Spring Formal II: The Return of C.J.
It was time for the Annual Masquerade Ball at PCA. The whole thing was put on by the theater club. All the girls on campus were buzzing around trying to get dates and decided what to wear.
Chase Matthews didn't have either problem he was going to put on his tuxedo and a white mask; he also had a date, Zoey! Ever since Zoey and so unceremoniously dumped Alex Beckman a month ago, she and Chase had been hanging out more and Chase had finally drummed up courage and asked her to the dance. And wonder of wonders she said yes.
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Later that Day…
Chase was dragging around his room not looking anything like the happy guy that walked out of here this morning. Fate had played another one of its cruel tricks on him. Chase had been so excited for his date that he found himself getting into his tuxedo better than an hour early. Then came the crushing blow Zoey showed up to cancel their date because that morning Wes Harding the Captain of the Football team and current golden boy of the school had asked her to the Ball.
"You understand, don't you, Chase," she said.
Chase, ever the gentleman, stepped down. he had felt like blowing up, getting angry and demanding to know where she got off doing this to him, but that just wasn't Chase Matthews way. Now here he sat in his room with the Masquerade only an hour away, feeling totally miserable.
Finally he got up off his bed and walked over to the TV. and switched it on. He turned to the sports channel and began taking off his tuxedo. He didn't feel like going to the Ball now. On the TV, there was a prerecorded gymnastics competition. His attention was drawn to it when he realized that it was the final round and it was his friend Cassandra Jane Watson who was about to vault. She sprinted toward the vault horse hand-springed onto the spring board up and off the vault horse flipped and twisted three times before hitting the ground in a perfect landing.
"Yes!" said Chase, happy that his friend had stuck her landing. Seconds later a perfect 10 popped up on the screen.
"That's it folks!" said the Announcer, "Cassie Watson has done it she has successfully defended her state title!"
"Nice going C.J." said Chase, "At least someone is having good luck today. Just then there was a knock at the door. Chase opened the door and come face to face with a pair of feet.
Following the legs down to their owner he found that it was a familiar blonde who had done a handstand outside his door and had knocked with her foot.
Typical C.J. why do things the normal way.
"Hi C.J.," said Chase smiling and shaking his head. In one fluid motion C.J. put her feet down over her head onto the ground and stood up. She pulled Chase into a hug,
"Hi Chase!" she said happily, "I was in town for the state finals this morning. I finally gave all those blasted reporters the slip and thought I'd stop by and see yo_," she stopped short. She noticed Chase was standing there with his tuxedo shirt half open and she looked at her watch.
"Oh no," she said, "I forgot about the ball tonight and your date I'm making you late!"
"No you're not," said Chase as he picked up the suitcases that had been behind C.J. in the hall and carried it into the room.
"What? What happened," said C.J. "Don't tell me you got racked up again!?"
"In a word, yes." Replied Chase. He took a deep breath and proceeded to tell her what had just happened to him.
When he finished she shook her head in disbelief.
"So you're telling me that she blew off her date with you just because some jock asked her out?!" Said C.J.
Chase nodded,
"The guy's not just some jock, said Chase, "he's the Captain of the first winning football team we've had in two years the whole school treats him like a god, especially the girls. which means that yours truly is out of a date."
When C.J. didn't say anything Chase looked over at her. She was sitting on his bed wiggling her toes and thinking. Chase could almost see the wheels turning in her mind.
"Chase," she said suddenly breaking the silence, "get yourself put back together you're going to that Ball. And before you ask, you've got a date, me."
"Look C.J.," said Chase, "I appreciate the gesture but_,"
"But nothing," said C.J., "Just because you like this girl doesn't mean you have to take what she did lying down."
C.J. grabbed one of her suitcases and headed for the bathroom.
"Just give me twenty minutes." She said
The Students were all showing up for the ball. There was a breeze coming up off the ocean as the students walked up the front steps of the gym where the ball was being held. There were tons of whispers and jealous looks when Zoey showed up on Wes Harding's arm.
