Prom night is here again. And it's another year that I don't have a date. They all look at me like I'm a loser, a loner, a bookworm. I'm not even clever or academic, how can I be a bookworm? I've only ever dreamt of becoming a rock star, in a cool punk-rock band playing to thousands of people. I thought people would think rock stars are cool even the wannabes. But not me, not us, not our group. One day we'll show them all what we're made of and they'll regret the things they've done. The name-calling, the stupid punches in the arm, putting my head down the toilet and flushing. It seems to me that their the losers. Bullies are losers and there's nothing cool about them, except for getting the nice girls. Or in my case that girl. The one that smiles so sweetly and laughs like an angel. The one who's eyes just lighten up the room, even her presence. Every time I see her I just wish that she would look at me or think I was something worth thinking about, not just a geek sitting at the back of class. Sometimes she looked lonely, like she's not even being listened to by her friends. The sparkle in her eyes fade away and I can see that she's not the girl she makes out to be. She's not the usual Popular girl. This isn't how she's supposed to be. It's a show that she's putting on so she's not bullied like me. So she isn't hurt, but I can see the truth I can see that she feels lost too. Even though to her, she'd probably think that us together would be wrong. A crazy messed up world or something. But I didn't care all I wanted to do was tell her how I felt about her. I practised in front of the mirror and knew that when I finally would get the chance to speak to her I would tell her. Even if she just laughed in my face at least I would know that we just would never be. But I was hoping for a nice surprise. Maybe this would be the first Prom that was going to have a happy ending. But then again maybe not.
I stood in my bedroom next to my twin brother, we had dressed up smart and in suits. Black blazers, white shirt, black tie, trousers and shoes. I had to say we looked pretty good. I gelled my black hair up slightly, so it wasn't too much like my brothers, who of course went the whole way. He had all his hair spiked up high, black with a pink dash in it. He looked pretty smart all dressed up. I hoped he would get a girl tonight too, although he probably already did. He had always been more outgoing than me anyway, and the girls I did get was because of him. But this time I was going alone and I was going to find her and tell my girl how I felt about her. We were going to meet our two friends outside the school hall, where the Prom was going to be taking place.
We met them at 7:30pm. They stood waiting for us, they had also dressed smartly as did most of the guys that were coming. We all walked slowly into the hall, the lights were all flashing and the music was playing loudly, not the best of music but I guess we always did have a different taste to most people in the neighbourhood. We walked further into the room and then I saw her. She was standing right in the centre of the hall with her friends. She was smiling, it was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen and suddenly I had a flashback of the moment I first saw her. She was doing the exact same thing, standing in a crowded room, smiling and laughing with her friends but I could only see her. She was gorgeous. She turned her head and looked my way and smiled sweetly at me. I wish I could reach out to her now but I was still too far away. I walked closer to her, hoping she would turn around and look at me like she did that day. I decided to go to her and say Hi, I had mixed feelings now, should I really do this? Will I regret it in the morning if she laughs at me? I didn't know but I carried on walking, getting closer and closer to her side. And when I finally got to her and was standing next to her she turned around and looked at me. "Hi there." I said hoping to get a reply but she only smiled and turned back to her friends. I just wished she'd say something to me now, I guess I just had to hold on to the things she wouldn't say. I could see it in her eyes when she smiled at me, she knew who I was. She liked me. Please just turn around again, talk me! I waited and waited, and then it came. She slowly turned her head and looked at me again. I smiled back at her and then I told her "If you know me tell me, if you like me tell me, if you don't turn away and I'll leave you alone." She looked at me blankly for a second then smiled and replied. "Yeah you're Joel Madden right?" Oh my God, I was right, she did know me and she liked me. So I built up my courage and thought of how my brother Benj would deal with this. And then I spoke again. "I think about you a lot, and I know I'm probably not the usual kind of guy that you would wanna be with or even think about but, the truth is I love you and you can't change the way you feel about someone and you can't tell me that these feelings aren't real because they are...so please tell me, would you be willing to get to know me, to give me a chance?" She looked into my eyes and concentrated, listening to every word I had said. She smiled again and her eyes sparkled. Then she told me something that I had only ever dreamt about. She said, "I know I don't really know you or have even spoke to you but when I do see you I get the weirdest feeling, like we're supposed to know each other, we're supposed to be together. I have feelings for you Joel, and I agree that you can't change the way you feel and this is real. I don't care what the popular kids say, not even my friends because you can't change what you feel about somebody. They might think you're a loser or a geek in the corner of the room but to me you're a person, we're all human and we all go through pain and happiness, so yes of course I will give you a chance." I smiled slightly, not quite believing what she had said at first but then it started to sink in and I think I was the happiest guy in the room at that moment. She took hold of my hand and walked me to a different place on the dance floor, held onto me and whispered into my ear "Let's dance." So we did and the dance was so intense and beautiful. I felt like I was dreaming. I had the most awesome Prom ever. After a couple of hours it was time to set off home again. It was the end of another school year and now it was the start of a fun summer holiday. We all left the hall, I was still holding her hand. We stopped in mid-walk and she leaned up to me and kissed me lightly on the lips. My heart sank. My friends looked on and giggled to themselves, while her friends looked on in shock. She smiled yet again and said, "See you tomorrow, Joel." She wondered off home alongside her friends, while I joined mine. We walked in silence all the way home, I don't think I could say anything except how happy I was feeling. I just couldn't believe what had happened. We nearly got to our house, when our friends said they'd head off home from there. So now it was just Benj and I walking just 5 more minutes to get home. We unlocked the front door and headed straight upstairs to bed. We got changed into our PJ's and laid down in our own single beds that were opposite each other. "Night man." Benj said, as I laid in silence looking up at the ceiling and when I went to finally reply to him, he had already fallen asleep. I closed my eyes and it didn't take me long to fall asleep either.
