Chapter 25

Prom and done. High school was almost over. Graduation was the following Tuesday, but Mom seemed more interested in that. For me it was all about celebrating with my girls, my family. That was prom.

I sat with Anna on the airport bench, she reached over and I sipped from her ice coffee.

“I could’ve bought one for you too,” she said, smiling as she put the straw back in her mouth.

“Then we’d have two half empty cups for the trash,” I said.

“They make smaller sizes.”

“If I wanted smaller, I’d be here with Iggy not my amazon,” I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulder.

“They’ve landed!” she said, eyes having never left the notice board.

“They still have to deboard, come out those doors, and get their bags,” I said. “We probably could get a blowjob in beforehand.”

“I sucked you off in the parking lot,” she said, frowning.

“You smell really nice today,” I smiled.

Anna rolled her eyes. The door was opening. “You’ll have to wait!” She stuck her tongue out at me. I leaned in and sucked it in. We made out for a few minutes. That was the plane ahead of Theo’s. We probably could’ve sneaked away for that blowjob. I wouldn’t have left anyways. I was excited to see my best friend.

Theo came out behind Lindsay, his girlfriend. Lindsay was kinda cute. Glasses, curly hair, dark skin, wearing red shorts and a loose tank top. She had huge tits. Like Anna + Emi + Iggy. Or Ray + Mom - Iggy.

“What are you thinking about?” Anna elbowed me with a snarky look in her eyes.

“Math.” I answered.

“I was thinking about her boobs,” Anna said. She then started jumping and waving both hands. Theo lit up excitedly to see us. He pulled Lindsay by the hand and she came with less excitement.

“Theo!” Anna smashed him in a leaping hug. I smiled for Lindsay.

“Hi, I’m Lucas,” I said. Lindsay smiled, looking dangerously at Anna.

“Yeah, nice to put a face to a voice,” she gave me a hug. We, Anna, Theo, Lindsay, and I sometimes played video games. Mostly stuff like Stardew Valley. For the faster competitive ones, we’d drop Lindsay. She gave great hugs.

“Should we be jealous?” Lindsay asked, with a wry. Anna was really hugging and jumping in Theo’s arms. Theo was happy to be overwhelmed.

“Never,” I said. “Climb off of our boy, Anna.”

“Oh, sorry,” Anna said.

“You don’t need to be sorry,” Theo laughed. He crossed over and we hugged. Anna and Lindsay just smiled at each other and spoke.

“Our bags are on the carousel,” Lindsay said.

Theo and I were recruited into beasts of burden. They were only here for tonight, prom, and tomorrow, before they flew back home again. They had had their own school’s prom the night before.

“Is it true?” Lindsay asked, as we crossed from the airport to the parking structure. We were up on the third level, but the elevators had lineups. Climbing stairs with bags, wheelie or not, sucks. “You’re really dating him with four other girls?”

“Yeah,” Anna answered. “It’s awesome.”

“I’d claw a bitch’s face off if Theo slept with another girl,” Lindsay declared.

“That’s not nice,” I said.

“Neither is homewrecking,” Lindsay said. She had a beautiful smile, like a shark’s.

“Theo would never be that kinda asshole,” I said, smirking at my friend.

“Yeah, Lucas monopolized all of the assholing,” Theo agreed.

“Oh, I know,” Lindsay said. “Doesn’t mean I have any idea why you’d put up with it.”

She was talking to Anna. By Lindsay’s roving eyes, she really appreciated a beautiful girl. I almost said something, but I’d rather it be a surprise.

“Sweet car!” Theo said, of the luxury BMW we were approaching. I smirked happily. Anna unlocked the doors and popped the trunk with the clicker.

“Thanks, Lucas bought it for me,” Anna said.

“You bought her a car?” Lindsay said. “Are your parents rich?”

“Mom cuts hair,” I said.

“And your Dad?”

“He left me a lot of money,” I said.

