The Test of Time

22 ~ June

"Savannah I need your help!" He tries again, raising his voice as a few customers turn our way.

"Shh!" I retort quietly, pleading him with my eyes, "Please don't."

"Agree and I'll stop."

"You are incorrigible." I snap.

"No idea what that means, but thank you." He grins and I falter, biting my lip as I think it through. Ben has always been nice to me, he's never done anything to hurt me personally and has profusely apologized for what happened at Brett's eighteenth. Maybe I could help him out...

"Fine I'll go." I give in, groaning. What's the worse that can happen?

"I'll pick you up at eight." He grins, sending me a salute before turning away and making his way out of the diner. What did I just agree to? And why me?

*~*~*

"Are you sure you don't mind?" I ask, holding the strapless, lilac glittery skater dress up in front of me as I look in the mirror.

"I haven't fit in it for three years Anna, wear it!" Elle smiles, lying back on her bed.

"Thank you!"

"Of course."

"I only have forty five minutes to get ready." I groan, slouching down on the bed and looking pleadingly at her. She rolls her eyes before sitting up, shoving me off the edge of the bed.

"Sit down, I'll do your hair."

"Thanks Elle."

"I'm so excited for you." She grins as she grabs hold of my hair. "Do you remember my prom? David O'Brian took me. I think that's the last time I saw him." She continues, clipping my hair away from my face as she grabs her curlers.

"I stayed up waiting for you to come home and tell me about it." I smile at the memory.

"But you fell asleep ten minutes before I got home." She laughs.

"And the next day you told me I'd missed my chance and you'd never tell me what happened." I recall, rolling my eyes.

"David kissed me."

"No!" I squeal, my eyes wide.

"Yeah." Elle grins, curling my hair around the wand.

"And you didn't tell me?" I exclaim as she laughs.

"He wasn't very good." She wrinkles her nose in disgust as she moves round the other side of my hair. "There was a lot of saliva."

"Gross!" I laugh as Elle giggles.

"Yep." She nods, "I literally ran back to the front door." She giggles at the memory. "Dad was so surprised when I crashed through the door. He got up, grabbed his baseball bat and was ready to beat up the person who was chasing me." I laugh at the image. "It took me five minutes to calm him down."

"I miss him."

"Me too." Elle replies softly, "Do you remember the way Mom pinned my hair up, clipping the tiny tiara from her wedding in the front?"

"You looked beautiful." I reply, smiling up at her. She continues with my hair, finishing the curls and slowly pinning it back.

"Here." She beams, gently placing the glittery tiara on top.

"Elle!" I exclaim, reaching up as tears gather in my eyes. It's just as beautiful as I remember it.

"She'd want you to wear it." She says softly and I turn, throwing myself into her arms.