Rise of Alpha (The Prodian Journey #1) (33 page)

That was another surprise. My dad was a busy man, and I respected his work enough not to make unnecessary demands of him. We had a good relationship because we honored each other’s boundaries. Besides, I was pretty much self-sufficient at my age. Even so, I wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to spend some time with him. “I’d like that.”

“Pick the place,” he said.
 

For the next hour, we chowed down on hotdogs while he reminisced about his high school days. He regaled me with stories about playing football, his friends, and the pretty girls he took to different dances. These were things he hadn’t told me before.
 

It was shortly after two by the time we got done with all our errands, leaving me with some spare time to relax and get a few games in before I had to get dressed.
 

I sent Shannon a quick text.
Are u ready for 2nite?

She responded right away.
So excited. How are you going to get past your parents?

Dad ungrounded me. Will pick you up at 6PM. Be ready.
 

Awesome. I’ll be ready. Can’t wait to see you.

To kill time, I played a game of
L.O.L.
then tuned in to the news as Mark and I had discussed. There was nothing out of the ordinary being reported. I watched for thirty minutes before heading for the shower.
 

For once, my hair cooperated, and the suit did make me look taller, just as Omar had predicted. It fit just right. I felt like the star of a spy movie. After I’d decided against bringing the dagger, I stowed the kordag and Matro’s calling card in the inner pocket of my jacket.
 

“You’re so handsome, baby boy.” Mom glowed with motherly pride when I made my appearance in the living room.
 

Uncomfortable under her heavy scrutiny, I mumbled a quick thanks.
 

Dad didn’t help at all. He snapped one picture after another, and all the attention was making me nervous, triggering some unwanted tics. I squared my shoulders and tried my damnedest to look unruffled. Once my parents were satisfied, we trekked across the lawn to our neighbor’s house.
 

Gilbert opened the front door, nodding his approval at my appearance, then dipped his head in greeting. “Hello, Dr. and Mrs. Morrison. I am Gilbert, Elizabeth’s cousin from out of town. Shannon and her mother will be right down.” He ushered us into the living room to wait. “Have a seat. May I offer you anything to drink?”
 

“We’re fine. Thank you,” Dad replied, while Mom merely shook her head.
 

Gilbert disappeared, and within minutes, the sound of descending footsteps came from the stairwell. Shannon paused at the foot of the landing, looking more stunning than ever.
 

In awe, I stood up with my mouth open, holding onto the box containing the corsage. Elizabeth followed her, fussing over Shannon’s gown. The black dress hugged her curves like it had been designed for her. The gold ribbon twisting across her waistline reminded me of a Greek goddess, and the tiny braid framing her face made her look regal. I stared at her, holding my breath and unable to move, until she took my hand and squeezed it.

“Curly, is there something wrong?” she whispered, her blue eyes searching my face. Up close, she was even more gorgeous. Best of all, there were no signs that she had any permanent damage from the incident the day before.

Dad jumped to the rescue. “I’m betting Brian is thinking you’re a vision of loveliness.”
 

This snapped out of my trance, and I smiled awkwardly and cleared my throat. “Y-yes, you’re breathtaking.”

Shannon blushed at my praise. “Thank you.”

Still feeling giddy, I opened the corsage box, which held a white rose surrounded by tiny flowers.
 
“This is for you.”
 

“It’s beautiful.”

“Just like you are,” I whispered in her ear. She reddened again. In a louder voice, I added, “Here, let me put it on you.”
 

I spent long, excruciating seconds trying to figure how to attach the corsage to her gown without making it seem like I was playing ‘pin the tail on the donkey’.
 

Elizabeth took pity on me and stepped in to help. Once it was secure in its place, Shannon pinned a boutonniere on my lapel (without any problem, much to my embarrassment). After another round of picture-taking, this time from both Dad and Gilbert, the parents began chatting among themselves, leaving Shannon and me to our own devices. The reprieve let me relax, and it gave us a few minutes of alone time.
 

She pulled me onto the patio. “Close your eyes,” she said.
 

“What’s going on?”
 

“Just close them, will you?”

I complied. The sound of her footsteps faded away but soon returned.

“Okay, you can open them.”

Shannon was standing in front of me, holding a bunch of balloons in different colors and a wrapped present.
 

“Happy birthday!” she squealed. “You thought I forgot, huh?”

“To be honest, I’m the one who forgot about it.”

“You’re something else. Who forgets his own birthday?”
 

We laughed together. It was a nice feeling, being with her. The night was just beginning, and we were already having a great time.
 

“Open it.” She held out the gift to me.

“Now?”

“Now,” she said with a little hint of impatience.

I ripped open the paper. Inside the box was a picture frame that held the photo of us laughing together at the Huntington Garden. It was the candid shot I had taken of us on that trip.

“Thank you. I don’t know what to say.” I looked up to find Shannon giving me a wide smile.
 

“Say you’ll put it on your nightstand.”

“You bet I will.”

Murmuring came from inside the house, and we saw the adults watching us from the opposite side of the glass door. Mom had tears in her eyes, and Dad was whispering in her ear and rubbing her back. Shannon and I glanced back at each other, both blushing dark pink.

