Here is another one-shot...
Save the Last Dance
by:
LoquaciousLethality
Leaning my head against the cool window, I watched as my breath fogged up the window. Lifting up my hand from my hoodie pocket, I used my fist to make a bay footprint, then used my pinkie to make the toes. As soon as the fog was there, it was gone, much like my parents dropping me off at the start of the year, giving my their standard 'be good, stay safe.' speech.
If only they knew that Spencer Academy was the least safest place for me to be, and it was all HIS fault.
Why was it His fault? Well, it all started during my second week here, since I tend to be a wall flower...
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"Crap, crappity McCrap crap." I muttered under my breath as I ran through the hallways. I was lost, if you couldn't tell, and classes had started about ten minutes ago. And I had lost the privilege of using the excuse 'I got lost' last week with my teachers. Little did they know that I have the worst sense if direction ever to be found in a red-head.
If ever somewas was able to get lost in a house, it would be me.
Turning a corner, I started to skid to a stop when I noticed that there were people in the hallway. Four guys to be precise. They were talking, but stoppped when they saw me.
Unfortunately, I was unable to stop skidding, so I ran into one of them, the blonde. Somehow, I managed to keep from hitting my head on the floor by banging my elbow on the ground. How I did that, I have no idea.
Once on the floor though, I laid there for a moment, wondering what deity I had angered to make my day be miserable. And all before lunch!
"Dammit, woman!" the blonde half-yelled, getting up from where my legs were resting on his. I cracked an eye open to see a furious blonde, and three sniggering friends who were trying not to laugh.
Oh God. Shoot me now.
I felt my face flush as I realized exactly who I had run into and who I had bowled over.
I must really made somebody angry to run into the Sons of Ipswich and practically bowl over Reid Garwin. Who was quite good looking, but not as much as Tyler, in my humble opinion.
Sure, Caleb had the whole dark and mysterious thing going on, and Pogue had the biker look down pat while Tyler had the innocent-though-not-really image going for him and Ried had the whole bad-boy image going on. But Tyler drew my eyes.
"Um, are you okay?" a voice asked me, and I realized that I was still on the floor. My face flushed again as I hastily got onto my knees, and started to pick up my scattered books.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I said softly, letting my thick dark red red hair fall in front of my face like a curtain."Sorry." I whispered as I got up from the floor, clutching my books to my chest. I could have died right then and there from embarassment. To make such a fool of myself in front of the four most popular guys!
"What are you doing out here? Classes started ten minutes ago." Tyler asked, light blue eyes looking at me in confusion.
"Err...yeah." I said, giving a nervous laugh. "The thing is, I'm lost." I added, reaching a hand to rub my arm, a sure sign of nervousness with me.
"What classroom are you looking for?" Caleb asked. I paused for a second, then reached into my bag and pulled out a piece of paper that had my schedule on it.
"20B." I told him, and the guys looked at each other with a suprised expression."What?" I asked, confused.
"You're a dancer?" Pogue asked, and Reid stiffled a chuckle, making Caleb slap him across the back of his head with a glare.
"Yes, I am." I said, a little stiffly, thinking that they had taken offence for some reason.
In my family of snotty middle class folk, if you weren't anything other than a doctor or a lawyer, you were scum, in a manner of speaking. So, the main topic at family reunions was about me and my dancing. Old ladies must make it a habit to take something so insignificant and make it seem like them most terrible thing in the world. Hence my defence.
"Hey, don't mad." Tyler said soflty, light blue eyes soft as he looked at me." We didn't mean anything by it." he apologized, turning to half-glare at Reid, slightly suprising hid friends.
"It's okay. But, I really have to get going." I said, not meeting his gaze,"But, um, I don't know where it is." I mumbled.
"I'll show you." Tyler said. And he did.
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It has been a month since then, and I've become friends with the four popular guys. I met Caleb's soon to be girl-friend, Naomi, who was a sweet girl. Pogue was like a big brother to me, teasing me and looking out for me at the same time. And Reid, well, he was Reid. The maker of crude jokes, yet owner of a huge heart.
And Tyler. He was the sweetest person around. Sometimes he would be waiting for me at my locker, other times he would get me a cup of coffee in the mornings, if I was particularily cranky. He knew when I was joking and when I was being serious, and often fended off Reid for me when I couldn't. He was the person I could go to for help, and he wouldn't ask questions.
But, then a letter arrived for me, from my grandmother on my mothers side, who was slightly more tolerant of my dancing than anybody else. Though not enough to pardon it.
She invited me to a formal ball, and I quote "you simply must bring your boyfrien, becasue I'm sure that you have one, even though you have not mentioned it, for you are far to pretty to not have one. I cannot wait to meet the young man. I'm positive we'll think highly of him."
In other words, I had to bring my boyfriend for them to question and if I didn't, well, I don't want to think of the consequences. My family has a tendency to be cruel, at least verbally.
