The prom is today. Savannah and Xiu have been making a huge deal about it since they got their dresses, and I'm excited about it as well, but it's a bit of a bummer that I won't have a date.

I want Rian to go with me, but I highly doubt that the school will allow a twenty four year old into a dance with seventeen, eighteen and a few nineteen year olds.

Besides the prom, it is also Savannah's eighteenth birthday.

I'm currently sitting in front of the mirror curling my hair while playing some music from my phone.

"Are you sure you can't come with me?" I ask, pouting at Rian as he buttons up his shirt.

"Sadly, I can't. I'm working all day long, it probably won't be until the morning when I get off." Rian says, and slump in the chair.

"Oh," I say, trying not to show that I'm upset.

"I know that you'll have a great time with Xiu and Savannah. I don't want you to be upset the whole time you're there, Alex." Rian says, cupping my face in his hands.

"Okay, I'll try." I reply, looking into his eyes.

Rian kisses me and gives Bruno a few gentle pats before leaving the flat to go to the hospital. I'm somewhat sad that Rian can't come with me, but he can't just blow off work.

Once I've finished my hair and makeup, I put on my dress and heels. I stare at myself in the mirror, and Rian's voice echoes in my head.

"You look so beautiful."

I smile at the memory, and I can see him waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me with that signature smile. But knowing that he won't be there to tell me all of the things that I selfishly want to hear and accompany me to an important event slightly affects my mood.

I know that Rian wants me to have a great time, so I'm going to stay in good spirits because that's what he'd want me to do.

I hear the doorbell ring, and I make my way to the door. I see Xiu and Savannah, and behind them is the cheer time.

"Hey Alex!" Savannah cheers, and I smile before beckoning them all inside.

"Happy birthday." I say, pulling her into a hug.

"It's my eighteenth mother fucking birthday!" She shouts, and we all laugh before cheering for her.

"This must be a great way to celebrate being an adult now, huh? Going to the senior prom and just letting loose." Xiu says, and Savannah excitedly bounces up and down.

"I'm so ready for our final prom." LuLu exclaims, and we all cheer again before making our way to the door.

Outside of Rian's flat, I see a large party bus and the neon lights flicker inside of it.

"Woah! Who got us a party bus?" I ask in complete shock.

"My parents pulled through and got us one. Since its our final prom, we needed something extra special." Skylar says, and we all do a group hug.

We're all in the party bus, blasting the popular music that normally plays on the radio on full blast. It's so loud that you don't even hear the lyrics, just the bass. The walls of the party bus vibrate and we all sing at the top of our lungs. Once we all calm down a bit, we all take a bunch of photos and gossip loudly.

"Wait a minute, where's Rian?" Xiu asks.

"Hospital. He's working." I reply flatly, and her eyes show disgust.

"Ugh, he can't take one day off to spend his time with his girlfriend?" Xiu asks, and I frown.

"Don't make such a big deal out of it, Xiu. We're going to have fun tonight, and it doesn't matter if we have dates or not." I say, and Savannah nods.

"Right! Besides, it's my birthday! Don't put yourself in a bad mood on my birthday! That would really be a pain in the ass to deal with." Savannah says, and I laugh.

"Don't worry, Vannah. I'm not in a bad mood. I'm going to my last prom with my cheer team and my best friends! Nothing could upset me." I say, and Xiu finally gives me a smile.

Once we pull into the parking lot, we all quickly get out of the party bus. Other students who stand outside of the building focus their amused and star struck gazes on us. Some people even pull out their phones, taking pictures of our arrival as we sashay towards the beautifully decorated entrance.

"I feel like an actress who just showed up to the Oscars." Phoebe says, and some of us laugh.

We walk inside, admiring the disco ball that casts little fragments of light all around the room and the DJ is blasting music. People dance wildly to the song and sing in unison, and we all join in the crowd. All of my irrelevant disappointment from earlier disappears as the night goes on, and the music continues to get louder and louder, and everyone who's dancing gets rowdier than before.

People line up so that it looks like a chain, and it turns into a group of nothing but teenagers grinding on each other. Some girls are twerking instead of just casually rubbing against the person behind them, and I smile as Savannah pulls Xiu and I towards the line of people.

