Crooked Young
Flowers
KARINA'S POV
Walking up the halls, I noticed a few posters for prom marketing the event as "one you'll never forget". I never really thought much of the whole thing, though. I didn't like poofy dresses, I didn't like getting dolled up, and I especially didn't like having to dance along to boring music. Despite that, I was still thankful that Tony had asked me. Like Elise said, it was my last chance to make an impression, and that is exactly what I planned to do.
"Hey Karina, good luck," said Helena, an old friend of mine from middle school. "I bet you'll get it."
Not staying long enough for me to question her, I swung round and fell against my locker in confusion. I watched as she rolled down the hall, waving at person after person, in her cutely decorated chair. What the hell is she talking about?
Shaking myself off, I opened my locker and dumped a few books in. Maybe there's a class competition I've forgotten about. Did I enter some sort of raffle? Slamming the door over, I yanked my bag higher on my shoulder and began the walk to first period - the only class I had at the complete other end of the school.
When I entered, Mike gave me a silly little wave from up the back. I replied by sticking my tongue out at him. I was so happy that my class was with him, and not someone more serious or dull. I'd received my letter of acceptance into Yale the day before, and even though I was pleased, it also made the reality of San Diego real, and I was quite happy just pretending that the day was never going to come.
"Hello," he said, voice no longer wavering and staccato like it was the other night. "So, since you and Tony are like totes the cutest couple ever, I bet you'll win prom king and queen. Like, totes."
"Shut up, asshole," I laughed, ripping my rubber in half and chucking one piece at his face. "To be crowned you have to be running for it, which we're not, and you have to be noticed. We just, we're in the margins."
"Hm," Mike hummed beside me, drumming on his desk (as he always did). "We'll just have to see about that."
TONY’S POV
Even though Karina had told me that she didn't want a corsage, or anything of the type for that matter, I still wanted to get her something. I wanted to do something, to give something, that would make her remember that night... that would make her remember me.
I spent what felt like years staring at my bedroom wall: waiting for it to crumble and reveal a billboard covered in ideas, or for my posters to merge into one big scene depicting what it was that I'd do.
"Tony?" Questioned a small voice, coming from my door way.
Lucia toddled in, her teddy under one arm. She followed my gaze to the wall, a rather freaked out expression on her face, and then looked at me. "Tony? What are you looking at?"
"Nothing," I sighed, flopping back. "Absolutely nothing. Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"Couldn't sleep," she said lightly, scrambling on to my bed. Her little fingers ran over my tattoo, tracing the outline, as she whispered the lyrics to her favourite song. I loved listening to her when she did that - for a moment, I got to enter her world. I got to see what it was like to be young and free and ignorant of all that is bad in the world once again.
"Hey, Lu? I've got to get Karina something very nice for a really special occasion, do you have any ideas?"
"Pretty flowers," she mused, grasping my forearm as excitement pulsed through her. "Red and blue and yellow!"
"No, something bigger than that," I told her. "If you could say anything in the world, what would you choose?"
"Flowers," she replied, sadness sneaking into her voice. "Red and blue and yellow flowers."
Groaning in frustration, I sat up again. I tried to explain that I needed something bigger, something better, but she just looked at me with teary eyes and asked what was wrong with flowers.
"There's nothing wrong with them," I promised, wiping her tiny cheeks with my thumbs. "I just want to get her something else. Do you think she'd like some jewelery?"
Lucia laughed, throwing me a little off guard. What's funny about jewelery? I asked Lucia why she was laughing, hoping that the time she and Karina spent alone could be used to my advantage. It wasn't like Lucia would ever forget a single thing Karina said, she was obsessed with her.
"Tell me what she likes then," I whispered secretively. "C'mon, tell your big smelly brother what she likes."
Lucia frowned heavily, staring down at her lap. Silence fell in my room as I watched with great anticipation. Surely, in all those days of hanging out, Karina must have said something?Fiddling with the hem of her pajama shorts, Lucia pursed her little lips as she averted her eyes to me. "She likes you."
I, for the second time, flopped back. "That doesn't help."
