Mila was looking at herself in the mirror of her room. It was the night of the Homecoming, and she was a bit nervous. She was wearing a graceful evening gown that was the color of a deep midnight blue. It was tight fitting from top to waist then flowed gracefully down her legs. It was a little low in the front than she liked, but it was doable.

It showed the top of her cleavage with short sleeves that cupped her shoulders perfectly. It was made with lace that had rose designs woven into it. It was a long dress, and the fabric was soft against her skin.

She absolutely loved it.

Her grandfather took her out to get it for her. He had chosen it earlier when he passed by the window of the shop that they had gotten it from. He had such great taste in women's evening gowns, knowing the right color and shade that went well with their skin tone. Knew exactly the style to enhance their beauty.

It was something her grandmother loved about him whenever they went shopping together. Perks of marrying a head department manager of a fashion corporation.

Her hair was like a waterfall that cascaded down her back in large ringlets looking soft and bouncy. She had her hair pinned on the sides while little wisps framed around her face. Her mother had placed little jeweled clasps down one side of her hair from scalp to shoulder in the sparkles of white and blue diamonds.

Her makeup was flawless. She wasn't much of a person who wore it on a daily basis and didn't care much for the heavy products covering her skin. So, she went with a light natural look instead that brought out the color of her eyes and a little bit of lip gloss that gave her lips a nice little sheen to them.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

Her palms were sweaty and she walked away to put on her heels that matched the gown. Another accessory that her grandfather had helped her pick out. A knock sounded at her door just as she finished slipping them on.

"Who is it?" She called out.

"It's just me hon, you have a call on the house phone. I think it's either Evan or Jared." Her father stated on the other side of the door.

She frowned as she gets off her bed and opens the door. She takes the cordless phone from her father's hands as he takes her in. She places the phone against her chest and smiles at the look upon his face.

"Well, look at you. Beautiful." He whispered softly, with a hint of tears in his eyes.

She couldn't help the blush that crept on her cheeks. "It's just a dress, dad."

He shook his head at her. "No, sweetheart, it's the person whose wearing it that is beautiful. You're not a little girl anymore but becoming a fine young woman. You're absolutely lovely." He reaches over and kisses her forehead.

She bashes her eyelashes to keep the tears from falling and ruining her makeup. She warmed at the compliment he had just given her and embraced him tightly.

"Thank you, dad." She whispered in his ear.

After a gentle caress on her upper arm he leaves her standing there in the doorway to take the call.

"Hello?" She asked in the receiver wondering why whoever it was didn't just call her on her cell phone.

"Hey, it's me." Jared says on the other line. "You know how we were all going to meet here over at my place?"

"Yeah." She said slowly, with a frown on her face.

"Well change of plans. Selena is already heading over there. She was going on and on about some traditional stuff on the guys picking up the girls or something like that, so she decided that you girls will be at your place and us guys meeting you there instead." He stated quickly, sounding a bit annoyed that his sister was making them do extra steps of this whole process.

"Is that okay with you?"

"Do I have a choice?" She asked back smiling, shaking her head.

"Not really." He laughed.

Just then she heard the doorbell ring through out the house and chuckled even more. "Well, what do you know, your sister has arrived. See you guys soon." She hangs up the phone before he could get another word in and jumps from the bed where she had sat down talking to him.

As soon as she hit the bottom stair Selena came forward and demanded, "Did my dumbass brother call you?"

She raised the phone to show her that he did.

"Good. I already called Kristan since Jared refused too, even though she gave him her number." Selena rolled her eyes at that, making Mila shake her head again with the siblings and their dramatic personalities.

"Sel, you look beautiful!" She gushed instead, finally getting a good look at her best friend.

She wore a baby pink strapless ball gown where the fabric was thick and puffed out at the waist. She reminded her of a fairy princess as the first layer of lace sparkled everywhere. Her thick black hair was down in a elegant bun with trendles of hair spiraling down the sides barely touching her chest as they bounced every time she moved.