Xiu is in front of me, and Savannah is behind me. I'm in the center as the three of us cackle loudly while we gyrate against each other. Savannah playfully smacks my butt which causes me to laugh even more, almost to the point where I collapse to the ground while clutching my stomach as tears stream out of my eyes.

Abruptly, the DJ changes to a slow song, and some of the people groan as complain that the grind and twerk session has ended, while others automatically turn to their date and wrap their arms around them.

"May I have this dance?" A voice asks while tapping me on the shoulder.

I turn around, and I stop in my tracks once those familiar blue eyes claim me.

Rian.

Our eyes meet, and we inch closer to each other. Rian's penetrating gaze probes into my eyes, and no other part of me. His sparkling eyes are irresistibly charming, glowing brightly in the dark and setting a flame deep inside of my body.

He stands there in one of the most immaculate suits that I've ever seen, and he smirks at my expression. Rian steps closer to me, looking me up and down before biting his lip.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, and my eyes are so wide that they could pop out of my head.

"Savannah and Xiu told me to come and surprise you, but I already had that in mind." Rian admits, and I smile before pulling him into my arms.

"How? I thought you had to work." I ask, and he smiles.

"I acted like I was sick so I could get out of there." Rian says, and my smile widens.

"Yeah, on the party bus I already knew that he was going to surprise you." Xiu says, and Savannah nods.

Rian's entire body warms up as he hugs me, and I do the same as I'm blushing uncontrollably.

I hug Xiu and Savannah as well, and they give a thumbs up to Rian.

"I love you guys." I say, looking at the both of them.

Their eyes gleam as they stare at Rian and I, and the smiles never leave their faces.

"I love you, too." Xiu and Savannah say in unison, but Rian steps in and grabs my hand.

"Not as much as I love you." Rian says into my ear, and the feeling of his breath against my ear causes me to giggle.

"You're not so upset now that your baby is here, huh Alex?" Xiu asks, and we smile at her.

"Not at all." I reply.

Rian wraps his arms around my waist, and the touch of his hands burns into my skin and makes me somewhat dizzy. His scent engulfs my nose, clean and masculine and seductive. He pulls me closer, and we move to the music together as one. Our bodies become molded, and I feel the beating of his heart against my chest.

"God, you look gorgeous." Rian says, and his smile claims me briefly.

"Thank you." I reply with a smile.

"You should've seen the look on your face when you turned around." Rian adds with a chuckle, and his dimples form instantly.

"I was surprised! I wasn't expecting you to ditch work to come here, and I didn't know that Savannah and Xiu were in on the plan." I exclaim, and he smirks.

"I'm glad that I left work, though. Admiring your beauty in my head wasn't enough, so I came to witness it, and I was quite surprised myself." Rian says.

"How were you surprised?" I ask with raised eyebrows.

"I knew that you'd look stunning as always, but damn. Alexandrianna, it's indescribable how beautiful you look right now. Whether you're crowned queen or not, you're still a queen to me." Rian says softly, running his hands through my tight curls.

As Rian says that, I feel myself falling head over heels for him again. No matter how many times he'll tell me that, I still feel the cliché butterflies form in my stomach.

"I love you." I say, and as the last word leaves my lips, Rian kisses me.

We become oblivious to everything else surrounding us, and my fingers find their way into his smooth hair. Rian holds my face in his hands as our mouths dance together, and I feel like I'm floating.

We were made to love each other, and we finally came together to celebrate that.

~~~

I thought that I'd have trouble holding onto certain things in my life. Whether those things be emotional or mental, I've struggled with holding onto things that are quite significant to me. But with Rian, I'm having a hard time letting go because I don't want to.

I have a vise like grip on Rian, and I know that he has the same hold on me. We don't want to let go because if we did, a part of us would be missing.

As I'm pressed sandwiched in the middle of Rian and the wall while staring into his eyes, I wrap myself around him. Caging us both in the enjoyable prison of undeniable pleasure, and the feeling of his soft breath against my neck and his soft sweatiness pressed against mine, and the heat of his hands contain me.

We both no longer have control over our bodies or our minds, becoming hypnotized by each other as the moment grows more and more explosive.

Each touch feels as if a separate match is being lit, and it's almost ridiculous how good a simple caress can feel.

Unbearably hot.

As the night continues, I realize that I really am his and that he really is mine.

No other person was made for me.

Rian Peterson is the man who I'm supposed to be with, and I'm the one he's supposed to be with.

And we know that it's going to stay that way.

