After Death

Chapter Twenty Three

Marilyn had purchased her prom dress almost six months ago. She had a set idea of exactly what color she wanted to wear, baby blue. Paul hadn’t thought one way or another, and had happily come along to pick out his own baby blue bowtie and cummerbund. He had insisted on the bowtie as opposed to a normal vest and tie, but of all people to pull that stupid look off, he would’ve been the one to do. Had he been happy to go along? Had he and Danielle already been together? 

She shuddered, shaking the thought off. She looked great in the dress, and her makeup and hair appointment had gone off without a problem. She looked like who she deserved to look like. She was Marilyn, after all. She was happy, at least for the moment. She was going to senior prom, and with someone who actually made her happy and was fun to be around. Granted, it wasn’t in the original cards, but it wasn’t absolutely something. 

She was grateful that she hadn’t had Paul at the front of her mind. Colin had given her something else to focus on, and if anything he was the prom date that she needed to not be a girl without a prom date. He wasn’t bad company, either. She could afford to be seen next to him. The real test of popularity was if you could outshine everyone, even if their status cast a shadow onto you. Colin wasn’t really a shadow, though. He was just a little different. 

Even so, she had cried every night thinking about Paul. No one had mentioned it to her, but she knew they wanted to. Her friends were still her friends, her teachers were still her teachers, but everyone was a few degrees off. It was weird how things had snapped pretty much back into place in Paul’s absence. Sure, they didn’t have him to look up to anymore, but Marilyn was still there. She led an impromptu cheerleading squad lunch, she hung out with most of the people she normally hung out with. Things were normal, except now Colin was attached to her hip instead of Paul. They were different, though. Very different. 

Danielle hadn’t shown her face either, and it wasn’t even remotely something that anyone was about to bring up to Marilyn. She didn’t even see the girl in passing, which was probably a good thing. Marilyn’s feelings on the matter had turned a little rabid. 

Veronica didn’t show up either. Marilyn had slept in her car and woke up with a throbbing headache that was either a hangover or heartbreak. She tried going home the next day, but Veronica was already gone and Marilyn knew that she had launched off on one binge or another. That was something she didn’t concern herself with anymore. 

It was a weird week, but things were looking up. She didn’t need to think about Paul, and she still felt good. People still liked her, that was what counted. Colin had proved to be an interesting enough game to play, and he really wasn’t half bad.

There was a knock on the door, and she knew it was him. She always knew who was at the door.

Marilyn made sure that she was already smiling by the time the door opened. Colin looked good, and had cleaned up out of that alternative look he usually sported. 

“Ready to go?” he asked, clearly nervous but hiding it.

“One second! Just stay here,” she chimed, and hurried back into the house. She grabbed her small clutch out of there room, then took pause. She had taken down all Paul related things, but it still felt like him, It didn’t matter though. Not today. She was going to go to prom. She scuttled back to the door. “Ready!” She brushed his arm lightly, knowing that it would keep him hooked in for the rest of the night. Nothing says ‘do anything I want’ like the promise of physical contact.

 Colin’s house was nice. Nicer than Marilyn’s. Not quite Paul’s mansion, but he wasn’t from Paul’s family. He wasn’t Paul. She needed to stop comparing things to Paul. He introduced her to his pleasant parents, who were the exact opposite of who she figured they might be.