Even though they were all wearing masks everybody still pretty much knew who everybody was. Everybody was in the middle of the first dance the double doors of the gym swung open. Just as Chase and C.J. walked in someone in the hallway knocked over a stack of chairs and clatter was loud enough to get everybody's attention. Chase in more of a reflex action than anything paused when he found that all at once every one was looking at them. Chase was clad in his new tuxedo with a pair of black dress shoes polished to the nines and C.J. looked absolutely stunning in a one shoulder short white dress and dressy white boots with silver buckles down the side. Her ensemble was framed by her silky straight blonde hair which was cascading all down around her shoulders to her waist. Just then one of the chaperones in the hallway behind them opened one of the outside doors and a slight breeze blew in causing C.J.'s hair to shimmer in the light.
Zoey looked stunned thoughts were swirling in her mind
"There was no mistaking Chase behind the mask. Who was the girl? And how did Chase get a date that fast?!"
Logan gave a low whistle that was abruptly cut off by his date's elbow colliding firmly with his ribs.
Chase and C.J. walked down the steps and out onto the dance floor. A slow song was playing. C.J. put her hands on Chase's shoulder and he put his hands on her waist and they began to swaying to the music. As they danced Chase mused in his mind. He was so comfortable around C.J. that sometimes he actually forgot how beautiful she was. He was reminded of it now between the boys staring at her and the resulting dirty looks from their dates Chase was quite sure that his date was easily one of the prettiest girls at this or any other dance.
When the song ended, C.J. whispered something to Chase then walked off toward the DJ. Chase walked over to the refreshment table and picked up a cup of the lemonade. He barely got a sip of it before Michael and Logan had accosted him demanding to know everything there was to know about the mystery girl.
Chase who was beginning to enjoy himself decided not to spoil the fun just yet. When they asked him what her name was he just smiled and said,
"None of your business," the two boys groaned in frustration. Chase fought the urge to laugh. Chased drained the rest of his lemonade and tossed the cup into the trash can hidden under the table. Just as her turned to go find C.J. a tango started playing. Chase stopped dead in his tracks. He looked across the open space on the dance floor and saw C.J. walking toward him in deliberately seductive manner. Everybody stopped what they were doing and watched.
When C.J. got to where Chase was standing she walked all the way around him with her hand trailing across his shoulders. Suddenly he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her sharply to him until their noses were almost touching. Then they proceed to expertly tango around the floor.
The Dynamic in the room began to change a little the girls including Zoey were now looking admiringly and a little jealously at Chase as he swung C.J. around the dance floor. And the guys were now giving their girls dirty looks.
When Chase pulled C.J. in close at one point she whispered.
"Now aren't you glad I dragged you to all those dance lessons?" Chase just smirked and dipped her again.
Lola leaned to Nicole and whispered.
"If I had known Chase could tango like that, I would have asked him to dance myself!" Nicole nodded in agreement.
Right in the middle of the dance Zoey walked up to the Couple right and tapped C.J. On the shoulder.
"May I cut in?" she asked sweetly. Chase started to loosen his grip only to feel C.J. tighten hers. She looked over her shoulder at Zoey.
"You should dance with your own date." She said with more than a hint of disgust in her voice
Zoey was taken aback, but before she could think of anything to say C.J. expertly danced Chase away. When the tango ended Chase presented C.J. with a long stem rose. For the rest of the dance it was that way this mysterious girl made Chase the romantic heartthrob of the dance but wouldn't let her near him.
Later that evening as the Ball was winding down. Zoey, Lola, Quinn, and Nicole found the mysterious girl sitting out at a table on the patio looking over toward the ocean. she was still wearing her white ensemble minus the mask. She was sipping Lemonade and lying in her lap the long stem red rose that Chase had presented to her at the end of the tango.
"She's pretty even without the mask." Thought Zoey feeling even more disheartened as they approached her. suddenly Lola nudged her.
"Zoey," she hissed, "I know who that girl is."
"Who," said Zoey
"Remember, the spring Formal? When we saw Chase in the television special from Sarah Michelson's house?"
