Page 15 of Chasing Fireflies

“I thought it would be better out here.”

“I know you did it for me, Cash. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me for looking out for you, Sara.”

“You know I used to be worse than this?” She looks down and tugs at my heartstrings.

“I remember,” I tell her. She did used to be worse. Sara found out she had manic depression when she was only sixteen. She was outgoing and into everything. Cheerleader, played soccer, and had tons of friends. She was the life of the party, and that’s how I fell in love with her.

I remember the day I fell for her. A bunch of us kids were hanging out at Lake Side, and on a dare she got on the old train bridge and jumped off into the water. Most kids wouldn’t do this, as it’s very high up and not exactly safe. But Sara didn’t care. She was wild, full of life, and when she had her mind made up, you couldn’t stop her. I thought,wow, this girl is crazy. Crazy beautiful, crazy fun, and I was crazy in love. She is my crazy heart.

No one had any idea that my girl had secrets, that on the inside she was like a tornado––unpredictable and all over the place. Her parents knew something was up, and I knew something was up. Why was this girl so high-strung all the time? And why sometimes couldn’t she muster up the energy to get out of bed?

*

“Sara is asleep, Cash. She doesn’t feel well.”

“She’s been sleeping all day, though.” I stand at the front door in a full suit, ready to take my girl to prom, but she can’t get out of bed today.

“Well, I’ll tell her to call you when she wakes up.” Debbie goes to shut the door, but I stop her.

“Mrs. Debbie, I don’t mean to be disrespectful here, but I promised Sara a dance, and I plan on giving her that dance.” I look her square in her heart-shaped face.

“Let the boy by, Debbie.” I hear and see Mr. Walter walk up. “Sara needs to experience normal things.”

“She does experience normal things.”

“What she is doing right now isn’t normal. She has been in the bed for three damn days. Let the boy by.”

Debbie looks pissed, but Walter doesn’t back down.

“Fine,” she huffs before she takes off past me.

Walter grabs the keys. “Son, I’m taking Debbie for a long drive. You seem to make my girl smile, and she needs to smile more.” He pats my shoulder as he walks out and the door shuts behind me when I step in. I take a breath as I hear Debbie fussing, but then two car doors shut. I look up at the stairs and bite my lip.

My knuckle taps on the door, but I hear nothing. I tap again and still nothing, so I walk in. It’s pitch-black in here, and the only sound is the fan circulating in the corner.

“Sara,” I say when I make it over to her bed. She groans, but doesn’t wake. “Sara, wake up.” My eyes have adjusted, and I see hers blink open.

“Cash?” she questions as she rubs her head and turns over. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s prom night.”

“I can’t go,” she tells me.

“I’ve brought it to you, baby.”

“Cash…” She tries to argue.

“Stop. You’re not missing out, and I’m not either.”

She sits up and moves her wild curls out of her face.

“You’re all dressed up.”

“And you look pretty as ever,” I say. “Come on. I want to dance with you.”

She moves the covers to the side, and I take her hand to pull her up. “Where’s your CD player?”

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