Lilac Bow Tie, a minutemen fanfic

"Dance with me, Charlie." Her small, smooth hand took mine and intertwined our fingers and I felt myself being led away from the crowds and out onto the lawn. Lights twinkled everywhere and the view of the water far, far below reflected in her eyes.

"I don't dance." I protested as she stopped and faced me when we reached the middle of the grass. Her heels brought her face almost level with mine. She didn't even hear my reply. She took both my hands and situated them on her waist. I felt my face heat up. I had never been this close to a girl before. Her thin wrists latched behind my neck and she lowered her head to rest on my chest as we began to sway.

"Thank you for taking me tonight." She mumbled dreamily against my shirt.

"It's an honor." Was the only thing I could think to reply, trying my hardest to sound in-control. The truth was though, that I was completely out of my element. Her beautiful eyes, her shoulders that were bare in her strapless dress, the hypnotic sway of her body, the heat radiating from her rib cage, the songs, the food, the conversation. This wasn't science. Science was easy. Virgil had promised tonight would be easy. It was not.

"Your heart." She looked up at me as we continued to sway. I felt extremely clumsy.

"What?" I asked aloud, confused. Her small hand gently moved over my chest.

"Your heart." She repeated. "It's pounding." We stopped moving and she looked at me as if she was searching. "You're scared." She perceived.

"No." I lied, my voice cracking slightly.

"Do I intimidate you?" she asked, slightly saddened by the words, her brows drawing together slightly.

"Of course not." I answered freely.

"Because you intimidate me." She admitted and I froze.

"What?" I didn't understand.

"You're so smart, Charlie." She smoothed some of my hair down. "And I know I can be annoying. I never understand a thing that comes out of your mouth. But I love it anyway." She breathed quietly and flashed me a half-smile. "I was so happy that you agreed to come tonight."

"I can't say no to you." I blurted when I saw her lips form the smile that melted my brain.

"Why not?" she wondered, as we began to sway again.

"Because I love you."

0000000000

"Remind me again why I agreed to this." I sighed as Virgil straightened my bow tie. "I avoid dances for a reason."

"Because Jeanette will be looking perfect and you're looking better than ever. And just imagine how happy you're making her. Just think, no dress code." Virgil stepped back and examined his work. "I must say Little Man, that I did a fantastic job with you." He decided and motioned me to the mirror. "What do you think?"

"I think he looks like a miniature Ken doll." Zeke piped up as he came out of the bathroom in jeans and a suit jacket over a white V-neck.

"Oh that's just great." I turned to the side, still not sure how to feel about this new look. Virgil had helped me pick out casual black slacks and a white button-up shirt and a bow tie to match Jeanette's dress which she promised me was lilac-colored. I didn't even know they made fabric in such specific colors. Or that my bow tie had to match her dress. But Virgil insisted it did. It was just etiquette of the populars I suppose.

"You sure you don't want the suit jacket?" Virgil offered, pointing to my bed where I had flung the jacket away.

"No way." Zeke replied for me. "He's just fine. You don't want to look too stiff."

"Too stiff?" I was so confused and I hadn't even made it to Jeanette's house yet. I was only fifteen years old and I was supposed to know all these things? At least I had Zeke and Virgil.

"Ready to roll?" Zeke asked as I slid my watch on and Virgil straightened his tie in the mirror. Zeke was driving all of us in his pickup.

"Yeah." Virgil turned around and nodded to me. "Ready to go grab our dates?"

"No." I frowned. "But you already knew that."

"Oh come on." Virgil grabbed me and dragged me up the stairs.

00000000000000000000000000

Stephanie appeared at the top of the stairs first. Virgil looked completely starstruck. I just rolled my eyes at him and Zeke chuckled. She was wearing a white dress, of course, that was short and her hair was curled in tight ringlets. Her smile was radiant and in her hands was a white boutonniere.

"Hey." Virgil breathed as Stephanie's parents snapped pictures.

"Hey." She shared an intimate smile with him and nodded to Zeke and complimented his outfit. Then she looked over at me. "Wow, Charlie." Her eyes sparkled. "You clean up so well! You did a great job."

"Um, thanks, I think." I dug my hands deeper into my pockets and rocked back on my heels. Would Jeanette be wearing heels? Would she be taller than me? Would that be embarrassing?

"Hey, Charlie, I was thinking maybe you'd like to…" Stephanie began to speak but her voice tapered off as she realized that I wasn't paying attention. My eyes were glued to the top of the stairs where Jeanette stood. She hadn't lied. Lilac is the only word I could use to describe her dress. It was floor length and swished silently around her ankles. It was strapless and the back was open and low. Her hair was straightened down her back, showing how long and thick it was. I couldn't believe it. She giggled girlishly and started down the stairs. Stephanie's parents ooed and ahhed and took more pictures. Stephanie clapped her hands in excitement and Zeke whistled. Virgil just squeezed Stephanie's shoulders affectionately.

"Hey, Hummingbird." She said when she reached me and held up a boutonniere. It was lilac-colored. "I like you bow tie." She whispered and a strand of hair slipped off her shoulders and fell around her face. Her big eyes were glassy and she was wearing heels. But she still wasn't as tall as me. Had I grown?

"I brought you this." I held up the plastic box that the lilac corsage Virgil had picked up was in. "Here." I handed it to her. She snickered and Virgil sighed in defeat.

"Would you like to put it on me?" she offered. I felt my eyes widen slightly.

"Put it…on you?"

"On my wrist." She explained as she took the flower from the box. I hooked my fingers around the band and slid it onto her outstretched wrist. It fit perfectly. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now hold still." She stepped closer and I could smell her shampoo. Raspberry. I knew it had to be. She began to try to pin the flower on my chest. She nicked her finger once on the pin and inhaled sharply, but eventually she got it with some help from Stephanie. She stepped back and nodded. "Perfect."

"You all have a good time!" Stephanie's parents called as we walked down the pathway to Zeke's truck.

"We will!" Stephanie called.

00000000000000000000000

"Thank you for taking me tonight." She mumbled dreamily against my shirt.

"Your heart." She looked up at me as we continued to sway. I felt extremely clumsy.

"What?" I asked aloud, confused. Her small hand gently moved over my chest.

"Your heart." She repeated. "It's pounding." We stopped moving and she looked at me as if she was searching. "You're scared." She perceived.

"No." I lied, my voice cracking slightly.

"Do I intimidate you?" she asked, slightly saddened by the words, her brows drawing together slightly.

"Of course not." I answered freely.

"Because you intimidate me." She admitted and I froze.

"What?" I didn't understand.

"I can't say no to you." I blurted when I saw her lips form the smile that melted my brain.

"Why not?" she wondered, as we began to sway again.

"Because I love you." I said the words before I could stop myself. Her hands fell from around my neck and clutched my arms that were still on her waist.

"I love you too, Charlie." She whispered and before I knew it we were laughing with our faces close as if we had just shared some big secret that no one else had ever heard of before. And I realized that these dances weren't as bad as I thought.