Life of the Party

I stood and I watched you that night from afar
Life of the party, the bright evening star.
Sweet innocent smile for a killer in jeans
Our own small town cheerleader, our own dancing queen.

Every word that you spoke seemed to linger on air,
Boys brought to their knees with a flip of your hair.
Bright social butterfly just flitting around
Had to take the dare that night, they couldn't be let down.

So I stood and I watched you still from afar
Life of the party, a Hollywood star.
The more that you drank the freer you were
So I sat back and thought, 'Oh I wish I were her!'

For all things seemed possible if I lived in your world
At just a glimpse of your smile opportunities unfurled
Slurred speech and flushed cheeks just could not cramp your style
Your friends stood right by, cheering you all the while.

They stood and they hugged you as you left the bar,
Ever the life of the party you got into your car.
With a smile and a wave you hurried home late
Not another thought given to your drunken state.

I stood and I watched you the next day from afar
Miss Sweet Sixteen, now a dim lightless star
Braindead and scarred when all was said and done
Another statistic of kid's wreckless fun.

Oh beautiful butterfly so broken you were
That I sat back and thought 'Oh, I'm glad I'm not her!'
Sweet innocent face not knowing this means
There will be a new cheerleader, a new dancing queen.

For it wasn't but days till the whole town would cry
As our own evening star fell down from her sky.
It was with heaviest heart the news had to report
The life of the party, came off life support.