“You know what? I think tonight may be the night. This is most likely going to be the last winter formal I attend. I’m making the most of it.”
I attempted a weak smile as her words registered. Every time I let myself remember that her illness was terminal and that she was living on borrowed time, I felt a part of me shatter. I was done crying in front of her, though. I didn't know how long she had left, and I wouldn’t spend a second not being upbeat and trying to keep her smiling.
“Let’s go down and let your mom and dad take a billion photos and get out of here.”
“Wait, I need to fix my hair!” she said laughing, and then my smile was genuine. Her hair was in a super short pixie cut, she licked the palm of her hand, smoothed it across her head and wiggled her eyebrows. “Done!”
I shook my head in amusement as we made our way downstairs and were bombarded by camera flashes.
“You two look beautiful,” Bill told us and after the obligatory curfew and stay safe, don't drink, drive careful talk we were finally out of the door and on our way to our winter formal.
We arrived at the school gym that had been decorated in a ton of silver and white tinsel. Fake snow had been laid out and snowflake decorations adorned every surface in sight. We headed straight to the dance floor and Em was in her element as I swayed awkwardly from side to side. I’d never been great in social situations and I definitely preferred not to dance, but if Em was having fun I’d suck it up. We danced for what seemed like hours but I'm sure it was only minutes. Em stumbled and reached out for my arm,
“Shit, are you ok?” I asked her, taking note of her expression.
“Yeah, I’m fine, I just need to sit down I think, I’m a little dizzy.”
I took her arm and guided her to one of the bench seats that lined the perimeter of the room and we sat down watching the crowd, as she concentrated on taking deep calming breaths.
“You feel better now?”
“Yeah, a little bit. I guess I just overdid it.” Her voice tapered off as her eyes locked on to Ethan Jamison, walking towards the halls.
“You know what, Blair? I’m gonna make a move; he can only say no, right?”
My smile was huge as I nodded my agreement. “Definitely!”
She smoothed her dress down ready to go and make her play on the guy that she’d crushed on forever and I felt so proud. My happiness was short lived though, as her body went limp and she tumbled to the floor in front of me with blood trickling from her nose. The teachers called an ambulance and we were transported through to the hospital, but it was all a blur. Before I knew what had happened, we were sitting in the Teenage Cancer Unit common room with Em hooked up to an IV of platelets, dressed in evening gowns and heels.
“This is not how this night was supposed to go,” she commented dejectedly. “I’m supposed to be being felt up behind the gym, not stuck in here with this.” She grabbed a hold of the IV stand and rattled it.
“I’d be happy to feel you up?” a deep voice echoed from behind us and we both spun around wide-eyed to see who had offered their groping services.
My eyes landed on a tall tanned guy with buzzed brown hair and a lip ring through his plump bottom lip. He was wearing a snug black t-shirt and tight black jeans, like a super hot Emo guy. I nudged Em’s shoulder and whispered under my breath, “I’d let him!”
She burst out laughing and the guy stood unmoving and staring at Em like she was candy and he was a baby. It took a minute to realize that he too was holding an IV stand that he seemed to be hooked up to.
“This is gonna sound weird but I saw you come in, and I figured that life’s too short right? I need to tell you that you’re the hottest girl I think I’ve ever seen,” Emo hottie stated.
My jaw literally hit the floor, as Em played all coy and shy.
“Wow, he’s smooth,” I laughed as he shot me a brilliant white smile. I took it as my cue to leave and grab a coffee while Em and Emo hottie made friends.
“Okay Blair, I didn’t just dream that up right? Lucas was real wasn't he?” Emily asked as I walked back into the common room thirty minutes later. Em’s parents were hot on my heels.
“If by Lucas you mean Emo hottie, nope! He was very real.” I smiled.
“Excellent, well this shitty night just got a whole lot better. That means I didn’t just imagine that kiss or his number in my cell.”
“You did not just kiss him!” I whisper shouted as Pam and Bill walked up beside us to greet her. She smiled huge and wiggled her eyebrows.”
“Oh my god, you did!”
“Did what, honey?” Pam asked.
“Nothing,” Em smirked.
“I’m so sorry, honey, this must have been a horrible night for you.”
“Actually, no,” she replied. “It’s been pretty awesome.”