Paradise

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-one

There was no option of last-minute dress shopping. I'd just gotten a cell-phone. There was no way my parents would even considered an extra (and altogether worthless) expense. It was lucky enough that my mother had agreed to take me at all, though she'd been a little wary at first. Not exactly saying no, but her actions and expressions had led me to further explanation, because it also hadn't made much sense to her, either.

Finally satisfied with my answer, she'd left me to claw through my drawers and closet in search of something decent to wear. There definitely wasn't much. I wasn't the type of girl to dress elegantly for any occasion, not even church. I'd definitely not find the beautiful, flowing garment from my dream, that's for sure.

The best thing I could find was a calf-length, spaghetti-strap white dress with a pattern of lilac roses on it and some white, open-toed wedges. I stood in front of the living-room mirror and scrutinized my appearance. I usually hated the way my arms looked, but tonight-- maybe it was just the excitement of the coming event, but I didn't feel ... completely hideous. I turned to the side, my hair falling across my shoulders as I did, the rich, dark color standing out against the soft, white material. I pushed it up with my hands, making a face at my reflection.

My mother came into the room and stood behind me; I could see her in the mirror. She was staring intently at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said. "That dress looks really good on you. It's very slimming."

"Thanks," I said, smiling at her through the mirror. She continued to stare. I fidgeted, touching a strand of my hair. "I don't have to go-- if you don't want to take me."

She gave me a gentle smile. "I don't mind taking you if you want to go. There's only so many school dances."

"Yeah," I said, running my hands down the front of the dress, feeling the soft, cotton material under my fingers.

"You know," she said. "I don't think it's the dress at all. You look like you've lost weight."

I turned around. "Huh? Really?"

She nodded. "Definitely. In your midsection and arms. Even your face looks slimmer."

I turned back to my reflection, feeling proud. "Thanks, I wasn't even trying to lose anything."

"Well you look good," my mother commented.

"Thank you," I said. It felt like I was beaming, like I could outshine the sun.

* * *

At the last minute, I'd decided to try to do something with my hair. When that hadn't worked, I'd merely tied it back into a half-ponytail with an elastic that had a lilac rose on it. Now, I stood in the entrance to the gymnasium, a sheer, white shawl hanging from my arms and a small, pearly-white clutch in my hands (my mother had fished it out of a box in her closet and told me to carry my cell-phone inside of it, if I needed to call her for whatever reason). A reef of brown and gold hung above my head, just like in my dream.

Of course, there were no strobe lights chasing across the gymnasium floor, showering the students' heads in sparks of green and blue light. It would have set the wrong tone. This was a Fall-themed dance, so the colors had to be earthy.

Leaf-shaped streamers hung from the ceiling, spilling through the air, lit by small lantern-like bulbs inside their coiled stems. It was absolutely mesmerizing-- enchanting, even! Just looking at the gymnasium with its decorations, in its festive mood, filled my heart with such warmth, I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.