“Would you stop fussing!” Max smacks Maddie’s hand away. “I look fine.”

“It’s prom! You’re supposed to look more than fine!”

Rahn giggles behind me, winking in the mirror as she finishes twisting my hair into some elaborate design she saw on Pinterest.

Max groans. “I’ll be playing for most of it. I need to be comfortable.”

“Okay, fine, no heels, but do you seriously have to wear those red Converse?”

“Yes.” Max nods, her expression emphatic.

Maddie rolls her eyes. “Well at least let me put a little makeup on you. Please! Rock stars wear makeup.”

Max sits down with a huff. “Fine, but make it quick. I don’t want to be late for the sound check.”

“Is Cairo picking you up?” I wince as Rahn tugs my hair a little too hard.

“Sorry,” she squeaks.

I wrinkle my nose in forgiveness.

“No, I told him it’d be easier if we just met there.”

“Wow, you guys are so romantic.” Maddie bites back a grin when Max slaps her on the knee. “Sit still. Unless you want eyeliner on your cheek.”

Max goes still while I giggle in my chair. I’m so excited I could burst.

The last five weeks have been insane.

Between studying, baseball…and recovering from the aftermath of what happened, life has been overwhelming.

Dad made us all see a counselor and we’ve been going to weekly sessions to talk through what happened. I haven’t been allowed to sit in on any of Vincent’s, but something in him is changing. I don’t know if it’s living with the Hales or what, but he’s lighter somehow. He actually smiles without thinking about it. Even people at school are noticing.

You should have seen their faces when we finally returned to school, walking hand-in-hand down the corridor. I swear, the gossip train is still going strong on that one. It’ll probably be going until we graduate. Our senior year together. It’s going to be amazing. I’m determined to make it the best year ever.

There’s really mixed emotions as we scream toward Maddie and Max’s graduation. Maddie decided to go to USC and Holden’s heading there too. Cairo’s off to Berkeley, which is killing Max as she’s made the decision to stay put, work her ass off, and learn everything she can from Mr. Hale.

She’s going to miss Cairo big-time, but she’ll survive. That’s what Dad says whenever he hears her complaining about it.

I swear that man has forgotten what young love feels like.

“There you go. What do you think?” Rahn turns my head so I can see my profile.

“It’s beautiful!” I finger the layered French braids and smile at my reflection. “I hope Vincent likes it.”

“Oh please, you could be wearing a sack and have twigs in your hair and the guy would still drool at your feet.” Max looks to the ceiling while Maddie applies mascara to her lower lashes.

“He seriously has the worst case of goo-goo eyes I’ve ever seen.” Maddie laughs.

“That’s because you can’t see a mirror when you’re looking at Holden,” I retort.

Rahn laughs. “All three of you are ridiculous. Seriously, Barlow girls, you’re all stuck in that super-in-love, gushy phase.” Squeezing my shoulders, she bends down and kisses my cheek. “I hope it lasts forever.”

I smile at her reflection and squeeze her hand.

Zane’s taking her to prom tonight. They’re just going as friends, but who knows what might come from it? Rahn doesn’t seem too bothered. She’s convinced she’s too young to fall in love and is quite happy to wait for some college man to sweep her off her feet.

Standing tall, I check out my dress. It’s a simple red number with a fitted, beaded bodice and a skirt that spins out when I twirl. I’m not sure how much twirling I’ll be doing tonight, but I love the fact that it can. When I tried it on in the store, I made myself dizzy spinning in front of the mirror, but I just couldn’t help it.

Rahn and I found these wicked red pumps with ribbon that winds around my ankles. Okay, they’re a touch uncomfortable, but so worth it.

I shuffle back so I can get a full view.

“You look gorgeous, Chlo-Chlo.” Max stands and holds up her foot. “Oh look, we’re both wearing red shoes!”

Maddie groans while I giggle at my sister’s teasing. She loves to rile Mads when she’s stressed. And of course Maddie is stressed because she wants to look perfect for Holden, who we all know will be smoking hot in a tux.

What she fails to realize is that she is just as gorgeous as he is. The slinky, blue, off-the-shoulder number we found for her floats around her toned legs. The split goes all the way up to the top of her thigh, but it’s elegant, not slutty. Mom had to say that a few times before Dad actually believed her.

But seriously, Maddie is dominating that dress right now. She looks like a supermodel. With half her hair up in this cool twist and the rest in loose curls around her shoulders, she looks incredible. Holden’s going to be speechless. I’m certain of it.

“Right, I gotta go.” Max puffs up her loose curls at the back before smacking her red lips together and tearing out the door.

She’s in this short, backless dress. It’s black and looks amazing on her slim figure. She was worried that it might slip off her shoulders when she’s rocking out, but Mom produced some kind of tape and Max is basically stuck into that dress for the night.

Dad laughed when Mom told him, telling us it was a good safety precaution and maybe we should all be taped into our dresses so we couldn’t get up to any mischief.

“Honestly, Dad, like I’m going to lose it on prom night. That’s way too cliché.”

Maddie swanned out of the room with a teasing wink while Dad’s smile disintegrated. I giggled behind my hand and trailed after my sister.

It was pretty hilarious.

Poor guy. Three daughters, all in love. That’s got to be rough.

“Are we ready?” I swing my arm around Rahn’s shoulders. She snuggles in beside me while Maddie takes the other side and we all admire our dresses. Red, white and blue. How patriotic. Rahn’s in this funky two-piece with an embroidered bodice. It’s totally unique and so her. I love that she doesn’t even want to be like anybody else.

“We’re ready.” Maddie nods, then grins at me. “Let’s go knock these guys off their feet.”