Delicate by Stephanie Campbell

stare at my hands for a minute. Why are we even talking about Grant today?
    “Your eye makeup looks amazing, Quinn,” I say softly. Unable to ignore the compliment of her skill, Quinn smiles and offers to do mine as well. Works like a charm.
    “How is it possible that we’re running late? We’ve been at this all day,” Tess says looking at her watch.
    We all dress as quickly as possible. Quinn is in her peacock dress with a green and gold necklace and large green ring. Tess’s jewelry is more my speed. Simple.  Tiny diamond studs dot her ears, and a thin diamond necklace is clasped around her neck . I want to ask if her jewelry is real, since her mom ha s recently “married-up,” but I guess asking would be tacky.
    My jewelry probably doesn’t match my dress the best that it could, but there’s no way I’d pass up a chance to wear it. A thin strand of freshwater pearls and matching bracelet. They had been my mothers. She and my dad had vacationed in Monterey, California for their anniversary a couple of months before she was killed, and Dad had bought them for her on the trip. The pearls are simple and beautiful, just like my mom was. I’d been waiting for a special occasion to take them out of my jewelry box. I k eep them locked up . T hey were more valuable than any medal of any color I’d ever won.
    “You look perfect,” Tessa says sweetly, gesturing toward the pearls. I smile back at her, just as Quinn stomps her foot on the wood floor impatiently with her hand resting on her hip.
    “Easy, Quinn, we’re coming,” Tessa says.
    Tess’s mom floats by excitedly as we hurry down the stairs.
    “Come on! The boys are outside!” she says, grabbing her camera off the mantel. My stomach twists. This is it. I take a long, deep breath. This is the night I will always remember. The biggest night of my life so far.
    Tessa’s family has a beautiful home. The back deck overlooks a large pond, the perfect backdrop for our photos.
    I smile when I see Trevor with Quinn’s date Daniel, and Tessa’s date Oliver near the water. I feel a little guilty that Trevor is here with all of my friends, rather than with his before his own senior prom. We had compromised though- we’d meet here with my friends, since all of his would be at the lake house afterward.
    For once I’m able to sneak up behind Trevor. I playfully grab his sides and he turns around, with a big, cheesy grin plastered across his face. He picks me up and whirls me around effortlessly. I feel like a giddy kid.
    “You are stunning,” he says. He nuzzles his nose into the nape of my neck and holds me at eye level in his sturdy arms.
    “You don’t look so bad yourself,” I murmur. I see the effect I have on him when the skin on his neck is cover ed in goose bumps. I never realized that I could make him nervous, too. I hear Tessa’s mom shouting directions of where to stand, and how to pose for the photos, but I ignore her and kiss Trevor instead.
    “Seriously, guys, quit so Tess’s mom will shut up,” Quinn says.
    “All right,” Trevor says. He kisses me lightly once more, then sets me down.
    The photo shoot seems to go on forever before , thankfully, Tess’s mom ’ s camera battery dies. She tells us all to wait for her backup battery, but Tess finally convince s her that she’ s gotten enough shots so we c an leave.
    As soon as Trevor tosses my overnight bag into his Range Rover, we’re on our way. Prom is being held at an historic theatre in downtown Atlanta. The theme is “A Night on the Nile,” mostly because the event was being held in the Egyptian ballroom of the restored theatre, and our prom committee was less than creative. I hadn’t been to the theatre since my mom took Maisy and me to see The Nutcracker about five years ago.
    Trevor reaches over and takes my hand with his free hand, while the other rests on the bottom of the steering wheel.
    “You really do look beautiful,” he says, kissing the top of each of my knuckles.