I pulled the dress over my head and walked out of the changing room. "Do you think he'll like it?" I asked over my shoulder at my mom. She smiled and told me to turn around. The dress was dark blue with white tool around the hem and small plastic diamonds dotted around the skirt and ended just above my knees.

"You look beautiful," Mom told me, fixing the white sash that wrapped around my waist. "He's going to think so, too." Her smile dropped slightly, "What did you say his name was again?"

"Nick Kim," I told her brushing my black bangs from my eyes. Mom said I looked like my dad, I got his height (towering almost half a foot over my mom) and his dark hair, but she was always hung up on my eyes. I didn't think they were so special, a dark green that changed depending on my mood. To her they held so much more, I could almost see the pain in her face when she looked at me. I shook myself from my thoughts. "He's the new kid, remember?"

"Yeah," Mom said, her smile returning, "I remember you gushing about how cute he is."

I bushed and looked back at the mirror. "Maybe I should get my hair cut… or my nails done. Girls normally do that for Homecoming, right?"

That made Mom laugh, "Yes, but you don't need it, Luna. He asked you when you were in jeans and a hoodie, Nick obviously likes you no matter how you look."

"Yeah," I sighed. I hadn't told her my fear, that it was all a joke. Or that someone on the basket ball team dared him. "Yeah, okay."

"Now go changed so we can look for shoes," She told me, leaning up to kiss my cheek. Mom grinned and pushed me back into the dressing room.

"I'm going," I laughed. I stripped and pulled my jeans back on. I looked at myself in the mirror for a moment, trying to guess what Nick would see. I shuttered at the sight of my muscles, no one like a girl with flabby arms, but mine were way too defined and hardened. I sighed and pulled my baggy sweater back on over my undershirt.

"Ready to—Mom? What's wrong?" I asked walking over to her. She had one hand clutching the metal rack that the return items went on and her eyes were looking out across the store, but they weren't seeing anything.

"Nothing," She told me, snapping herself out of it. "Sorry, I'm just tired. I think I had a pair of heels at home that would look nice."

I smiled and nodded, but inside I was grimacing. Great, like I need to be taller.

"Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings of a blue bird as she sings," I sang softly as I curled my hair.

"The six o'clock alarm would never ring," A voice answered over by my door, making me drop the curling iron. "Sorry," Nick chuckled, leaning against the door frame, "Your mom said I could come up. You ready?"

"Y-yeah," I said, quickly unplugging the hair curler and laying it on my desk. "Y-you look nice." He did look nice, really nice. He had on a white shirt and dark dress pants. He's brown hair had been cut a bit shorter and his tan skin almost glowed. God, if this was a joke they were going all out.

"You too," His grin was easy and he took my hand as I walked into the hall. "You look…" He cleared his throat and looked away. "We should get going. Jeff and Tina are waiting in the car."

I froze. "What?"

"We're car pooling, didn't I tell you?" He frowned slightly, watching me.

Um, no. Actually you haven't talked to me since you asked me to the dance. "Right, must've forgotten."

After a few photos, and a very quiet car ride with the head cheerleader and her jock boyfriend, we arrived at the community center where the dance was being held. It always looked pretty during the day, with the woods framing it, but at night the trees looked kinda creepy.

Nicks hand tightened around mine and he gave me a small smile. I tried to smile back, but my stomach was flipping too much, Nick got out of the car, and then helped me out, not even glancing over at Tina of Jeff. In fact, his eyes hadn't left me the whole car ride.

I thanked Jeff's mom as she pulled away and Nick walked me inside. "I-I'm really happy you asked me," I told him, looking at my feet. In my mom's silver heels, I was almost as tall as him.

"I'm happy you said yes," He grinned. "I didn't even think you knew who I was." We walked over to the punch bowl and he handed me a glass. "You don't have to dance if you don't want to, we can just sit and talk." His eyebrows scrunched, "… Girls like to talk, right? I mean not that you're a girl… Shit, that didn't come out right. I just meant that your, ya know, a woman?"

I cocked an eyebrow at him, laughing into my paper cup, "Smooth, does that work on all us women?" Nicks face heated and I laughed some more, taking his arm and leading him out to the dance floor. Maybe Mom was right, maybe he did like me.

We stood in a dark corner talking, I'd put on extra deodorant, but I already ran to the bathroom twice to apply more. I felt flushed, almost feverish, but just blamed it on the dancing. I couldn't get sick at a dance, and the flu wasn't common at this time a year. But as Nick leaned in to kiss me, I felt something coming up.

Without a word, I pushed past him and out the back door, throwing up as soon as I hit the outside air. I threw up again, stumbling towards the woods, my legs moving on their own. I knew what was happening. Mom had warned me of it, but I thought I still had years to go, that I had time to prepare. I threw up again, grabbing on to the branch of a tree to keep me standing.

No, I thought, No, it's too soon. I was… drugged. Yeah, Nick drugged my drink. That was his joke. It has to be a date rape drug. I pulled Mom's shoes off so they didn't get vomit on them and took a few heavy breaths, waiting for the drug to pass.

Mom told me that my body was different, that drugs didn't affect me like they would a normal human. She said that I was special. I knew I was, because even in the dark I could see just where I was going. I could hear the music as I traveled deeper into the woods; I could smell Nick on me. Nick, was that his voice? Someone was calling for me…

I collapsed onto the dry ground as pain ripped through my body, a scream tearing out of my throat. Blackness started at the edge of my vision, framing a pair of brown work boots. I looked up at the man, a strange look on his face.

"It's okay," He whispered, leaning down and pulling me to my feet. "I'm going to help."