Prom is next Friday and I’m still not ready, not even a prom date. It wasn’t like no one asked me but it was more about me not giving a yes to any of those who asked. I can’t imagine how none of those guys showed a little sympathy, they all had that wolf look that I hated the most and I couldn’t put up with that on a special day such as prom.
I know I’m probably making a fuss out of this but now that I really need a prom date, the next one who asks me will be the “lucky guy”. Let’s just hope he’s acceptable!
“Ouh! Saved by the bell” Kate said as the bell rang waking us all up from a coma.
I quickly gathered my stuffs and rushed to the door, I had a lot of upcoming things. As much as I didn’t want to go through all this, I didn’t want to drop everything now. And the only idea that boosted me was that in less than a week, I’ll have a new start and I was going to make sure to build it my way.
Nearly sprinting through the high school’s hall, I heard among the deafening noise someone calling my name:
“Lisa! Hey, Lisa... wait a minute”
I turned around to face Carmen framed by the other girls, I was the only element missing to the usual picture that everybody at high school saw every day.
“Why are you in a rush?” Carmen said giving me a nasty look later “Oh so now you keep your dates as a secret?”
I gave her my fake smiled that she never detected as fake (I guess that’s one thing I learnt from her, at the first place) and as they walked along with me, I tried to explain:
“it’s not what you think! I was just-”
As I was trying hard to make up an excuse, my eyes landed on a familiar silhouette. It was mom!
The feeling of embarrassment from getting caught leaving in a rush soon made my throat tighten even more. And I found myself again running away from the girls.
“Mom?” I whispered in her ear as she turned around “what are you doing here?”
The last time I remember seeing mom at a school’s door is when I was twelve. Only that was a surprise to me, let alone the fact that she didn’t even call before showing off.
It took me a couple seconds to rush these ideas in my mind and remember that the girls were standing really close and that made me realize how embarrassing my mother’s look was.
Even on a normal day, she wouldn’t dress this badly. She exactly looked like someone who’s been kicked out from his house by an earthquake.
“Baby, I came here to let Terence in your safe arms. Auntie Rebecca won’t come to get him today so at around 8 make sure you take good care of him for tonight. Oh… and Lisa, don’t stay up hungry like that, look at how skinny you’ve become” Mom said all this at once.
It was then that I realized how pale her face was and how her usual wide and lovely smile was no more there.
“Mom?” I whispered for the girls not to hear me “What have you been like this and why are you leaving Terence with me all night? You know that I’m not free”
“Oh! You reminded me, I’ve got to go back to the hospital now. I’ll explain everything when I’m back. Don’t forget anything I said, Lisa!” She said walking towards the taxi that I just realized was waiting at the front door.
My luck couldn’t be any worse. The girls were coming closer as Terence put his tiny hand into mine.
“Look at this cutie!” Gloria, one of the girls said kneeling down to reach Terrence’s level.
