Chapter Five--The Discussion--Angels Among Us/The Blessing

Chapter 5

The discussion

Even though they didn’t dance, it didn’t take away from their experience at all. Vanessa didn’t care; just being there with Mike was good enough. They just sat there, talking. Mike told Vanessa about asking her and how nervous he had been. And Vanessa talked about how bad she had felt not telling Mike the truth about her getting the dress. But then, the conversation hit a more personal note.
“Vanessa, can I tell you something?”
“Sure.”
“At the beginning of the year, you were all I could think about. I even had a hard time concentrating on my schoolwork, because everything I read and saw and heard reminded me of you. Songs, stories, everything.”
It took Vanessa a while to figure out a response that wouldn’t sound stupid or corny, yet would still help her get her point across.
“Why didn’t you come and talk to me earlier in the year?’ She asked.
“Because, mainly of Chad. Even though he always seemed to be near you, I thought and still do, that no guy deserves you. And that’s where I come in. I knew that I couldn’t compare myself to Chad, and if you hung around him, you must think that I am scum.”
Vanessa gasped,
“I guess I can see where you got that from, I mean, Chad can be pretty intimidating sometimes, but when I think of it, I kind of wish that we would have met earlier. If we would have, I wouldn’t have gone though the first few months of high school thinking that I would never meet someone like…like you.”

Mike was in shock. He never expected that to be Vanessa’s reply to what he had said. He just sat there, thinking. Vanessa excused herself and went to the bathroom. She waited until the bathroom was empty, and then went in. The discussion that she and Mike had just had had been way too deep for her and, as she thought about what Mike had gone through with Chad and Max, she got more and more upset, blaming herself for what Mike had gone through. She went into a bathroom stall and began to cry. She didn’t care that her makeup was running down her face, but she was puzzled as to why she was crying. It was the one night that she had been waiting for almost all her life, to go to a dance with someone who she actually liked, so why was she so upset? She was so confused with herself. When someone would come in to the bathroom, she would act as if nothing was wrong, but as soon as they would leave, she would go back to crying again. The same thought was going through her head, ‘If it wasn’t for me, Mike would not have had to suffer so much at Chad’s hand.’
Meanwhile, Mike was waiting outside for Vanessa, but after fifteen minutes and Vanessa hadn’t come back yet, he began to worry. Finally, he went over by the bathrooms and waited. Then, he heard it. As he listened carefully, he heard someone crying, softly. He didn’t know if Vanessa was in the bathroom all alone, but he had heard her cry before and knew that that was her cry. Just then, a girl passed by and opened the door. Mike tapped her on the shoulder.
“Yes?” She asked.
“Vanessa Walters is in there. Can you tell her to come out, please?”
“Uh, sure.”

The girl replied, confused. She walked in and, about one minute later, the door opened. There stood Vanessa, and Mike couldn’t believe it. He didn’t think she was suddenly ugly, just shocked at the way she looked. He could tell that she had been crying. Vanessa hid her face in her hands. Mike took her hand and led her outside to a bench. They just sat there, Mike waiting for a response and trying to find something to say all at the same time. Then, Vanessa spoke,
“M-mike, I-I’m sorry. I just, just lost con-control.” Mike looked at her and tears began to well up in his eyes. He didn’t know why, but just seeing Vanessa looking that way made him upset also.
“B-but Vanessa,” Mike began, “Why…?”
But Vanessa broke in,
“The conversation that we just had, it hit hard and, it brought up all these old thoughts that I had.”
“Of what?”
Vanessa took a deep breath,
“That, it’s my fault you ever got into the fight with Chad and that-.”
“What?? You’re blaming yourself for what happened to me? Why?”
“Because if I had just said yes to Chad’s question about the dance, you would’ve never had to go through all you did.”
Mike was stunned. Here Vanessa was, blaming herself for all that had happened.
“No. No, Vanessa, it just doesn’t go like that. If none of this would have happened, we wouldn’t be here now and we wouldn’t be the friends we are now.”
“So,” Vanessa said, thoughtfully, “I guess it all depends on the way you look at it.”
“Yes,” Mike smiled, “You keep on looking at the side in which you think it is all your fault. But what you should be looking at is what good has come from it.”
Vanessa looked up and smiled. Mike wiped the tears from Vanessa’s face, along with much of her make-up. Then, he looked at his watch.
“Say, Vanessa, I can call my Mom and have her come and pick us up now. If we leave, we will only be missing the last fifteen minutes.”
“Sure. But won’t it take your Mom, like, forty-five minutes to get here?”
“Yeah, but we can wait. Want me to call her?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”

Mike got up and called his Mom. Soon, he was back at the bench where Vanessa sat.
“Listen, Mike, I’m sorry. About earlier. I probably ruined-.”Mike put his finger up to her lips,
“No, you didn’t ruin this night for me.” Vanessa gave him a small smile. Then, Mike reached over and gave her a hug. Vanessa hugged back, feeling secure in his arms.