Limitless: The Second Edition

Oliver

"You look amazing!" Derek exclaims from the other end of our FaceTime call. "Are you ready for prom?"

"I'm nervous," I admit. "I've seen Hannah in a dress before, but that was a dance costume. I've never seen her in a fancy dress before. What if I see her in her prom dress and just lose the ability to human?"

"Bro, listen to me. You've got this. You just put the corsage around her wrist gently, then you take her hand, and help her in and out of the car. Aren't you going to dinner at Albert's first, though?"

I nod. "Yeah, we are. I wish you could be here."

Derek smiles sadly. "Trust me, I'll stay online with you until you leave. I got your back, bro. I'm going to walk you through this step by step. Although truthfully, if you ask me, you don't need my help. You're perfectly smooth on your own. I want you to go look in the nearest mirror, right now."

I slip my phone into my suit jacket pocket and grab my crutches to walk to my mirror, setting my phone on my dresser so Derek can see. "What now?"

"Look at yourself. Look at those strong upper body muscles. Look at that perfect hair. Look how smashing you look in that suit. You are a king, and you know it. Now what do you do?"

I shrug. "Wait for Hannah to get here in ten minutes, I guess. And go outside so I'm out there when she gets here."

"That's right, my man," Derek replies. "You will now go downstairs and out to your driveway to wait for your queen to arrive. She will come, step out of that car, and walk toward you. Then what do you do?"

"Uh, do I kiss her or put the corsage on first?"

Derek laughs. "I'd hold myself back if I were you, put the corsage on, then kiss her if you guys want," he answers. "But knowing you two, you'll probably kiss before you do anything."

Just then, Hannah's family's car pulls into my driveway.

"She's here, bro," I whisper to Derek. "I don't know what to do."

"You got this. Just stay calm. Breathe. Don't freak out."

Hannah steps out of the backseat of the car, or at least I think it's Hannah. She looks like a Greek goddess. Her hair is ornately done, and she's wearing a light blue sleeveless silky dress adorned with gems and designs. She's wearing high heeled sandals, and she's walking towards me ever so elegantly.

Never, ever, have I wanted to be able to run to her more than I do in this moment. She is more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.

"Show me," Derek's voice comes from my phone, snapping me out of my reverie. I turn the phone to show him, my mouth open in disbelief.

Derek gasps when he sees Hannah. "You look so pretty!" he says. "You're gorgeous. Oliver, you got lucky."

"I- I don't know what to say," I stammer. "Forgive me, Hannah. I don't have any words. You're so, so beautiful. I can't believe you're real right now."

She smiles warmly and blushes. "You look amazing yourself," she replies. "And thanks, Derek."

We pose for a few pictures for our parents, then get into my mom's car to head to dinner.

Dinner goes by in a blur. Albert, of course, insists on getting a few photos of us and giving me a balloon on a stick to do party tricks with at prom.

When we get to the country club where prom is being held, I get out to help Hannah out of the car, just like Derek told me to. I extend one hand while leaning on my other crutch and pull her out of the car while maintaining my own balance. She gracefully steps onto the asphalt, and we glance to the side to see David strutting inside, full of confidence and poise.  It's nice to see him turn up to his first high school dance and have fun.  

Just then, someone else runs up to us. It's Sadie. "How are you guys?" she asks excitedly. "Are you ready to dance?"

"Definitely," Hannah replies. "What about you, Oliver?"

I grin at her. "Definitely. I'm going to dance all night, and I don't care what they say. I'm going to do this the Oliver Carowski way."

We walk into prom together and our ears are immediately blasted with the greatest hits of the 2010s. Some kids are wildly dancing, some are getting food, and others are lined outside of the photo booth. Hannah and I decide to enjoy the music for a bit until the line for the photo booth gets shorter.

When the photo booth line eventually dies down a bit, we sneak away from the dance floor to go nuts for awhile taking crazy pictures of ourselves. No sooner have we finished doing that than the DJ calls for us to come to the stage.

I almost forgot that I requested a special song for the dance a few weeks ago. But I think Hannah's going to like it. It's basically our song, at least according to Derek and Courtney. I hope she understands why I picked this song.

"What's going on?" Hannah asks me as I lead her up onstage.

I smile. "You'll see."

The DJ clears his throat. "I'm sure everyone knows these two, and I'm sure you all know the next song I'm about to play. But Oliver here has requested that I play a specific song, so here's 'Winner,' just for them. You all know what to do."

The other prom-goers cheer wildly, and the first drums of "Winner" blast through the speakers.

Hannah's rosy face breaks into a huge grin, and she reaches out to me. "I want to dance," she says.

I set my crutches against the wall, then grip onto her. I can see my right leg dangling crookedly and uselessly, but I could care less right now. I'm finally getting to relive that memory from so many months ago. And this time, I get to initiate it. I gaze directly into Hannah's bright green eyes and utter the words I've been waiting so long to tell her. "I, too, want to dance." We dance back and forth for awhile, before I let go a little bit to try something as the end of the song approaches. I lean back and thrust the right side of my body forward so I can kick my leg out. I have one arm around Hannah and the other one stretched out dramatically.

When the song ends, Hannah and I backtrack until I'm leaning against the DJ table. The next thing I know, her lips are on mine, and people are screaming.

As she kisses me, I think back over the past few months. I went from the ugly duckling to king of the hill within three months. Instead of picking on me, the football guys started showing me respect. I haven't been bullied at all since the show. In addition, I met and befriended my idol, who has since become like a brother to me. But above all, I have this girl. She's mine, and I hope this is the beginning of forever. I still can't walk without crutches, but now, I don't mind it. It's who I am. It's just the way I was created. I was born this way, and I'm proud to be me. I'm the crutch boy, and that's okay.

And frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way.