"Chrissie Christianson looks pleased with herself," Amy muttered into my ear, motioning her head towards the dance floor.
I turned in my chair, looking for the petite blonde cheerleader. Grimacing, I spotted her.
"Do you think she could have flaunted a little more of her body in that dress?" I kidded, smiling.
"Look who she's with," Amy said pointedly, motioning again.
Turning again, I looked for Chrissie's partner.
"Oh dear," I said, recognizing the young man.
"I wonder where Julie is," Amy said, shaking her head. Last I had heard, Julie was supposed to be coming to the dance with the well-built waste of flesh on Chrissie's arm.
I licked my lips, moistening them and scanned my eyes around the gym. It was the first dance of senior year, and usually I wouldn't be caught dead at such an event. Amy had convinced me to come out of my shell and branch out, suggesting that I might meet someone here. I didn't think so, though. There weren't many men I was interested in, if any.
My eyes halted at a chair on the far side of the gym. The beautiful brunette sat all alone, her back to the wall, watching the couple on the dance floor with a tear-streaked face.
"That prick," I cursed under my breath. "How could he do this to her in a public place?" Scooting my chair back away from the small table, I smiled at Amy. "I'm going to go see if I can't cheer her up. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Okay," Amy said, nodding her head and turning back to watch the dancers again. "See ya later."
I made my way through the crowd to Julie, admiring her slim body in the dress she wore, admiring her slim ankles crossed under her seat. She didn't notice me, even when I was standing straight in front of her. Oddly, I felt a rush of excitement mixed with fright as I looked down at my old friend. We hadn't been close since sophomore year. The fact that we hadn't spoken in nearly two years had hit me hard when I realized that her eighteenth birthday had passed and I hadn't been invited to the party she had been planning since grade school. Then my birthday came, and I did the same, excluding her not out of spite but just out of fear that she wouldn't arrive. Even though we had grown apart, it hurt me to see her alone, and I felt that now would be a good time to get reacquainted.
"What's wrong?" I asked softly. Julie looked up, startled, and her eyes showed recognition as she quickly scanned my outfit, unusual for a school dance. I had always been a tomboy at heart, and I wasn't going to pretty myself up for the low-life boys at this school.
Julie lifted her hand to wipe tears from her foggy eyes. She glanced at the couple dancing and looked back at me. I looked over at them, watching them laughing merrily at some great joke Chrissie had told. Shaking my head with anger at the stupidity of anyone who would choose that stick over Julie, I looked back at my friend. Her soft eyes looked so hurt I tried to soften my angry expression. With a sigh, I shrugged my shoulders.
"Come on," I said, offering my hand.
Julie reluctantly glanced around the crowd again, her eyes seeming to be drawn towards the two blonde bimbos. I heard Julie take a deep breath, her chest heaving dramatically as she seemed to come to a grand mental decision. She took my hand, her warm palm making my fingers tingle, and looked into my eyes. My own body ached with pity at the hurt I saw in those gorgeous blue orbs. I smiled as warmly as I could, trying to convey my feelings towards her in one expression, and, tugging her hand slightly, gently led her outside.
The cool air of the parking lot was a welcome change from the stuffy, student filled gym. I took a deep breath of air, my heartbeat quickening a little now that I was alone with Julie. Squeezing her hand reassuringly, we walked around the side of the building and found ourselves in a dark corner. I could hear the music from the dance seeping through the brick walls, the loud bass of the pop music beating steadily.
I heard Julie take a deep breath, and looked over to see tears welling in her eyes again.
"You don't need him," I said softly, letting go of one of Julie's hands and stroking the other. I held her palm in mine and gently ran the fingers of my second hand over the top of hers, petting the soft skin there. I felt butterflies tingling in my stomach.
"I wish I could believe that," Julie choked. I could hear the sorrow in her voice, and despite the butterflies in my stomach my heart seemed to sink.
Taking a deep breath, I squeezed Julie's hand again.
"You are so beautiful and so special; I don't know why you let him treat you like that," I muttered.
Julie looked at me through the darkness, her eyes roaming over my body from my short hair to the bottom of my jeans. I looked at her body, similar in shape to mine, bound tightly in a green dress that seemed to exaggerate her small curves.
Smiling softly, trying to gather the courage for what I wanted to do, I took a step closer to Julie. There were only a couple of inches between our bodies. The heat radiating off of her seemed to counter the chill in the air, and I felt goose bumps on my flesh from being so near her. I could hear her soft breathing and smell the lotion on her skin. My mouth opened a tiny bit to let my tongue through, moistening the dry, parted lips.
My eyes searched Julie's for her reaction, but I was unable to read anything. Her eyes were so puffy from her tears, her cheeks red from crying. Anger at Julie's boyfriend swelled inside me. I had seen her hurt by so many of the boys at the school. Wishing I could make everything better, I took another deep breath.