Song: Hero by Enrique Iglesias

I tell Kodiak the color of my dress.

"Black...really now," he says surprised.

"Yes really...don't worry I'm sure you will like it." I roll my eyes at him.

"I know I will. It's just now I have to figure out what color corsage to get you," he smirks.

"Surprise me..."

Friday night comes too fast. No I'm not ready for it. Yes I have the dress on and it looks amazing on me. My mom was a little upset that I didn't want to get my hair done but she will be fine. I brush it out several times and let it hang like normal. I add a very thin layer of makeup on just enough to look alive. We decided to wear a pair of shoes that I already had. They actually look alright with the dress. I'm still upstairs getting ready when I hear the doorbell. I can hear my dad opening it up and then his voice echoes up the stairs towards my room. "Ophelia, Kodiak is here to take you to prom."

I take a deep breath and look at myself again in the mirror. I clench my hands into fist a few times before shaking them all out and get the nerve to go downstairs. I start down and all three of them are looking up at me. My mom smiles. My dad stares at me like he can't believe that I'm all grown up. And then Kodiak...his eyes sparkle back at me and he looks very happy to see me. He is holding a clear plastic container in his hands. When I get all the way down he hands it to me.

"I had a hard time deciding what color to get you...hope you like it," he takes a breath.

I open it up and it reveals the most amazing corsage ever. The flowers are a lavender color and I hold it out to get a really good look at it. He takes it from me and puts in around my wrist. "My mom helped make it from the gardens."

"Oh...that was nice of her. Thank you." I smile.

"So let's get a few pictures before you two head out," my mom insist and holds up her phone. My dad takes out the camera and they both get several pictures.

"Ok...guys...that's enough. We need to be going," I tell them.

"Ok...be home by midnight alright."

"Really....the prom ends at midnight." I tell them as if it's like I even really plan on staying that long.

"Fine, be home by one no later understand." My dad shakes Kodiak's hand again and pats me on the shoulder.

"Yes sir," Kodiak says to my dad with a firm voice.

We head out. I was a little disappointed that he did not have his bike. I would have loved to seen my parents face with me on the back of his bike in this dress...ok we all know that was not going to happen. Instead he is driving his dad's Dodge Charger which is actually pretty damn cool. He opens the door for me and I get in. Then he walks around and jumps in the driver's seat.

He takes me to the gardens. I look at him in shock. "What are we doing here?"

"My mom wanted to see me before we go. Is that alright?"

"Sure."

He stops to look at me. "By the way you look amazing in this dress."

I can't help but blush a little and before I can even say anything he leans in to kiss me.

We get out and his mom is in the back part still working. She smiles when she sees the two of us. "You two look amazing. Let me get a picture of you two."

We pose again. Really I don't know what the big deal is. I mean it's just a dance.

"Well you two have fun."

He hugs his mom and we leave...but we don't leave. Instead he takes me off to another room.

"Where are we going?" I have to ask again.

"Shh....hold on a minute. I want to show you something else."

"We are going to be late for dinner," I tell him but I don't really care if we are late to dinner because then we will be late to prom and that is alright with me.

We go into the room and it is the room with all the butterflies. There is a table with two chairs set in the middle of the floor and of course candles in the middle in the middle of the table. There are also two plates that await us. I smile. "What is this?"

"Dinner...of course."

"But...how...when...how...?"

He smiles and pulls out the chair for me to sit down. "Please...have a seat. My mom helped me get all of this ready but it was all my idea." He lifts up the covers to the plates and underneath are sandwiches...the way I like it. I giggle. I know he is trying hard to make me feel at ease. It's not the most romantic thing to eat but it's sweet of him to think of me. We eat the sandwiches all around the crust and then to the middle. We both laugh when we take the last bite at the same time. When we are completely done eating we head out to the Prom.

We pull up and I'm about to get out when he stops me. "I got you this too." The mask is gorgeous. It's black with silvery sparkly glitter and it is on a stick so that I can hold it up to my face but not attach it to my face. He has one as well and his almost matches mine. How does he always manage to think of everything? I forgot all about the theme- Masquerade Ball.

He gets out and walks over to the door to open it for me and holds his hand out for me to hold on to. I slide out and we walk in together. The lights are turned off but lots of lights are flashing all around so it's really not that hard to see. The room is packed with people already. Some are dancing; some are just sitting or standing off to the side. The music is blaring and I can't think as everything seems to get all jumbled up in my brain like a traffic jam. Suddenly I just don't want to be here. He pulls me close and says something to me but I can't hear what he is saying. Somehow we end up on the dance floor and he is pulling me into him, then out and then in. If he does it one more time I'm going to snap.

People are all around me and I feel like I am suffocating. I'm really trying to hang on here but it's not working. This is just sensory overload. I feel like I'm in the middle of a volcano and it's about to erupt. I close my eyes and try to calm myself down. He pulls me into him; this time he doesn't let go.

"I got you..."

He has me but only part of me, the rest of me is about to break into a million pieces and slip from his grasp. I can't do this even though I really want too. I want to be like all the other girls here, dancing and having fun. I want to...I do...I knew this was not going to work. I pull away from him and he doesn't let go.

"It's alright...we can go sit down if you want. We don't have to dance."

"I...I..." My lungs are fighting for air as I take another breath. "I can't...I'm...sorry." I push him away from me and look around trying to find my way out. I see a door and head for it. The cool night breeze is calming and runs chills along my body. I need to go. I don't know where to but I need to get out of here. I am about to walk off when a hand grabs my arm.

I look around to see Kodiak frowning at me. "Ophelia...wait."

"Let...let...let go of me...I...I...can't go back in there."

"I didn't ask you to go back in did I? Stop pulling away from me." He holds on tighter.

"Let...go... you are hurting me," I tell him and he lets go immediately.

"I would never hurt you...I'm sorry. I just wanted you to have a fun night and this is not fun...not for you. I should have known this was not going to work. I just wanted..."

"Wanted to what..." I interrupt him. "Kodiak...this is not going to ever work is it? You and me...I can't give you what another girl can. I'm sorry...I..."

"Stop...don't say that. You are what I want. I want you to be happy and dammit I just thought you would want to dance with me."

"I do want to dance with you...I just can't...not in there." I gesture to the building where inside everyone is dancing and having a blast.

"Then dance with me right here." He says calmly. "Dance with me right here under the stars...under the moonlight...just you...and me."

"Why do you want to dance with me...why do you even want to be with me?" I ask I'm like what seems to be the millionth time because honestly I just don't get it.

"Because I can...and I want to..." He takes my hand in his and pulls me into him and starts to sway with me in his arms. It's just the two of us and the light sounds of the music coming from inside the building. He turns me around a few times and then pulls me in really close to him and kisses me.

We finish the song and then we leave. Ok so we stayed like not even ten minutes...another ten outside. A record for me a full twenty minutes. He drives around for a while and then we end up pulling off to the side of the road, just to talk.

"Hey." He holds my hand and it is still trembling. "Really I'm sorry. I wanted this night to be perfect for you."

"Don't be sorry...I...I...I should have been honest with you. I knew this wan to going to work and I didn't say anything."

"Why did you think it was not going to work?"

"Because...for starters...the music was going to be too loud. I knew it would be too crowded with people. I didn't take into consideration of the lights blinking so much. It's just everything at once...that's...it's just too much for me to handle."

"Oh, I just wasn't thinking. Look I'm really sorry."

"Like I said...don't be there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it. It's just me."