• Josh, Josh Clark sweated beads, he was about to dance with the girl that he loves.
    "Don't screw this up, Don't screw this up, Don't screw this up, Don't screw this up..." Josh repeated to himself.
    Josh looked up across the room. His throat swelled up, his eyes became fixed, and his body started to tremble from adrenaline. Josh's feet nudged forward, forced by thought, but while Josh felt like passing out repeating the phrase in his mind, "Elaine, may I have this dance". With his eyes squinted tight, Josh felt as if he was fading, but then he heard a voice say,
    "Sure Jake."
    Josh looked up, stuttering he said, "Wha-what?" He saw Elaine say, "You asked me to dance, Jake? How sweet."
    Josh just watched as His crush, his very best friend, walk off with someone else. Josh felt faint, his heart felt as if it had given up. Josh sat for hours, through techno songs, R&B, Old Rock, and even slow songs. Elaine decided to sit down, but then noticed Josh's absence, and she could not find Josh. Josh had given up by now, depressed, he sat behind the bleachers. Josh didn't even look up, he stared at the ground between his feet, letting his tears drop into the empty cup of punch that he was holding. Hours passed, and now it was time for the ending of the dance and clean up time. Josh got up,
    "Maybe next year I will have the guts." He said.
    But before he could get up, as a matter of fact, when he looked up he was silently startled to see Elaine sitting next to him, in the same position, in her blue dress, and long blond hair.
    "The guts for what?" She asked.
    Josh was still dumbfounded in shock. Elaine laughed, leaning forward, she grabbed Josh's hand.
    "I-I, it's never easy to say." Elaine giggled even though she was dead serious.
    "Then let's not." Josh said as their piercing eyes met. Josh showed Elaine out from under the bleachers, still holding her hand. He walked with her to the dancing floor, in that nearly empty room. On an empty dance floor Josh turned to Elaine, and humbly asked her, "Elaine, may I have this dance?"
    Elaine nodded, and so Josh and Elaine danced slowly. The room was void of music, the only sounds were of workers moving tables and taking down decorations. But after a few moments, someone played a song on the stereo, just for Josh and Elaine. They briefly gave a silly laugh as the song 'Cinderella' by Steven Curtis Chapman. Elaine rested her head on Josh's shoulder.
    "I will never forget this day, this wonderful day." Elaine said. Josh agreed as he looked at the banner hanging on the wall saying 'Prom 2011'
    "How Long have we been friends again?" Elaine asked. Josh answered, "For at least 5 years.". Elaine pulled her head up and looked Josh in the eyes.
    "I'm sorry I waited so long." she said as she leaned in for a kiss.
    The Music stopped, Josh sighed a very peaceful sigh everything faded to black. Josh pulled out his ear buds and opened his eyes.
    "Darn," He whispered to himself, "stupid iPod battery" Josh bent down on his knees and put a rose on the grass in front of him.
    "Until next time Cinderella, I will still be yours." Josh said as he stared at the dash between 1993 and 2016. Josh stared at the tombstone marked Elaine Clark for a moment or two, then he carried on until the next day, as always.
    Josh turned his head from the sunset as he walked away, looking at the tombstone from afar. Josh said to himself, "Goodnight my Cinderella."