*Edited* And by the way, I'm also working on a story called, "The Boyfriend Hotline" if you wanted to check it out. I update it pretty much every day. :)

The next day at school, I was standing at my locker trying to find my math textbook when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I impatiently shoved my supplies in my locker and slammed it shut before I turned around to face who had tapped me. Uriah's brown eyes smiled down at me. His hands were behind his back and he nervously shuffled his feet.

"Hey, Veronica," he started, looking at the floor, "I remember how you said you've never been to homecoming before and I think that you should go. So...would you go with me?"

My jaw dropped as he removed his arms from behind his back, handing me a bouquet of flowers. Onlookers looked surprised, but I ignored them. The scent of the flowers filled my nostrils and I smiled.

"Sure, I'd love to go," I said.

Uriah beamed, making his dimples surface. "Great, the dance is next week. I'll pick you up before it starts."

I set the flowers down and surprised us both by wrapping my arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly. His arms came up around my back after a second, holding me against him.

"Thanks, Uriah," was all I said. He placed his hands on my shoulders, holding me an arms-length away. He bent his neck, placing his forehead against mine. "No. Thank you," he said. My heart melted right as the bell rang.

Uriah scrambled to his locker and I laughed at his haste to get to class. I took my time getting to math class. Ugh, my least favorite subject.

When I arrived late, every student turned their eyes on me. Bianca muttered something under her breath and the people closest to her snickered. I rolled my eyes.

Mrs. Humphrey sighed dramatically when I walked in during the middle of her lesson. She capped the dry erase marker she had been using to write notes on the board and placed it on her desk.

"Veronica Fray, one more tardy and you will have to stay after for a detention," she said, placing a hand on her hip.

I hung my head. "Yes, ma'am." I headed to my usual seat, surprised it was still open even though I was late. I ignored everyone around me as I sat down. Mrs. Humphrey turned back to the board to continue with her lesson that I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to.

A pen poked my back a second before a deep voice rumbled in my ear.

"Did those flowers my brother brought to school today have anything to do with you?"

I stiffened. Why would he care? My knuckles whitened as I clenched my fist around my pencil, seconds away from cracking it. Refusing to turn around and face my infuriating neighbor, I said, "Jealous much?"

"Yes."

I whipped around in my chair so fast that my blonde hair was strewn across my eyes. I impatiently shoved it out of my face as I connected with Elijah's green eyes. He displayed a cocky smirk on his face and I knew he was kidding. I narrowed my eyes on him and turned back around right as the bell rang. I dashed out of the classroom, not wanting to see him again.

The bell rang at the end of the day and I sped to my car without grabbing my homework since I wouldn't have time for it tonight. Instead of driving straight home like I usually did, I drove to the mall. I had called my mom during my study period to tell her that I'd be going out after school to buy a dress for homecoming. She was ecstatic, saying I could buy any dress I wanted and that the price didn't matter.

I went into Lord & Taylor to begin my quest to find the perfect dress. I never shopped for one before so I wasn't sure what I should get, especially for homecoming. I asked one of the fashionable women working at the front of the store folding clothes, about what I should get. Her face lit up as she lead me over to a rack of dresses specifically for homecoming.

I shuffled through the dresses, thinking how none of them would look good on me. I stopped near the end of the rack on a light blue dress. I grabbed the hanger and requested a dressing room.

I quickly put the dress on and left the room to see myself in the mirror. The blue dress hugged my curves and made my eyes look a darker shade of blue than they usually were. A small pattern of crystal beads lined the midsection of the dress. I loved it. I hurried back to my dressing room to change and then paid for the dress. 

When I got home, I put back on the dress to show my mom. She gushed, "Aw, baby, you look beautiful. That Uriah is a wonderful boy."

I nodded and went upstairs to change into my pajamas. An email popped up on my computer screen as I was trying to find my pajamas. I stopped looking to open the email. A whistle from just outside my window made me freeze. I stood straight up and looked out the window. Elijah stood shirtless, of course, in his bedroom with a sly grin on his face.

