It was the night of prom. Jessica dressed up in a stunning dress, although less revealing than the one she showed to Taeyeon previously, she had to admit that she looked wonderful. Yet there was this strange feeling that lingered over her that dampened her mood. She should be very excited. This was the moment in her life that she regretted not doing and she was going with her friends who she wanted to spend more time with. Why did Jessica feel like something was not right?

Sighing, Jessica did one more look over before going down the stairs.

*Flash*Flash*Flash*

“Ohhhh my baby looks gorgeous!”

Jessica rolled her eyes, “mom….”

“Krystal! Krystal! Get over here and take a picture with your sister.”

Krystal, who was lounging on the couch groaned and rolled her eyes, “Why do I have to? I am not the one going to prom.”

“Just get over here. It isn’t every day my baby gets dolled up!”

Krystal let out one last large groan, as did Jessica, but got up and made a few goofy shots with her sister, “Happy mom?”

Mrs. Jung rolled her eyes, “it will do.”

“Are you done with the pictures mom? It is just a dance.”

Just then Mr. Jung came to join the family, “Are you ready to go hunny?”

Jessica smiled seeing her father. Any teenage girl would probably be embarrassed to be dropped off at prom by her parents, but Jessica was actually really excited to share this experience with them, “Yes daddy.”

Mrs. Jung put the camera in her purse and grabbed the keys, “Krystal behave while we take your sister okay?”

Krystal just waved her arm up as she continued to watch her drama on TV.

Jessica just laughed at teenage Krystal’s behavior. Nothing has changed in the past 10 years.

The car ride to her school, although cliché, it was where prom was being held. On the way Jessica enjoyed the small talk with her parents on the way. She could tell how excited they were for her going to this dance. It was something she wanted to be excited for too, except this pit in her stomach weighed her heart down a bit.

“Okay baby have fun! We will get you at 11pm okay?”

Jessica gave both her parents a long hug, “I will see you later. Thanks for the ride. Love you both.”

Jessica’s mother was nearly in tears as her father teared her away from her daughter so she could enjoy the dance.

With her ticket in hand, Jessica looked at the building and sighed, “Okay. You are here to have fun. Just act like a teenager.” Smiling, Jessica took her steps forward and entered the dance.

When she arrived at the entrance, their class president Heechul greeted her, “Welcome welcome. Do you have your ticket?”

Jessica handed over her ticket, “Here it is.”

Heechul smiled happily, “enjoy the dance!”

Once Jessica has entered the gym, a Jessica looked around and remembered, “T-this is where our class reunion was.” Eventually, Jessica’s eyes caught the sight of her friends, except when she saw them, she saw them as their 28 year old version.

“Yo earth to Jessica are you there?”

Jessica laughed as Yuri waved her hand in her face, “I am fine. I was…just the decoration looked nice.”

Yuri took a good look around, “I guess it does. Are you going to join us at the table or stand here at the 6front the whole time?”

Jessica giggled, “Of course I am coming to your table.” Walking up to the table, Jessica could have sworn this is the exact spot her friends took at the class-reunion. Maybe their habits were the same? Greeting all her friends, Jessica noticed one was missing, “w-where is Taeyeon?”

Tiffany shrugged, “I don’t know. I offered her a ride but she refused.”

That pit in Jessica’s stomach grew larger, “Oh…”

Yuri saw the sour look on Jessica’s face, “Jess lets dance.”

Jessica gave Yuri a sad smile, “How about we go get a drink instead?”

Yuri smiled and put her arm around her friend, “I am thirsty too.” Leading Jessica away from their friends, Yuri whispered, “I am sure she is coming. Don’t worry.”

Jessica played with the side of her dress, “Even if she comes, would that change anything?”

“You never know.”

On the way to get a drink, Jessica met Yoona at the food table causing her to laugh, “Wow some things never change.”

Yoona looked up from the snacks, “You have to try these! It is so good.”

Jessica refused, “Just getting a drink.”

Yuri was already in front of her with some punch, “Hey Yoona. Are you going to man the food all night?”

“Sooyoung is supposed to meet me over here.”

Jessica nearly spit out her drink, “This is weird.”

