After he read the letter, his eyes welled up, and the letter fell to the floor. The rain drifted downwards, drenching everything outside. He thought about that rain-soaked day all those years ago when his mother called him and made him promise to take a girl from another school to the prom. Scott was tall and handsome and had no shortage of female interest. His prom was last week, and he had a ball of a time with Linda. No amount of pleading could change her mind, so he capitulated. He knew the girl, Carly, and she was plain-looking and unpopular. He had seen her a few times at the mall with her friends, and the guys made fun of her. He thought of his reputation and phoned his mother back, telling her he would not take Carly to the prom. He was about to go on a camping trip with his friends and was looking for his turtleneck when he saw the tuxedo. He cursed and slammed the door shut. Carly was ready when he arrived. She wore an unflattering gown and had too much makeup on. "I'll make it up to you, Linda," Scott said. Linda was there in ten minutes. Half an hour later, Carly walked down the stairs looking like someone else. Linda had done a great job. When he walked in with her, he drew looks from all the girls. When the dance started, he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. She was stiff at first but soon began to dance. He held her closely and could smell her intoxicating perfume. He could see the sparkle in her brown eyes. She was beautiful. The air was chilly outside, so he covered her with his jacket. He took her hand and drew her close to him. Her lips were warm and soft, and she gasped as he kissed her. She melted in his arms. When he took her home, he kissed her on the porch. She returned the dress Linda had lent her. His gaze caught hers. She looked happy. On the way home, he turned around and went back to knock on the door, but there was no answer. He thought of her all night. When he went to her house the next day, she had already left for her grandmother's in Alaska. Scott got ready and packed his bags. He was going to Harvard. And twelve years later, his mother wrote to him, telling him that Carly had taken her life. He began to sob. The waitress tapped his back and asked if everything was okay. He nodded and left a fifty-dollar bill on the table, then walked to his car. He heard someone knock on the motel door and went to open it. There stood a woman with his wallet. They looked at each other, dumbstruck. It was Carly. She had thought herself too plain for Scott and believed he only wanted to bed her, so she went to her grandmother's and stayed in Alaska all these years. Her grandmother had passed away, so Carly decided to buy the diner with the money she had saved over twelve years. She had a scar on her neck. After her grandmother died, she grew even more depressed. Nothing had changed for her. People still looked down on her, and men treated her badly. She could not take it anymore and tried to hang herself. Scott looked at her and kissed her. He was never letting go of her again.