“Oh shit! The murder!” Lindsay looked stricken. Anna blushed. I smiled, genuinely. Lindsay frowned.

“He was not a good guy,” I said. “Anyway...”

“Careful with the suit bag. It’s got her dress in there,” Theo told me.

“I thought we were gonna buy you a new dress?” Anna said. “Iggy got your measurements, right?”

“Why didn’t she share them with me?!” I said. “Oh, that’d be a bit sketchy. Sorry.”

Lindsay smirked, put her hands on her hips and bounced her titties. Theo walked over and dove his face into them, sloppily motorboating as Lindsay laughed. Anna laughed along and I couldn’t help but smile.

“My grandpa spent like $600 on that dress, that I’d only have worn once if you guys hadn’t flown us in. It’s really pretty.”

“If you like it you should wear it,” I said.

“Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bully another one out of Lucas,” Anna said. “C’mon.”

Theo and Lindsay got in the back. Theo lit up. “Holy shit! Leg room!”

“Obviously,” Lindsay rolled her eyes. “You don’t buy a girl a car if you’re not gonna fuck her in the back seat.”

“We usually take the passenger seat out for that,” Anna said, firetruck red and smiling in the mirror. “Just because I can sit in the back doesn’t mean we fit in comfortably.”

“Great,” Theo said. “I’m sitting where Lucas came.”

“That’s pretty much true for every couch, armchair, bed, countertop, and flatspace you’re gonna see all weekend,” Anna said. “It takes five of us to keep up with him.”

“How does that work?” Lindsay asked, bristling with genuine curiosity. “I love Theo, but there’s no way you could keep up with five girls.”

“I’d sleep like the dead,” Theo said, almost bragging.

“Mind over matter mostly,” I said. Maybe a little mind control. Lucas Ryan Greentree, Don’t let the sleepies come after sex. Vonnie’s Christmas gift to me. “Besides, they’ve got boners in pill form now.”

“I don’t need those,” Theo said, defensively.

“Recreational drugs,” Anna said. “We’re gonna take you to the salon, Lindsay? Emi and Iggy’ll take you for the dress after.”

“Where’re you taking Theo?”

“Suits and chili fries?” I said. “Then back to my place.”

“Theo without supervision?!” Lindsay gasped in false-outrage. “What do you say if your friend offers you drugs?”

“There needs to be enough for Lindsay,” Theo said, squeezing his girl’s thigh. I shot a quick smile at Anna. She almost couldn’t keep her giggles quiet.

I almost never went to Mom’s salon. Anna pulled into the eight car parking lot as Theo whistled. “She owns her own building? I expected a little store out in the strip mall.”

Technically, Mom’s name was on the buildings she franchised across the country. Always investing, always building. I don’t think Ryan had made her this way. I think he just took advantage of it.

“Yeah,” I said. “She started with two chairs in the old place.”

“Your Mom’s kinda amazing,” Lindsay said. “We’re gonna meet her? There’s a lot of cars.”

“It’s prom,” Anna said. “But we got premier bookings.”

We got out and Anna and I led Theo and Lindsay inside. The bottom floor was an open area where twelve employees, all 20 to 35 and nice to look at, were working on girls I knew from school. Mom waved as she moved her hand mirror around the back of a very excited Darla. Darla cleaned up nice. She usually went for a sort of flannel shirt tomboy, cute but not spotlight stealing. Mom had changed all of that.

I had to stop ogling the junior that Pete was taking to prom. Emi squealed and ran over and hugged me.

“Oh my god! Theo!” I was instantly ejected from the hug as Emi slammed into Theo.

“Emi, this is my girlfriend Lindsay,” Theo said.

“And I get to do her hair?” Emi bounced excitedly and spun out Theo’s arms to grab Lindsay’s hands. “So pretty! We’re gonna make you look amazing! And the brainwash is gonna be great too! You’re gonna be the perfect girlfriend for Theo!”

