Red Converse

Chapter 14: Prom?

I stood at the front door of Aaron's house. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door that always opened and welcomed me in. Mama quickly opened it and her eyes widened at the sight of the flowers in my hands.

"Peter..." She began, but didn't continue.

She opened the door wider so that I could step in. A frown formed on her face as she watched me closely.

Maybe I didn't look good. Maybe there was snow in my hair.

I reached up and checked for snowflakes just in case. I anxiously tapped my fingers on my suit pants as I worried about what Aaron would say.

Even if he said no, we'd still be able to watch some Christmas movies together...right?

My heart felt like it stopped as I spotted a figure on the couch. The sunshine peeking through the bottom of the curtain-covered windows was the only light in the unusually dim house. Without a thought, I practically skipped up to the figure that I knew was Aaron. As I got closer, I noticed he had changed.

His hair was short.

"You got a haircut! Did you do it yourself or did Mama cut it like she always does?" I teased happily.

His green eyes looked so dark and angry that I took a step back.

"I'm...I'm sorry I haven't been around recently. You know how my family is..." I laughed to myself, hoping to ease the tension that I didn't understand.

He stood up, crossed his arms, and glared at me with pure hatred.

Maybe this wasn't the best time to ask him to the prom.

I took a shaky breath and tried to stand up straighter.

"I brought you these," I mumbled as I lifted the bouquet up for him to take.

He glanced down at the flowers then back at my face, making no move to take them from me. The melted snow dripped off my hair and onto the soft carpet below my feet.

"I'll take them," Mama offered as I let her gently take them from my shaking hands.

My empty hands anxiously gripped the sides of my suit pants. My eyes stung as tears started to fall.

"I'm sorry...I don't know why I'm crying," I apologized weakly.

Silence was all I heard in response to my words.

"Aaron...I've thought about it over and over and over again. The puddles, the snow, the middle school dance, the Christmas movies, the chocolate milk, the frost on the school bus windows, the sword fights... Our matching pairs of red converse. You bring warmth to my cold world and I can't thank you enough for that. Aaron Walker, my king, will you go to prom with me?" I let the words fall out as my cheeks burned a bright red.

"Leave," he ordered.

I gripped at the fabric of my suit as I felt a horrible stabbing pain spread in my chest. My tears stained my red converse. I staggered backwards.

The puddles we played in.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

The snow we caught on our tongues.

My shoulders sagged.

The middle school dance where we danced the night away.

My head dropped and my gaze met the floor.

The holiday movies we watched every Christmas.

My tears stained the red pair of shoes on my feet.

The chocolate milk we drank to celebrate getting older.

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

The frost on the school bus windows where you drew us holding hands.

Mama dropped the flowers.

The sword fights where we claimed we were kings.

I ran out of the house and into the snowy woods.

Our matching pairs of red converse.