Just quieter.
Heads turned.
Conversations paused.
People noticed.
Of course they noticed.
Some looked sad.
Some looked shocked.
Some quickly looked away when they realized I’d caught them staring.
My face burned.
I wanted to disappear.
I wanted to run straight back to the parking lot.
The pity was worse than I imagined.
I felt exposed.
Fragile.
Broken.
A few friends came over to hug me.
They meant well.
I knew they meant well.
That somehow made it harder.
Every hug felt like goodbye.
Every sympathetic smile made me feel smaller.
I was seconds away from leaving.
Then, Leo squeezed my hand.
Hard.
I looked up.
Something about his expression seemed different.
Focused.
Determined.
Like he was waiting for something.
Before I could even think about what was happening, the emcee invited everyone to the center to dance.
“Can I have this dance?” Leo asked me, slowly bowing as he held out his hand.
I took a deep breath and nodded.
I wasn’t going to let cancer take away this night.
Especially not now.
For a few monents, it was as if everything else surrounding us disappeared.
All I could see was Leo. His dimples, and his beautiful brown eyes staring straight at me.
“Thank you for going to the prom with me,” he said, embracing me right before the song ended.
My heart skipped a beat.
Before I could reply, he started walking toward the stage right when the music stopped.
“Leo?” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
He simply kept walking.
People began noticing.
Conversations faded.
The music stopped.
I followed him, confused.
The spotlight near the stage suddenly illuminated him.
The room grew quiet.
Everyone was watching.
My heart pounded.
What was happening?
Leo stepped onto the stage.
I stood frozen below it.
The entire gymnasium seemed to be holding its breath.
Then, he reached up and removed his hat.
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
My eyes widened.
His head was completely shaved.
Every strand of his dark hair was gone.
For a second, I couldn’t process what I was seeing.
Then, emotion slammed into me all at once.
He had done it for me.
He had shaved his head for me.
Tears instantly filled my eyes.
Several students began crying.
Teachers looked stunned.
Even the principal appeared emotional.
Leo looked directly at me.
The room blurred through my tears.
I thought I understood everything in that moment.
I thought this was the grand gesture.
The romantic surprise.
The beautiful act of solidarity.
I thought he had shaved his head so I wouldn’t feel alone.
Then, I noticed something strange.