“Brainwash?” Lindsay said, trying to smile and show good humor to Emi. “And what do you think a perfect girlfriend is? One who’ll share her friends with her man?”

“I’m not the perfect girlfriend,” Emi said. “You have to meet Iggy. But, is that what you want? Want me to open your mind and your horizons?”

“I have had guys hit on Lindsay right in front of me a few times,” Theo said. “This isn’t worse.”

“Emi’s mine,” I said.

“Good luck tonight, Darla!” Mom said, waving as the girl she had beautied up beamed out of the salon. I smiled at Darla. I didn’t exist to her.

“Is that what you want?” Emi asked.

“To share Theo?” Lindsay said. “No.”

“OK, work to do!”

“Theo, you grew up so handsome!” Mom beamed and hugged him. “Ooh! Muscles!”

“I know!” Anna giggled.

“Hi.” Lindsay said, forcefully.

“And your taste is as impeccable as ever,” Mom said. “Hi, I’m Kate.”

“This is Lindsay,” Theo said, peacocking for Mom even more so than he had for Anna and Emi.

“I’m sorry, it’s 2:05 and my daughter was scheduled for 1:45,” a father stood up. His daughter, Jenny I think, covered her face and blushed. I elbowed Anna.

“Someone’s stealing your thing.”

“I wear it better,” Anna grinned.

“I’ve got her!” said one of the women down the aisle. “So long as you’re happy, Helena?”

“Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!”

Like there was any doubt Helena wouldn’t be happy. When you have mind control, you can train your workforce perfectly.

“Sorry about the wait,” Mom said. “It’s a crazy busy time.”

“C’mon Lindsay! Let’s get your hair washed!” Emi started pulling Lindsay’s hand.

“And I’ll take Anna,” Mom said. “We’ll really catch up tomorrow. Get up to no good with my son tonight, Theo.”

Anna tossed me the keys. Lindsay looked back, saw Theo’s smile, and followed Emi with a bright eruption of giggles. I gestured with my head and Theo followed.

“Dawn, Iggy, and Ray got done while you guys were out at the airport,” Mom said. “They’re probably waiting at the tailor’s.”

I kissed Anna goodbye and waved to Mom. Theo followed me out to the car. I have had my license for all of four days now. Making me a good and attentive driver, it was one of the things I had let Vonnie scramble my brains on. Theo buckled in and looked at me.

“It really works?” he asked.

“Oh hell yeah,” I said. “We changed all of the trigger phrases though. It won’t be Lindsay Rapunzel Supergirl Washington.”

“Those aren’t her middle names,” Theo laughed.

“It’ll be Your Theo’s Lindsay, “ I said.

“Jesus,” he frowned. “Mom doesn’t like her. She wants me to get a smarter girlfriend. She’s been dropping hints now that Anna and I are going to the same college.”

“I don’t share,” I said.

“I’m not asking you too,” he replied. “Just telling you what Mom said. Can we do an Emi thing with Lindsay?”

“She and Iggy are going to a community college in Boston for a hospitality thing,” I said. “To stay close to the rest of us and Emi much prefers being a chef to a hairdresser.”

“And Iggy doesn’t want to go to a school alone,” Theo guessed correctly.

“She’s aiming for housewife,” I said. “Unless she can leverage her black belt into some sort of supervillain ninja girl thing.”

“If anyone can do it, it’s Iggy,” Theo laughed. “Were your hands this sweaty when you first tried the love potion?”

“I knew it wouldn’t work,” I said. “That’s why I did it. I used to feel guilty. Now I feel loved.”

“And you have how many girls?”

“5.”

“But...”

“And Mom and Vonnie. I just have them be happy together,” I said. “The rest are there, available and everything, but I just use them for the income.”

“How much?”

“Twenty dollars a month apiece,” I shrugged. “Give or take. It’s just shy of sixty thousand a month.”

