Suddenly, I'm Engaged

Yeoldul

“Liam!”

Somebody called out for his name as he was walking towards the stadium. It’s Ren, one of the naughtiest boys in the class. It’s kinda hard to look for his table number when the students are strolling around the stadium to greet their friends. Good thing someone he knows approaches him or else, he’ll keep walking around until the program starts.

Good thing he has to sit with the boys in the class. They are not that close but it is better to sit with acquaintances rather than with a total stranger, he thought.

The program starts but he still couldn’t see her. She’s the only friend he has in this school and it would be better if he could be with her than with these crazy noisy boys who keep teasing each other every time there’s a girl passes through our table. Fortunately, it seems like he is not the only guy who will spend the entire prom night as a wallflower. That’s why he doesn’t get it why does he have to bring that small paper bag with him. Liam already told Mr. Moon that he doesn’t need to bring the lavender corsage because he doesn’t have a date and he has no plan to dance with random girls in the school just to save himself from the misery of being a wallflower.

It’s time for the food and cocktail. Everyone’s lining up in the queue and Liam decided to go there later than standing in the line for a long time. As he was looking around, somebody poked him on his shoulder. A girl with a familiar face smiled at him brightly. It’s Zaine, Aliah’s best friend. He wants to ask her where’s Aliah but Zaine attacked her with a very straightforward question.

“Who is that for?” She asked while pointing at the small paper bag where the corsage is peeping. He moved it a little as if it will help him from hiding it away from her. He felt bad to reject her directly but he just wants to let the night be as peaceful as it can be. He took a deep breath and was about to speak when Zaine suddenly shows her right arm wearing a pink corsage.

Liam doesn’t know why but he suddenly felt relief by the fact that she will not asks for it. And if it’s not for her, then why does she bother asking?

“W-why are you asking?” Zaine pulls out the chair right beside him and starts explaining. But as he was listening to her, the puzzle suddenly fits together. Since the day she was staring at her phone while they were in the classroom, the day that she walks heavily as she went that day, and now, that he couldn’t see her walking around though he knows she was part of the committee.

He remembered the day they sitting on the bench right after he saw Pat thinking that it was Jane, Aliah just sits quietly right next to him and tried cracking the lamest joke he could ever hear just to escape the awkwardness they have despite the curiosity about what’s going with him that day. He thought it was the right time to return the favor to Aliah.

“Alright. Count me in.” And hearing his answer, Zaine couldn’t hold her excitement for the triumph she achieved as she finally found Aliah’s prom date.

“I’ll come to your table in a few minutes.” He added.

=======

Liam is kinda having a hard time looking for table number 26 where Aliah was sitting as advised by Zaine. He was strolling around when someone in her silver top and lavender flowy dress captivates his attention. The young lady has been looking around the place as if she was searching for someone. Liam enthusiastically approached her from behind. He whispered to surprised the young lady.

“Looking for me?” He whispered right beside her that makes her frozen. She couldn’t move even a bit after hearing him and feels that he’s leaning his face too close right beside her. She tried to move a bit before looking at him. It seems like she was not surprised by who he was as if she already knew who he was by just hearing his voice. Instead, she keeps looking at him as if she’s scanning him from head to toe.

He pulled the chair right beside her and confidently sit right next to her. He was so pleased to see Aliah looking at him intently as if he was looking at a different person. And coincidentally, the color of his suit matches her gown. As if they were meant to be paired at tonight’s prom.

“Are you just gonna stare at me the whole night?” Liam asked as he starts being conscious of the way Aliah looked at him. But instead of responding, she just smiled and looked at her phone.

“Can you at least say something? You’re scaring me.” Liam added.

Aliah just smiled at him as if she’s been doing something without his knowledge. She puts down her phone and starts looking back at him once again.

“So what’s in it?” Aliah pointed to the small paper bag that Liam brought with him. So he showed her what is in it, a corsage and boutonniere made out of fabric rose flowers, plastic lavender, and baby breath flowers. It suits their attire as if they were match-made-in-heaven.

“This is so cute. I wonder who will be that lucky girl who’s gonna be Liam’s prom date for tonight?” She complimented while being amused by the corsage. He was pleased to see Aliah falling in love with the design of the corsage, courtesy of Mr. Moon. Good thing, Mr. Moon insists on Liam bringing the corsage despite the uncertainty of who will be his prom date tonight. And viola, Aliah, his first-ever friend becomes his date. He took away the corsage from Aliah and looked at her intently.

“Do you wanna meet her?” Aliah smiled brightly, looking forward to who will it gonna be. She looked around, waiting for a gorgeous lady to approach their table. She waited for another minute but no one is coming. She looked at him intently as if she realized that Liam is fooling around and no one’s coming. He laughed so hard looking at Aliah as he successfully fooled her. She furrowed her brows but couldn’t keep herself from smiling at the same time. Thanks to the young man, she was able to smile for the first time today.

As they recovered from laughing so hard with that simple yet fun prank, Liam started clearing his throat and picked up the corsage once again.

“To be honest, this corsage belongs to this young fine lady sitting right in front of me.” He said while tying the corsage around the right arm of Aliah. She was kinda surprised ann confused at the same time, thinking it was another prank.

“Hey! Stop kidding me. I won’t fall for it twice.” Aliah exclaimed as she couldn’t believe Liam.

“I am not kidding! You could ask Zaine if you want to.” He laughed while tying the corsage properly. He finds it kinda weird and cringey at the same time but at least he’s doing it to her dear friend Aliah, rather than other random girls. He took the boutonniere and give it to Aliah.

“Will you accept me to be your date and be my savior from being a wallflower?” He laughed while proposing to Aliah in the middle of the prom.

“I won’t have other choice or else, my gown and this look will all be wasted if I stay seated the entire prom night. Good thing we share the same fate tonight. Let’s save ourselves from the misery of being a wallflower.” She said while putting the boutonniere on Liam. They laughed together while having shaking hands as they have agreed to be tonight’s pair.

Zaine joined their table as the Cotillion de Honor starts. Everyone has been captivated by the selected students who were dancing in the center of the stadium. But Liam keeps looking intently at Aliah. He can see everything right through her eyes that she’s smiling forcibly. As if she’s looking for a reason to smile while watching at those who were dancing but her mind seems like on the other side of the world. If there’s someone else who could understand what Aliah has been going through right now, it’s Liam. He’s been through this when Jane suddenly never came home since that night.

After the cotillion, the Masters of Ceremony starts announcing the party will now begin. Everybody has been excited and they start crowding the dance floor with their dates. Everyone is enjoying the night but Aliah seems so drain already.

“Are you okay? Do you want some water?” Liam asked considerately. But Aliah just shooked her head slowly and smiled for a second declining his kind gesture. He’s waiting for the right timing to ask Aliah for their first dance tonight until the DJ changes the song.

If there were no words

No way to speak

I would still hear you

If there were no tears

No way to feel inside

I'd still feel for you

And even if the sun refused to shine

Even if romance ran out of rhyme

You would still have my heart

Until the end of time

You're all I need, my love, my Valentine

Aliah suddenly looks at Liam the moment she hears the song as if she knew he will be waiting for this certain song to have their first dance. Liam just smiled at her dearly as if this is the perfect time he’s been waiting for. And now they locked gaze with each other, no words needed to be heard other than…

“May I have this dance?”