ON PROM NIGHT I stood at my bathroom mirror, running a curling iron through my hair—something I never did. I figured I’d look more formal that way. I’d always dreamed about this night. I imagined myself in a sparkly dress, my hair in a fancy updo, and a hot date that picked me up in a limo.
I didn’t have a date, an updo, a sparkly dress, or a limo, but Christina convinced me to go anyway since she didn’t have a date either. She said there’d probably be some guys there without dates who would be willing to dance with us. If not, we’d still find a way to make the most of this memorable night.
My dad told me yesterday he’d gone to prom with his sister. I’m sure he was trying to help me feel better about not having someone who’d asked me to prom. And since I didn’t have a brother to go with, I guessed going with a girlfriend was better than missing the whole event.
Besides, I wanted to see Eden and Ty together. Just watching them smiling and dancing would make my night.
The prom committee had chosen a Roaring Twenties theme. I’d found a great flapper dress at a thrift store that fit me perfectly. I put it on, then added a string of long, fake pearls I’d picked up to go with it.
I put on some mascara, blush, and a shade of lipstick that was bolder than usual, with a hint of red, then ran my fingers through my curls and patted them into place and spritzed on a bit of hairspray.
I slipped on my white flats. If I danced at all, at least I wouldn’t twist my ankle.
For a final touch I pulled on some long white gloves that came with the dress.
As I stood in front of the full-length mirror on my bathroom door, I was pleased with my appearance. But I couldn’t help wondering why no one would ask me to the prom. Am I that boring?
I heard feet thundering up the stairwell. Christina burst into the room and spun around in her dark green dress with a fringy hem. It was dazzling against her red hair.
“You look amazing,” I blurted out.
“And look at you. The picture of simple elegance.”
I squared my shoulders in satisfaction.
Christina snatched her cell phone out of the small sequined purse that matched her dress, then put her arm around me and flashed a photo of the two of us. I did the same with my phone. Holding the phone and pressing the camera button was awkward with those thick gloves. But at least I’d have something to remember all the fuss I went through getting dressed and putting on makeup.
We put our phones back in our purses and descended the stairs. Mom and Dad were in the backyard, planting some new bushes they’d just purchased. I opened the screen door off the kitchen. “I’m headed out.” I lifted my gloved hand in the air.
Dad stood. “Hold on a minute. You’re not going anywhere until I get a picture.” He started removing his gardening gloves.
I groaned. Usually I hated having my picture taken. But the eager look on Dad’s face made me shrug in agreement.
Mom set her gardening shovel on the ground. “I’ll get the camera!”
She ran across the yard and stopped in front of me. “You look lovely.”
I couldn’t remember the last time Mom gave me a compliment. I choked back tears. “Thanks.” My voice quivered.
She slipped past me and headed upstairs.
The screen door slammed behind me. I spun around just in time to see my dad staring at me with tears in his eyes. I’d only seen him cry once before, at my grandmother’s funeral.
“You’re . . . gorgeous.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and kissed me on the cheek.
I blinked back my own tears and gave him a bear hug.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Dad whisked past me and opened the refrigerator door. He pulled out a clear plastic box with flowers inside.
“You got me a corsage?”
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” He popped open the top and gently lifted out the arrangement of white carnations and baby’s breath.
My heart fluttered at his sweetness. I looked down at my dress, looking for a place for him to pin it.
“Don’t worry. This is the kind you put on your wrist.”
I held out my arm and he slid the corsage over my hand.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
He grinned at the intimate name for him that I hadn’t used since I was six. “You’ll be the most stunning girl there tonight.”
I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek.
Mom rushed in, camera in hand.
I looked around for Christina. Where had she gone? I rounded the corner of the kitchen and peeked out the living room window. I saw her waiting in the car, adding some last touches to her makeup.
“How about we pose by the old oak tree?” Dad suggested.
“Perfect,” Mom responded.
Dad grasped my hand and led me out the back door to the largest tree in our yard.
If I ever got married I hoped I’d find a guy who was as perfect a husband and father as my dad. I wrapped my arm around him and he rested his arm over my shoulders.
Mom pointed the camera at us and counted, “One, two, three.”
Right before the flash, Dad pecked me on the cheek.
I exploded in laughter. My parents joined in. I wanted to savor this moment and sear it into my memory. Date or no date, it was a special night—if only for this.
“I better go.” I gave Dad a one-armed squeeze, then gave Mom a hug too. When I drew back, I saw a haze in her eyes. Could it be tears? I couldn’t remember ever seeing my mom cry.
