"Aw, Katy, you look beautiful!" Jenny cooed. "That is definitely the dress for you."

"Thanks." I mumbled, blushing. It was a pretty dress, and I really liked it. But I wanted him to see me in it. Dressing up when he wasn't going to be there, just seemed pointless. 

"It's really nice, I wish I had your figure." Ella scanned my body. "Looks great, sweetie."

"Thank you, you guys all look lovely, too." I nodded.

"I'm not even dressed yet!" Priya exclaimed. "I'm thinking something purple for me. Gold accessories. Something that screams, 'I'm Priya Bedel, prom Queen!'" 

"You don't even know if you'll be prom Queen yet, you big head." Ella laughed.

"Maybe Katy will, she looks the part." Isabelle smiled. Jenny nodded in agreement. 

"You need a King to be a Queen." Priya winked. "So come guys, who are you lot going with?"

"I'm not going with anyone." Jenny told us, going a little bit red. She looked really embarrassed, and just as Priya opened her mouth to make a comment, I interrupted.

"Me neither, we could go together!" I joked.

"That's actually a good idea." Isabelle put in. "We could all go as friends?"

"Max is taking me, though." Priya informed us. "But the friends thing sounds cool...can we still join you?"

"Of course! Who's Owen going with?" Jenny asked.

"Hoping, are we?" Ella teased.

"I meant, he could go with us, so Max isn't the only guy." Jenny rolled her eyes.

"What if he's going with another girl?" Isabelle questioned. She looked almost...worried.

"She can come too. Unless it's a slut, I don't want their trashy appearance ruining our stylish entrance." Priya snapped her fingers. 

"To make a stylish entrance, you might want to pick a dress." I reminded her.

"Oh! Yes! Come on girls, we need to get this done. We need to cover elegance, maturity, and have a bit of sexy thrown in, too." Priya cheered. 

I stayed in my blue dress, because I really did like it. Jenny chose a purple dress, much to Priya's annoyance, and planned to wear her hair up with lots of little purple clips. Isabelle chose a pink dress, similar to mine, but with long sleeves. Priya found a long black gown that she adored- and it was lined with gold around the hem and chest. Ella wore the shortest dress, a little black thing that floated out. It stopped just above her knees, so it wasn't showing too much leg. They all looked beautiful, and I knew prom would be amazing for them. I wanted it to be a good time for me, too. I just hoped they would be able to take my mind off of it. 

Priya was texting Max, demanding that he buy a black tie, but it needed to have gold trimming. The poor boy was lost, and Priya told him she would find one for him, because he was useless. She was very much the dominant figure in their relationship- not that Max really minded. We called Owen and found out he hadn't asked anybody yet, and was up for the idea for going as friends. He was catching a bus into town to meet us, so we could pick a tie for him. He had a tuxedo already, and it suited him.

Ella nudged me as Owen walked into the store. "Hey, how about we get him a blue tie? To match your dress?"

"I really don't-" I began.

"Oh, come on! You and Owen would look great together!"

"No, Ella." I said firmly.

"What's got your head all messed up? You've been out of it all day." She noted.

"Nothing. I just...I think Isabelle would rather go with Owen. Get him a pink tie." I told her. I hoped Isabelle wouldn't murder me.

"Really?" Ella blinked. "I would never have thought that Isabelle liked him."

"Isabelle likes who now?" Priya butt in.

"Keep your voice down, would you? She's only over there." I hissed.

"Talking to Owen." Ella sang. I rolled my eyes, I had to tell the two biggest gossips.

I walked over to Isabelle, Owen and Jenny, smiling.

"Hey, Owen. We think a pink tie would really suit you." I informed him. "Care to look for one? Isabelle, you better help him, boys are awful when it comes to these kind of things." 

"Oh! Uh...sure." Isabelle seemed surprised, but smiled gratefully. 

"Pink? Really?" Owen looked uncertain.

"It'll look great on you." Isabelle said quietly. 

Owen grinned. "Well, if two pretty girls tell me it'll look good- I better trust them. Lead the way, Izzy."