I woke up at 8am the next day, Benj was sitting on the floor quietly strumming an old guitar we had found up in the attic. He looked at me and smiled sympathetically, "You okay bro?" he said. What did he mean by that? What was happening? "Uhh yeah, why?" I asked, "Well, you were making a lot of noises in your sleep last night, calling out and stuff. Just wondered what you were dreaming about and if you were okay." Oh. I didn't remember dreaming at all, that was strange. I then stood up and looked around the room. I decided to phone her, my girl to see if she wanted to go out somewhere today. I walked to the phone and dialled the number I had found out a few months ago but never had been confident enough to ring before. It rang and then I heard her, her voice so sweet and calm. "Hello." She said. "Hi, it's Joel, so uh you wanna go out today?" I asked, "Er, No! Why would I want to do that?" Huh? What was she talking about, I didn't understand. Was she drunk last night? Did she not remember anything that had happened at the Prom? "We, last night at the Prom, we got together, don't you remember?" I asked her, worried. "At the Prom? Last night? The Prom isn't until next week. Sorry but I don't know what you're talking about, I think you must have the wrong number. Bye." The phone cut off and I stood there in confusion. I went back into my room and asked Benj what happened last night and why she had said Prom wasn't until next week. "Sorry man, but she's right Prom isn't until next Friday, you must have dreamt it all, sorry bro." He told me. I had dreamt it all. It couldn't be. It was so real, it was perfect, the best Prom I'd ever had. We were together, we were a couple. It couldn't have been a dream. Did I really dream it all? I sat down on my bed and looked down at the floor. How could a dream be and feel so real? But now it would seem that next Friday was the real Prom. So that would be the night. All I had to do now was hold on and do exactly how I had seen it in my dream. I was going to say the same words and hope that it all planned out the same way as it did in my dream. In the end this was all I had and I wasn't going to give up. I was going to hold on and on and on until next Friday when I was going to make her my girl.
I am lost in the see-thru
I think you lost yourself, too
Throughout all of this confusion
I hope I somehow get to you
I practised all the things I'd say
To tell you how I feel
And when I finally get my chance
It all seems so surreal
'Cause from the first time I saw you, I only thought about you
I didn't know you, I wanted to hold on to
The things you'd never say to me
'Cause you said
You can't change the way you feel
(I could never do that, I could never do that)
But you can't tell me this ain't real, 'cause this is real
(And you would see right through that)
In the end it's all I've got
(So I'm gonna hold on to that)
So I'm gonna hold (on and on and on and on)
On and on and on and on and on and on and on
And now you've got me watching your eyes
(Got me watching just to see, watching just to see)
Got me waiting just to see
(If you'll ever look at me)
If it goes the way it never will
(Will it ever go, will it ever go my way)
Your eyes are watching me
Oh, and now you've got me thinkin' 'bout
The first time that I met you
Standing in a crowded room
But I could only see you
And I hope my words will get through, 'cause now I can't forget you
I wanna tell you, if only I could reach you
And make you feel this way
But you said
You can't change the way you feel
(I could never do that, I could never do that)
But you can't tell me this ain't real, 'cause this is real
(And you would see right through that)
And in the end it's all I've got
(So I'm gonna hold on to that)
So I'm gonna hold
On and on and on and on and on and on and on
On and on and on and on and on and on and on
