Ricky smiled.
“No, not this time. If I get to university, then I’ll go to the graduation ball in one. No, I’ll just get my thrill knowing that Pete is going with a very special girl!”
Kayla grinned and they left him to get their dresses ready for the next day. Sally had asked Rob Rickman to be her partner, and he’d delighted her by accepting. Kayla and Pete were almost considered to be a staid married couple, as everyone knew they were serious about each other.
The big day arrived and the entire school was caught up in preparations for the event. The school gymnasium was decorated by the sixth form, as they were no longer in any lessons having completed their exams.
The theme of this year was the land of ice. Everything was in white or blue, representing the ice, snow and sea. Polar Bears and penguins abounded and many pupils brought in skis and other winter sports equipment.
Kayla’s dress was white gauze, with a blue underskirt that matched her eyes. It was sleeveless and backless having stylised and fashionable jagged edges. She had white shoes with very high heels that were blue to match the dress. Her grandmother had loaned her a matching necklace, earrings and bracelet with blue stones. They looked like sapphires.
“Just don’t lose them, there’s a love!”
She looked absolutely stunning, with her honey tanned limbs and shimmering blonde hair.
She met up with Pete and the others, as prearranged in the car park.
“Shit, Kayla, you look wonderful!” her boyfriend said.
“Yeah, Kayla, you look brilliant!” said a subdued and calm Ricky.
Kayla felt she was walking on air. She was on the arm of the best guy in the school, and she had more friends than ever before. Ricky, being relaxed and feeling uncertainly optimistic about his future, was, for the first time, good company. Sally laughed at his jokes, and he too enjoyed himself.
Sally was so pleased that Rob had managed to come. She looked at Kayla as the blonde bombshell danced with Pete. Her eyes sparkled and her smile said it all. Sally smiled, feeling a little sad, for she still had a very soft spot for a boy called Kyle. But Kyle was gone, and as Kayla returned from the dance floor, breathless and laughing, she hugged Sally.
“I can never thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. You are the most wonderful friend in the world!” she told her.
Sally smiled.
The King and Queen of the Ball were a foregone conclusion, but Kayla seemed shocked and delighted when she and Peter were pronounced the winners.
As they stood together on the stage, she took his arm and felt that this was one of the most wonderful moments of her life.
Pete looked at her. She was so beautiful; he tried to come to terms with everything that he now knew.
He failed, shrugging and smiling at this bubbly and wonderful girl.
He gave up, deciding that it wasn’t worth trying anymore. Whatever will be, will be! He thought, as she kissed him.
Epilogue.
As the last prizewinner returned to her seat, the guest of honour sat down on the rostrum, so an air of expectancy settled on the assembled parents and pupils. There were now only a few speeches to listen to, and then, for some at least, a new life beaconed.
The final school term was over. For one particular individual, it couldn’t have come soon enough. Deception is a difficult thing to maintain for a short time, yet this deception had been running for some weeks. It was becoming increasingly complicated and hard to keep abreast of developments.
The girl sat patiently with the others through all the speeches. She looked relaxed and demure, in her smart dark skirt, pale blue blouse and dark jacket, with her delicately manicured hands clasped in her lap. Her high cheekbones and fine features were a giveaway of her Nordic origins, and yet she seemed to understand every word that the speakers uttered. Out of sight, though, inside her mind, she was anything but relaxed.
Long white-blonde hair framed her sweet face, which bore just a hint of makeup. Small diamond studs gleamed from each delicate earlobe, and her strikingly blue eyes appeared focussed on a spot above the current speaker’s head. With a faint smile etched on her full red lips, her striking beauty singled her out as being very special compared with many of the girls with whom she sat.
Several of the assembled boys kept looking at her, each hoping to catch her eye and perhaps be rewarded by one of her smiles. She occasionally glanced at a couple of them and exchanged small smiles with them. Next to her sat Sally, her best friend, and up until recently, the only other pupil who was in on the deception. Together with the Headmaster, they had struggled to keep the secret in the face of incredible odds.
The final speech ended, so polite applause rippled through the assembled pupils and parents.
“Finally, we have been fortunate to have had an exchange student from Sweden join us for the latter part of this term. We’d like to say a fond farewell to Kayla Olsen, and wish her well for the future. As you all know, young Kyle Manning exchanged with his cousin, Kayla, and I’m sure we had the better deal. She has certainly made an impression on our school in general, and most of the sixth form boys in particular. So, Kayla, we all wish you the very best for the future.”
The Headmaster looked directly at her, over the top of his glasses. His grey eyes twinkled with a certain knowing humour, and she could have sworn he winked at her. She smiled; aware she reddened delightfully with embarrassment.
Everyone started to leave and Kayla found herself the centre of attention. Her friend Sally whispered something to her and she smiled. Numerous boys attempted to obtain her contact details in Sweden and she politely put them firmly down. One tall boy held back, waiting for an opportunity to speak to her alone.
Pete at last saw his opportunity and approached as she made her way out of the marquee. He stood in front of her; she stopped and looked up at him. Her smile wavered and then left her. Her eyes spoke the sadness they were both feeling. They said little. They simply exchanged best wishes, but their eyes spoke volumes as she stretched up and kissed him on the left cheek, it took enormous effort for him not to reach out and draw her close to him, as he obviously wanted. He whispered something in her ear. She smiled and nodded. Her hand gently squeezed his arm and he grinned knowingly.
Her lilting Swedish accent seemed so in keeping with her whole appearance. Any observer would have instantly seen that the boy had fallen for her completely. With a final smile to him, she turned and walked away, only to be caught by another group who wanted to talk to her for one last time.
She finally managed to escape and was soon resting in the back of a car. She breathed out a final sigh of relief. Her father turned round.
“Well, I suppose we can finally say goodbye to Kyle now,” he said.
The girl smiled.
“Yes, Daddy, and I can also stop speaking with this daft accent.”
Her father chuckled and started the car.
“Well, you chose to do this the hard way,” her mother said, and they all laughed, relieved that the deception was over. There were hard times to come, but they were prepared for those.
They drove out of the gates, and Kayla took a last look at her school. She was looking forward to whatever came next. She smiled, as she knew she was meeting Pete in the pub in a couple of hours.
The End
Also by Tanya Allan on Amazon Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/-e/B004VTB5OQ
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EMMA
EVERY LITTLE GIRL’S DREAM
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FORTUNE’S SOLDIER
GRUESOME TUESDAY