The music played softly, and the bright colors were all muted. The movement slowed. She turned her head away, her eyes stinging at the smiles. Why were they all happy? How could they be happy? And why wasn't she happy? She didn't know the answers to the first two questions, and she didn't dare answer the third. She would just slip away unnoticed. She shouldn't have come anyway. No one cared that she was there, and no one would care if she left. No one cared. The room grew darker and quieter as she slipped along the wall towards the door.
"Can I have this dance?"
The voice was louder than anything else in the whole room, and it made her heartbeat drum in time with the music as she turned. His eyes were the brightest blue that she'd ever seen, and all of the colors seemed vibrant in him. His smile was brighter than anything else.
She nodded weakly, still feeling lost and dark and quiet. She was just the lonely girl with the dark hair and dark eyes and dark dress who hid in the corner where no one could see.
"Excellent," he told her, his face glowing as he reached for her hand. The touch seemed to send a jolt of electricity through her. She followed him onto the floor, shivering as his other arm wrapped around her waist. "I'm Will. And you are?"
Her dark eyes met his. "You don't care. It's only one dance. You'll just forget about me when it's over."
His own eyes widened as he twirled her around. "That's just stupid. I intend to dance with you for the whole night."
"Why?" she demanded.
"Because you look lonely. I think you need someone. I know what that's like, too."
"Elizabeth," she finally told him stubbornly.
"Liz? Lizzie? Beth?"
"Elizabeth."
"All right, then. Elizabeth it is." He pulled her tightly into his arms. "And why are you so sad, Elizabeth?"
"I'm not sad."
He suddenly began pulling her off the dance floor, over to the large window. "You were crying. I saw you crying. What's wrong?"
Elizabeth turned her head away, seeing the colors of the dance floor blur behind her tears. The music seemed to speed up and get louder, and everything was spinning. spinning. spinning.
His touch once again shocked her as he pulled her tighter to him. "Are you okay, Elizabeth? Do you need to sit down?"
"I'm sick," she murmured. "I'm dying. My friends wanted to take me out, but then they found guys to dance with. No one cares about me, Will. No one cares."
Will eased her into a seat and kneeled down next to her. "I care."
"You don't even know me."
"Then it should mean even more, shouldn't it?" He held her gently. "I should get you home, Elizabeth. You look like you're not feeling well."
She nodded weakly as he helped her to her feet. They rode in the car in silence until he pulled up at her house. "How did you know where I live?" she asked him.
"I'm John's brother," he reminded her gently. "Your ex-boyfriend's brother. Remember me?"
She tried to think, but she couldn't remember. Not at all. She closed her eyes and leaned in against him. "I don't remember much of anything any more."
"Goodnight," he said gently, holding her to him and then placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "And remember that there is always someone who cares."
She nodded, still thinking of him as she stumbled up the stairs.
The next morning, when she woke up, she didn't remember him at all. The pain was too awful. She simply closed her eyes as tightly as she could and murmured, "Someone who cares. someone who cares." until the pain finally went away forever.