I jogged out to Christina’s car. As I got close I heard thumping music. When I opened the door the decibel level stung my ear. There was no use trying to have a conversation. Thankfully it was only a ten-minute drive to the school gym.
As Christina drove, I wondered if anyone would ask me to dance. How humiliating it would be if no one did.
After she pulled into a parking spot Christina cut the engine. Mercifully, her music went quiet. But I heard a loud thumping of bass coming from inside the gym. My heart twitched.
I lowered the visor and checked my makeup.
“You couldn’t look any better,” Christina said.
My sweet friend. I flipped the visor back up and stepped out of the car. Despite not having a date, I felt a surge of anticipation. If no one asked me to dance, I’d dance alone or with Christina. And boy, was I going to make the best of it. I could hardly wait to hit the dance floor.
Christina linked arms with me, and we strutted toward the entrance.
As soon as the door opened I was hit with a wall of music, voices, and flashing lights. Awesome!
I tapped Christina’s shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” Not knowing if she heard me over the beat of the speakers, I pointed toward the restrooms. She nodded.
I wove my way through the throng of dancing bodies filling the gymnasium, awed by the atmosphere created by the prom committee. I felt like I was on a movie set in the 1920s.
When I opened the bathroom door a blow hit me in the stomach. I fell to the floor, gasping for air. The room spun around me.
I heard peals of laughter. A head of blonde hair blurred into my vision. Vicki towered above me. Three other girls stood just behind her, all staring at me, hands on their hips. I squinted, trying to identify the other individuals. But with my impaired vision, I couldn’t make out their faces.
I rolled onto my side in an attempt to turn away from any further blows that may come, hoping to protect my face if they kicked at me again. A foot slammed into the small of my back. I swallowed the vomit rising in my throat. I clutched at the pearls around my neck, hoping the string wouldn’t break. I held my gloves to my chest, trying to keep them unsoiled by the girl’s shoes.
What does my dress look like?
Hopefully there wouldn’t be a huge footprint on it.
Vicki spat on my face. The thick liquid rolled down my cheeks. I couldn’t even gather the strength to wipe it away. What did I do?
“I heard you went out with Andy.”
I blinked at the two images of Vicki in my limited field of vision.
She crouched over me. “Did you think I’d never find out?” She laced her fingers around my neck, twisting the necklace in her fingers until it was so tight it pinched at the skin beneath it.
“I’m sorry,” I managed in a raspy tone.
“Me and my girls here are gonna beat you up, you sneaky whore. Get ready for an ER visit.”
Just then, one of the chaperones entered. She stared wide-eyed at me.
“What’s going on in here?” Vicki and her friends darted into the bathroom stalls.
“Are you all right?”
“I’ll . . . yeah . . . I’ll be fine.” I managed to rise to a sitting position, my head spinning.
The lady helped me stand. “You be careful, dear. If you need anyone, I’ll be right next to the punch bowl tonight.”
I was in too much pain to talk, so I ignored her.
As I left the restroom, I heard the woman yell, “Girls? Get out here this instant!”
Without bothering to use the restroom I stumbled to the exit, holding my stomach, and limped down the hallway back to the gym. I felt for my corsage to see if it still held its position on my wrist. It was OK!
Halfway down the hall I felt a surge of warmth envelop me. I looked up and saw Mike’s beautiful face. He was wearing a black tuxedo. He touched my cheeks, brushing away my tears . . . and Vicki’s spittle. In an instant all my aches and pains vanished. He brushed his fingers over my corsage, then tugged at my gloves to make sure they came up to my elbow. He walked around me, inspecting my dress. “Good as new.”
I collapsed into his arms, sobbing. He felt solid. Strong. “Are you in human form?”
“You need more protection than I can give you in my angelic form.”
“Can other people see you?”
“Yes.” He stroked my hair as my dad had done so often in my childhood. “Nobody will touch you tonight.”
“When did you get here?”
“Uh . . . I’m always here.”
As I took several deep breaths, I realized I had a bodyguard. And a prom date. This is great!
He offered me his arm, and I snuggled my hand around his elbow. He prodded me toward the entrance to the gym, and I followed.
What will my friends say? And how will I explain who he is?
Vicki came out of the bathroom with her friends, laughing. She almost ran into Mike. Their laughter stopped when they saw him. Vicki narrowed her eyes in obvious jealousy.
“Hello, miss,” Mike said politely. “Are you a friend of my beautiful date?”
Vicki’s eyes widened, and she stammered for a minute. Then she stormed off with her friends.