Yuri tilted her head in curiosity, “what’s strange? Yoona and Soo always want to eat.”

Jessica waved off the question, “Never mind. I was thinking of something.”

Yuri nodded and looked back to their group, “Oh hey there is Sunny! She must of just got here. Damn look at her s in that dress. Her last growth spurt really did something.”

Jessica started rubbing her head, “No no no…all just a coincidence. Of course your friends would act this way.”

“Hey are you okay?” Yuri asked concerned seeing Jessica rubbing her temple.

“Yea yea no problem.” Jessica reassured her trying to calm down her racing thoughts.

Yuri patted her friend on the shoulder, “You are acting strange today.”

Jessica laughed, “Sorry.” She said apologizing for thinking she was 2019 and not 2009.

“I-is that Taeyeon?” Yuri pointed off towards the entrance of the gym.

Jessica swiftly turned. The first thing that crossed her mind was who was Taeyeon coming to the dance with? So many boys asked her to come so who did she choose? Who would be the man that eventually captured Taeyeon’s heart and sparked Jessica’s jealousy?

There was no one.

Taeyeon was alone as she walked towards her friends.

“Hey sorry I am late.”

Tiffany was the first to go over and hug her friend, “I thought you hated me. We were supposed to come together.”

Taeyeon laughed, “My mom was putting on the finishing touches to my dress. I wanted to come with you or Sunny, but my mom drove me after taking a thousand pictures.”

Jessica smiled looking over the careful stitching Taeyeon’s mom did for her dress. She looked stunning in that baby blue dress. However the question remains, why is Taeyeon alone when she was so excited to get asked by so many boys to the dance?

Luckily, Tiffany was just as nosy as Jessica, “Sooo who is the lucky guy?”

Taeyeon laughed, “I decided to come with just you guys…no boys. And well some already found other dates waiting for me to answer.”

Tiffany frowned, “That’s stupid. I though we could like double date…”

“Sorry…” Taeyeon apologized but Jessica was feeling ecstatic inside.

With the party going full force, the DJ picked up the pace on the music and Hyoyeon dragged half of Jessica’s friends to the dance floor claiming each song was her song. Eventually the loners, Jessica, Taeyeon, Seohyun and Sunny were left behind, but Seohyun already left early saying she had cram classes the next day and needed her rest. Then Sunny left for the bathroom leaving an awkward Jessica and Taeyeon sitting at the table together watching their friends do stupid stuff on the dance floor.

“I can’t believe that we thought that move was cool.” Jessica reminisced about some of the dance moves used on the dance floor.

“What?”

Jessica jolted from her thoughts hearing Taeyeon’s voice, “Huh? Oh I was just um talking to myself.”

Taeyeon picked at her plate of food, “Oh.”

Jessica could sense Taeyeon had something to say, “So um why are you not dancing?”

Taeyeon looked up a bit at Jessica, “I could be asking you the same question.”

At least they were not fighting, “touche…I can’t dance if you wanted to know.”

Taeyeon laughed, “everyone can dance. Just move your body.”

“You would have to show me,” Jessica smirked challenging Taeyeon to show her moves.

“I am not really a dancer myself.”

Jessica pursed her lips and nodded, “don’t people come to dances to dance?”

Taeyeon laughed, “I guess we both don’t belong here then.”

“Probably not but here we are.”

“Yea here we are.”

Jessica couldn’t tell but there was a hint of loneliness in Taeyeon’s voice. Maybe she was really upset that none of the boys actually came to the dance with her, “hey…about the greenhouse…”

“Don’t worry about it…as you can tell, I can’t even keep a date.”

“No not about that…I think what you said about me that day is true.”

Taeyeon furrowed her eyebrows, “What?”

“Although I am very very sorry for what I said to you while I was mad for no good reason, and I understand if you can’t forgive me, but you were right about me. I am some loser that always studies. You and the girls have such a great future ahead and for the next 10 years I am going to be alone and still focused on school or my next promotion. Prom…I know will be my last fun thing before going back to my same routine of locking myself away from my friends and studying so I can get my dream job and move up the ladder.”

“Don’t say that…” Taeyeon said out of concern, “You are not a loser. All the girls wish they were even half as smart as you. Your future is going to be brighter than any of ours by a long shot. I am sorry for calling you names too.”