“Jesus Christ!” Theo gasped.

“Yeah, Emi set up something special for tonight,” I grinned.

“You’re not gonna tell me?” Theo laughed.

“Just that, watch when they play the song Graduation by Vitamin C.”

“I hate that song,” Theo laughed. “They played it at our prom on Wednesday. It’s so trite. Like it was designed specifically to get picked up for this exact purpose and so live forever.”

“I think Emi’ll change your mind on it,” I smirked.

We arrived at the tailor’s. Iggy slammed into Theo first. They both fell down onto the sidewalk.

“Iggy, your hair’s all done up, don’t ruin it,” Dawn said, sighing motherly. Ray hid half behind Dawn’s shoulder, looking worriedly at Theo.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, slipping my arm over Ray’s shoulder.

“I really, really, really want to fuck him still,” Ray said. “I don’t think we ever turned that off.”

“Or he’s really cute and has muscles now,” I said. “Lucas’s Ray of Sunshine.”

Ray’s eyes glazed. Theo staggered over, Iggy gigglingly hung off Theo’s hip and refused to be pushed free. Dawn opened her arms for a hug. His eyes were all on Ray though.

“Theo is your friend. Platonic, not sexual.”

“Holy shit! You can just program her?” Theo interrupted. Iggy squeezed tighter and shushed him.

“You love Theo, he’s our brother and our friend and if he needs something it’s his. And, after college, when we ask him for the favor, you’ll be at your very loving best.”

“Wake up, Lucas’s Ray of Sunshine,” Dawn said, with a little kiss on Ray’s cheek.

“Favor?”

“There’s something I shouldn’t do for Ray,” I said. He nodded and frowned.

“What if I can’t?”

“So long as you can be the first person I can trust with it,” I said. “Iggy let him go. We need to go in and get drippy.”

Iggy blew a big raspberry at me. “Thanks for coming home! I’ve missed you!”

“I’ve missed you too,” Theo wore a mischievous smile, “Lucas’s Iggly Wiggly.”

“What?” Iggy frowned and glared at me for laughing.”

“Educated guess,” Theo shrugged. “It’s what I would’ve gone with.”

“I tried to make them endearing,” I said.

“Except for Iggy,” Theo said.

“That’s true,” Dawn said. “Now c’mon. Lucas doesn’t have taste, and Anna wanted to drive out and pick you up, so we’re trusting Iggy to get you two dressed for tonight.”

“I thought everything was picked out and measured already,” Theo said.

“But we’re each getting five suits to pick from,” I said.

“Jesus,” Theo whistled as we entered the store. “Dad only owns a suit at all because he had to go to court for some workman’s compensation thing.”

“How’s he doing?” I asked.

“Good. Walking.”

“Wow! Awesome!” Iggy said, spinning expertly in pretty high heels she couldn’t walk in before Christmas.

“Mr Greentree, welcome,” the short smiling older Russian man was happy to greet us. “And you brought the delightful Miss Day.”

“That is the most political sarcasm I’ve ever heard,” Theo whispered to Ray.

“Mr Egorov is a real treasure. Plus, the suits are amazing,” she said.

“Let’s get our clothes on!” Iggy cheered. “Make sure he’s yummy enough that keeping him in his suit for the whole prom will be near impossible.”

“Most assuredly, Miss Day,” Mr Egorov said. There were other kids our age picking up rentals. Theo waved at Pete. I tried not to return the glare sent back our way.

“Damn, he’s different than from back in soccer,” Theo said. “I remember him being just excited and nice to everyone.”

“Yeah, he’s dating a cheerleader now,” I said. “Which is unfortunate. Good news though, he’s not going to Boston. I don’t think that town would be big enough for us all.”

We got dressed. If it had been Anna we’d have tried on all five suits three times. Iggy stopped me on number three and Theo was still in his first one. So, with Theo in black and me in purple, I drove us out to the florist while the girls headed back to my place where their, and Lindsay’s dresses, were waiting.

