Chapter Four--The Dance--Angels Among Us/The Blessing

Chapter 4

The Dance

The following Friday was the day before the dance, taking place of December 8th; and Vanessa was very excited. Most girls at school were going to have their makeup done before the dance. However, Vanessa was doing her own makeup. The only thing that she was doing drastically different was her hair. After school, she told Mike that her Dad was picking her up and waved bye. However, that was a lie. She was taking the bus to the hairdresser. When there, she showed the picture from her magazine to the lady. Then, she watched her hair fall.
Her hair had originally been halfway down her back. Now, it was shorter than shoulder length. An hour before Mike was coming to pick her up, she went and took a shower. As she stood in the shower, she thought of a question that Mike had asked her early that week. He had asked what the color of her dress was. She had said Magenta and silver. She was still puzzling over the question. After washing her hair and spraying herself with shower spray, she took out her blow dryer and hair straightener. She stood in her bathroom and straightened her hair. As she looked at herself, she couldn’t believe that it was herself looking back in the mirror. She did her makeup and put her dress on. Sitting down, she took a deep breath. Then, she put on her shoes; strappy silver heels. She was in the bathroom, putting on her lipstick, when the doorbell rang.
“Can you get it?’ She yelled to her Dad.
“Yes!”
Then, it hit her; she was actually going to the dance with Mike. She began to shake and couldn’t put her lipstick on straight. Then, she yelled,
“Ready?”
“Yes!” Her Dad shouted back.
She opened the door and stepped out. Walking down the hallway, she calmed her nerves. Then, she did it. She stepped out of the hallway and into the light where Mike and his parents were waiting.
“Hi.” She said, shyly.
Mike’s eyeballs popped out of his head about two inches. Vanessa was stunning enough in the dress. But he had had no idea that she was going to cut her hair! He was speechless and his mouth was hanging open. She got her purse and walked up to Mike and his parents.
“Dear, you look beautiful!” Mrs. Fowler exclaimed.
“You do!” His Dad said and Vanessa had a secret suspicion that he was shocked just as much as Mike was.
“Y-You look great.” was Mike’s stuttering reply to Vanessa’s beauty
“Thanks.” whispered Vanessa. Then, Vanessa found out why Mike had asked her the color of her dress. He held out a small box and inside was the most beautiful arrangement of flowers on a wristband. A corsage. Vanessa gasped at the beauty of it. She was still shaking and when she saw the flowers, her legs almost gave out on her again. Carefully, Mike slipped it onto her wrist. It matched her dress perfectly. Then, he leaned in and whispered, “Your hair looks really cute!” Vanessa just smiled and looked at the corsage for a long moment. Then, she looked back up into Mike’s eyes and her eyes widened.
“Thanks.”

After all the pictures were done being taken by the parents, Mike helped Vanessa into the car and they set off, Mrs. Fowler driving, of course. For a while, there was an awkward silence between them both. Vanessa couldn’t keep her eyes off the corsage. She was looking at it again and Mike was watching.
“I guess you like the corsage?” Vanessa jumped and looked up. Unable to find the words, she just nodded. Mike smiled,
“Good, I thought that the color was off, but I guess I was wrong.”
“No,” Vanessa said, “The color matches exactly.”
For a while, Mike again watched Vanessa looking at her corsage. Then, he tried again to make a conversation,
“I take it that you have never had a corsage before.” Vanessa shook her head.
“Ok then,” Mike said, “That’s good to know because I have never given one out to anyone before.”
Vanessa giggled and it made Mike feel all warm inside. Her laugh was the cutest little laugh in the world.
When they got to the auditorium, Mike got out and went around to the other side of the car and opened Vanessa’s door. She took his hand and got out of the car. Mike was really nervous. But Vanessa couldn’t seem to realize why. Then, she saw him. Chad was there; and he had no date. Mrs. Fowler drove away, leaving Mike and Vanessa no place to hide from Chad’s evil stare. Then, he found them. As Chad walked over, Vanessa prayed silently to herself that nothing would happen. Not on this night, the night that she had been dreaming of, but never thought would happen. At first, Chad didn’t say anything. He just looked at Vanessa and Mike with a look of pure disgust on his face. Then, he turned to Vanessa,
“Why are you here with him? The cripple?”
“Because he asked me, Chad. And I said yes, just like I told you I would.”
“I can’t believe you,” Chad snarled, “going with him. You were so popular. This has probably lowered your school status by half.”
“And I am supposed to care about school status, how?” Vanessa asked.
Mike was about to talk, but then he realized something. He didn’t have anything to say. He figured it was better to keep his mouth shut then get in another fight with Chad and ruin Vanessa’s night.
“You do want to be popular, don’t you?” Chad asked.
Vanessa looked into Chad’s eyes, “I don’t care if I am popular or not. I made a really good friend who has taught me a lot. That is worth so much more than being popular.”
“And what,” Chad began, “has this guy taught you?”
“He has taught me that anything is possible. From standing up to you and your big mouth to going through the inevitable.” Chad walked away in disgust, obviously unable to take anymore of this encouraging and, in his eyes, touchy-feeling stuff. Vanessa turned to Mike, who was standing there.
“Let’s go in, okay?”
Mike nodded and, arm-in-arm, they went in.

They were sitting at their table after dinner when Mike turned toward Vanessa and asked a question.
“Vanessa? Is what you said out there true?”
“Is what true?”
“That being friends with me is-.”
“Better than being popular?” Vanessa finished; she seemed to do that quite a bit. Mike nodded. However, he was afraid of what she was going to say. Then he was surprised by the nod of Vanessa’s head.
“Yes,” she said softly, “I was popular before, but then I met you and realized that not everyone in the world gossiped and back-stabbed each other. I guess what I mean is that I never thought there was anyone out there who would be like, like me I guess. I was popular, sure, but I acted much different when I was with my friends then when I was I at home. The way I acted at home is the way I am. And you brought that side out in me Mike. If you understand what I am saying.”
Vanessa, in her head, was thinking, ‘He probably doesn’t get what I am trying to say. I didn’t make any sense at all.’ Then, to her horror, she realized that she had said that thought out loud. Not that loud, but still, Mike had heard. However Mike’s eyes didn’t show any sign of anger, but of perfect understanding. He just nodded and Vanessa smiled and sighed a breath of relief.