Jessica gave a sinister laugh, “Smart? I studied so hard to get basically nowhere. I won’t get the job I always wanted…just a very expensive education. I realized basically too late that none of this schooling thing matters. What really mattered were you guys. Friends. The people around you that help support you in bad times and I can say confidently that I am a ty friend. I can’t even support you when you were happy. I mean I am really the worst.”

Taeyeon moved closer and wiped away the tear running down her face, “I am not sure about everything you are talking about but I don’t think you are a horrible friend to any of us really. Also…I didn’t really want to go to the dance with all those boys. Tiffany got me all worked up when several showed interest in me all of a sudden.”

With Taeyeon’s close proximity, Jessica ignored the last few words as she got lost in Taeyeon’s eyes, “y-you didn’t want to go? B-but you were so excited…was that fight for nothing?”

“Ah…I guess so but you did say some stupid things…then I said some stupid things…I don’t know.”

Jessica cleared a bit, “So umm you don’t think I am some pathetic nerdy loser?”

Taeyeon laughed a little, “No…goodness no.”

“I don’t really think you are a by the way.” Jessica wanted to make that clear.

“I know. I always knew but…yea I guess it really hurt coming from you. It is just you were my best friend and all…”

Jessica tilted her head back trying to stop all the tears, “still holding onto I am not a ty friend comment? Cause I am sure that I am. What stupid friend calls her best friend a ?”

“I won’t argue that was pretty ty, but I was ready to walk out on you…us. Can you imagine if we never saw each other again because of some fight over boys?”

Jessica laughed knowing all too well the truth in that statement, “Yea right…”

“Anyway! Do you want to like dance or join our friends. It is a lame high school dance that we should probably participate in other than wallowing in our past sorrows.”

Jessica gave her friend a gummy smile, “Yea. That sounds nice.”

Taeyeon stood up and offered Jessica a hand, “May I have this dance my lady?”

Jessica giggled and took the soft hand into hers, “yes you may.”

Taeyeon led them to the dance floor not caring that they were the only two girls dancing slowly together to Celine Dion’s “Because you Loved me” because they both were happy that after many tears, they put what could have been a friendship-ending fight behind them. A weight was lifted off both their shoulders thus this dance meant a truce. A renewed friendship. Something Jessica wanted to have her whole life.

For a while, Jessica swore time stopped and it was just her and Taeyeon on that dance floor. No pesky friend trying to break up their moment, but just Taeyeon and Jessica enjoying this one moment together. For that brief moment, Jessica could only see Taeyeon in her eyes, she leaned forward and lips brushed. Jessica held onto the softness of Taeyeon’s lips for a few seconds before backing away quickly, “OMG…sorry…”

Jessica let go of Taeyeon and backed away slowly ready to run away.

“Jessica…Jessica wait…”

That was it…Jessica was mortified with herself. Too caught up in the moment to realize that she openly showed her feelings to Taeyeon. Gosh she just made up with her friend and found another way to banish Taeyeon from her life.

“Jessica!”

She could hear Taeyeon call but Jessica didn’t know why she couldn’t get herself to stop running. Jessica ran until something caused the floor to shift from under her and she was suddenly on her back. Knowing she fell, Jessica groaned in agony as she slowly got up, “No wonder they say not to run in the hallways…”

Jessica reached out for balance catching the open locker.

It was her old locker…but empty.

Jessica looked around and saw that the hallway looked unusually empty and her prom dress was gone, replaced with what she was wearing to the class reunion, “No..no no no…”

“Jessica? Jessica?”

Jessica was cursing under her breath for returning back to her ty life. She had a chance to change everything. Was this all really only a dream?

“Ah Jessica there you are? Did you get your sweater?”

Jessica looked around and saw her sweater, “yea. I was umm wandering the halls.”

Yuri reached over to help her friend up, “Did you fall?”

“A little. Sorry for making you wait.”

“No worries. Come on lets go.”

Jessica walked slowly behind Yuri taking a look around, “Maybe I should have turned around for Taeyeon…I am so stupid. Even if it was just a dream I let my only chance to be with her slip away…”