I watched them walk away, happy for them, but sad at the same time. I really missed Alex, and just wished that he could be our age, asking me to prom, so I could slow dance with him, kiss him, actually be together in front of people. I bit my lip, trying not to sigh. If only he was ten years younger, or even if I was ten years older. I didn't care about age, and neither did he, no matter what he said. But we both knew that everybody else cared about the age difference, and would make it all out to be something horrific.

"Thinking about him again, huh?" Jenny bumped my shoulder.

"What?" I blinked, eyes wide. Did she know?

"It must be a guy. You're thinking hard, again. You looked kinda sad, so I thought I'd come over." Jenny said sympathetically. "Can you tell me who it is?"

"I..." I trailed off, seeing Priya and Ella make their way over to us. "There is no one, Jen. I swear. Just thinking about prom, I'm uh...I'm really excited!"

"Oh, aren't we all?" Priya clapped her hands together. "It's going to be brilliant. I've texted Max to meet us here, but he has to wait outside, he cannot see me in my dress until prom night." 

"You're acting like it's your wedding or something." Ella rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"It's my prom." Priya pointed at herself.

"It's our prom." Ella corrected, pointing at all of us.

"When I become prom Queen, you'll be kissing my feet and begging me to let you stay." Priya chuckled.

"Oh God, I think the air is getting to her head, it's inflated more than usual!" Jenny gasped, laughing.

"Whatever." Priya poked her tongue out. "Come on, Max is outside. Help me out of my dress, someone?"

"I'll do it." I volunteered. "We wouldn't want the Queen's dress to rip now, would we?" 

"Are you calling me fat?" Priya pretended to be hurt.

"Nah. I'm calling you an elephant, there's a difference." I grinned.

"Cheek!" Priya smacked my arm. "Come on, Max is waiting!"

I got Priya out of her dress- with a lot of squeals and complaints- and changed out of my own, before heading outside. It was really sunny and bright, I shielded my eyes. Everyone was outside, talking mostly about prom. 

"How are we getting there?" Owen asked.

"A limo, we have to!" Priya cried.

"Babe, we may not be able to." Max tried to persuade her.

"It would be nice, mind." Isabelle muttered, sounding hopeful. Owen took one look at her dreaming face, and then looked back at us.

"You know, I think a limo would be a good idea. We only have one prom, right?" He announced. 

Max coughed. "Whipped!" 

Isabelle and Owen pretended not to hear, but the rest of us were giggling. It was cute, they really did look good together. 

"Can one of you just ask the other already?" Ella groaned.

"W-what?" Isabelle looked alarmed.

"We can still all go as friends. But please, you two are too cute to not go together." Ella explained.

"I...Ella! You can't just..." Isabelle stammered.

"Dude, ask her." Max nudged Owen.

"What? I mean yeah...um...wait what?" Owen scratched the back of his head.

"Okay, would you like some privacy?" Ella asked. "Come on guys."

She dragged us all off, round the corner, and sighed.

"So, Priya and Max, and Owen and Izzy." She looked at me and Jenny. "Fancy a threesome, girlies?"

"You're disgusting." I laughed.

"We don't need a date, you know, Ella." Jenny pointed out.

"I know. It would be nice though." 

"Then ask someone, stop moping. You're all gorgeous!" Priya told us.

"I'd rather be asked. Traditional, you know?" Jenny said.

"Ugh." Priya groaned, looking at the sky. She shouted something in Indian, confusing us all.

"And again? In English?" I asked.

"I said 'stupid girls'." She laughed. 

"Gee, thanks." Jenny elbowed her.

"I feel like the odd one out." Max cut in, awkwardly.

"Why? Because you have a penis?" Jenny smiled sweetly, making fun of him.

"Ha ha. And yeah, actually. You're all talking about being asked and it's like...yay, I'm a guy, I've already asked someone...let's listen to these girls whinging!" Max shook his head. "It's like a bad chick flick." 

"Shh, you." Priya frowned. "What is taking them so long?"

"Maybe he got a feel of her-" Max started. All four of us glared at him, and he immediately shut up.