A few minutes later, Mark and Darryl arrived with both dates and parents, and the barrage of pictures and posing started up again. Once the photographic assault came to an end, we were able to pile in the limo. I didn’t let go of Shannon’s hand during the duration of our ride to the hotel.
 

When we reached the venue, my arm was resting around Shannon’s shoulder as if it was the most natural thing in the world. It was nice knowing that, for a change, there was a girl who wasn’t embarrassed to be seen with me.

“Ready?” I whispered in her ear.

Shannon gave me a big smile when she looked up. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

The Prom

Everything was a first for me that evening, from the limo to attending a party with other kids my age—not to mention having a
date
. I savored every minute of the experience.
 

Throughout the evening, I showered Shannon with compliments. She had no idea how her blushing reaction boosted my confidence. If I could have this effect on Shannon McKesson, then the whole world had better be ready for me.
 

Shannon was my main focus all night, so it didn’t escape my notice that she tapped her foot with the beat of every song. I tried to distract her with small talk, hoping my engaging personality would make her not mind that we weren’t dancing.
 

It didn’t work. As soon as a popular, extra-bouncy song blasted from the speakers, she tugged at my arm. “Would you like to dance?”
 

Okay. This was going to shatter my perfect night. My shoulders sagged at the thought of making a fool of myself in the middle of the dance floor with my two left feet.
 

“I can’t dance.”
 

Shannon’s face fell.
 

Darn it. Here goes nothing.
“Just kidding!” I said. “You gotta see my moves.” I tried to paste on an enthusiastic smile.
What in the world am I thinking?

Shannon looked worried anyway. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”
 

“Of course.” I waved my hand with a flourish and stood, ushering her to the dance floor. Other kids crowded the dance area and were hopping around like grasshoppers.
 
Running through a quick plan in my head, I intended to jump around and pretend I was having a seizure. It might just pass as a cool dance move.
 

We sandwiched ourselves between Darryl and Mark and their dates. Despite my reluctance, I let go of Shannon’s hand and straightened my jacket. Then I plunged into the abyss and began moving with a confidence I didn’t possess. Looking like an idiot was unavoidable, but I had to try for Shannon’s sake. She was too pretty to be a wallflower.
 

Shannon’s eyes widened, and then she giggled. Caught off guard, I threw a quick glance to check if anyone else was paying attention to me. Darryl howled in laughter before mimicking my moves. My best friend was doing me a favor by risking looking like an idiot. That was what I called loyalty. Thanks to him, I wasn’t the only fool on the dance floor.
     

To my surprise, Shannon and Mary Kate started following our routine. Before I knew it, all the kids were dancing like we were. The sight was too weird, but at least no one was making fun of me. By the time the music ended, my jacket was clinging to my sweat-drenched body, but I felt more at ease. I couldn’t believe that I had actually enjoyed myself.
 

Mr. Delson approached the stage and motioned for everyone to settle down. “Listen up. We are about to announce our homecoming King and Queen.”
 

The jubilant students clapped, adding to the already charged atmosphere
 

I clasped Shannon’s hand while Mr. Delson conferred with the homecoming president. Then he walked back to the microphone. The next thing I knew, my name was being called and everyone was congratulating me.
 

I had no idea how my shaky legs managed to carry me to the stage amid the backslapping and congratulatory handshakes. The fact that I didn’t stumble was a plus. Good thing the nerd gods weren’t out to get me tonight. I had to squint when I stood under the bright stage lights.

“Congratulations,” Mr. Delson said, shaking my hand and placing the oversized plastic crown on my head.
 

A short tremor went through me while I struggled to keep the crown from sliding off my head. “Thanks, Mr. Delson.”

“You’ve come a long way, kid. Just keep your nose clean.” He clapped me on the back and then returned to the microphone.
 

“Our homecoming queen won by a landslide—none other than Shannon McKesson!” Mr. Delson beamed.

I jumped up and down on the stage. The constellations had aligned. I was the luckiest boy on the planet.

Shannon had more poise than anyone I’d ever known while she walked to the stage. Her gown made her look like a queen. Our eyes were locked to each other, and my body felt as if it was going to melt. Overwhelmed, I kept my hands inside my pockets to prevent another round of tics.

Once Mr. Delson had lowered the crown on her head and handed her the scepter, he waved me to come forward and introduced us together as king and queen. Another round of applause erupted, and I took Shannon’s hand without even thinking about it. It seemed so natural. Mr. Delson raised his hand to silence the crowd. “Hold on, we have Mark Stanton here to make an announcement.”
 

“This should be interesting,” I whispered to Shannon, who grinned back at me.

Mark cleared his throat. “Hey guys, how’re you doing tonight? Having fun yet?” Everyone in the room screamed in response. Mark knew how to rally a crowd. “I just wanted to take this time to announce that today is also Brian Morrison’s birthday. We’re lucky to call you a friend, bro. Congratulations!”

Darryl took the microphone from Mark. “C’mon guys, say happy birthday, Brian.” All the students repeated after him, and then my two buddies laughed and slapped me on the back. I had no idea what to make of it. People were cheering for the freak-with-a-tic.