The Art of Life (89 page)

               
“Thank
you Jeremy,” I whisper, taking his hand.
 
He squeezes it and then rubs it with his thumb.
 
We sit there for a while, just holding hands.
 
“What do you want to do now?”

               
“Let’s
go home.”

               
I
lean towards him, “Okay, but move over.
 
I am driving.”

               
The
next day, I am super amped to drive to school.
 
Who wouldn’t be?
 
When I pull into
the students’ parking lot, I get a lot of staring.
 
So, I am a little self-conscious.
 
When I get out, Eric and Jack come up to meet
me.
 
“Isabelle!
 
This is tight!
 
Better yet, this is freaking sweet!”

               
“Yeah,”
Eric says smiling.
 
“This was a
great…gift, a super expensive gift at that.
 
Do you like it?”

               
“I
love it,” I squeal happily.
 
“It is
awesome.
 
It has purple runner lights
under the car.
 
There is lighting on the
inside that I can change the color different ways with a touch of a
button.
 
It has the best sound system
ever!
 
I will be going deaf in a few
days, but what a way to lose your hearing.
 
Jeremy said he will explain the engine to you guys later.
 
It is an incredibly smooth ride.
  
I am totally in love.”

               
“With Jeremy?”
Eric asks.

               
Confused,
I say, “No, the car.
 
I am in love with
the car.”
 
Eric just nods.
 
“Who wants to drive it at lunch time,” I
quip, shaking my keys.

               
Jack
raises his hand.
 
“Oh come on, are you
surprised?”

               
“No,”
I laugh.
 
“I figured you would.”

               
 
“Bonus,” Jack says, rubbing his hands
together.

               
The
ten minute warning bells rings, so we start to walk to class.
 
Suddenly, Holly comes walking up to us.
 
“Nice car.”

               
“Thanks,”
I reply.

               
“So,
I am asking everyone, what are you wearing to winter formal?”

               
Slowing
down, I just look at her.
 
“Winter formal?”

               
“Yeah,
it’s in two weeks.
 
Aren’t you going?”
She asks.

               
“I
don’t do school dances,” I answer awkwardly.

               
Turning
around Jack says, “Come on, you need to come.
 
Oh
my gosh
!
 
If you come, I am driving with you!
 
That is better than a limo.”

               
“Umm,
I am not sure if I would even come to the dance,” I mumble.

               
“Why not?”
Jack asks.

               
I
pull my jacket around myself tighter.
 
“I
don’t know.”

               
“
Mmm
, I want to see Jeremy dressed up,” Holly sighs.

               
My
eyes widen.
 
“Oh, he REALLY won’t come to
dances.
 
Hell would freeze over before
that would happen.”

               
“So,
you would be dateless?” Holly inquires.

               
“Pretty
much,” I retort.
 
“So,
no formal for me.”

               
Eric
interjects, “Actually, none of us really have dates.
 
Jack doesn’t, I don’t, a couple of other
people.
 
It will just be the group of
us.
 
You should come.
 
It would be fun.”

               
“I
will see,” I whisper.

               
When
we get to our lockers, Holly and Jack leave.
 
As soon as they are gone, Eric turns to me.
 
“You should really come to the dance.”

               
With
a little hesitation I say, “Maybe.”

               
“It
will be fun,” he draws out, smiling at me.

               
“I
will think about it.”

               
He
moves over a nudges me with his hip.
 
“Come on, you know you are going to go.
 
I need to have at least a few dances with you.”

               
Those
words make my heart drop.
 
“You want to
dance with me?”

               
“Of
course,” Eric replies.
 
“I heard you were
a good dancer.”

               
“I
wouldn’t say that,” I whisper, blushing really hard.
 
“I will think about it.
 
When do we have to buy tickets by?”

               
“Friday,”
Eric replies.
 
“How about this, I will
buy you a ticket and it will be an open invitation.
 
You can come, you cannot come,
it’s
up to you.
 
You
eat dinner beforehand, so I will put you in as sitting at our table.”
           

               
I
nod.
 
“Thanks, I will let you know what I
decide.”
 
The second warning bell rings,
and I smile.
 
“See you later Eric.”

               
“Bye
Isabelle,” he replies, as I walk away.

               
My
head spins for the rest of the day.
 
When
I get home that night, Jeremy is gone, but I really don’t think anything of
it.
 
I sit down at my desk and sigh.
 
What do I do?
 
Do I go?
 
I would be on my own on
this one.
 
No Jeremy to hold me up.
 
Am I ready for that?
 
