Hope you enjoy! Sorry it's a little long!
The prom is LIVE! I am glad for my form-fitting fairytale blue dress and flats because the stairs to the ballroom are atrocious! The hotel has giant chandeliers that cast clear light patterns on the embroidered wall paper, and as we enter the ballroom, the dance floor is already occupied by teens socializing and dancing. We pose for pics in the seaweed en-wrapped archway to complete the "under the sea" theme of our senior prom.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVankYVKoe
"So what do you think?" my sister Nandita interlocks our elbows. Because her bf Roman is a senior, she will enjoy senior activities for 2 years.
"I think it is wonderful!"
"Well, thank you and thank you!" Paige, the class president and head prom coordinator, spins in her pink and purple ball gown.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KgYOBuZ1a
"Yeah, I agree, you did a really good job." Erica saunters up to us with her hand on her hip----her figure is perfectly etched into her red dress that has a slit down her all-too perfect brown leg that she exposes ever so slightly.
"Hey, Erica, looking good as always." Saunders bounces up, her green eyes bright and sparkly as usual.
"Thanks, Saun, you're as bubbly as ever. How about you and I hit the dance floor?"
Our friend Danica joins us. Her ice blue dress with its black ruffles not only matches her blue eyes and raven black hair but also puts me in the mind of some stylishly ragged vintage dress the Corpse bride cartoon would wear---perfectly fitting for her rather unique personality. Once we hit the dance floor, Danica comes to life with her typical ballet-hiphop combo, and her date Richard Prichard keeps right along with her. Nandita and I leave her to the dancing and find ourselves some punch as the chaperones stand by.
"Hey, Maddie!" Rizzo calls from behind his camera. Even though he is dateless, he is totally content.
"What's with the autistic kid? Calling you out like that? Embarrassing much?" Jayanand grunts.
"He's just really friendly is all, plus a heck of a photographer, Jay,"
"You're right. He's probably even better than the guy that's taking the photo booth pictures."
"Yeah, his dad is Gui Balistreri, the famous Italian photographer," Nandita informs. "He's a legacy."
I laugh. "Andi, it's not like that. He just enjoys doing what he loves." I watch Rizzo snapping pictures of the dance circle before Paige's pink heels clack onto the stage.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhTLnZoU6R
"Okay, okay, everyone, the moment you have been waiting for---time to announce the Prom King and Queen!!!" Saunders delivers the envelope while two other students on the student body e-board stand aside with the crowns. "Ladies and gentlemen, your royal court of 2018 'Class searching for the dream' is Mr. Hearthrob himself---captain of the debate team, valedictorian----Jayanand or better known as Jay!!!"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3IPhH46Mi
"See you up there." He kisses my cheek before jogging to the stage.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0u0KeEHZC
Nandita places both hands on my shoulders with a squeal.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfYtknCv2U
"And your QUEEN----Ms. Fashion Professional, voted best smile, head of the school newspaper, full-ride already to the renowned Stanford University----Erica Boyd!!!!"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcIqzFyQPq
Cheers go up, even though everyone awkwardly stares back at me as I clap.
"Now, the king and queen will lead in the first slow dance of the night." She adjusts her mike. "Chaperones will be posted, so please behave."
"Madhuri..." Nandita begins.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzWhySEGJ3
I shoo her to the dance floor as she kisses my cheek. "You deserved that a hundred times more than she."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKPeiSmzwj
I laugh. "Thanks, sissy."
Finally, Jayanand and Erica break apart, and he offers me his hand.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBvl5hO7gX
"My love..."
We enjoy the next dance together in that quiet, sweet romantic way. After the dance is over, Jayanand bows and kisses my knuckles. "I will be back."
"That was AWESOME!!!" Nandita sings as upbeat music plays again.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpob38nuWjb
"Sorry you didn't win, Maddie." Saunders is solemn for probably one of the first seconds in her life.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSo2hdvjKAU
"Yeah, I tried to rig it for you," Paige whispers. "But it was just too much of a stretch."
I laugh.
"So I'm bored. Does anyone want to go check out the dining hall? I hear they have great food." Saunders bounces next to the date she has all but forgotten---the quarterback of the football team, Collin.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtQqjtB9Sm
"Sure," Collin's deep, quiet voice booms. 508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgkKQGh3CZ
"We're down." Roman interlaces his fingers with Nandita's.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eGMQGpsiR
"Yeah, sounds good." I look around for Jayanand. 508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOLgbU0V8y
"I'm gonna invite Rizzo."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4WxyVrgkw
"Good idea. We will wait for you outside, Saun."
As I catch up to the others at the dining hall, their faces are shocked. And then I understand why----Jayanand and Erica are in a booth, holding hands and kissing.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSWzcgO3bG
"They've been glued since they arrived," one of the waiters snickers.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOY94jH0hpR
Paige storms into the dining hall. "Hey, you hoe!"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLXJIhWjaF
"Not cool, man, not cool!" Roman exclaims.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomrQnhopQk
Everyone else is speechless. As I stare at Jayanand, he jumps up from the table and knocks over a glass. Erica shrieks.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjpauPQKty
"Baby!" He races over to me.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxowcLGtlp2
"How COULD you?!"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHgvg1GLaM
"I----I----"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMdvugtIdY
"We are betrothed!"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZHPwHnB9e
"I KNOW!" He sighs. "We've been betrothed practically since we were born, Madhuri, because our fathers were best friends since college in India. I have been committed to you as my girlfriend before I even knew what a girlfriend was, but haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to date someone else?" He swallows hard. "I never knew---I just fell in love with someone else----" Erica slips her hand into his, despite the drink staining her dress purple.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2P51IUuPw
"How could you--" my sister echoes.
