"This is all my fault," Brian said sadly as he sat in the hospital waiting room, waiting to talk to a doctor. Brian had just recieved word from Nick that his best friend, Leah, was in the hospital, so he rushed down to see about her.
"This isn't your fault, Brian," Howie said assuringly, but Brian didn't believe him. Leah was his best friend; this had to be his fault. Soon a nurse came in and told Brian that he could see Leah. Howie followed Brian into the white room, where Leah lay on a big, white bed, surrounded by all kinds of tubes and machines. Tears came to Brian's eyes as he looked down at her. As he took her hand in his, he thought back to when he and Leah were around eleven years old. The two of them were sitting on Brian's front porch, on a hot summer day, eating ice cream cones.
"When I'm grown up, I'm going to be the best dancer in the world. I'm going to be famous and on television and everything." Leah had said.
"You're a great dancer," Brian replied. "But is dancing really a job? Don't you have to sing too or something?"
"Who do you think teaches all those singers to dance anyway?" Leah argued.
"Oh..." Brian answered.
Brian shook his head at the thoughts of he and Leah being eleven years old again. He kept thinking about how if he had only known something was wrong, maybe he could've stopped it. Suddenly Brian found himself once again flashing back to earlier times with Leah. This time he thought of a time when they were sixteen. Brian pulled into Leah's driveway. Leah sat on her porch swing, crying. Brian ran up to sit beside her. "Leah, what's wrong?" He asked, putting his arm around her. She turned towards him, putting one arm around his neck, and burying her face in him. Brian found himself feeling helpless. She just kept crying. She wouldn't say what was wrong. She just kept crying. Brian didn't know if it was him or something else, and since he didn't know what the problem was, there was no way he could help. Finally Leah spoke up and said, "I got a letter today from that dance school, I tried out for. I didn't make it, Brian. This was the most important tryout of my life, and I didn't get in."
"You can keep practicing and try out next time they start recruiting people," Brian had said. "Besides, you're a wonderful dancer, Leah. If they don't want you, then it must not be that great of a school. You don't need them. You can do better somewhere else."
Leah attempted to dry her tears and smiled at him, "Thank you, Brian. You're a good friend."
"I'm going to get some coffee," Howie said, exiting the room.
Nick approached the hospital bed. Tears suddenly filled his eyes. He shook his head and wiped his eyes. "I don't do too good in these situations. She was so beautiful, ya know."
"She still is," Brian replied. "But she used to be gorgeous. She had the eyes, hair, smile, body. She's always been pretty."
Brian suddenly thought back to their senior year in high school. Brian sat at a nice table for two, at Platters, a local resturant. "Hi," Leah said happily.
"Hello, Queen Leah," Brian said happily.
"Well, I haven't been crowned just yet," Leah answered. "I still can't believe they voted me prom queen. It's crazy, isn't it? Oh look at me, I'm hardly wearing any make-up at all, and look at my hair. I probably look like I just woke up."
"You look beautiful. You look natural. I like it."
"Let's just hope that nobody from school sees me. They may go in and see if there's anyway we can reverse the prom queen election." Leah laughed.
A waiter came over to their table. "Are we ready to order?" he asked.
"I'd just like a salad and a glass of water," Leah answered.
"What kind of dressing?" he asked.
"No dressing, thank you."
"Alright. And you, sir?"
"Um I'll have the stuffed baked potato with chicken, and ranch dressing, and a glass of sweet tea."
"Very good," The waiter said, taking their menus.
Brian gave Leah a strange look. "A girl's gotta keep her figure," Leah laughed. "Actually I'm not that hungry tonight."
"Oh," Brian replied. "Okay then, whatever you say."
Suddenly Brian's thoughts were interrupted when the door opened, and Nick came in. "Hi," Nick whispered sadly.