Week 5


I stood in front of the mirror examining every inch of my body and dress. My hair- ringlets held up with millions of bobby pins. My dress- aqua, green and a bright yellow, I chose this dress because I wanted to stand out. I turned around to face my two friends, Brittany and Jenna. "I would rather go to hell for the rest of the night than go to prom" Jenna said to me and Brittany. "Yeah, I look like a bloated mermaid and I'm missing half the sequins off my dress" Brittany said back. I stand there without replying to either of them, my mind off in a different world, tonight was my senior prom. My hands are clammy, nervous for everyone to see me in my dress. Brittany's door opens and my mom walks in along with Jenna's. "You all look so beautiful," "our little girls are all grown up!" Brittany, Jenna and I all roll our eyes at the same time, when really all of us totally agreed, but kept it to ourselves. I turn to glance out the window and I see my boyfriends truck pull into the driveway. If there were a speedometer hooked to my heart, it would show 120mph. I hold still, quietly trying to steady my breathing as I watch him get out of his truck. He has his white tux on and a aqua colored tie to match my dress. I profusely start sweating, Brittany noticed I was anxious because I hadn't been replying back to her. "Hill, it's going to be okay, you look so pretty." I relax a little, so thankful for my best friend. I strap my heals on and we make our way towards the stairs. Just like you see in the movies, we walk down the stairs, all of our boyfriends were waiting at the bottom. At that instant, I felt like a princess. "You look.. amazing," Craig whispered to me, "you look even better" I replied. Pictures took about half an hour and by the time it was time to leave for dinner my mouth muscles couldn't smile any longer. I hopped up into Craig's truck, instead of renting a limo we all had nice cars and trucks to ride in instead. I gazed out the window, relieved to be away from everybody else.

"You look so beautiful Hillary." I shrug my shoulders and look straight ahead, unable to take a compliment, yes I'm one of those girls.. compliments are just awkward. He smiles, he knows exactly how I am, and he turns on my favorite song. Suddenly my confidence unravels around me, I almost feel like crying when my ex-boyfriend comes to mind. All day I tried to push it out of my mind that he would be at prom with another girl tonight. After four years, we broke up two months earlier, but I was unable to let go of him. The moment I had been dreading would be in only a couple hours.. seeing him with another girl at my prom..

"Were here Hill," I drift back down to reality and realize we had arrived at the Sea Dog. I unstrap my heels, unable to walk in them correctly, and jump out of his truck. He grasps my hand as we start to walk into the restaurant. Matt crosses my mind but I don't allow myself to think about him. Brittany and Jenna, along with their boyfriends, join us a dinner. I order my usual, a BLT. "Jordan, that isn't how you eat lobster.." "oh shut up Jenna, I'm eating my food just fine." "You guys fight like a married couple" Brittany says to both of them. I feel Craig put his hand on my leg, a common sign of affection.

I'm standing beside him, looking up at the sky and holding his hand. "I love you Hill," Matt says as he kisses my forehead. "Matt, you never pay attention to me, only when I talk to other guys do you actually care about me.. I just can't do it anymore." "But Hill, I need you, please give me another chance." I look down at the grass, our shadows play out on the ground before us, a street light shines upon him and I. A tear runs down my cheek as I shake my head, this moment was one that we both knew was coming. "I love you too Matt, I always will, but this is what's best for me." "I'm best for you Hill, I know I am," "No, I can't.. I have to go, I'm sorry." I stand on my toes and give him one last kiss on his cheek.

Craig lifts his hand away from my leg, I snap out of my thoughts, realizing I had been silent for almost ten minutes. I grab my sandwich, eating it quickly to try and catch up to the others, who were almost ready to leave. "I am not eating anymore because I don't want to be bloated in this dress" Jenna says. "Me either" I say back.. My memory I was reliving two minutes earlier made me lose my appetite. The waiter brings the boys their checks and takes their credit cards. "Are you ready for prom?" Craig asks me, I nod and smile.. unable to speak, trying to keep myself from crying. The credit cards are returned and we stand up, push in our chairs and begin to walk towards the door. "Dammnnnnn" I turn around and see a man at the bar looking me up and down, Craig darts his head around to see who made the comment. The man quickly looks away, knowing he had upset him, I just smiled slightly, enjoying the attention.

The next thing I know, were at the civic center. Limos and mercedes were all over the place, most everyone in my class I graduated with had parents who had more than enough money. Craig parks his truck, I look out my window and of course, I see Matt's white Maxima. I knew it was his, black windows with black rims.. my heart sunk ten miles deep into my body. "Here we go!" Craig smiles wide at me, I plaster the best fake smile I have on my face "yes, here we go." I strap my heels back on and get out of the truck, trying not to glance over to Matt's car. We make our way into the building, my mind is running a marathon. "You look soo good!" I hear from behind me, recognizing the voice, Nicole. "No girl! You do! I love your dress" I reply and give her a hug. "I just wanted to say hi but I'm going back to dance with Cote!" I smile as she runs off. Craig puts his arm around me, we walk out of the entry way into the building where everyone else was. My dress, criss-crosses in the back, I walk tall and confident along with Craig, who has a white tux on. Craig is two years older than me, one of the most popular boys from his graduating class, I knew we would grasp others attention. I look around the room, crowded with people and I find who I'm looking for. Matt catches me looking and we stare at each other for what seems like a lifetime. I look away, trying to take control of the situation before he could.

Prom goes on, I see all my friends with their dresses, all of them look stunning. The whole night I try to catch Matt's attention as much as possible. "Right Now" starts to play by Akon, I grab Brittany and Jenna and we make our way to the dance floor without our boys. We dance like there is no tomorrow singing the lyrics to eachother..

The tables have turned and I've finally learned
That this is makin' up for every day I was gone
And that's why I'm concerned but now it's confirmed
That you spread your wings and learned to fly but all alone

Jenna twirls me around and I smile my biggest smile, with the quick moment of turning I have a split second to notice Matt watching me dance. I have so won this one, I think, as I am dancing.

Prom ends as quickly as it started, Craig and I say goodbye to our friends and walk out the door hand in hand. "That was so great Hill, that was even better than my prom." Success in so many ways, I thought to myself. "Yeah, I had so much fun! But I'm ready to put my pjs on, this dress is so annoying." Craig drives me back to my house and gets out of his truck to walk me to the door. "Thank you for such a great night" he says as he looks at me. I tell him thank you also and he gives me a goodnight kiss. I walk into my house and tell my mom all about my night, I sum it up as quickly as possible.. I just want to go to bed.

I head up the stairs into my room, shed my dress and put my nike shorts on along with a t-shirt. I climb into bed, the sheets rub against my legs and my body sinks into my mattress. My bed has never felt so good. I drift off to sleep, luckily so tired that my mind shuts itself off and allows me to rest.

So when the director yells cut, I'll be fine, I'm forever young.. I wake up instantly as my phone goes off, it's 2 a.m. "what the hell" I say to myself as I pick up my phone. "One New Message from: Matt" My heart flutters as I reach to click "ok" on my phone.

"You looked so beautiful tonight Hill."