Zoey nodded.
"That's the girl he was with!" said Lola
Zoey looked at the girl again. Lola was right she was the same girl. Now Zoey was really curious. She and were friends walked up to the girl.
"Hi," said Zoey
"Hi," said C.J.
"I'm Zoey." Said Zoey, "What's your name?"
"Cassandra Jane Watson is what it says on my birth certificate, but most people call me Cassie or C.J. for short."
"Where did you meet chase?" Zoey blurted out impatient for some answers
"In the hospital the day we were born." Replied the girl, with a smile
"Really," said Lola
C.J. nodded
"Chase and I were born on the same day in the same hospital. His parents are my god parents and my parents are his god parents and they say that that very day they held us up to each other and Chase grabbed my hand and the rest is history."
"You sure monopolized Chase tonight," said Zoey a little more sharply than she meant to. At this girls demeanor darkened. She stood up and turned to face Zoey. Even though Zoey was in heels and C.J. boots were flats she still had a good two inches on Zoey. C.J. folded her arms across her chest before she spoke.
"Chase was my date tonight," She said, "so don't get sore at me, you had your chance to be his date and you blew it. Chase told me what happened. you had already agreed to go with Chase, But the minute that Wes Harding asked you to go with him it was bye, bye, Chase. "
"Chase didn't mind, he said he understood," said Zoey trying to defend herself
"Of Course he said he understood," snorted C.J., "That's just the kind of guy he is. that sure doesn't mean he wasn't hurt. To have a girl he likes as much as you turn Jerk on him like you did, you might as well have ripped his heart out of his chest, thrown it on the ground, and stomped on it!"
"I didn't realize I'd hurt him like that." Said Zoey in a voice barely above a whisper
"You didn't think about his feelings at all!" replied C.J. "you were only thinking of yourself."
"I'm afraid that Nicole and I have to agree with C.J. on that," said Lola, "you didn't think."
"It's easy to agree with me now it's all over," said C.J. turning to Nicole, Lola and Quinn but it would have been better if you had said this before it went this far."
"What do you mean," said Nicole.
"You claim to be Zoey's best friends, well, in the future remember this," said C.J. "A Best friend not only holds your hand when necessary but also cares enough to kick your butt when you deserve it."
Just then footsteps signaled that Chase had returned from whatever errand he had been on. C.J turned and walked back over to the table. She picked up the rose and her mask that was laying next to it.
"Now if you'll Excuse me Chase and I are going for a moonlight stroll on the beach." She took Chases arm and they walked off together.
Zoey walked over and stood by the railing. Her friends sidled up and stood next to her.
"She really let us have it." Lola said Finally
"Yeah," said Zoey, "The Ironic thing is she's right. I shouldn't have done that to Chase. I have no right to get angry. Like she said I had my chance to be Chase's date. Tomorrow I'm going to apologize to Chase and, guys, if I ever get tempted to do something like that again kick my butt."
"Don't worry," said Lola, "We'll be there for you."
The next day found Chase and Zoey standing on the sidewalk saying goodbye to C.J. as her taxi cab pulled up.
After she was gone, Zoey turned to Chase.
"Chase, I am so sorry for what I did, it was stupid and selfish," She said.
"It's okay," said Chase
"No it's not," said Zoey, "I want to make it up to you. Let's go to the movie tonight and then maybe a moon light stroll on the beach?" she said that last part apprehensively as though she was afraid of the answer that she would get.
Chase who had been standing there with his hands behind his back, brought a rose out from behind his back. Zoey's eyes widened.
Chase handed her the rose and reached into his pocket and pulled out two tickets.
"How about we go to the Metroplex theatre instead? C.J. sprang for the tickets. She figure you'd learned your lesson. she's not one to hold a grudge.
"Until tomorrow, Miss Brooks," he smiled
Chase walked off with a smile leaving Zoey standing there gentle cradling the rose. She turned and looked down the road in the direction C.J. Car had gone. she gave a smile.
"Thanks C.J.," she said, "I won't blow it this time."
The End