"She always tells me that she really likes you and that she wished you two could stay together after high school and that she hopes that one day her husband is something like you. She said some other things too but I didn't understand because she used really big words."
"That's okay," I smiled. "Thank you anyway."
Lucia leaned over and kissed my cheek before sliding off the bed. "Don't forget to kiss her!" She squealed, racing out the room.
Knocking on Karina’s door, I took a small step back and shut my eyes. I could feel my hands begging to tremble, but I wasn’t going to let them. Hearing a click, I cleared my throat and looked at the door.
"Yes?" Said Karina’s dad, not recognizing me. His harsh eyes flicked over my features - pausing a little on my gauges, piercing and tattoo.
"Hi, Mr Smith. Um, I’m Tony, Karina’s-"
"What do you want?" He asked bitterly, interrupting me.
"I’d, uh, I’d like to ask you if it’s okay that I take your daughter to prom? I know she’s grounded, but-"
"You’re wasting your time," he snickered. "Son, don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t want my daughter seen anywhere with you."
Ouch. Turning my head away, I inhaled through my teeth as I tried to fight back my anger. The last thing I wanted to to was end up beating Karina’s dad up. “Mr Smith, please,” I replied calmly. “I’m going to take her whether you say yes or no, but I know she’d really like it if you said yes.”
"My daughter deserves-"
"She deserves much more," I said, taking my turn to interrupt, "I know. I’m fully aware that she’s going places, but right now, in these last few months of our youth, I can make her happy."
Her dad rubbed his clenched jaw, contemplating what I said. “Alright. I want her home by 10, no funny business. If you come back drunk, or high, or anything like that, I swear that you won’t see the next sunrise.”
Gulping, I nodded firmly.
No drink, no drugs, no nothing. Got it.
Walking up the halls, I noticed a few posters for prom marketing the event as "one you'll never forget". I never really thought much of the whole thing, though. I didn't like poofy dresses, I didn't like getting dolled up, and I especially didn't like having to dance along to boring music. Despite that, I was still thankful that Tony had asked me. Like Elise said, it was my last chance to make an impression, and that is exactly what I planned to do.
"Hey Karina, good luck," said Helena, an old friend of mine from middle school. "I bet you'll get it."
Not staying long enough for me to question her, I swung round and fell against my locker in confusion. I watched as she rolled down the hall, waving at person after person, in her cutely decorated chair. What the hell is she talking about?
Shaking myself off, I opened my locker and dumped a few books in. Maybe there's a class competition I've forgotten about. Did I enter some sort of raffle? Slamming the door over, I yanked my bag higher on my shoulder and began the walk to first period - the only class I had at the complete other end of the school.
When I entered, Mike gave me a silly little wave from up the back. I replied by sticking my tongue out at him. I was so happy that my class was with him, and not someone more serious or dull. I'd received my letter of acceptance into Yale the day before, and even though I was pleased, it also made the reality of San Diego real, and I was quite happy just pretending that the day was never going to come.
"Hello," he said, voice no longer wavering and staccato like it was the other night. "So, since you and Tony are like totes the cutest couple ever, I bet you'll win prom king and queen. Like, totes."
"Shut up, asshole," I laughed, ripping my rubber in half and chucking one piece at his face. "To be crowned you have to be running for it, which we're not, and you have to be noticed. We just, we're in the margins."
"Hm," Mike hummed beside me, drumming on his desk (as he always did). "We'll just have to see about that."
TONY’S POV
Even though Karina had told me that she didn't want a corsage, or anything of the type for that matter, I still wanted to get her something. I wanted to do something, to give something, that would make her remember that night... that would make her remember me.
I spent what felt like years staring at my bedroom wall: waiting for it to crumble and reveal a billboard covered in ideas, or for my posters to merge into one big scene depicting what it was that I'd do.
"Tony?" Questioned a small voice, coming from my door way.
Lucia toddled in, her teddy under one arm. She followed my gaze to the wall, a rather freaked out expression on her face, and then looked at me. "Tony? What are you looking at?"
