It was a windy lunchtime, and I sat with Justin and Abel, trying to focus on my English assignment. I was munching on the ham and cheese sandwich Mom had packed for me, while the boys were digging into chicken tenders from the cafeteria.

As I typed away on my computer, I noticed Sabrina walking by the courtyard with a Chick-fil-A bag in one hand and wearing her cheerleading uniform. She always looked good in her uniform. She spotted me and waved, but I pretended not to see her, keeping my eyes glued to the screen.

Just as I finished my sandwich, Olivia came running over to the table, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Gracie, Gracie! Guess who's going on tour?" she blurted out, her excitement catching me off guard.

I looked up, a little startled by her energy. "Who?"

"Tessa Jane! She's going on tour!" Olivia's eyes sparkled as she said it.

"No way," I said, feeling a wave of excitement wash over me.

"Yes! She'll be here June 24th!" Olivia practically shoved her phone in my face, showing me an Instagram post from Tessa Jane, an upcoming popstar we both loved. I scrolled through the tour dates, my heart skipping a beat when I saw our city listed.

"Of course, we can shoot for the Phoenix tickets easily, but if not, we can always go to Palm Springs or LA. It's no big deal. Tickets go on sale in a week," Olivia said, already planning out our summer.

"I would love to go. Hopefully, they're not too expensive," I replied.

"I hope so too," Olivia said as she sat down, sipping on her Starbucks pink drink. "So, your mom's picking us up after school?"

"Yeah, I assume my mom called yours."

"Yep, they did. I'm so excited you're coming."

"Gracie deciding to go to prom?" Justin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just going shopping," I said, trying to sound casual.

"Just curious, that's all," he replied with a shrug.

The rest of lunch flew by, and when the bell rang, we all went our separate ways. But English class was dragging, and I got bored. I decided to fake needing the bathroom and took the hall pass, wandering out towards the hallway. I usually never liked going to the bathroom cause it felt like a distraction if I left the classroom and I would take five minutes to return, but I didn't care today. I made a quick stop at my locker, which was covered in stickers, a whiteboard, and little magnets. It was cute and totally me.

As I opened the locker, a bunch of books came tumbling out, hitting the floor with a loud thud. I groaned, leaning over to pick them up when I saw a pair of familiar shoes stop in front of me. It was Sabrina, walking towards me with that ever-present Chick-fil-A bag. She knelt down and helped me gather my books. Our hands briefly touched as we collected the scattered mess.

"Thank you," I said, surprised by the softness in my voice.

"Anytime, Gracie," she replied, offering a small smile before walking away.

I watched her go, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Despite everything, there was something about that moment—something that made me feel... grateful.

After the final bell, I met up with Olivia in the courtyard, ready to head out.

"Ready to go?" Olivia asked, her eyes bright with excitement.

I nodded, my smile widening. "Definitely. I've been counting down the minutes."

We walked to the parking lot together, chatting as we climbed into Ms. Anderson's minivan. As Olivia helped me into the car, I glanced back at the school, still thinking about Sabrina.

"You know, I had the strangest encounter with Sabrina earlier," I said as Olivia buckled herself in.

Olivia raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Oh? What happened?"

I told her about the hallway moment, how Sabrina had helped me with my books. "It was just... a moment, you know?" I added, still trying to wrap my head around it.

Olivia nodded thoughtfully. "People can surprise you sometimes," she said. "She's always had a kind soul."

I shrugged, unsure of what to make of it all. "I know," I said as Ms. Anderson started the car. As we drove away from the school, I couldn't shake the lingering curiosity about Sabrina, wondering what other surprises might be in store.

When we finally arrived at the shopping center, my eyes widened at the sight of all the stores and boutiques, each one brimming with potential prom dresses.

"We should start at Bella's Boutique," Olivia suggested, leading the way.

I nodded eagerly, my heart racing with anticipation. As soon as we stepped into the boutique, we were greeted by a dazzling array of gowns in every color imaginable. Every dress was beautiful, until I looked at the price tag of them. $400. My wheelchair cost $200 dollars. I could buy another wheelchair. Say no to the dress.

After looking for an entirety, I thought I found the right dress. My eyes immediately caught on a cobalt blue dress with intricate lace detailing.

"It's beautiful," I whispered, my heart skipping a beat.

"Let me help you put it on," Mom said, already reaching for the dress.

With her help, I selected the dress and headed to the fitting room. The narrow doorway made it tricky to navigate in my wheelchair, and I felt a surge of frustration. But Mom was there, reassuring me, and together we managed to make it work. After a bit of maneuvering, I finally rolled into the fitting room, ready to see how this dress would look on me.

Inside the fitting room, I faced another challenge—putting on the dress. The layers of fabric and intricate design made it tough to manage while seated in my wheelchair. But with determination and a lot of patience, I slowly slipped the dress over my head, careful not to snag the delicate lace.

Mom stood by, offering words of encouragement. "My prom dress was this color," she said, her voice full of nostalgia.

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Indeed. But it had these huge, engulfing shoulder pads on the sides. It was the style back then."

I laughed. "I've seen the pictures you keep in your scrapbook."

"Yeah, those are just memories now. I'm glad you're going to be making some of your own."

Despite the initial struggle, I finally managed to zip up the dress and admire myself in the mirror. The cobalt blue fabric complimented my complexion beautifully, and for the first time in a while, I felt truly beautiful. My eyes sparkled with delight as I imagined myself laughing and hanging out with my friends in this stunning gown.

Olivia walked into the fitting room wearing her own dress—a strapless emerald green gown that shimmered under the lights. We both looked at each other, joy and happiness radiating from us.

"Gracie, you look so beautiful in that dress," Olivia said, her voice full of sincerity.

I grinned. "Excuse me? You look insanely hot in that dress."

"I love our dresses," she said, and we both hugged, the euphoria of the moment enveloping us.

We looked like we were ready for prom night, and after we changed back and bought the dresses, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. It felt like a magical night was ahead of us.