“Thanks, Mike.” I nudged his shoulder. We laughed.
Mike walked into the gym like he owned the place. He greeted my classmates as if they were old friends, and they returned his familiarity with confused looks. I’m sure they wondered who the strange, handsome guy was and where he came from. No doubt the girls were jealous. I was giddy with pride.
Mike drew me to the center of the dance floor, then turned me around to face him. With respectful distance, he led our bodies in a beautiful swaying motion.
With my eyes closed, I imagined the stares we were getting. I was sure many people wondered if I’d invited a date from out of town, since no one had ever seen him before. I tucked my head into his muscular chest, but glanced up once and spotted Christina, watching us wide-eyed. I’m sure she had a million questions about how I’d landed this ravishing dance partner.
Mike led our steps smoothly, with no hint of awkwardness. Our dancing was flawlessly fluid.
I heard a familiar voice from behind me. I turned and saw Eden and Ty dancing. She winked at me. She knew! I was glad.
When the song ended, the DJ switched to a thumping hip-hop tune. I froze. I could sway to a slow dance, but when it came to cutting loose, I became self-conscious and usually found an excuse to get some punch or chat with someone. But then I remembered how determined I was to have fun tonight.
Mike tilted his face down. His eyes burned into mine. “Watch this!”
What do I do?
“Just sway to the beat and let me provide the moves.”
Mike flew around with me in his arms. I could barely keep up with him. I hoped I wasn’t making a complete fool of myself.
In mid-song, Mike paused and whipped off his jacket in one fluid motion. I laughed. He gave me a cocky look, then threw his jacket at me.
I caught it, wondering what he was doing.
To my amazement, he started break-dancing! The crowd formed a circle around him. He was incredible.
Who knew that angels could break-dance?
One of the students walked into the circle and tapped Mike on the shoulder. He stopped. The guy did some of his own break-dancing moves.
Then Mike scored some moves that put his competitor to shame.
When the battle ended everyone clapped. Mike gave his opponent a strong handshake.
The rest of the night Mike worked the room, nodding and greeting each person who passed by. Each one stared in wonder at his gorgeous face. One girl gazed at him for so long she bumped into her date and fumbled to keep from falling over. I snorted.
Everyone loved him!
Many people clapped him on the back and fawned over his dance moves. He flashed his wide grin and graciously thanked each individual.
Vicki and her three friends lurked in a dark corner, whispering things in one another’s ears. I was sure they were stewing about my great comeback and my amazing date.
When people asked where he was from, Mike just said he was from “out of town.” He called me an “old friend.”
He complimented each of the girls who stopped by on either her hair or dress. He greeted the guys with, “Good evening. I hope you are having a splendid time.”
That sounded kind of formal. But this was a twenties-themed dance, after all.
During one of the songs, Ty and Eden inched their way toward us.
When the music stopped Ty extended his hand to Mike. “Welcome to our prom. I’m Ty.” He wrapped his arm around Eden’s shoulders. “This is Eden.”
Mike clasped his hand, then gently shook Eden’s. “Pleased to meet you.”
“So, how did you learn to dance like that?”
I didn’t hear Mike’s reply, because Eden leaned in and whispered in my ear, “You little devil.”
I put my lips close to her ear and replied, “Devils don’t dance with angels.”
She threw back her head and laughed.
The satisfied look on Ty’s face told me Mike must have come up with another one of his vague yet true excuses.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about you two.” Mike tilted his head and winked.
Eden’s eyes sparkled. “I’ve heard a lot about you too.”
Mike shot me a crooked smile.
Ty’s forehead wrinkled. Eden and I exchanged glances, enjoying our private joke.
Several people invited Mike and me to after-parties, but Mike said that he’d promised my father he would have me home at a decent hour.
At first I was surprised by the lie. Then I realized he wasn’t talking about my earthly father.
Christina poked my arm. I spun around, dragging Mike with me since our arms were locked. She’d been dancing with so many guys all night I’d only been able to offer an occasional wave. She kept winking at me and giving me a thumbs-up.
Her eyes focused in on Mike. “Have I seen you somewhere before?”
“Perhaps.”
After a few moments of awkward silence, her expression turned from concern to acknowledgment to excitement.
She shook Mike’s hand. “I couldn’t have picked a better date for Olivia.”
“You’re very kind.” I loved his formal, genteel, Southern tone.
“Guess I’ll see you around, huh?” Christina flashed him a knowing grin.
He bowed to her in response.
I cracked up at the way Christina was toying with Mike. And the way he teased her right back.
