Hello everyone! When you get inspired to write something, what else can you do but write it down? I hope you all enjoy this little one-shot that I wanted to share with you all! Please feel free to review and follow/favorite my page! Thank you all for your support! :)
"Come on! Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"For the millionth time...no!"
"We have dreamed of this night for years, Abby, and what...now you're just going to throw it all way because you had one bad experience?!" This argument was not going to soften easily, but somehow I knew, my best friend was going to get me in that dress.
"I'm not throwing the opportunity away, I just simply don't want to go! It's as plain as that, Madeline." She held up one finger...and then two...and then three...and I knew what that meant. She began to throw a tantrum in the middle of the mall, and knowing that I could not stand attention, I bowed to her wishes.
"Alright! Fine! I will try the dress on." I said as I pushed a piece of my brown hair out of my face. She smiled, proud of herself for succeeding against my will. I slipped on the dress and took a deep breath as the zipper slid up my back. The curtain was opened and I stepped out into the middle of the large dressing room. My heartbeat quickened, and my pupils began to dilate as I looked at myself. The skirt was a royal blue color with a tan bodice, decorated with the same blue colored jewels.
"I'm...not...ugly." I said as I did a small twirl. Madeline came over to me and placed her hands on my shoulders.
"Not even close." She said in response to my statement. I had never seen such a beautiful dress in my entire life. I felt like Cinderella. Yes, of course, I do know that is what all the girls tend to say. I can't believe that I actually caved, but I ended up buying the dress. After all, this was prom.
"Did you have any luck?" Madeline asked me at lunch the next day.
"All of them said 'no'." I replied as I stirred my broccoli around on the plate in front of me.
"All of them?! What is that six? Did they give you a reason?" She asked.
"Half of them did, the other half just kinda walked away. Apparently their reputation would be shattered if they were seen with me. One of them was waiting to ask Aria, too."
"Well...Aria is a fake beauty. She needs the make up and the self tanning and the colored hair to make her feel beautiful. You don't need any of that. You have it all, without even trying." She said. My gratefulness was lifted, but I don't think I could have said the same about my confidence.
"Thank you. That really means a lot to me, but I still don't think I should go." I said.
"Oh come on! I know our entire group has dates but I'm sure it will be just as fun."
"Selena is going with her dream guy, Hannah already has her plans with her guy, and you actually found a dress that makes you feel pretty! That doesn't happen often! Come on seriously I will just drag everybody down. I don't mind staying home!" I said sincerely.
"Hah. Sorry but that is not an option. If you even try to stay home I will come to your house and drag you by your ears in your pj's if I have to." No...no she was not joking. She would do it if she saw it fit.
"Fine, but I am just tagging along. Deal?" I said.
"Deal." We shook on it, but for her, she knew that was not going to be enough.
For the next few days Selena, Hannah, and Madeline did nothing but plan out every detail. Everything from hair to make up to pictures was figured out. As for me, I didn't say much of a word. Of course every girl dreams of going to prom and it being the best night ever! And yes I was one of them, but for me, I tended to come on too strong with guys, even though my personality was not at all an extrovert. On an every day basis I was the quiet, shy girl sitting in the corner of the room that no one noticed. I was not overly considered a beauty, but I was content with myself overall.
Madeline on the other hand despised most of the guys she knew, except for her brothers. She found the rest of them immature and childish, characteristics she was not very tolerant of. Her romantic happiness always seemed to flow from my fountain. Whenever I liked a guy, she would ask me every detail and want to know everything that I was going to do next. Despite my best efforts, it never worked with anyone. I accepted that. Little did I know what I was in for, though.
"You look so beautiful! Almost unrecognizable!" Madeline said as I stepped out onto my front porch, dressed up from head to toe.
"Haha, and with my mask on, I really don't think anyone will know who I am." I added. After a few pictures, and a small car ride, we arrived at the venue. This masquerade theme was going to be an interesting turn out. As we walked to the main doors I watched the few couples that were entering the building. The masks did well at hiding their identities. After a slow, deep breath, I stepped through the door. Already losing track of Madeline's whereabouts. I entered the ballroom unaccompanied, and I was right, no one knew who I was. The lights began to dim, and I could hear the sound of faint music playing in the background. The DJ called for a full dance floor, the first dance being slow and romantic.
