Night to Remember

It's the night. The night I've been waiting for. I've been looking forward to this night since the beginning of the year. It's the one thing I've dreamed about for years and it's here. Finally. There's butterflies in my stomach and I just can't keep the excitement out of my smile. It'll be perfect and I know it. I've only dreamed and wished for this for so long, I can't remember wishing for something other than this.

I'd liken this to the Cinderella story without the evil relatives. It's about that magical. This dress I've put on has got to be one of the cutest dresses I had ever seen and I bought it just for this perfect night. The black stretches on forever with the white stripe on the side peeking out starting from my waist and it feels like silk on my skin. It's gorgeous. I'm hoping he likes it too.

Zane. He agreed to be my date and I couldn't believe it. I never thought he would especially since his life is such a mess. Stupid ex-girlfriend. But all in all, I'm happy about it. I keep trying to picture him in a tux and the image just barely escapes me and it's frustrating- I can't picture us at all. I'll just have to wait and see.

My two best friends and I are touching up at one of their houses. I'm fixing both of their hair and it amazes me how many curls there are. One's got uber curly dark brown hair that seems to go every which way, the other with blond curly-wavy hair whose locks of hair fit together like pieces of a puzzle. I'm a little green on the edges because my hair's so straight with its own highlights, but it fits me just fine. I wrap my arms around their waists in the mirror and we pose just for fun. We're beautiful and we know it.

Our dresses complement each other, Locke's midnight blue, Natalia's virgin white, and mine's the black. We make up the sky on a beautiful night with a full moon and stars and it looks like it'll never end. Quiet swirls of silk sound like the wind blowing through trees with the clipping sounds of the barrettes remind me of the crickets from the summer nights. Click! goes the camera for our obligatory mirror picture before the dance and we grin at each other because we love it so much.

The doorbell distracts us and we all run down the stairs to see who's the first of the dates to arrive. "Caden!" Natalia exclaims with happiness. He's spiffed up in a white tux with a black shirt to continue with the midnight pre-dawn theme we've got going so far. Caden's face lights up looking at the pretty scene before his eyes and he gives a shy smile to her. She blushes gently and he reaches for her as she steps down.

I pull out my camera and start snapping away, determined to capture the cute moments. The looks on their faces are priceless and I want them to remember tonight for the rest of their lives. The doorbell rings again. I turn to find Locke's date, Taregan at the door. His lines are sharp and I can tell Locke appreciates the way he looks. For a guy, he looks pretty good in the pale pink, almost white tuxedo we picked for him weeks ago. The tie matches her dress and together, they make a picture perfect dawn.

Natalia's dad herds us outside and begins our prom photo shoot even though my date hasn't arrived yet. I'm not worried about him, he's probably running late and I don't mind. I do some of my own photo-taking, loving every shot I get of my friends. They're all so immaculate and stunning; I savor my ability to capture it. I get my picture taken several times, some by myself, some with the girls. It's an odd experience getting my picture taken so many times because I'm so use to the one taking the pictures, not posing for them.

I'm still waiting for him. I stopped taking pictures, allowing Natalia's father to have his fun with the complete couples. I'm sitting on a bench in the front yard, staring down the street hoping to see him turn the corner. I'm so lost in my thoughts, I don't realize Natalia's dad is just taking pictures of me and Locke and Natalia conferring with each other. I'm trying not to feel hurt, barring the emotions that want to flood my being.

Time passes by, I'm not quite sure how long, but I see his car turn onto the street. I straighten my posture and a small smile creeps onto my face. The butterflies are back in full swing. I stand up slowly as he parks in the driveway and walk toward him as he gets out of his car. He's wearing his black tux and he looks so fine. His brown hair's a mess though and I reach up and begin fixing his hair, but stop as I smell something off kilter.

