And Then We Fell Apart (18+)

chapter 6

It's December before we know it. Despite my avid attempts to get out of the winter formal, Sam convinces me to go. He says if I don't, he won't. And if he doesn't, Bennett won't. And if Bennett doesn't, Noah won't. And Noah is going with Maria.

So I guess that's my reason for going.

Mari and my mom take me shopping the week before the dance to get me a dress. I'm not all that excited to go, but it'll be nice to show Stella that I can actually look like a girl when I want to. I think Sam tells Mari what she said because after I've picked out my dress, she holds my shoulders and says: "You are such a pretty girl. Don't ever change yourself for anyone."

Maybe I'll ask him about it another time, but it's not likely. I don't like bringing that night up if I don't have to. Besides, I've done a really great job of ridding it from my mind when it tries to claw its way back up to the surface. Sometimes it's like it never happened, except I still wear my hair down now just in case I do look like a boy.

We're waiting downstairs while Stella and her friends finish getting ready. Mari is going to drive all eight of us — Stella, Holly, Max, Sam, Bennett, Noah, Maria, and me. It's only a four minute commute, so hopefully it won't be too much trouble having a car full of high schoolers. Plus, Stella and her friends won't be riding back with us. They're going to a party at Holly's after, which means that the five of us— including Maria— will be at Sam's for the night.

"You look so pretty, Chandler," Mari gushes over me after she swipes a blush brush over my cheek.

She begs my mom to let her do my makeup, and she gives in. I don't mind it, because I'm kind of clueless still when it comes to that. My mom has never been one to care about cosmetics, so I never did either. Mari, on the other hand, always looks like she's got freshly applied everything.

I smile up at her, flush finding my face. My fingers find the ends of my hair, which feel strange since Mari curled them. When I looked at myself in the mirror about an hour prior, I didnt completely hate what was staring back at me.

"Thanks, Mari."

She's the only one that tells me that, though. Well, my mom does too. But Noah tells Maria she looks pretty, and that's that.

Sam is showing me some pictures on his camera that he took for school while we sit on the couch, the other three loudly exclaiming how much fun tonight is going to be. I don't listen to them, though. I just focus on Sam's serene voice that keeps me feeling level headed despite my nagging nerves.

"Oh, I took this one yesterday. I thought you'd like it a lot," he smiles over at me.

The small screen displays a photo of the brush but it's covered in a very light dusting of snow. I didn't notice there was snow out there yesterday, I must have missed it. But it doesn't surprise me that Sam knew. He's starting to have a really good eye for this kind of thing.

"Yesterday?" I pull the camera closer to my face by holding his wrist. "It snowed yesterday?"

It snowed in New Jersey all winter. But here, it's not so common. The coldest temperature I've seen so far is thirty-five degrees. In New Jersey, we can see as low as zero. I'm not sure if I miss it all that much, but it's surprising to see our summer spot littered with a soft, white blanket.

"Yeah," he laughs. "I watched the news last night and heard we might get some. Around seven is when it started."

"Wow," I exhale, mesmerized by how untouched it looks. It's been a few weeks since we've last gone there, not because we dont want to but because it's too cold. We opt for nine o'clock phone calls instead to recap our days, which is always followed by emails on the desktop computer. "It looks so weird!"