"Dude, will you just stay still?" Ken whispered harshly, his voice dripping with annoyance.
Steve who was fidgeting like crazy, couldn't even look at his friend. They were currently in Steph's house, waiting in the lounge room while the girls got ready for the big night tonight.
Stephanie's father was sitting across from them, wearing a serious expression. Ken wasn't at all intimidated by the guy, partly because he wasn't taking his daughter to the prom.
The other part was because he'd seen far more intimidating people back in Japan. Hell, Tetsu was 10 times as scary as this guy, yet Steve looked like he was about to sweat out of his suit.
"So, I'll be expecting my daughter back before 11pm tonight Stephen. And if I smell even a hint of alcohol on her, there will be dire consequences." Steph's dad stated, his expression stern.
"Y—Yes sir!" Steve almost jumped out of his chair, his whole body shaking.
Ken on the other hand rolled his eyes inwardly. In reality, he was not looking forward to tonight at all. He could think of countless things that would be more productive than going to prom, namely his Image Training or even a quick workout.
"Honey! They're ready." A voice called from atop the stairs.
Steve shot up to his feet, his throat dry and his palms sweaty. He did not look like someone who was going to an end of school year dance with his crush.
The boys walked over to the foot of the stairwell and were met with the sound of heels upon the wooden steps. Steve's eyes lit up as he first saw the glittery blue shoes and tanned legs come into view.
Soon enough, Steph appeared for all to see. She was wearing a blue dress which hugged her figure nicely, causing different reactions from the three men downstairs.
Her father wore a proud expression on his face, while Ken nodded in satisfaction. Steve on the other hand couldn't help but stare, finally stopping his incessant fidgeting.
"You look beautiful…" He blurted out, unable to hide his wonder.
Steph's smile lit up her face, showing off her natural beauty and glowing features. While she had used some makeup, it was applied sparingly, enhancing her appearance effortlessly.
She stepped off the stairs and looked Steve up and down, "You don't look so bad yourself."
Steve smiled dumbly, somehow managing to remember to hold his arm out for her.
THUD
Ken flinched, quickly looking around the vicinity after hearing the noise. 'What was that?' he thought in confusion.
THUD THUD
The sounded rang out a few more times, yet no one seemed to be alerted. In fact, Steph, her father, and Steve were all looking up at the stairwell, as if expecting something.
Ken's gaze moved upwards, only to see a red set of heels attached to a white leg. It looked like they were strapped on so tight that it could cut off the circulation.
As more of the figure appeared, Ken's face fell.
[Activating Poker Face skill.]
He didn't even hear Mika's words as his mind was in shambles after witnessing his prom date. As Sarah appeared, she was garbed in a striking sleeveless red dress which also hugged her figure.
Her frizzy hair had been straightened, accentuating her cute face. If Ken were to give an opinion, he would say that she had the potential to be pretty.
"You look… Beautiful…" Ken said, his expression emotionless.
While the exact same words were said by Steve earlier, they each had different connotations. Wanting to be nice, he tried to do his best to make her feel pretty on such an occasion.
However, Sarah looked up and down at Ken, barely hiding her scowl of disapproval.
Ken blinked a few times, as if not believing what he was seeing. He turned to Steve, but the guy was too enamored with his own date to even spare him a glance.
Ken swallowed his dissatisfaction and held out his arm towards Sarah, intending to walk her out of the house and to the limousine which would be taking them to the venue.
She let out a small huff and grabbed his arm, to which Ken almost yelped in surprise.
The woman's arms were bigger than Makoto's and seemed to hold just as much strength as him. If it weren't for Ken's height, he likely would have been easily carried by her as an accessory.
The four walked out to the limousine, with both couples linked together. Upon arriving, the two men opened the door for their date's and gestured for them to get inside, as was expected of them.
While Steph easily entered the car, Sarah struggled a little. With her size, the vehicle tilted to one side, letting out a small groan.
Ken cringed inwardly, his attention turning to Steve once more. This time, Steve actually looked at him, only to feel a cold sweat appear on his back in the next moment.
"You owe me… Big time." Ken spat through his teeth in a harsh whisper.
The two then sat in the car and the group began to chat amongst each other. The venue was around 25 minutes away at Brazo's Hall in Austin, which meant they had some time to burn.
Ken tried to make some small talk with his date, however, he soon noticed that he was receiving short and direct answers. It was as if Sarah had a vendetta against him for some reason.
This caused him to frown inwardly. If it weren't for the effects of his Dauntless trait, he might have actually snapped back.
'Aren't I doing this girl a favor? Why is she so hostile towards me?' He thought, feeling incredulous.
The other two didn't seem to notice Sarah's behavior, perhaps because they were busy with each others company.
For the next 25 minutes, Ken felt like he was a bystander. There was not much that he could do besides sit back and hope that the night would be over fast.