• tab I pull on my dress, anxiety and excitement rushing through my veins. The black satin flares at the train fashionably. Glossy folds of cloth fall in waves that brush against the beige carpet of my room. I stare at the full length mirror. My chestnut hair rests against my bare shoulders, and a faint pink floods my cheeks. I think of Jacy. Imagining him in a dark rented tux, my boyfriend holds a beautiful bouquet of red roses. I sigh inwardly and sit on the edge of my bed, reaching for my shoes.

    :tab razz rom night.

    tab I smile nervously. I’m going to prom with the guy I love, in a beautiful dress, on a beautiful night. With the black heels adjusted, I stand and take one last look in the mirror. I stare into hazel eyes rimmed in black, brimming with unreasonable tears. I race to my bedside table and dab at my eyes quickly. A shaky smile rests on my lips as I walk out of my room.

    :tab biggrin ownstairs, my parents give a tearful goodbye. Mom cried into my shoulder, squeezing me at arms length as I suppressed strange tears of my own. Dad hugs me tightly, silent. His familiar face seemed to have gained more lines in the past week. Worry settles in my throat. Last year, he suffered from a deteriorating health condition. I am still concerned about his recovery.

    tab Two minutes later, Jacy walks in. I keep my face still as he kisses me on the cheek, though my insides are doing back flips. I tuck my arm in his as we walk down the driveway. The moon casts a silver shadow on the grass, and I smile woodenly as he opens the limo door and climbs in after me. My thoughts careen away from the leather interior as we speed across town.

    tab I love him, I think softly. I love Jacy. So why don’t I tell him? Suddenly, fear grips me. If I open up and tell him, what if he doesn’t feel the same? I could pour out all I feel about Jacy, and he might just walk away…

    tab But he wouldn’t do that. Jacy is so sweet! I could always trust him to take care of me.

    tab I smile into his warm brown eyes, a real smile full of joy. Jacy hands me a bouquet; red roses, just like I had imagined. My throat closes up, and tears fall down my face.

    tab “What’s wrong, Sam?” His face is full of concern.

    tab All of a sudden, I’m standing outside of the limo. When I look at where Jacy was standing, I see my best friend Jennifer. Her brown eyes are wide and moist, and her cold hand rests on my arm. I blink as my head throbs. Confusion settles in as I see the bright sun up in the sapphire blue sky, and the manicured grass hills stretching ahead of me.

    tab I shake my head furiously. My thoughts clear, and more tears fall rapidly. I remember the car ride with Jenn slowly, and feel my stomach tighten with anguish.

    tab “Nothing.” Everything.

    tab I walk alongside Jennifer, my mind a blank. I pull down my veil to cover the tears, a dull ache in my chest. Why didn’t I trust him? Why didn’t I tell him? I loved him so much, I will always love him. Jenn takes her seat.

    tab I walk up the aisle slowly. I stop in front of the closed, glossy casket and set the red roses down gently. Tears spill down my damp cheeks faster. A wretched sob escapes me, desolate in the silence of the wake. No one speaks.

    tab “I love you, Jacy.” The whisper burns my throat. Suddenly, I bend over the casket and press my lips against the lid. The truth of my words stabs me in the heart, and more tears slide onto the shining wood. How much I wish that I was in that car with him the day fate stole from me. How I wish I could have spent his last moments with him.

    tab “You can’t change fate, my love.” Jacy’s ghost slowly fades as my head whips up.