"I am grateful everyday we do" I agree.
The porch light flickers. I groan. "I have to go" I say.
I lean in and kiss him long and hard.
"Sweet dreams" I say softly as I touch his cheek.
"Sweet dreams" he echos back.
He smiles as he watches me go inside.
I sigh feeling happy.
"Did you get a dress?" mom asks me.
I nod. "I found one" I show it to her.
"Oh, yellow is a great color on you" she says. "you missed a phone call by the way when you were out"
"Dad?" I ask.
"No, your cousin here. Remember Annette?" she asks me. "you have not saw her since you were kids"
"Oh yes we always had fun at family reunions out in Michigan." I tell mom. "I will have to call her back"
♡♪♬♪♡
I hide Keith's ring in my pants pocket before mom notices it.
Mom hugs me after.
"You will have a blast at prom. Good night honey" mom says to me. She smiles.
"Thank you for everything. Good night mom" I answer.
I head upstairs. I put my dress and everything else in my closet to hang up. I place Keith's ring back on my finger where it belonged.
I get dressed for bed. I felt so loved. So happy. I was grateful I moved here.
Now I could see mom's family more. And Keith was in my life. It could not get better then this could it?
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- Writer