Something isn't right. My senses are tingling and I'm trying to put a finger on the wrongness. Suddenly, I understand everything, why he's late, why his hair's a mess, and most importantly why he's not focused. I can see in his eyes that he can't concentrate and what's wrong is the smell of his breath. I sigh and shake my head in disappointment. He doesn't move, I don't think he can think straight anymore. I turn and look at my best friends who are completely clueless.

"He's intoxicated!" I hissed.
"What?!?!" Both of them looked stunned.
"I'm smelling alcohol on his breath. There can't be any better proof than this." I whispered.
"I swear, I'm going to kill him when he's sober." Natalia said fiercely.
"Yeah, me too. Count me in." Locke added.
"I'm going to bring him inside and we'll see what to do from there. When's dinner reservations?" I asked Natalia.
She looks at her watch. "In half an hour."
"Arg...." I mutter and take Zane's arm and pull him inside. I sit him down and huddle in the corner with my friends.
"Now what?" Locke asks.
"I don't know." I answer. I can't believe this is happening. Not on tonight of all nights!
"Uh, Dayna... He just fell over." Natalia points to my date, who had really just toppled over onto the floor.

I walk over to him and I'm fighting the temptation to kick him for ruining my night. Instead I squat down, reach around his torso under his armpits and pull him up. Locke lifts his legs and we carry him over to the couch. Setting him down, we make sure he's not in an awkward position, and I place a pillow under his head.

"Alright. Here's what I'm going to do. You guys can go ahead and go to dinner and the dance. I'll stay here and watch him." Unlike the storm inside my mind, my voice was calm.
"What?! You can't not go to prom. Zane's an idiot. You shouldn't have to stay with him!" Natalia exclaimed and Locke nodded in agreement.
"Just because he's an idiot doesn't mean I'm going to leave him here to wake up and not know where he is. Knowing him, he'd freak out and do something really stupid. Besides, it's not like prom will be any fun without him." I ended wistfully.
"Are you sure about this?" Locke looks at me carefully.
"Yeah, I'm sure about this. I'm just going to order some pizza and sit with him until he wakes up."
Natalia shook her head. "You're crazy, Dayna."
I shrugged. "Now get out of here. You've got dinner reservations to make."

They both made more sounds of protest, but they could see that their dates weren't too happy about just waiting around watching the drama unfold. Natalia's dad agreed that it was my best course of action and ordered the pizza for me. I told them to call me if they needed me and to have fun as well as a couple instructions so I wouldn't get in trouble. Then I waved to them as they drove away.

Now alone except for my sleeping date, I sit down in a chair facing the couch and I stare at him. The wheels in my mind are spinning furiously, trying to comprehend why my dream had to be shattered and why he had to pick today to get drunk. I told myself, I wouldn't pity myself and searched through my purse for my Ipod. I plugged myself into my music and just closed my eyes, letting the melodies rush through me.

I listened to a majority of my songs on my Ipod, not caring what they were. I didn't keep track of the time either. All I did was sit there and watch him, silently mouthing the words of the music, comparing them to my life to see if they fit. I get to this one particular song, the song I've been hooked on for the last few months, and I can't help myself. I begin to softly sing out loud.

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story
Baby, just say yes

Romeo, save me
They try to tell me how I feel
This love is difficult, but it's real
Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess
It's a love story
Baby, just say yes
Oh oh"

I keep on singing, not realizing that there are tears slipping down my cheeks. My eyes are closed picturing the fantasy in my head. My wish of being loved.

"I got tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around
My faith in you is fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town
And I said

Romeo, save me
I've been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for you, but you never come
Is this in my head
I don't know what to think
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring
And said

Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone
I love you and that's all I really know
I talked to your dad
Go pick out a white dress
It's a love story
Baby, just say yes
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh..."

The song ends and I just sit there, pausing my Ipod. I can see the dream in my head, the one about this special dance I wanted to go to for so long. I pressed play and the beginning melody from the third High School Musical spills into my headphones. Standing up, I begin swaying to the tune and singing again, this time a little louder.