"Do you own any shirts?" I asked, forgetting I was still wearing the dress I had bought. His eyes lit a fiery path down the length of my body and back up without answering me. I blushed furiously when I looked down to see I was wearing the tight, blue dress. Instead he said, "Damn, Vicky. You're-"

"Hot as hell, I know," I said as I whooshed my curtains closed. I had no idea what he was about to say and I told myself that I didn't care. He was probably about to make fun of my dress or how I looked in it. I didn't have time for his insults.

I finally found my pajamas shoved underneath my bed and changed into them. Then I collapsed on my bed with a stupid grin on my face, thinking about how I was going to homecoming with the hottest guy at Hall's High.

********

The date for homecoming came super fast. Uriah met me at my locker after school, offering to give me a ride home since I had walked to school. I accepted and we walked out to his car together.

"I was thinking that since the dance started at eight tonight that I would pick you up around seven to take pictures if you wanted," he said as he opened the car door for me. I slipped inside and waited for him to get in the driver's side before answering.

"That would be great!" I said, excited. I'd start getting my hair and makeup done right when I got home so I'd be ready in time. Uriah drove me home, stopping the car in my driveway even though he lived one house over and I could've walked from his house.

"I'll see you later, Veronica." He smiled as I got out of the car. I reached in to grab my backpack and Uriah wrapped his fingers around my wrist. My eyes widened as he planted a kiss on the top of my hand. He released me, giving me another smile that showed his dimples and pulled out of my driveway, leaving me to stand there like an idiot. My heart was fluttering in my chest as I walked up my driveway into my house.

I slammed the front door open, yelling, "Mom! We need to get my hair and makeup done right now or else I'll be late!"

My mother scurried down the stairs with a curling iron and bin of makeup in her hands. She set me up at the kitchen table in front of a small table mirror. She started on my hair first and then applied a slight layer of makeup and mascara to my face.

When I was all set, she sent me upstairs to grab my dress and shoes that I'd had to borrow from her. I brought them both downstairs and changed in the bathroom. When I came out, my mother's face broke out in a brilliant smile. She beamed at me, clasping her hands together.

"Veronica! Oh my gosh, you look so gorgeous," she complemented with tears in her eyes. I shrugged and looked in the mirror. My mom had done a great job with my hair, styling it into big curls that reached my shoulders. She had put on blue eye shadow to match my dress, as well as my eyes.

I hugged her and said, "Thank you, mom. I love you." She squeezed me back, saying, "I love you, too honey. Have a great time tonight."

I stepped out of her embrace as the doorbell rang. I shooed my mom out of the living room and opened the door.

"Hey, Uri-" I stopped myself when I saw a pair of green eyes glaring at me instead of warm brown ones. "Elijah! What are you doing here?"

Elijah shrugged, wearing a white dress shirt and dress pants. I hated to admit it, but he looked really good. The collar of his shirt was unbuttoned and he pulled it farther away from his neck, drawing my attention.

"Uriah wanted me to tell you that he's running late. In the meantime, I figured we could hang out or something," he said, nonchalantly.

"Absolutely not!" I yelled.

"Veronica? Whose there?" My mother asked from the kitchen.

"No one!" I answered, stepping outside with Elijah and shutting the front door behind me.

"Go home, Elijah," I said.

He leaned against the bricks on my house, crossing his legs at the ankles. He looked down at his wrist, shoving up his sleeve to display a silver watch. "Nah, I've got time to kill since Bianca won't be here for another half hour."

"Bianca?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Ew, gross. You would ask her to homecoming," I said, making a disgusted face.

"I was gonna ask someone else, but she already has a date," he said, looking intently at me. I put my hands on my hips. "Oh, really. Who?" I asked.

"Eh, doesn't matter now. I've got the hottie Bianca."

I made another face and shoved his chest. He stepped down one of the steps, turning his back on me. As he walked away, I could barely hear what he had mumbled under his breath.

"Damn, my brother is one lucky guy."