The dress went perfectly with her olive skin complexion. She wore the necklace and earring set that her grandmother had given her, that was a simple gold chain with a teardrop of her birthstone.

"Not as beautiful as you Mila! You're a complete knockout." She said with a hint of jealousy but was smiling to show she didn't mind.

"Oh my god, stop!" She lightly pushes her in embarrassment as the heat from earlier came back again to cover her cheeks.

"The guys are going to flip when they see you at the dance."

They both laugh and begin talking about what the homecoming might be like when Kristan finally made an appearance. She didn't even bother to knock and just walks right into her home as if she owned the place.

"Hello." Her voice was a bit clipped with a tight smile.

As soon as she sees Mila she stops in her tracks and stared. And Mila couldn't help but to stare right back in disbelief.

She wore a tight dark forest green dress that only went to mid-thigh. And when it showed that it was tight, it was tight. All the way around. It was sleeveless with thick straps. It had a metallic tint to it with her hair straightened. She wore big golden hoop earrings with large bracelets on her wrists.

She looked great but her makeup was done a bit heavy making her look older than her fourteen years. It wasn't something that Mila would ever see herself wear for a formal setting. Mila's mother came out from the kitchen area and came to a complete dead stop at the look of her niece.

"Kristan! What on earth are you wearing?! What on god's green earth is your mother thinking letting you out looking like that?!"

The girl gave Mila daggers as she looked her up and down.

"Really Aunt Julie, it isn't all that bad. And mom was the one to pick it out for me." She stated sweetly with a smile on her face.

Yeah, right. What must have happened was she threw a tantrum and got what she wanted. Julie stomped away mumbling about having a good long talk with her younger sister as she leaves them there in the foyer.

Kristan slowly walked up to them. "Well, look at you Selena. You look very pretty."

"Thank you, Kris. You don't look too bad yourself." Selena said cooly, not liking the way she was giving daggers to her best friend.

Kristan didn't bother to compliment Mila as she completely ignores her all together. They all sat in the living room for about thirty minutes when the guys finally showed up. Mila's father answered the door for them and guided them in the hall.

Jared, Ian, and Evan stood there all holding a corsage in their hands. All three looked like they wanted to bolt for how nervous they all were.

"Well, look at the three of you." He said, trying to hold his laugh in. "I'm sure I don't have to be the overprotecting father, now do I?" He quirks an eyebrow looking to each of them in turn.

Evan and Ian both said no so fast he started laughing. Ian already got his ass chewed out by Selena's father when he had arrived with Evan, that he was sure it was going to stay with him through out the entire night.

Evan on the other hand suddenly remembered the little speech that Gale had told him and even though he didn't say much, it was enough to keep his head straight when it came to Mila. Hell, he wasn't sure if he even wanted to touch her hand he was so terrified of that man.

Jared was the only one that didn't get a lecture by his date's father. The man wasn't present after all. But regardless, he knew the boundaries and didn't even plan on, ever, to pass them. Especially with Kristan. His body shivered with the unwelcome thought of that outcome.

"Well, come on in." He moved aside for them to proceed further into the home.

"Alright girls, they're here!" He yelled down the hallway as they all filed in a line to get to the living room.

The first one to appear was Selena. Ian just stood there staring in awe as she laughed and came forward to him, a hint of pink on her already blushed cheeks. She tenderly kissed him on the cheek making him smile warmly at her.

Kristan was right behind her and quickly plastered herself to Jared's side and it took all of his strength to not jerk her away from his body. His best friend looked like he wanted to bust up laughing at his uncomfortable situation.

He gave him a death glare that only made him grin wider. Then they both turned, tensing at the sudden vision before them. They held their breaths when Mila finally came around the corner and became a sight to behold.

