It Was You

Chapter 10

"I can't do this."

"What do you mean you can't do this?"

"I'm getting too attached, I never wanted that."

"Of course you wanted it or else you wouldn't have kept seeing him."

Dammit. She had a point. I was just so nervous about this dance tonight, I wasn't sure how to feel about anything. Why were mom's so wise? "Aren't you supposed to be giving me a talk?" I asked her. "You know, like; don't have sex, don't drink alcohol, be home by eleven?"

Mom laughed as she finished helping me with my hair. "I can't stop you from doing any of that," she told me. "I remember my first Homecoming, so I think I would be a bit of a hypocrite if I told you all of that." Wow, add that to the list of things I didn't need to hear, why don't ya?

"Mom, that's...gross, I didn't need to know that!" She started laughing and shook her head. "All I'm saying," she said as she knelt down in front of me, "is have fun. Live. Ben, he seems to have a knack for making you do that lately. If you are going to do something illegal...don't get caught."

Despite mom's advice, I knew I wasn't going to drink or do anything stupid. Besides, I don't think I can drink anyways. Who knows, it might kill me.

At five o'clock, I could hear the doorbell ring. While mom fixed up my dark purple dress, dad got the door. I was getting nervous about how I couldn't hear his and Ben's muffled conversations. "Alright and you're all set," mom told me. "Now, please...have fun."

I smiled as I told her, "I will."

Mom went downstairs first after grabbing her camera—I hate pictures—and I came down just a minute after. The moment I came into view, mom snapped a picture. "Mom," I sighed. She ignored me and kept taking pictures.

Ben, who was looking at me the way no person ever has before, went to the bottom of the stairs with a wide smile on his face. When I got to the last step, he took my hand and kissed it. "You are so gorgeous," he told me. "Wow, I...I can't believe I'm going to be walking into that dance with you on my arm."

I almost swooned right then and there and from the looks of it, mom was about to as well.

Ben looked so handsome in his suit with a purple tie to match my dress. I could tell he had tried to contain his growing hair by putting tons of gel in it, but it kept coming loose. It was adorable.

I hadn't noticed he had a corsage in his hand until he lifted it up to me. It was a beautiful white flower. "May I?" He asked. I nodded and he took out the corsage. Mom quickly took the container it was in, then snapped pictures as he put it on my wrist.

I felt awful because I didn't even think about getting one for him! I thought it was only for proms! But, as usual, mom has saved the day. Apparently, she went out and bought one earlier today. She went into the kitchen and pulled it out of the fridge before giving it to me. I thanked her with my eyes, then took the same colored corsage out and pinned it on his jacket.

He gave me a knee melting smile when I was finished. Dad then told us to get outside so mom could get some decent pictures. We stood in front of a rose hedge, Ben's arm around me and smiled for the camera. I tried hiding my oxygen tank by placing it behind my legs so I could look semi normal.

I refused to carry it in a backpack because it would stick out like a sore thumb and it would get too heavy throughout the night. I was still worried about how I was going to dance with it. I figured when the time comes, I'll know.

After pictures were taken, dad said, "Alright, let's get you two going." I said goodbye to mom and got into dad's car with Ben. "What time should I pick you two up?" He asked as we got down the street. "Oh, my parents offered to pick us up," Ben told him.