~~~

Ever since the prom, the past few weeks have sped by and it's finally the day of Alex's graduation. Alex has been putting on her makeup for the last twenty minutes, and I scoff to myself as I stand in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Alex, you really don't need to put on that much makeup." I say, and she looks back with a confused look on her face.

"Yeah, I do. It's graduation, and I need to look my best. If I don't wear my makeup I'll look like a pepperoni pizza." She says, and I scoff again.

"You have literally no acne on your face, so I don't get why you said that you'll look like a pepperoni pizza." I say, laughing at her mentality.

"My skin is super oily!" She groans, and I shake my head in disagreement.

"Have you forgotten the words that I've said to you?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"I haven't. Just let me finish getting ready! It'll be like five more minutes." Alex says, and I laugh.

"You've been saying that, but the minutes keep on adding up, Alex." I reply, and she comes over and gives me a playful smack on the arm.

Once Alex actually is ready, we both give Bruno a few hugs and kisses before walking out of the flat and to my car. Alex carefully places her cap over her head, and she excitedly bounces in her seat.

"Hurry up and pull into the parking lot!" Alex squeals, and I chuckle at her excitement.

Once I park, she quickly opens her door and puts on her gown as well.

I give her a brief kiss before we both separate, and I make my way into audience and try to find a perfect spot. After waiting for about thirty minutes, the band begins playing and everyone stands up and cheers as the graduates walk out. All of them in identical cap and gowns, and almost every girl is wearing sky high heels. I see Alex strutting in the line with her head held high, and a wide smile is spread across her face.

People are going crazy because there is boisterous cheering and even air horns going off. Once the band silences, all of the graduates sit down together. The principal walks onto the stage, making quite a lengthy commencement speech about how proud he is of all of the students.

"I'll be quite sad to see you all go, because quite frankly, you've been my favorite group of students since the start of your freshman year. You've all created wonderful memories here, and you'll have those with you for the rest of your lives as you walk into the arms of adulthood." The principal continues, and I tune him out as I watch Alex.

As the principal finishes his speech, and the salutatorian and valedictorian make their speeches, that ecstatic look never leaves her faces. Her eyes stick on the person who stands at the podium, and they incessantly sparkle. Once the speeches are finally over, it's finally time for them to receive their diplomas. They call out the names in alphabetical order, and it takes a while before they finally get to Alex.

"Alexandrianna Hawkins!" The man says into the microphone, and I begin cheering and clapping as she takes the diploma from the mans hand.

Alex's does a cute little pose after she gets her diploma, and I smile while watching her return to her spot.

Once everyone's received their diplomas, they toss their caps up high in the air, and the audience roars as they do so.

Once the ceremony has come to an end, everyone is crowding the hall while trying to find people. We're crammed like sardines as the hallway only seems to become more and more tight.

"Rian!" Alex calls out, and I turn around to see her waving her diploma in the air.

She runs towards me, and I lift her off of the ground as she giggles into my ear.

"Congratulations, Alex! You looked great out there." I say, and her smile is radiant.

"I'm so happy that I'm finally done with school!" She exclaims, and she jumps up and down with glee.