Mike cringed inwardly each time he said a word. He found it easy to talk with Olivia when they were alone together. But whenever he opened his mouth among her friends, formal speech came out.
It was awkward having a bunch of teenage girls stare at him like a piece of meat. Things hadn’t changed much in thousands of years. Humans always looked at the outward appearance, lusting in their hearts.
Regardless, he was glad to have been able to step in and rescue Olivia from broken bones and a crushed spirit. Being seen by her friends unnerved him at first, but dancing to the music excited him. He loved to dance. Especially in the presence of the heavenly Father. It was all about expressing joy and worship.
However, he’d had to turn away when he observed dancers moving in provocative ways. Why did they think that was dancing? His face flushed in embarrassment for them.
I had to snap my fingers to get Mike’s attention. When he came out of his deep thoughts he said, “I’ll go pull the car around front.” After clearing his throat, he adjusted his tie and buttoned his jacket, then exited the gym door, walking with that slight swagger of his.
“Wow, aren’t you lucky.” Christina jabbed her elbow in my side.
I let out the laugh that had been bubbling up inside me all night. “You could say that.”
We both slid through the exit door. The cool evening air blasted our faces.
I looked for Mike’s shiny red Camaro. I couldn’t wait to ride in it.
Ty and Eden appeared beside us. “Classy guy, Liv,” Ty said. “Where’d you find him?”
“He’s heaven-sent for sure,” I cooed.
Eden placed her head on Ty’s shoulder. “I’ll explain later.”
As the four of us stood outside the school, chatting about Mike’s incredible dancing techniques, I felt a sudden pain in the back of my head. I whipped around and saw Vicki holding a clump of my hair. Her eyes were wild with anger.
“You think you’re so special,” she screamed like a rabid raccoon.
I wanted to rake my fingernails down her face. But I refused to stoop to her level.
As I moved my head around to see who might be able to help, I saw Eden and Christina staring at me. Ty’s fists were clenched as he glared at Vicki.
“Ty, don’t.” I wasn’t sure why I said that. Every fiber of my being wanted to see Vicki in ultimate humiliation.
“You’re crazy,” I said to her. Then I grasped her hand, trying to relieve the pressure of hair being ripped from my scalp.
Vicki yanked harder at the wad of hair, but stopped when we heard a loud roar of a car engine.
Startled, Vicki let go. I ran behind Ty. He placed a protective arm around me, clasping me safely behind him.
Mike’s car screeched up to the curb, ran through a mud puddle, and showered dirty water all over Vicki. Dripping in mud, she shook with rage.
I had to put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.
The small crowd that had gathered, probably hoping for a catfight, scattered.
Mike jumped out of his Camaro. “I’m sorry, Vicki.” He reached into the backseat and pulled out a large towel with red beach umbrellas all over it. He tried to put it around her shoulders, but she ripped it out of his hands and huffed off, disappearing into the gym with it.
“Nice timing.” Ty smiled broadly. “And nice ride.”
“Thanks.”
Mike gave me the once-over. I’m sure I looked dreadful. My hair was a tangled mess. No doubt my mascara was smeared from the tears that had escaped from my eyes.
Mike pulled a white handkerchief from the chest pocket of his suit coat. He dabbed at the gunk under my eyes. Eden gently smoothed my hair from behind.
Mike put the handkerchief back, fixed his crystal eyes on mine, then put his hands on my shoulders. “Good as new.”
I sniffed, breathed deeply, and gave him a side smile. “Thank you.” I leaned my forehead against his strong chest for a moment. He rubbed my back.
I feel like I have my own superhero.
“See you Monday, Liv,” I heard Eden say from behind me.
I spun around and threw my arms around her, then stood on tiptoe and gave Ty a peck on the cheek. When I withdrew, he blushed.
“Don’t let this one out of your sight, Eden.”
She linked her arm in his and tilted her head up to him. “I don’t intend to.”
He leaned down and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.
Christina leaned close to me and whispered, “I knew we’d find a way to make this prom memorable. I just didn’t realize how memorable.” She giggled, then hugged me before turning and walking away from us.
Ty and Eden laughed as they sauntered to the parking lot in search of Ty’s car.
Relief overwhelmed me. Ty had come close to punching a girl. Thanks to Mike’s perfect timing, he had avoided doing something he probably would have regretted.
Mike grasped my hand, guiding me over the mud puddle beside the car.
“I don’t recall it raining today,” I said as I thudded into the passenger seat.
“Me either. Weird.” Mike winked.