"Isabelle isn't like that." I reminded him. "I don't think Owen is either."

"You'd be surprised." Max winked.

"Oh? Pray tell?" Priya demanded, hands on her hips. He tapped his nose and she scowled. 

"Here they come!" Jenny pointed. Isabelle and Owen walked towards us, hand in hand, and my gut dropped. Suddenly Owen was Alex, and Isabelle was me. I blinked a few time, realising tears were forming in my eyes.

"Don't stare, you'll make them uncomfortable." Jenny whispered.

"That's not how you make them uncomfortable." Ella grinned. "This is how you make them uncomfortable. OWEN AND ISABELLE, SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-S-"

"Ella!" Jenny tackled her. I blinked again, and my friends went back to being, well, my friends. And they were very pink in the face. 

"I'm gonna head home, I think." I announced.

"What? I wanted to go get food or something!" Priya whined.

"I'm quite tired." I muttered.

"Tired? It's like four o'clock, Katy." Ella narrowed her eyes.

"Feel a bit sick." I lied.

"Aw, come on!" Priya moaned. "Pleeease?"

"Want me to walk home with you?" Isabelle asked, with concern.

"No, no, it's fine. I'll be fine. Just need some sleep." I pretended to yawn.

"I'll come, instead. I think I'll go home, too." Jenny told us. The way she said it, I knew not to argue. She knew something was up.

"Boring." Priya pouted.

"I'm still up for food." Max said.

"You're always up for food." Priya grumbled. 

"Me too. Maccy D's?" Owen suggested.

"Ew, no. Greasy. Dominos pizza!" Ella put in.

"I'll see you guys later." Jenny waved. "Come on, Katy."

We walked away, saying goodbye to our friends, listening to them bicker over where to eat. Jenny waited until we turned the corner, before stopping and taking hold of my shoulders.

"All right, Katy. You can tell me a thousand times you're fine, but I know something is wrong. Explain. Now." She looked me dead in the eye.

"It's nothing, really." I tried to laugh it off.

"Katy." 

I sighed. "Okay. But you cannot tell the others. You can't tell anyone." 

"I promise." Jenny smiled a bit, glad I was talking.

"Okay. Well..." 

                                                      ~ ~ ~

I watched as the teachers danced with lonely students, doing funny line dances and waltzes, sending themselves up. Our headmaster was dancing like a chicken, next to a girl who looked both terrified and amused. Some of the boys in my year started dancing with the male teachers too, looking completely ridiculous. It was funny, though. I drank some more of my drink, which I had a feeling had alcohol in it. Someone most likely poured alcohol into all the cups- in the hope someone would do something stupid. I was past caring, and had my fifth or sixth drink. 

Owen and Isabelle were dancing, they looked really sweet. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, her head resting on his chest. He was smiling into her hair, his arms resting on her waist. They danced slowly together, the picture of peace. On the other side of the room, Priya and Max were dancing too, Max looking happy, but also embarrassed as he stepped on her foot. She huffed and sighed and complained, but I saw her smile behind it. Her eyes lit up as she kissed him and kept dancing, taking the lead as only Priya would. 

Ella was dancing with some boy, drunk off her head. She was throwing some wild moves, her dress sliding up her legs. By the looks of it she had lost an earring, but I doubted she cared. I wasn't sure what dance suited the song best. The slow dance Owen and Izzy were doing, the crazy 'dance' Ella was doing, or Priya and Max's half slow, half fast dance. Jenny giggled from next to me, presumably laughing at Ella.

"Oh God." Jenny's laughter cut off as she saw the headmaster coming our way. "Please say he'll dance with you and not me." 

"I don't want to dance with him." I groaned. "Jen, come on!" 

"Oh no...he's heading straight for me...oh God, oh God. Please, no." She looked away, as if that would help. Mr Fish stopped right in front of us, his bushy beard brushed. 

"Jennifer! Care to dance?" He boomed.

"Oh, uh, no thank you, Sir. I mean, I really can't dance." Jenny babbled.

