by Lisa Kates

Created on: September 07, 2009   Last Updated: October 10, 2009

Even though my mom and dad were speaking softly in the kitchen I was able to hear their conversation as I walked upstairs to my bedroom.

"Tonight is the homecoming dance and Lily has not mentioned it. I don't want to ask her anything about the dance since it seems as though she is not going.This is a hard time for her and I wish I knew how to help", mom said.

"I know", dad replied, "but maybe it is worse not mention the dance at all. Hard to say."

We had just moved to a new town and I was feeling anxious and alone.

I was never one to make friends easily and the move only made all my insecurities and shyness worse.Being in a new school with new faces and kids who have known each other since kindergarten was torturous.Everyone was nice enough but I was not the type of person to take a simple hello from a classmate and expand on it.So here I was, a new school year, the last year of high school and I was in a no-win social situation.

I slumped back to my room, put a dvd in my laptop and hoped that the evening would fly by quickly.Then my parents could get over feeling sorry for me and I could get on with the school year concentrating on my art and my homework.I felt safest when I had a paint brush in my hand or a book to read.

I heard the front door close and the car pull out of the driveway.My parents had gone out so I was able to come out of my bedroom without fear of looking into their sad eyes.I found a book I had been reading,shut off the movie I was watching, went outside to the porch and sat down in a white wicker armchair.I was totally absorbed in the story I was reading when a car filled with girlsdrove by.They were from my school and were obviously on the way to the homecoming dance which was in our large high school auditorium.

I slunk as low as I could into the chair and prayed they would not see me.As the voices faded and the car drove off I thought I was safe.Then, an unexpected thing happened. The car reversed slowly and slid back towards my house.I was appalled. "No!This is not happening.Please go away", I said to myself.My heart started beating fast.I wanted to disappear.Vanish.

No such luck.When the car came to a full stop the doors opened and a couple of the girls got out.I recognized them from my art class.I was stuck in the chair, unable to move although every part of me wanted to bolt inside my house.There they were,coming up the walk purposefully. "Hey Lily", one of them said, "Are you coming to the dance?".I turned bright red, not knowing

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