"Jay, why didn't you just tell me? I would have understood, but----" I turn as the tears begin to flow.
"Madhuri, don't be---"
Before I know it, I SLAP him. Applause fills the room. But not even Jayanand's red, speechless face makes me feel better. I shove through the crowd and back to the lobby.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtsQqMcUpK
"My dear, you can have a room if you want." It is the waiter from earlier. He signals to a maid. "Give her the room with the most beautiful view of the city."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbhyEgZcXr
She nods. "You deserve it."
"Maddie!" 508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEsAvIrLf5
"I want to be alone, Andi. I will be home tomorrow. Just enjoy yourself, okay?"
I swallow the rest of the tears as the maid leads me upstairs. The room is breathtaking---beige wallpaper embroidered with gold print, a giant bed, classical paintings, and a giant TV. I open the curtains to take in the city below with all its brilliant lights, though not bright enough to dim the stars in the night sky.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DA1jNXyKA
"Everything to your liking, Ma'am?" 508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBhqo8iCip
"Yes."
"Your accommodations include room service and anything your heart desires. As shattered as it must be after that little stunt, it is my honor to help mend it in any way."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNBovAIooo
"Thank you, Ms. Ada." I read her name tag.
She smiles politely and exits.
Hours pass by, and I turn on the TV to catch "I love Lucy" reruns. At about eleven o'clock, there's a knock at the door.
"Ma'am, you have a visitor. Mr. Gianrico?"
"Tell her it's Rizzo. She is my friend."
"He is very insistent."
I laugh as she allows him in. "Hey, Rizzo."
"I'm sorry about what happened, Maddie. I got such good shots of you two. Do you want me to delete them?" He fumbles with his camera.
"No, Rizzo, it's okay."
"Are you okay?"
I hiccup on a sniffle and take in the marvelous city scene again. "I will be."
"Why did he do that to you?" Rizzo sits gently on the bed beside me, as if he is scared of causing me more pain.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSf6huIhU3W
"Loves her more, I guess."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoY5L5trpfQ
He runs his fingers through his slicked back chocolate brown curls. "But didn't he love you too?"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMDNFGJRLW
"Maybe. Maybe in a different way. I don't think we were IN love. I think it was just a matter of duty, and we happened to love one another because we have been best friends for a long time."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZD5oxezmp
He nods tentatively, trying to make sense of it all. 508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBO7IMvbRJ
"Do you like ice cream?"
"Gelato?"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GTX4CzB5L
"Does that mean ice cream?"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQTzU9QraX
"Si!"
So Rizzo and I enjoy room service and "I love Lucy" and a few card games. After a while, the embarrassment is replaced with laughter. We dance and jump on the bed and sing to the songs on TV until the early morning sky is grey. Ed Sheeran's song "Thinking Out Loud" lights up the screen, and I scream.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6iN67blmO
"What is it?!" Rizzo's blue eyes are filled with alarmed confusion.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhUGfIzmyZ
"Rizzo, this is the BEST!"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3VNoiR9uX
"A love song right now?"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6boF5xe0yj
"Yes, well...still..."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVbBT7lu40
He listens to the song a few seconds, then frowns. "Maddie, what is the difference between 'love' and 'in love'."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7MDEozuYv
I stop my air guitar, plopping down on the bed beside him. "One is what you feel for that special someone just for you. The other is what you feel for family and friends. That's how I define it."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4fMUjlZsK
His processes for a minute. "Madhuri, I'm in love with you."
"What?"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFO3vmcFYe
"I'm in love with you." He runs fingers through his messy curls. "Do you think you could be in love with me too?" He emphasizes the words like some foreign concept he cannot completely understand or comprehend just yet. 508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNG49lH8uA
I think of everything that I have been denying about Rizzo and me for the last few months because of my betrothal. Suddenly, Jay's words resonate with me in a brand new way---he was right. Still hurtful and harsh, but right.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokrKvDSyH1
"Yes, Rizzo, yes I could." He puts his hand on top of mine, swallows, then the warmth of his lips brush my cheek just barely. "But what will happen when--"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30wXfmMTZQ
"I'm not worried about it," he murmurs, sweeping me into his arms. "You never got a proper dance."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PyHL8GbiQ
I shake my head. "We are moving too fast. I don't want to rebound. I don't want to hurt you---what about the future---"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWZPQTgKKh
"I'm here now, Maddie." He cocks his head to the side, a genuine smile alighting his face. "What about you?"508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEtQMxL1q1
All my worrying thoughts whizz around and then dissipate as I stare into the cerulean depths of his eyes. "I'm here too."508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfC6G7Hp1d
And in that moment, in the scariest and most embarrassing moment of my life---his lips pressed warmly against mine----I fell in love with the very bold but gracious Gianrico Balistreri. And I would forever remain so.508Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gdaQ42RuV
Hi, this is one of the chapters from my story here on penana: Rajakumari!
This book is dedicated to Autism Awareness Month and some very AMAZING individuals that have taught me so much ;)
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