Even Ian couldn't help but to stare at her in amazement until Selena ribbed him in his side with her elbow and gave him a look. Jared couldn't take his eyes away from her and just for a unguarded moment the love he felt showed unfiltered on his features.

Both Selena and Kristan noticed the look before it was quickly masked away from their view. Kristan squeezed his arm tightly to her chest, the jealousy and hate strong within her chest. But she doesn't voice it aloud, afraid of the unwanted attention that they would face, creating a thick atmosphere throughout the night. Besides, she didn't want Mila to be aware of Jared's possible feelings towards her.

Evan walked up to her and takes a hold of her hand. "Wow." Was all he could manage to get out, not once looking away from her.

She blushed prettily, beaming at his reaction.

Jared had to look away. A strong feeling of his own jealousy and irritation of the situation hitting him hard, causing him to clench his jaw tight. However, there was one thing he had noticed before he averted his gaze. He was wearing a matching bowtie and vest, the same color as Mila's dress.

The three of them were all wearing nearly matching tuxedos with different bowtie and vest colors. He didn't even bother to ask what color Kristan was wearing, since he didn't even care. Maybe he should have made the effort, but why should he when he didn't even want to go with her in the first place?

As for Evan, the guy wore a red one and he guessed it was because it was his favorite color. He more than likely didn't bother to ask either, since he probably didn't know he needed too. Ian was the only one that matched his date. Smart boy there to think of finding out what his sister what wearing for the event. She seemed highly pleased as Ian carefully placed the corsage on her wrist and gently raises her hand to tenderly kiss the back of it causing for her to flush prettily at his out of character gesture.

He clenched his hand into a fist by his side knowing this was the work of Gale. He had come by his home earlier that day to give him the set. At first, he was just going to wear a simple black one, but it was his favorite color. He just assumed since Gale knew that, that he had found one and thought of him.

Apparently, that wasn't the case at all.

The fact that they were matching was definitely not lost on him. She looked beautiful in the deep midnight blue. The glitter of the lace making her sparkle like tiny little stars, her skin looking soft and smooth. If he could, he would stare at her all night long, like a creep.

"You look so beautiful, Mila. That color really suits you." Evan gushed to her as he raked his eyes up and down her figure, a smile on his handsome face.

Jared wanted to roll his eyes at him, hating the fact that he had to stand here and watch this painful display of the two. It was like rubbing salt in an open wound that keeps refusing to close. But he did agree with Evan.

His favorite color looked damn good on her.

"Thank you, my grandpa helped me pick it out." She shyly stated as she rubs her earring in nervousness.

Of fucking course, he did, Jared thought grimly. That old man knew exactly what the hell he had been doing.

"Is that for me?" Kristan suddenly spoke up next to him, snapping him out of his dismal spiral of depression.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Here." He mumbled as he takes the flower decoration out of its container but before he could slip it on, Evan speaks up.

"Um, Jared, can we switch? It seems ours got mixed up." Evan looked over to him holding out the corsage that was definitely holding dark blue ribbons, while Evan's were green.

Again, another accessory that was given to them by Gale. It seems the only thing he had gotten right was Ian's, who had asked politely to acquire his for him as well.

"Yeah, it seems we did." Jared hesitantly hands it over and slips the new one on Kristan's wrist.

"May I?" Evan asked as he holds up his own towards Mila.

She again beams at him and allows him to do the same.

It was like Gale was purposely trying to grab their attention with all this. Instead of helping, he was making the situation worse. And Jared already wished the entire night was already over and done with.

Kristan wouldn't let his arm go as she clutched it even tighter to her. He grimaced at the action but didn't say a word. He looked over to Mila to see her staring down at the corsage, gently touching the strands of the ribbons, a small smile playing at her lips as she seemed to be lost in thought.

He quickly looked away staring down to look at his dress shoes that looked way too shiny for his comfort.

"Alright everyone! Picture time!" Her mother came rushing in with a very expensive camera in her hands, a huge smile on her face.