"Nothing," I sighed, flopping back. "Absolutely nothing. Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"Couldn't sleep," she said lightly, scrambling on to my bed. Her little fingers ran over my tattoo, tracing the outline, as she whispered the lyrics to her favourite song. I loved listening to her when she did that - for a moment, I got to enter her world. I got to see what it was like to be young and free and ignorant of all that is bad in the world once again.
"Hey, Lu? I've got to get Karina something very nice for a really special occasion, do you have any ideas?"
"Pretty flowers," she mused, grasping my forearm as excitement pulsed through her. "Red and blue and yellow!"
"No, something bigger than that," I told her. "If you could say anything in the world, what would you choose?"
"Flowers," she replied, sadness sneaking into her voice. "Red and blue and yellow flowers."
Groaning in frustration, I sat up again. I tried to explain that I needed something bigger, something better, but she just looked at me with teary eyes and asked what was wrong with flowers.
"There's nothing wrong with them," I promised, wiping her tiny cheeks with my thumbs. "I just want to get her something else. Do you think she'd like some jewelery?"
Lucia laughed, throwing me a little off guard. What's funny about jewelery? I asked Lucia why she was laughing, hoping that the time she and Karina spent alone could be used to my advantage. It wasn't like Lucia would ever forget a single thing Karina said, she was obsessed with her.
"Tell me what she likes then," I whispered secretively. "C'mon, tell your big smelly brother what she likes."
Lucia frowned heavily, staring down at her lap. Silence fell in my room as I watched with great anticipation. Surely, in all those days of hanging out, Karina must have said something?Fiddling with the hem of her pajama shorts, Lucia pursed her little lips as she averted her eyes to me. "She likes you."
I, for the second time, flopped back. "That doesn't help."
"She always tells me that she really likes you and that she wished you two could stay together after high school and that she hopes that one day her husband is something like you. She said some other things too but I didn't understand because she used really big words."
"That's okay," I smiled. "Thank you anyway."
Lucia leaned over and kissed my cheek before sliding off the bed. "Don't forget to kiss her!" She squealed, racing out the room.
Knocking on Karina’s door, I took a small step back and shut my eyes. I could feel my hands begging to tremble, but I wasn’t going to let them. Hearing a click, I cleared my throat and looked at the door.
"Yes?" Said Karina’s dad, not recognizing me. His harsh eyes flicked over my features - pausing a little on my gauges, piercing and tattoo.
"Hi, Mr Smith. Um, I’m Tony, Karina’s-"
"What do you want?" He asked bitterly, interrupting me.
"I’d, uh, I’d like to ask you if it’s okay that I take your daughter to prom? I know she’s grounded, but-"
"You’re wasting your time," he snickered. "Son, don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t want my daughter seen anywhere with you."
Ouch. Turning my head away, I inhaled through my teeth as I tried to fight back my anger. The last thing I wanted to to was end up beating Karina’s dad up. “Mr Smith, please,” I replied calmly. “I’m going to take her whether you say yes or no, but I know she’d really like it if you said yes.”
"My daughter deserves-"
"She deserves much more," I said, taking my turn to interrupt, "I know. I’m fully aware that she’s going places, but right now, in these last few months of our youth, I can make her happy."
Her dad rubbed his clenched jaw, contemplating what I said. “Alright. I want her home by 10, no funny business. If you come back drunk, or high, or anything like that, I swear that you won’t see the next sunrise.”
Gulping, I nodded firmly.
No drink, no drugs, no nothing. Got it.
Notes
SUPER SHORT FILLER.
i started writing the prom scene and then decided i needed to write a little build up thingy, so this is that.. haha
I cannot believe the votes this story has! I honestly cannot thank you guys enough, but I'm really trying to make this prom chapter special. Ive even been watching hella cheesy movies and doing research on prom (because im a) not very romantic and b) live in the uk).
anyway, tHANK YOU! YOU GUYS KICK MY FLAT (PRACTICALLY NON-EXISTENT) BRITISH ASS!
the prom chapter will most likely be up tonight! :)
OMFG <3
7/6/15