Struck

I stared at the boy that is my best friend.
“Uh, Ell? Did you hear me?”
I nodded but he still repeated what he was saying as if to convince himself.
“I said, I’m going to the Halloween ball with Melissa.” My mind tried to process his words. Halloween…ball…Melissa…Nick…
He smiled at me. “Isn’t that cool? I mean, I had a crush on Melissa ages ago and now we’re going to the ball together! It’s… it’s…”
He was almost jumping up and down in the hall. I was shocked, but I said in a calm, controlled voice, “Wow, that’s great! And, uh, Nick, I gotta go somewhere right now…”
He nodded, blond curls flopping over his eyes. “Okay! I’ll save you a seat at lunch!”
I left him there, looking upbeat.
I crumpled to the floor of the cubicle once I got to the restroom.
I felt… I don’t know… Kinda like a tree I saw once in a lightning storm. It was struck by lightning, and in a brief second, it was illuminated by light, exploding with brilliant sparks.
And, of course, it died.
Exactly the way I felt with Nick. Dominic Ahearn, my best friend, who was, until last year, the geeky guy wearing glasses. Until he switched to contacts, became a total jock, and became… un-Dominic like. The way I felt about him was… being struck with lightning. I felt so many emotions at once when he talked about his crush, Melissa Atkins, the most popular girl in the whole school. Anger. Shock. Sadness. Most of all, hurt.
Hurt that after all these years, all Nick could think about was the popular girl, not the girl who always helped him with his essays in English, the girl who walks with him in the park. In short, me.
Oh, shit.
I didn’t want to go back out there.
But I knew I had to face life, school, and, most of all, Nick.
The Halloween ball…
Should I go?
I might get to dance with Nick.
I am so pathetic.
And I know I am going to my death.
.

.

.

You know about the stuff I said about that tree? I felt more like that tree than anything else. It invited the lightning to come down and strike it, and it was cut in half.
I’m ranting to myself because I’m here at the ball, watching Nick and Melissa on the dance floor.
I love Nick, and I’m cutting myself in half because of my love for him.
Why can’t I walk away?
I’m rooted to the spot. I feel I’m just a fly on the wall, a spot on the floor.
Why, Nick?
My tears, brimming in my eyes drip down agonizingly on my dress.
And still I watch on.
The pain…
The music throbs in my ears.
I want to throw up…
I want to go home…
Go away…
But I can’t move.
I’m waiting for the lightning…
Melissa giggles flirtatiously at Nick.
He smiles back.
She whispers something in his ear.
My stomach lurches.
Yet I cannot look away.
He blushes.
She leans towards him, perfect blond hair glimmering. Her lips part…
He leans in, still blushing…
Their lips meet…
I’m split in half…
The lightning floods my body….
Pain beyond measure…
A jolt of electricity, stilling my heart…
And in that moment, my heart dies and withers, fading away.