Page 24 of My Fake Date With My Childhood Friend (Port Lane Romances #3)

seventeen

The big day of the formal had finally arrived. Three days flew by really fast. It seems like yesterday we were talking about it, and now it’s finally happening. I had knots in my stomach, but I wasn’t going to let a lot of anxiety get me down.

I stared intently into my small circular mirror as I put on my eyeliner. I hardly ever wore makeup, so I was no good at this.

“Are your hands shaking?” Liv asked. She and I were on FaceTime while we were getting ready. I had the phone propped up against the wall, so I could use both hands to do my makeup.

“Yes,” I groaned. I finished the second wing, barely making it straight, and dropped the eyeliner. I didn't care if the two sides weren't even. I wasn't about to try to fix it now. “There. Done.”

I'd left the eyeliner until last, so I was done with my makeup now. I used some setting spray on my face, then grabbed my dress from where it was hanging on my closet door.

“When is Alexander picking you up?” Liv asked as I changed into my dress. I glanced at my alarm clock.

“In like ten minutes,” I said. “When are you heading out?”

“About the same,” Liv said. “Oh, spin around! I want to see the dress.”

Since Alexander had been the one with me when I bought the dress, nobody else had seen it yet. I did as she asked, trying to move slowly enough that she could get a proper look.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“It looks so good!” She squealed. “Alexander's going to love it.”

“Well, I'd hope so, considering he helped me pick it out.”

We both giggled. I couldn't wait to see his face when he saw me in it with my makeup and hair did too. Just then, my phone dinged with a text from my mom, telling me to come downstairs.

“I have to go,” I said to Liv. “I'll see you at the formal.”

“See you then!” Liv said. She waved and hung up the phone. I looked in my mirror one last time and smiled to myself before going downstairs.

“Sweetie, you look beautiful,” Mom said as I walked into the living room.

“Thank you.”

“Come stand in front of the fireplace,” Dad said. I did so. I awkwardly posed and smiled. They both took pictures of me. I felt so silly standing there like a model while my parents took pictures of me. I was so out of my element, but it was sweet.

The doorbell rang. It must be Alexander. It was better that I open the door than my dad, who would immediately start grilling him with questions as if he hadn’t known him for his whole life.

“I’ll get it!” I yelled. I ran to the door and unlocked it.

It was Alexander. He had on a suit and looked so handsome. I couldn't help but beam at him when he saw me.

“Hey,” he said. “You look amazing. Like a princess.”

I blushed and giggled. “Thank you.”

He held some flowers out to me. “These are for you.”

“Thank you, they’re beautiful.” I held the door open fully. “Come in.”

“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Owen,” he said politely.

“Alexander, we've been over this,” Mom said exasperatedly. “Call me Janet.”

“And call me, Austin,” Dad added. “Especially now that you're seeing Penny — we're all close.”

I didn’t have the heart to break it to my parents that we were fake dating, and none of it was real. If I did, I was sure my dad would give me a big lecture on lying and deceit. I figured I would just let them know when we broke up.

“Let me take a picture of you guys,” Mom said. She smiled and held her phone up again. “C'mon, you guys move closer. Let’s do this well.”

Alexander put his arms around my shoulder and drew me closer. I smiled wider and changed my posturing.

“That’s it! Okay, one, two, three.” She started taking the pictures.

“How many photos are you going to take?” I complained. “We need to go.”

“Just a couple more,” Mom said.

“We need to add them to the Christmas newsletter,” Dad joked.

“My mom’s going to have a field day with this,” Alexander murmured in my heart. I laughed.

Since the other day we’d gone dress shopping, something had changed between us.

There was a shift in energy. I know I always had a big crush on him, but it seemed different now like it was a deeper feeling or something more intense.

I wished I could tell him how I felt. I wished I could tell him that I liked him.

But I couldn't say anything because he wasn't my friend, and even if he was, I wouldn't have a chance with him.

He would never like me the way I liked him.

It was impossible, and it would hurt too much even to try.

So instead, I would just have to smile when he said something nice to me and pretend like he was just a friend.

Besides, I’d had good reason to swear off boys. I needed to remember how devastated I was after Joseph did what he did. Even though I was sure Alexander would never do that to a girl he was dating, I couldn’t risk trying. I never wanted to have that feeling again.

“Are you ready?” Alexander asked as we stood in front of the open school doors. This was it, the moment we had been leading up to. This was our last chance to convince everyone that we were in love and that I was over Joseph.

