The Cherry Trees

Chapter Seventeen: 2014

It was lunch time and Remy was talking to Zane, so I allowed myself to tune out for a little and daydream for a while. I was thinking about Sprinkles the hamster, and then somehow that led me to thinking about how many friends I had in so many different places. I mean, not a lot of people my age could say they had friends in two different states- much less two different countries. It was hard, but I considered myself lucky to have such a variety of friends in so many different places.

The light flooded through the glass door leading to the outside from the cafeteria, and my thought process paused, amused with the way the light danced on the dirty gray tiling of the floor.

"Earth to Anne!" Remy said, waving her hand in front of my face.I hated when people did that. If you weren't participating in the conversation, obviously you didn't want to be bothered. Regardless, I snapped my attention back to our lunch table, and Remy turned to me excitedly.

"Are you going to the dance?" she asked me.

"Uh... what dance?"

"The fall ball! It's so much fun! There is a theme and everything. They serve us all hot dogs, too."

"Uh... I wasn't planning on it."

"Oh come on! Why not? It's not like you have to go with a boy or anything."

Zane scrunched up his face. "Ew cooties!" he said in a falsetto voice. I laughed, thinking of Will.

Remy narrowed her eyes and turned back to me. "Really, Anne! Come! All you have to do is where a pretty dress. They have a D.J. and disco ball and stuff!"

I sighed, giving it some thought. "Where is it?"

"The gym. My mom can probably drive us," she offered.

I nodded. "When?"

"It's this Friday."

"Okay. But you have to help me find something to wear..." I said, trailing off as I thought of what I had in my minuscule closet.

"Oh that's easy. I have so many dresses I'm sure we could find you at least one to wear."

Zane rolled his eyes at all of our girl talk. Or Remy's rather.

"Okay," I agreed.

"Great," Remy said, a smile stretched across her face.

-

We only had one hour before this dance thing, and I still hadn't picked out something to wear, even though I knew it wasn't that big a deal.

"Oh! that one looks perfect on you!" Remy said, bouncing on her bed.

"Okay."

"Anne! You've said that about all the dresses! Which one do you like?"

I looked through the stack of dresses crumpled on her floor, and then realized that this was the least I could do. I reached in and pulled out a pretty black dress that came down to my knees. There was a bow that went around my waist and it was sleeveless, but I knew I could pair it with a white sweater or something. I held it up to admire it, and looked at Remy for approval.

"Perfect!" she said, smiling."Now we just have to get ready!" Remy herself pulled on a pretty floral dress. Her mom had curled her hair earlier, and she had pierced ears, so two diamond studs accented her outfit perfectly. I thought we may be getting a little too dressed up for this. After all, they were serving hot dogs.

I slipped the dress on and just brushed my already straight hair. Remy insisted on putting a white bow in my hair though, and I wasn't going to argue with the one who just gave up a dress for me.

"Alright girls, ready?" Ms. Sampson asked, marching into the room with her purse slung over her shoulder.

"Yup!" we both said in unison.

-

We walked into the gym together and I couldn't see a thing. Colorful lights were dancing all over the walls of the room, and music blared. I recognized some songs- they were ones I had heard in Georgia- but there were others I hadn't heard at all yet.

We soon found Zane, who I assumed was another new friend of mine, and we all started dancing. Remy was pretty good since she took dance, but Zane and I had no idea what we were doing, so we pretty much ended up just laughing together.

Halfway through we got pretty hungry, so we grabbed some hot dogs and went outside to eat. I noticed how much colder it was in England in November than in Georgia, and I regretted leaving my sweater with my shoes in the gym. The cold nipped at my arms, and goosebumps sprang up everywhere.

"Having fun?" Remy asked me, her face stuffed with food.

I nodded. "It is better than I thought it would be."

"I know, right!" Zane said. I laughed and finished eating, so we could all get back inside. After a few more hours of spastic dancing, the principal's voice came over the speakers and told us that the dance had ended. Remy and I walked outside, our breaths coming out in puffs of white against the dark night.

"You know what?" Remy asked me, giving a suspicious smile.

"What?"

"I think someone likes you!"

I knew who she was talking about.

"Ew cooties!" I said, and I took off running into the parking lot, Remy laughing hysterically behind me.