I really like this chapter personally, 'cause its a side of Demi that is hardly seen. I hope you like it too. Only 2 chapters left! R&R!

Press Play

Chapter 14

A FEW MONTHS LATER

Graduation was creeping up on us, but that was not the biggest talk of the school. What was really on everyone's minds was prom.

Now I never liked dances. Not when I was younger, not when I was popular and most definetly not now. It wasn't that I couldn't dance, I just hated the whole...spiel. The waiting for someone to ask you, the search for just the right dress, the picture-taking, the whole "shibang", I guess.

I hadn't been planning to go at all. Not one thought of it crossed my mind. I just expected that Saturday to be a typical one with Hannah and my ritual of popping a bag of popcorn and watching an old flick starring Audrey Hepbern. Even though I hated chick flicks, I had come to find these movies really inspiring with the message they brought and the ancient cinemetography used. Anyway, that was about as much activity that I thought that late May Saturday would bring.

But when I gave Hannah her daily dose of the school's news (she was being homeschooled by the computer now, being to pregnant to go back to real school) after they told us about prom, she'd been overjoyed, actually bouncing up and down, her big belly and big boobs (they'd grown immensly; I was jealous, always covering my small ones) flopping around.

"We have got to go! I have always dreamed of going to my senior prom!" Her sapphire eyes got huge and she put on a big puppy dog frown, begging. "I swear I will get on my knees if I have to!" Then she hesitated. "But please don't make me."

I sighed. "Fiiiine," I groaned, covering my ears at Hannah's loud squeals.

"Ohmygod! We are going to have so much fun!"

"Yeah, whatever," I had said, grabbing my water bottle off of the table and heading upstairs, wondering about what I had done.

Hannah and I didn't talk about it for the next week and I had just about thought she'd forgotten when I came home to her with two long black covers on hangers in her hand.

I stopped dead in my tracks and closed my eyes. "Those aren't what I think they are, right?"

"Well, that depends," Hannah said after a silent moment. "If you think they are something other than our prom dresses, then..no, they aren't what you think they are."

I groaned by Hannah grinned, pulling my arm up towards my room. "You are just going to love what I chose for you!"

"I'm not so sure about that."

Hannah ignored me as we proceeded up the stairwell and into my room.

And that's why I am standing in my room on prom night in front of my mirror, wearing a long black sheath with sparkly embrodery, my raven hair pulled back with little ringlets springing out and a pair of spikey silver heels strapped onto my feet.

I looked over myself for about the hundredth time again, cringing. Sure, the dress-the whole ensemble, for that matter-was gorgeous, but on me, it just looked...wrong. I barely recognized myself in the palette on pink, bronze and black makeup.

I saw Hannah in the reflection. "You look great," She was beaming.

I turned around to face the real her. She was in head to toe pink, from her bright lipstick to her silk ruffled gown to the magenta pumps she wore on her bubblegum pink-manicured feet. It was like someone popped their giant pink bubblegum on her. Either that or they threw up all of there pepto bismol on her. Okay, I'm totally kidding about that one.

"Thanks," I said, tentatively, once again smoothing down my wrinkle-free dress. "You, too," I replied, looking once again at her rosy gown. Not my sort of thing, but it did look great on her. Even with the baby bump showing through.

Hannah beamed even harder (if that was possible) and then stuck her arm out. "Shall we?"

I smiled for the first time that night and looped my arm with hers. "We shall."

We walked downstairs where Gia was, already taking pictures as we made our decsent. "Gia!" I yelped, quickly letting go of Hannah's arm to cover my face.

Gia, who had tears in her sky blue eyes, put her camera down. "Sorry, you two just look so beautiful." Then she took a hankercheif out of her breast pocket, dabbing below her eyes.

"Thanks," Hannah and I say at the same time, looking at eachother and giggling.

Another flash goes off and I turn to glare at Gia. "Sorry," She says and shrugs, leaving for a moment to tend to her crying baby.

When we finally get to the dance, the gym is jam packed with kids. Its insane; the music, talking and shouting all blaring into my ears. I just want to go right back out where I came from. But Hannah is already pulling me out to the middle of the dance floor, starting to twirl me around before I can make an escape.

I just stood frozen as Hannah dances in one place, her arms above her and her hips swaying. People around us start staring and whispering about the infamous Hannah being back. I have never felt so out of place in my life.

Before I can think, my feet are running right through the crowd and into the bathroom. I breath heavy, my hands gripped to the sink so tight that my knuckles are turning white. I slowly raise my head to look at my face in the cloudy mirror.

I don't recognize myself. I look scared, confused and beautiful all at the same time; emotions I have never portrayed before. I stand there just staring at myself for awhile before I decide that it is useless staying cooped up in here forever.

I wash my hands and splash my face with some cool water before walking out of the restroom. When I open the door, it smashes into something.

I hear a groan as I quickly close the door and look at the boy that I have just hit, who was now laying down on the ground.

I kneel down. "Are you okay?" I ask, taking the boy's hand away from his nose. "Joe?" I say, confused.

I sat by Joe last semester in biology, both of us not really having any friends. I suppose that was for different reasons, though; I was an angry bitch, but Joe is just shy.

Joe is still grimacing, blood rushing out of his nose. "I don't know," He finally says, touching his nose and then looking at his now-bloody hand.

"Hold on," I saw, going back inside the ladies room and grabbing some paper towels, wetting them and rushing back outside, careful with the door this time. "Here," I say, putting the wet towels on his face, rubbing off the blood.

I throw the towels away when I'm done and then I kneel back down next to Joe. I study his voice, noting how his eyes were flecked with golden. I wondered how I had never noticed how pretty they were when I was sitting next to him for almost five months.

"Oh good I found y-" A voice started from behing us. I turned around to see Hannah's pink mouth turning into an "O" when she saw us. When I saw her smirk, I knew I'd never hear the end of this.

"I'll be right there," I quickly said before she could speak again.

"Alright," She said, her smirk turning into a knowing grin, before turning and leaving.

I looked back at Joe, who was now smiling a little more. "I should run into doors more often," He joked, his smile widening. That's something else I didn't notice, his great, easy smile.

I let myself smile, too, now. "Are you sure your alright?"

Joe nodded. "Yeah." Then he got up.

I put my arm out to stable him, but he just grabbed his hand with mine, intwining our fingers.

I couldn't help but to grin as he led me back into the gym, where we walked in together, hand-in-hand.

Hannah, who was in the middle of the dance floor dancing with an artsy french boy whose name I think was Cody, saw me and raised her eyebrows. I just smiled back and looked towards Joe's golden eyes. "Let's dance," I said, already leading us towards Hannah. Joe didn't object as a slow song began to play.

I put my arms around Joe's long neck as his hand settled on my hips. "You look beautiful," Joe murmured into my hair. I smiled, resting my head in his chest as we swayed back and forth, wanting to live in this moment forever.

Yes, Jemi. I just didn't want everything to be so predictable, so instead of Nick being behind that door, it was Joe. I'm sorry if you don't like that match up, but too bad! Haha. Anyways, there is only TWO chapters left until the story's finale, so PLEASE R&R if you want it! p.s. do you have any suggestions for a spin-off/ all new story? suggestions accepted! xoxo TA