Alex, Xiu, Savannah and I all talk for a few minutes before we all head off to celebrate.

~~~

"Oh, my God. High school is actually over." Xiu says in disbelief.

"Thank fucking God." Alex says, sighing of relief.

After we celebrated by eating at Red Lobster, we all sit in Savannah's living room, and the three of them have thrown their hair up and taken off their heels. They all have red feet that are irritated and blistered.

"Fuuuck, my feet hurt." Savannah groans, taking a close look at her feet.

"I have a blister on mine." Xiu whines.

"There are ways to cure blisters and sore feet. Just put your feet in some water—it doesn't matter if it's hot or cold— and then rest them. If that doesn't work, a simple painkiller can do the trick. For the blisters, I'd recommend just putting a bandaid over it and being a little more cautious of how you're walking. Oh, and don't wear heels." I say, chuckling towards the end of my advise.

"Man, it must be awesome being a doctor. You don't even need to see another one; you can just take care of it on your own." Savannah says, and I laugh.

"That is a big advantage."

"Even better; being the girlfriend of a doctor. He can take care of you in all kinds of ways." Xiu replies, and the three of them all laugh.

My cheeks warm up, and I manage a chuckle here and there.

"Yeah, he does have medicinal qualities. He can heal me in a lot of ways." Alex says while wiggling her eyebrows, and everyone bursts into hysterical guffawing.

Savannah soon stands up and walks into the kitchen and struggling to reach for something in a cupboard. I sit down next to Alex on the couch, and I wrap an arm around her shoulder.

Savannah returns from the kitchen, and she holds something behind her back with a grin on her face.

"Let's get fucked up." Savannah whispers mischievously while holding up a bottle of vodka.

"None of you are old enough to even drink." I say, remembering the night I retrieved Alex from the nightclub.

"That doesn't mean shit. As long as you don't snitch and tell cops, then it's fine." Savannah replies with a devilish smirk.

"Hell yeah! We just graduated, and this is the perfect way to celebrate." Alex exclaims, and I find myself frowning at her without thinking.

"Yeah, and this is a great way to celebrate my acceptance letter." Xiu says, and Alex screams.

"What?!"

"This bitch got accepted into New York University!" Xiu exclaims, and Savannah and Alex both hug her while giving her their congratulations.

"Oh, fuck yes. We're definitely celebrating tonight. Go get the fucking shot glasses." Savannah exclaims, and Alex goes into the kitchen.

She comes back with a shot glass for all of us. Savannah pours the alcohol in each glass, and we all clink our glasses together before swallowing down the liquor.

It burns my throat, but it isn't really uncomfortable, it's actually kind of soothing. Plus, with my high tolerance, I can drink a lot of this and still feel fine. The girls all scrunch their faces and exhale harshly after downing the shot, but Savannah continues to pour more. Shot after shot, they're becoming drowsy and slurring. Alex tends to laugh at things that aren't funny, or just laughing for no reason at all. She also slurs her words excessively.

"Baaaaabyy, come give me a kiss!" Alex demands, stomping her foot on the ground.

She stumbles over to me, and Alex runs her chest against mine while her hands grope my butt.

"Fuuuuck meeee haaaard." Alex slurs, and she laughs like a maniac afterward.

I hold her at the waist so that she doesn't fall over, and my grip tightens on her when she tries to make her way to the couch.

"Get offffff meeeee!" She squeals, and she sticks her tongue out before laughing again.

This is why I tried to stop them from doing this.

I hate seeing her so be outlandish due to alcohol.

"Somebody's shit faaaaaaaced!" Xiu sings, and she giggles while repetitively slapping her thigh.

"SHIT FACED?! I'M NOT SHIT FACED, XIU! FUCK YOU!" Alex shouts, and Savannah falls onto the floor while dying of laughter.

"Your baby daddy neeeds to stop youuuu, Alex. You're fucking psycho." Savannah says flatly, and she scratches her head wildly.

"Dadddyyy, save her!" Xiu whines, and I try to suppress some laughter.

"When in the fuck was he your daddy?! Rian do you have something to say?!" Alex asked, becoming quickly outraged.

"Calm down, hoe. Shiiiiit." Savannah says, and she gulps another shot.

"I do have something to say. It's time to go." I reply, and I pick her up bridal style.

Alex squeals while hitting my chest, and she wiggles her feet. She takes my earlobe between her teeth, and begins to whisper the dirty things that she wants me to do to her.

"It was nice seeing you guys, and congrats on getting into NYU, Xiu." I say, trying not to be distracted by Alex.

"Thaaaaaaankk yoooouu." Xiu says, smiling at me.

"Byeeeeee Rian!" Savannah says while waving.

"Bye guys." I say, and I walk out of Savannah's house.

The laughter from inside of the house is still audible as I carefully place Alex in the passenger side. She frowns at me once I get in the drivers seat, and I mimic her.