I felt so groggy. It was that feeling like I had slept for a whole day. That heavy feeling made me just keep my eyes closed so I could act like nothing happened. Maybe it was all a dream? Nope. As I opened my eyes, I came to with the oddest realization. I wasn't just sent back to any day. They sent me back to the night that changed my life forever: my prom night.

I got up from my bed and ran to my bathroom, just to stand there looking at myself for what felt like an eternity. Couldn't help but think just how young I look. Grief really does seem to age people. Is that why elderly people look so old?

Anyways, it's so hard seeing myself like this. My hair is done in perfect loose curls, with half of my hair in a tight bun. I was wearing a teal, floor length dress. It is not fitted, but A-line. I remember that when I went shopping for my prom dress, I had fallen in love with this deep maroon, form fitting gown. It was half the price of the one I wore, but my stellar boyfriend said that he didn't want me wearing anything form fitting because, "the other guys would check me out", and I, "shouldn't be showing off to anyone other than [him]". I feel so uncomfortable and disgusting in this dress. More than anything, I just wanted to tear off that dress, wipe off my makeup, and take my hair out of the bun that my mom put it in. I want to just back out of this and not have to remember that night, but Gemma said that I shouldn't make any huge rifts in the events that happened the last time I experienced this night. Also, as much as I want to run away from this night, it won't just stop because I want it to. At least this way I can see Lou and Evie again.

I was just about to throw in the towel when I heard a knock at the door. I assume that it's Evie and Lourdes at first, but then I remember that they didn't arrive until 6 pm and it's only 5:30 pm. So, who was at the door?"Michaela," my mother called out to me, "your friend Angelina is here!"

It was then that I remembered Angelina, so I put on my brave face and shoved aside my insecurities, and went downstairs to meet her. It feels so odd being like this again. I almost forgot how much I hate wearing dresses and makeup and high-heeled shoes. Everything I see is a constant reminder of what I lost 8 years ago. Wait, not what I lost. It's what I will lose. I will have to watch them die again tonight. I will have to see it happen again and it won't be a flashback this time. The grief will return, and I will always wonder "what if". It will be the hardest thing I will ever do, but at least I have a new, temporary friend to take my mind off of what is to come.

Descending down the stairs quickly, hand on the white wooden railing to steady myself, I finally see the human form of Angelina. She has dark brown eyes and deep auburn hair. Her hair was tightly wrapped in a bun and she was wearing this dress that can only be described as…conservative? It was ankle length and a deep navy blue, but she also had black tights and shoes, and she was wearing a dark green-blue sweater with sleeves that extended to her wrists on top. I had two thoughts. The first was that it was kind of surreal to meet her. It definitely made reality set in. The second thought was that her whole outfit was not fit for a prom.

After we exchanged our greetings, I took her upstairs to my room. As we sat on my small, baby blue bed, she asked me a bit more about myself. I told her about my parents, Ben and Grace, Cal and Olive, and my relationships with Zeke and Jared. When she told me how depressed I looked, I ended up opening up to her about why this night is such a hard one for me. Angelina then opened up about how Earth and human nature fascinated her, and that she was and is so excited to be a part of it for the next eight years. She mentioned that proms were one of the most interesting parts about our culture here. She said that she had always wondered what it was like to go to one of these events. Right then I knew that I needed to brighten the mood for both of us. We all only have a limited time here and I literally have the chance to rewrite how I see this night for as long as I live. This is her one night to do something she's always wanted to, and it's my night to be a stronger person than I actually was back when my mind was that of a teenager's.

I called Lou and Evie, without a second thought, to let them know that another friend of mine needs a neutral color corsage along with the three of ours, so they let me know that they'd be a bit late since they need to wait for Angelina's to be made.

Angelina looked very confused about what I was doing, but I asked her why she chose the look that she had on. After she confessed that it was not only what Gemma gave to her, but it was something that felt similar to what she wore in the angels' headquarters, I ran to my closet. I had remembered that, since every time I bought a dress, Jared seemed to hate it, I had a small collection of unused prom dresses that were to be donated after my prom night. I pulled the dresses out of the back of my closet and let her know that I wasn't going to let this night be ruined for either of us right now. As I undid her straight, long hair from its bun, I realized that she seemed to really look young for the age she is supposed to be. By the end of the makeover, her now wavy hair, half in braids that partially wrapped around the back of her head, framed her makeup covered and more mature looking face. Her eyeshadow and lips are left untouched for now, as the color should really match her choice of dress. I then led her over to the pile of dresses on my bed and told her to use whichever one she wanted since my high school jerk of a boyfriend decided that he didn't like any of them. After a short sorry look to me came a grateful one.

If I'm going to be honest, I didn't even know if any of those dresses were going to fit her since she looked so small, but most of them did. She modeled every single dress, making sure to do funny poses after every single one. Right in the middle of Angelina's little fashion show, Evie and Lourdes arrived to finish getting ready. Seeing them was, and still is, so emotional. Luckily though, introductions with the new and old friends went well, and although she was super shy, Angelina fit right in and truly seemed to come out of her shell with my friends and I. The last dress that Angelina tried on was my favorite that I had bought. I can still remember how much I loved and felt confident in it. I told them all the story of that dress. It was the first one I bought, and it's still the one I wish I had worn. I miss how confident it made me feel. Angelina pointed out how I am confident right now, and I can only do this (again) once, so I should embrace it. She then made her dress pick. She chose a short, black dress with some dark purple beading on the bodice and layered at the bottom, making the bottom go farther out. She spun around in it, the dress poofing out as she did, and the happiness and confidence that was radiating from her was so large it could be felt all around the world. I wanted, no, needed some of that for myself.

Tonight is about reshaping my views on the night, and sulking about the uncomfortable dress I was wearing didn't help that. It was only letting Jared win, and the last thing I wanted is to feel him controlling me again, so I grabbed my favorite dress and walked into my closet as all 3 of my friends went to finish Angelina's makeup to match her new dress. Putting my dress on made me feel so powerful. I was finally taking my life back.

Everyone's faces as I walked out to the bathroom wearing my new dress were priceless. They were all so happy to see the joy and power that lied within me, and as I looked in the mirror and saw myself wearing the maroon colored, floor length, form fitting dress with 3D flowers, so was I. I next fixed the color of my eyeshadow and lipstick, took the half of my hair that was in a bun and tied it into a ponytail, and once 7:00 rolled around I was so busy having fun that I forgot about…him.

The knock at the door brought me back to reality. I ran and grabbed a maroon tie from my dad's closet and walked slowly down the stairs to see Jared face to face.

Jared: the man who never did anything nice for me just because, who held me back because he wanted to be superior to me, who told me to "just get over" my friends' deaths, who called me a slut for falling in love with my soulmate even after we had broken up, was now at my door. I almost shrink back to the timid young girl he knew, but as he was starting to argue with me about my change of dress, I just handed him my dad's tie. I was so proud of myself as I grabbed my purse, journal included to document memories, put on my white corsage, posed for pictures, and got into the rented limo with Jared, Evie, Lourdes, and Angelina. Jared is there next to me, but I just keep talking to my friends and block him from mind.

I know that it isn't much, and later tonight I will have to relive my worst memory, but I'll embrace the happiness of rewriting a small part of my past for as long as I can.