"Take my hand, take a breath
Pull me close and take one step
Keep your eyes locked on mine,
And let the music be your guide."

I twirl in my bare feet, pretending I was dancing with someone.

"Won't you promise me (now won't you promise me, that you'll never forget)
We'll keep dancing (to keep dancing) wherever we go next

It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)
Can I have this dance"

A hand appeared from nowhere, sitting on my waist. I stopped dancing and opened my eyes. In the darkness, I could make out the outline of Zane standing besides me. He gives me a small smile, steps away and bows.

"May I have this dance?"
I curtsy. "Yes, you may."

I place an ear bud into his ear, and with the other hand fixing his hair that got ruffled during his nap. The Ipod fell into his pocket while his arm went around my waist and my arms around his neck. We begin to dance, but it was more of a shuffle.

"Take my hand, I'll take the lead
And every turn will be safe with me
Don't be afraid, afraid to fall
You know I'll catch you through it all

And you can't keep us apart (even a thousand miles, can't keep us apart)
'Cause my heart is (cause my heart is) wherever you are

It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)
Can I have this dance

Oh no mountains too high enough, oceans too wide
'Cause together or not, our dance won't stop
Let it rain, let it pour
What we have is worth fighting for
You know I believe, that we were meant to be

It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you (like you)
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do (way we do)
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)
Can I have this dance"

The last few notes twinkle away and his hand reaches in to his pocket to stop the music. I look up at him, to find him staring down at me. Our eyes locked in a timeless stare, silently bonding and sharing the emotions we couldn't put into words. It was as if time stopped, nothing moved, there were no sounds. Everything was how it should've been. Just him and me, all alone but together and that's what mattered.

It got so intense, he couldn't take it anymore. "I'm sorry, Dayna. I've ruined your night and it's all my fault." He looked so forlorn and guilty, I had to forgive him. He's been the weak spot in my heart, always have been. He's made up for his mistake already and I'm not so picky it anyway. It's good enough for me. I give him a smile, one that means so much more than I anything I could say, and go up on tiptoe to press a kiss on his cheek. He returns with a handsome grin of his own and wipes away leftover moisture from earlier.

Taking my Ipod, I search through the list and find the perfect song. He chuckles at my song choice and we begin to dance again.

"There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing
But I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepia tone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing it's always better when we're together"

We danced and danced and danced from one song to another and another. Over and over and over again. Though happy songs to sad songs to love songs and we enjoyed our time together away from everyone else in a dark house. Eventually we stopped, our legs exhausted from the workout we gave them.

The couch became our resting place. My head on his chest and my legs tucked under myself, my dress spread out making a black silk fan. He had taken his tie off and unbuttoned a couple buttons. His arm was snug around my waist, his head on top of mine. As we sat there, a line came through my head that summed up my thoughts about tonight.

"I just wanna be with you..."

I didn’t realize that I had sang the line out loud until Zane looked down at me and pressed a kiss to my fore head. “After tonight, I do too.” He sighed. “No one else would’ve done what you did tonight. No one else would have forgiven me so quickly. And no one else loves me like you do.”

I looked up at him startled. I had never told him that, at least not to his face. He laughed a little. “I could tell that you did. It’s actually quite obvious.” I was glad it was dark so he couldn’t see me blush. “Except I wasn’t sure how far your love would go. I don’t trust love anymore, especially after you know who. But you proved it and I want to thank you for it.”
There was nothing I could say to that, so I snuggled back against his shoulder after pressing a kiss into it, causing him to smile and his eyes to twinkle. We just enjoyed our time together and just got lost in the comfortableness of being whole for the first time. That was how my best friends and their dates found us and they were absolutely shocked.

For me, it didn't matter that I had to stay back and it didn't matter that Zane had been slightly drunk. I still got my happy ending, though not what I had envisioned. But it was better because it was reality. And hey, I got a picture of that wonderful moment too to remember it so it was three times better. It was definitely a night to remember. :)