"Nonsense! Everybody can dance!" He took her hand and helped her up, spinning her around. I laughed at her face, contorted in terror. But in seconds she was giggling too, as Mr Fish fell over and landed on his ass. 

"Excuse me, Miss? Care to dance with me?" A voice sounded from next to me. I looked up, directly into a pair bright blue eyes.

"Alex?" My mouth dropped open.

He frowned at me, and it took me a minute to work out why.

"I mean...Mr Johnson?" I tried again. He smiled, nodding.

"So would you care to dance?" He repeated.

"What are you doing here? I thought you left?" I quizzed.

"Answer the bloody question, Katy." He chortled.

"I would love to dance with you." I shook my head at myself, chuckling. He offered his hand to me, and I took it, sweeping onto the dance floor. He spun me around a few times, trying to mimic the other teachers so it didn't seem suspicious. But he did slow down and he put his hands around my waist, so I naturally let my arms wind around his neck. 

"You look beautiful." He said quietly.

"Thank you." I beamed. "I like your tux."

"Thanks, first thing I could find. Sorry my tie doesn't match your dress." 

I was about to reply, but he spun me around again, on account of Mr Fish watching us suspiciously. 

"I need to swap you for Jennifer a second, go dance with your dear headmaster for a bit. I'll get you back when I can." Alex told me.

"Oh, no, please-"

"Mr Fish! Care to swap?" He chuckled. Mr Fish grinned, spinning Jenny our way. She passed me, giggling. 

"Have fun!" She mouthed. I rolled my eyes, smiling, but watched her dance with Alex intensely. I made sure to stay near them, just to hear them talk. He didn't say she looked beautiful- he said pretty- but not beautiful. I couldn't believe how jealous I was.

"And how are you finding prom, Miss Stevens?" Mr Fish asked me.

"It's great...nicely planned out." I complimented, knowing he planned it.

"Excellent! You know, I organised it myself." He boasted.

"Really? Wow, great job, Sir." I tried hard to make myself sound convincing. 

"Why thank you! Doesn't everybody look awfully grown up?" He commented.

"Yeah, I remember when we were all in year seven." I smiled, remembering. It almost hurt to think we would be leaving school soon. 

"Those were the days, well-behaved monkeys, not back-chatting monsters." He roared with laughter at his own joke, and several people looked our way. I turned to Alex and Jenny, and Alex looked amused, smiling at me.

"Sir, can I ask why Al-Mr Johnson is here?" 

"He asked if he could come along to the prom, because this was his favourite year group to teach. Of course, it would be an honour to have him here, as so many students enjoyed his teaching. Shame he left, really." Mr Fish looked wistful.

"Did he say why he left?" I asked, trying not to sound too interested.

"Personal reasons, I believe. What a wonderful dancer you are, Miss Stevens! However, I think your beloved Mr Johnson wants you back! Jennifer! Let us dance!" He spun me away from him, and I fell back into Alex's arms. Mr Fish's comment about Alex being my, 'beloved' worried me, but I was certain he didn't know anything. He wouldn't have let Alex come to prom if he knew.

"Having fun?" Alex asked, slowing down our dance as the song changed. Suddenly everybody in the room were slow dancing with their dates or a teacher, and Jenny looked most uncomfortable, I had to laugh. 

"More so, now you're here." I said truthfully.

"I can't be that much of an influence." Alex twirled me. "You should be enjoying the company of your peers."

"They're not as fun as you, though." I told him.

"I'm sure they are. Ella certainly looks like she's having a blast." He chuckled.

"Why did you come back?" I changed the subject, curious.

"Well, what did Mr Fish say? I heard you ask." Alex inquired.

"He said you asked to come to our prom because we are your favourite year group." 

"You are, that part is true." Alex nodded.

"But is that the reason you're here? To see the entire year group?" I insisted.

"It's nice to see everyone. But I came to see this one particular person." Alex confessed.

"Oh? And who's that?" I pretended not to know it was me, but part of me was scared it wasn't me. Alex turned me around, wrapping his arms around me, my back pressed to his chest. He leant his head to my ear and continued our conversation.