Come on Isabelle, you got a tattoo, you can
do it.
 
You have to learn to be
independent from Jeremy.
 
Nodding my
head, I grab my cell phone, and text Eric: I’m going.
 
The response I get is: Excellent!

               
A
few minutes later, my cell phone rings.
 
“Hello?” I answer.

               
“Hey
girl,” Cassandra giggles.
 
“The boys went
out to play pool tonight, leaving us women to fend for ourselves and I was
wondering if you wanted to have a girl’s night.
 
And by girl’s night I mean going through bridal magazines with me.”

               
“Actually,
I was wondering if you would do me a favor,” I slowly say.

               
“What’s
that?” Cassandra chirps.

               
Taking
a deep breath, I answer, “I need to find a dress to go to winter formal.”

               
There
is a pause.
 
“Jeremy is going to go to a
high school dance?”

               
“Nope,”
I correct.
 
“Just
me
and my friends, but I don’t even know the first thing about buying a dress.”

               
“
Ohhhh
, we are going to have a fun night.
 
I know this awesome website for formal wear.
 
You will have to get money from Jeremy.
 
I don’t have any extra right now.”

               
Smiling,
I say, “I don’t think that will be a problem.”

               
“Okay,
well, I will pick up Chinese food and be over in a little bit.
 
This is going to be great!”

               
“Alright
see you soon,” I reply.
 
We hang up and I
quickly dial Jeremy’s phone.

               
“Hey
babe,” he answers.
 
“I went out with the
boys and Cassandra is going to call you.”

               
I
shake my head even though he can’t see.
 
“I know
,
I already talked to her.
 
I had a favor to ask, a big favor.”

               
“What’s
that?” He asks.

               
“I
know you have done a lot for me already, but I really want to go to winter
formal and I need a dress, but obviously I don’t have the money for that.”

               
There
is a pause.
 
“You know....I am sorry…but
I am not going to go with.”

               
“Oh,”
I squeak. “I know.
 
We are all going as a
group.
 
Not everyone has dates,
especially Eric.
 
He’s actually the one
pushing for me to go, so I want to look REALLY good, because he wants to dance
with me.”

               
A
soft hum comes from the phone.
 
“
Mmm
, I see.
 
Well,
when are you going dress shopping?”

               
“Cassandra
and I are going to go on a website tonight and pick something out.”

               
“Okay,
if you go into my closet.
 
There is a
stone box on the top shelf under my sweaters.
 
Inside is one of my credit cards.
 
Use that and get whatever you want,” Jeremy states.

               
Getting
up and going into his room, I ask, “Are you sure?”

               
“Positive
hon
, get whatever you want.
 
I want this to be perfect for you.”

               
The
one thought that comes to mind is: if you were going it would be perfect.
 
I quickly shake my head, and thank myself for
not saying that out loud.
 
“Okay, I got
the credit card.”

               
“Alright,
well it’s my turn to shoot, so I have to go, but I will probably see you later,
unless the guys and I go out for some drinks.
 
When is winter formal?”

               
“Two
weeks from tomorrow,” I answer.

               
Jeremy
replies, “Then you have enough time.
 
Okay, have fun with Cassandra.
 
Don’t get into too much trouble.”

               
“Okay.”

               
“Bye
toots.”

               
I
whisper, “Bye,” and hang up the phone.

               
Cassandra
shows up a half an hour later.
 
She is
carrying a bag of bridal magazines in one hand and Chinese food in the
other.
 
“Oh this is heavy,” she says.

Grabbing the bags from her,
I say, “Let me help then.”

“Oh!” Cassandra says
happily.
 
“Look at the ring.”

It is beautiful, and I say
as much, “It’s gorgeous.”

“I know,” she sighs in
return.
 
“I can’t believe that I am
getting married, but I couldn’t be happier.”

“Kent is a good guy,” I
state seriously.
 
“You will have a great
marriage.”

Cassandra claps her hands,
“Okay, we can keep talking, but I am starving, so let’s eat.”

 
              
We sit down and eat right
away.
 
I start to flip through the
magazines and point out to Cassandra what I like.
 
We seem to agree on a lot of styles and
colors.
 
She wants a very simple
dress.
 
After a couple of hours of
looking at wedding stuff, we decide to go look through formal dresses.

               
Jeremy’s
lap top is in his bedroom, so I go and grab it.
 
We sit on my bed and I start it up.
 
Cassandra looks at me.
 
“Aren’t
you a little worried you may come across something on here that you don’t want
to?”