"Tonight's the night, girls. I'll see you tonight. Go get ready," I said. All of the committee except Cherry, Marcia, and I ran out, telling each what they were gonna wear.
"Only 1 more dance…" Cherry told herself. We knew what that was; Prom. I hated Prom. Michael's parents to make him got to the Proms and we'd go together because Phoenix didn't trust me home alone on that night. Those were good except Michael got into a fist fight at our Freshman Prom. With a Junior. Michael won, though. Everyone looked up to him after that.
"You want a ride home?" Marcia asked. I shook my head.
"My brother's picking me up. I'll just wait here for him," I answered.
"Okay. I'll see you tonight,' Cherry said, hugging me along with Marcia and they walked out of the gym. It was lined with streamers around the walls, firefly molded lights scattered among them. It was be dimmed of course. The record player by the bleachers with tables with white, cloth tablecloths. I had to get here early to set up refreshments and food. Maybe I could get Jakarta and Houston to do that… There in the corner was the camera set up to take pictures with a baby blue backdrop. I almost thought it was perfect. The dance floor was cleared, colored mesh outlining it. Ponyboy helped me "decorate" the basketball goals with the streamers. The 28 other girls hated it, but Cherry and I thought it actually helped or whatever reason. And since we were the 2 heads of the committee, we overruled their whining. There was a table where you'd place your ticket in a glass box Marcia's mom donated by the entrance. I glanced towards it to see my tired brother Atlanta walk in.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, raising one eyebrow.
"I'm picking you up."
"Phoenix told me Houston was."
"He lied…" He laughed. He scanned the gym and smiled finally.
"You did a pretty good job here, Doll."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. Glory, look at those lights. How'd you do that?"
"You mold clay into the shape of a firefly, put it in the oven, and put a tiny light bulb like that in there." He stroked one.
"But they're so freaking detailed."
"That's what I've doing in my free time, Lant."
"I thought it was some art class."
"No, it was this… Over 200 of them."
"Glory…"
"So, you're not gonna make it tonight?" He looked at the floor and shook his head.
"No, I'm sorry. I'm just gonna be too tired to make it."
"It's okay…"
"I'm really, really sorry, Doll."
"It's fine, really."
"That's why I picked you up."
"What?" He laughed and loped over to the record table. He looked through the records and picked one up and laid it spinning on the player, putting the needle on the line to define the song. The Beatles "In My Life" played, filling every crack and hole in the gymnasium. Atlanta came out from behind the record player and held out his hand. I smiled and gently placed mine in his. He lead me into the dance floor, wrapping his arms around my waist. He grabbed my hand and held it out as we danced with my head on his chest. He swayed me back and forth until he twirled me around and the song ended. And this meant the world to me, not decorations or streamers. Dancing with my brother, the only one who loved me for me.