Inside, the gym has been decorated with the school's finest Christmas decorations.

The gym's walls are covered in red, silver, and green paint, the gym's basketball net is twirled with silver ribbons, and the gym's floor is covered in white carpeting.

Chaperones monitored everyone and ensured no one spiked the drinks with alcohol.

The principal was talking with some teachers and laughing.

There was a photo booth station setup, A DJ playing bangers with his laptop and headphones on his ear. Many students were dancing.

Alexander grasped my hand and squeezed it gently as we made our way through the crowd of people. It felt like a dream, a beautiful, lucid dream in which I was floating on a cushion of air, borne along by his strong, sure steps.

I was in a euphoric mood. Everything felt so perfect.

I felt like I was floating on a cushion of air, borne along by his strong, sure steps.

It occurred to me then that I had never been this happy, never felt so free.

Joseph had never made me feel this way before; he had always been distant and cold.

“I’m going to get a drink. Do you want anything?” Alexander asked me.

“A coke, please,” I said. He nodded and headed off into the crowd. I stayed where I was and looked around. At first glance, I didn't see any of my friends, but I was sure they were either hidden from view or were running a little late.

I spotted Nikki and Joseph together with his friend Jesse and his date. Before I could look away, Nikki noticed me watching them and smirked.

Nikki sauntered over to me and put her arm around my shoulder. “It's so great to see you, Penny.”

“It's nice to see you too,” I said, forcing a smile. It was clear she didn't actually want to be there. She just wanted to cause trouble.

“Where's your date?” she asked, looking around. She leaned in and whispered. “He didn't leave you, did he?”

I elbowed her off me. “No! He's just getting drinks.”

“Oh.” She looked a little disappointed. “Well, isn't that sweet? He's such a catch, isn't he?”

I could feel the anger boiling inside of me, but I didn't let it show on my face. I knew Nikki would only try to provoke me into responding. Joseph was watching us from across the room, his face unreadable.

“Yeah,” I said, trying to sound convincing.

“You know, I was really surprised when he asked you out,” Nikki continued. “He's such a great guy, but I didn't think he would be interested in girls like you.”

“Girls like me?” I repeated, giving her a cold stare.

“Girls who have no friends,” she said with a shrug.

“I know who you are,” I said, my voice low and furious. “You're just a little girl who's never been able to handle not being in control. You always have to be the centre of attention.”

She scowled at me. “And you're nothing but a copycat.”

“Says the girl dating my ex-boyfriend!”

“He only dated you to get to me, you know.” She held her hands out and studied her nails as if disinterested in the conversation. “Told me so himself.”

I felt a sudden anger well up inside of me.

I wanted to lash out at her, to tell her that I wasn't like her at all and she was the worse of the two of us. But before I could say anything, Alexander reappeared, carrying my coke in one hand and a bag of M&M’s in the other.

He gave me a small smile and handed me the coke. “Here you are.”

I took it gratefully and quickly downed it in one gulp. The cool liquid fizzed against my teeth and went down smoothly, cooling my overheated body.

“Nikki,” Alexander said coolly.

“Alex,” Nikki said. “We were just talking about you.”

“It's Alexander,” he corrected. “And I suggest you leave now.”

“But we're having so much fun,” Nikki said. Her eyes shifted to mine. “Right, Penny?”

I had no idea how to begin to respond to that.

I didn't want to show her how angry she was managing to make me because it would only add fuel to the fire, but I wanted her to leave immediately.

As if hearing my thoughts and deciding to do the opposite, Joseph walked over to us, adding on another person I wanted to punch.

“Hey there,” Joseph said. He wrapped an arm around Nikki's waist, but his attention was focused on me rather than her.

“Hi, babe,” Nikki said, kissing his cheek. I was pretty sure she was trying to get his attention, but his gaze didn't move.

Ever since the day he told me he wanted me back, I had been avoiding him. I already said what I needed to say. The fact that he could tell me that and he could still be stringing Nikki showed he wasn’t sincere.

“I want to dance,” I blurted out. Anything to get away from here.

“Happy to oblige,” Joseph said, much to my disgust. But when he tried to pull his arm away from Nikki's waist, she grabbed onto it and held it there tightly, a frown on her face.

“I meant with my boyfriend,” I said. I grabbed Alexander's hand. “Come on.”