"Looks like I will be sitting out on this one." I said as I sat back down in my chair.
"I'm going to go check out the photo booth with the girls. Want to come along?" Selena asked as she stood up and hovered over my chair.
"No. Y'all go ahead. I think I see a piece of cake calling my name." I replied. As everyone danced I glanced around the room, finding myself to be the only girl sitting amongst a group of boys, who had no care for this social event whatsoever. Also known as, the "too cool for you" guy group. A few songs later the girls were still off mingling with other kids. I talked to a few people, but most were too cautious to approach me. The mask maybe was doing too well at hiding my identity.
"Well...I stuck it out for an hour. I don't think they will mind if I go home." I said to myself. I stood up and brushed off the crumbs that were sticking to my dress. A few steps later, I not-so-gracefully tripped over my own shoes. As it may appear, I had very little experience walking in that high of heels. Could this night get any more difficult.
"Are you alright?" I heard an up-right person saying to me.
"Yes. I'm fine. Thank you." I said as I grabbed the outstretched hand of the stranger to pull myself up. I met this guy face to face, yet could not seem to quite figure out who he was. All I knew was that I had definitely met him before. Those eyes were much too familiar to forget.
"I just...umm...saw you sitting over here by yourself. Another dance is coming up, so would you like to join me?" Suddenly, Madeline's devious voice crept into my brain.
"He's a guy, you're a girl. He has no idea who you are! Just go for it! Take a risk for once in your life!" The voice kept telling me.
"Umm...sure. Why not. One dance couldn't hurt." I said. I followed him onto the floor as the music began to play. Enchanted...Taylor Swift. I had not heard that song in what seemed like ages.
"You will have to forgive me if I step on your foot." I said with a laugh as I took my position.
"Don't worry there is just as much chance that I will do it to you right back." He replied. It was the moment when he moved in closer to me that I could feel it. It was the instant attraction and flutter that I was sure I was the only one to feel. No...anything but feelings. Every time I had feelings I got hurt! The song ended, and the guy took off his mask.
"I have to go." I said.
"Wait...what?" He said as he called after me. With a swift movement I grabbed Madeline's arm and dragged her out the front doors.
"What is going on with you!? Who was that boy you were dancing with?!" She asked. I shoved her up against the side of a tree so we would not be seen as the doors opened once again. He had come out to look for me, but I was no where in sight of his vision. His eyes had a look of sorrow, while mine were swelling up with tears behind that tree. I let Madeline go once he went back inside.
"Was that...Chase?" She said as she watched me begin to pace.
"Yes. I had no idea that's who he was! Madeline tell me what to do. I got a flutter." I said hesitantly.
"Alright well lets recap shall we. A year ago...you talked...you stopped talking although you still liked him...and now you dance with him and you feel it all over again? Here we go again..." She said.
"I can't go through that again." I said as I put a hand on my forehead and an arm around my stomach.
"I still think you should have told him you still liked him a few months ago, but no you never listen to me." She said.
"Mad, we went over this already. If I had told him how I felt, he wouldn't have returned the feelings. He didn't want any of that. I respected that and did my best to get over it. If he's happy it was not going to be my place to mess that up for him." I told her. "I know what I need to do. I need to go home and get all this stuff off and just go to sleep." I added. as I started walking off into the crisp night
"You can walk away from all of this if you want." I stopped. "I may be your best friend, but I can't stop you from walking away. Just remember one thing, Abby. If you don't tell him, you will forever be remembered as the Cinderella that never got her happy ending at this prom...because I know you." She walked closer to me and I turned around to look at her. "I know you so well, that I can see you left something behind just like she left that stupid shoe behind."
"Oh yeah? And what's that?" I asked.
"You left a piece of your heart in the middle of that dance floor. If you don't want him to pick that piece up and know how you feel, then I suggest you better go get it before he does." Abby's words processed into my mind. I ran back into the ballroom without hesitation, and sure enough, there he was, in the middle of the floor, picking up a jeweled heart that fell off my shoe from when I had fallen. What happens now? Well...even I don't know the answer to that yet.