I stopped at Vonnie’s diner. We had to kill an hour.

“We probably should’ve done this before we got into our suits,” he said.

“Yeah, just realizing the same thing,” I said, and gestured to the trunk where our other suits were packed up. “Spares though.”

“Iggy was pretty adamant about these,” Theo said. “I guess we’ll just say hi?”

“Oh my god!” Vonnie exploded around the counter when Theo and I walked in. Theo was crushed in a hug.

“I’m sorry I used you to hurt Ray,” Vonnie said. “I didn’t want an accident between her and Lucas.”

“Well ... Um ... Thanks?” Theo said. “The apology was appreciated and ... It’s a good memory.”

“Excellent!” Vonnie stepped back, held his shoulders and grinned. “Iggy’s choice?”

“Yeah,” I nodded.

“Ray probably likes you in the black too,” Vonnie nodded and grinned.

“She said as much,” I said, smiling. Vonnie looked me up and down. Theo caught the look on her face. Vonnie was kinda Mom’s girlfriend now. Mom liked to have a man in the room sometimes. That was most often me, with Vonnie making the barrier.

“Oh wow, you clean up nice, Lucas,” Vonnie said. “Ryan never went all out like this.”

She picked up my lapels and brushed something imaginary off of my shoulder. I just smiled.

“We’re eating here tomorrow, right?” Theo asked, trying to ignore the play between Vonnie and me and just succumbing to his nose.

“Definitely,” I said. “But for now--”

“You don’t want Iggy to ruin backup spare suit with your murder blood,” Vonnie said. Theo laughed. I closed my eyes and shook off the mental image. I smirked.

“Got it in one,” I said.

“Alright,” Vonnie said. “You’re going back home after?”

“Home?” Theo asked. “Lucas’s?”

“And my home too. I moved in with my girlfriend,” Vonnie beamed. “Plus on a given night there’s at least four of these monkeys making a racket.”

“You and Ray and two others?”

“Dawn moved in too,” I said.

“Oh, I am ... Really jealous,” Theo said.

“Do you love Lindsay?” I asked. “I mean long term.”

“We keep talking about college, but I think we both know that we’re not gonna be each other’s one and only,” he said.

“One and many works for me,” I said. “Would you keep her?”

“That’s just an option?” he asked.

“Definitely,” Vonnie said. “You don’t have to make a lifelong decision now. Look at Anna’s Mom. She’s in a terrific marriage and love potioned.”

“Oh ... Well, if I don’t have to make a decision,” Theo said. “I won’t.”

“Good enough for me,” I said. “Want to see what Emi did with her hair?”

“Definitely,” Theo said. “Do you have our prom tickets?”

‘Yeah, um, who do you want to go with?” I asked. We both waved and added, “Bye Vonnie!”

“See you boys tomorrow! Stay hydrated!”

“I’m going with Lindsay,” Theo said.

“Sure, in practice,” I shrugged. “But, I’m taking Emi, because she dropped out. And neither of you guys are in the senior class so, you have to have Iggy, Anna, Ray, or Dawn on your arm when you go in.”

“What about Lindsay?”

I looked at him flatly.

“Oh, well, I’ll take Iggy?” Theo said. “Just on my arm and to dance with!”

“Yeah, she’d love that,” I said. “You don’t have to get all paranoid or anything. She won’t and you wouldn’t. I know that.”

He took a deep full breath. “Sorry, I just don’t know how to handle this.”

“Yeah, neither do I,” I said, smirking.

“That I believe,” Theo said, laughing.

We pulled into home to find Jesse’s truck, Gavin’s minivan, and Francesca’s Toyota were cluttering up the driveway. I ground my teeth. I still didn’t like Jesse, but he had kept up Dawn’s rent and kept to the family meal thing. Those I’d miss when we left for Boston, though I wasn’t ready to admit that.