"She's beautiful. She has black hair, blue eyes, and a dress that matches her eyes. She's heaven to look at, to touch, be around. But it's dangerous for us to be seen together." He described. I felt my heartbeat increase.

"And...does she have a name?" I asked.

"Oh yes. A pretty name, too. Miss Stevens. Miss Katy Alice Stevens." Alex murmured, right by my ear. I forgot about everyone else in the room, because all that mattered right then, was Alex holding me, whispering sweet things into my ear.

"She sounds...like she really likes you." 

Alex went stiff, and spun me around to face him. "I think she does, but she shouldn't."

"She does, I promise you." I told him honestly. "And she feels so happy when she is with you."

"And I'm glad for that. But she needs to find someone else." Alex said, and everything turned sour.

"Don't, don't say that." 

"It's true, Katy. You and me both know it." Alex sighed.

"Don't ruin this, it's so perfect." I whimpered.

"Katy, I'm sorry. I knew I shouldn't have come. I just wanted to say goodbye properly." Alex apologised, sounding upset.

"Goodbye? But you don't need to! We could hide, like we have been all this time!"

"Do you really want that?" Alex asked, staring at me.

"Yes! Yes of course I do." I gushed.

"I don't." He whispered, crushing everything. I felt my stomach drop, my heart slow down, tears forming.

"You don't?" I choked.

"I don't want to have to hide the fact I am with someone as amazing as you. I want what is best for you. I want you to be able to live your life. Bring your boyfriend home to meet your parents. Take him on double dates with your friends. I want you to be able to experience things with him, that is legal and won't class him as a paedophile."

"I don't care about all of that. I just want you, please?" I begged.

"You're sixteen. You don't know what you want. Except to be happy, right? I can't make you happy. Being with me would just mess up your life. Lies, secrets, hiding. It's not worth it, Katy." Alex explained. 

"No...it is worth it. I love you." I started to cry, tears streaming down my face.

"Katy...don't." Alex looked away from me, grinding his teeth. He sounded as if he was trying not to cry himself.

"Please...please don't leave me. I do love you. I do." 

"Don't say that. You're sixteen. You don't-"

"Don't tell me I don't know what love is!" I snapped. "I do know! When I'm with you, I know. Don't you love me?" 

Alex looked back at me, staring into my eyes. He said nothing for a few seconds, before letting out a long sigh. "Yes. Of course I do. How could I not love you? But that's why I'm doing this. Because of how I feel, I'm letting you go." 

"But you don't have to! I don't want you to!" I cried.

"Katy. You should know by now that you don't always get what you want."

"Stop treating me like a child! You just said you loved me!" My voice was getting louder, higher pitch, more strangled.

"Katy!" He hissed. "Keep your voice down, for crying out loud. You have to understand what I'm saying."

"No." I said stubbornly. "I don't understand. We've hidden all this time."

"Do you even hear yourself? Hidden. That's not a relationship, Katy." Alex tried to reason. 

"Stop telling me what to do and what's what. What we have is love, I know it. I feel it. I'm not a child." I growled.

"But you are. I'm ten years older than you! We can't be together, it's not legal, it's not smart, it's not right. I refuse to be put on the offenders list. Letting you go saves us both so much pain, Katy, it really does." 

"No." I shook my head. "No. It saves you pain. You just don't want to be with me."

"Katy! Jesus Christ! I love you!" He raised his voice slightly. His eyes widened at the volume of his voice. He looked around the room, as did I, but only a few people were looking at us, probably because I was crying. Mr Fish started walking over, and Jenny froze. She had put the pieces together. She was shaking her head. 

"You love me?" I whispered. "You really do?"

"Yes. But I have to go now. I'm sorry. Goodbye, Katy."

"Don't I even get a goodbye kiss?" I demanded quietly.

"Katy, don't be stupid. We're-"

And that was when I made the biggest mistake I ever had in my sixteen years of living. I kissed my teacher in front of all of year eleven, the entire school staff and the headmaster.