What was he thinking? That I would stay with him because he hurt himself? That I would take pity on him and because of that, not break up with him? That's insane! Seeing him all bandaged up on that hospital bed did make me feel sorry for him, but not enough for me to not say goodbye. Alli was right, he was being obsessive! By crashing his stupid hearse he was trying to make me stay with him. Well his plan didn't work! Ugggh! How could I have been so stupid? I had thought that Eli was different! But I guess I was wrong. I made the right decision, I hope. Those are the thoughts that run through my head as I make my way from the hospital, towards the school, up the steps and into the noisy gym.

I spot Alli near the punch bowl and make my way towards her. "I came back to distract myself from the stupid stunt Eli just pulled" I keep telling myself over and over again. "What?" Alli says as she turns around with a red cup in her hand that is full of red liquid. Did I just say that out loud? "Umm nothing" "How are you feeling?" she looks sympathetic. "I'm not the one that crashed my hearse, am I?" I roll my eyes and look towards a group of strangers in the distance. "Well no, but I mean-" "Don't worry about me Alli" I say cutting her off. She looks at me with sympathy then says "Wanna go dance?" "Sure" I half smile as she leads me to the dance floor.

We dance to two songs but by the beginning of the third I just can't take it anymore! Everything about this place reminds me of Eli. Of how I ditched him and caused him to get into that stupid accident. Alli cannot know that I miss Eli, she'll think I'm insane! I have to come up with an excuse to leave, humm. "Alli, I need to get out of these heels and this stupid dress" I practically scream over the loud music of the school dance. "Then why did you even come back to the school? You could have just gone home." She screamed back. "Just get me out of here okay?" I do my best to hold it in but she sees the tear rolling down my cheek. "You got it" She half smiles back as she links her arm in mine and we maneuver our way in and out of the crowd towards the gym doors.

By the time that we are out of the school I'm a complete mess. No matter how hard I try I cannot hold it in and soon the tears are pouring down my face. We sit on the nearest bench we can find. I finally break down and Alli wraps her arms around me trying to comfort me, but not quite succeeding. At the moment I don't care. All I want to do is cry, and so that is what I do.

After what seems like hours the tears stop coming down my swollen face. But I don't stop sulking because it feels natural and I want to let it all out. Alli lets go of me and starts to stand up. "Let's go Clare. If I don't get you home soon your mom will have a heyday!" She pulls out her phone to show me the time. 1:37. The dance ended over an hour and a half ago but I don't care. I reluctantly stand up and start to walk, but then I notice a familiar lamp post. Then a tree, and then that bench. Our bench. The bench that was mine and Eli's. And suddenly all I want is his arms around me to hold and support me, but since they can't be, I break down crying again. My arms are wrapped tightly around me but the tears refuse to fall. In a moment Alli is beside me holding me once again, but it's not enough, because she isn't Eli. My eyes are suddenly really heavy and all I want to do is close them. So I give into the temptation and soon everything goes black.