So, here I was, sitting in my dorm room, Switchfoot blaring in the background, alone, trying to think of a solution. My roommate, a rather promiscious young lady, rather like Reid, was gone with her flavor of the week, doing heaven knows what, heaven knows where.
A shiver ran though my spine, and I drew my knees closer to my chest, and I sighed, feeling sorry for myself that I didn't have the courage to ask the one person I wanted to ask the most.
"Idiot." I said to myself, brushing a strand of hair from my dark blue ones. "You utter fool, simple minded cantankerous, lily-livered-"
A knock broke through my verbal assault on myself. Thankfully.
As I made my way to the door, I paused, and looked down at my pajama pants, then ends dragging on the floor and covering my feet. With a mental shrug, I unlocked the door, and opened it a smidge.
Only to come face to face with the one person I couldn't face, at least not right now.
"Hey." He said, leaning against the doorjam, hands tucked into his jean pockets, navy shirts top buttons undone, showing the black undershirt.
"Heya." I said with a sigh, opening the door wider, then turning to flop face first on my bed, grabbing my red circular squishy pillow to crush against my chest.
From the sounds of it, Tyler followed me in, and closed the door after me to come sit at the foot my my bed.
"Grace, what's wrong?" he asked, putting a hand on my shoulder, worry in his voice. I sat up, and crossed my legs so I was sitting Indian style.
"I'm pissed at myself." I blurted out after a moment of silence, then felt my cheeks go red, but there was no laughter. Looking up from under my eyelashes, I only saw a faint trace of amusement in his face. Tyler gulped slightly as I did so, but spoke anyway.
"Why are you 'pissed' at yourself, Gracie-loo?" he asked, using the nickname Pogue had given me in a fit of drunkedness.
I opened my mouth to speak, but thought better of it, and leaned over to the side of my bed where my nightstand was, and drew the fated letter out from under two books I was currently reading. I handed it to the young man sitting on my bed, who took it with a look of confusion but started to read it anyway.
I watched as he read, and saw the array of emotions that flew over his face as he read what my grandmother wrote. Amusement, anger, surprise, confusion, shock and more anger.
When he rested the letter on his knee, and looked at me, I stayed quiet, and he knew part of my dilema. He always knew.
" So, I'm assuming you're angry at yourself for not being able to ask the guy you want to ask?" He inquired. I nodded. "Do I know him?"
Again, I nodded. To myself, I thought with a faint smile, 'I hope you know yourself'
Tyler sighed a barely audible sigh. "Do you want me to give you advice on how to ask him?"
My lips twitched, but I nodded, hoping that he didn't see the sudden amuesment that had sprung into my eyes."
"Alright, first things first. Does this guy have any classes with you?" Nod. "Right. Well, you might want to ask him after a class, or during lunch. Something like that. He does have the same lunch as your, right?" Nod. "Grace, it won't kill you to talk, ya know." he said, and I smiled.
"Sorry." I said, and he smiled back, though faintly. " So, during lunch?" I asked, and Tyler nodded.
"But don't spring it on him. Lead up to it, and if he doesn't take the hint, ask away." he said. "Sometimes we can be a little thick." he said, and I laughed, suddenly feeling a whole lot better. Tyler had that affect, even without trying.
There was silence as I watched Tyler think, admiring how gorgeous he was. But, there was a note of pain in his face now, as if he was doing the one thing he never wanted to do, and a spark of hope flared in my chest.
After a couple of minutes with no talking, I leaned forward, and put my hand on his, making him jerk up from staring at my bedspread.
"Ty, are you okay?" I asked soflty. Tyler didn't say anything, just looked at me, something unreadable on his young face. "My blanket can't be that interesting." I joked, and was awarded by a slight smile.
"Guess I zoned out, huh?" he asked, and I nodded. "Sorry about that, Gracie. Just thinking." he said, and put his other hand on mine, letter long discarded on the bed. I waited for him to say something else, but he didn't, only started to fiddle with my hand, splaying my hand on his, palm to palm. I noticed the contrast, my hand being slightly tanned and worn from work, his darker tanned, more calloused and larger than my own.
"You have long fingers." he said out of the blue, tracing said appendage with the tip of his forefinger. A shudder ran though me, but I disguised it as I replied.
"Makes it easier to play piano." I said. "And violin." I added, mezmerized by the rough but light touch.
My mouth went dry, and I couldn't do anything but stare.
Sadly, all things must come to an end, and the moment was broken by the ringing of Tyler's cell phone.
We both started, and my hand withdrew on its own free will as Tyler released it to search for the ringing thing.
He found it, and greeted the other person, sending me an apologetic smile as he talked. I nodded, and looked own at my clasped hands, fighting the blush that wanted to appear and winning, for once.
I stayed quiet as he talked, not really listening.
"Yeah, okay. Yes, I get it, Reid. I'll be right there." he said, and I looked up as he hung up with an aggravated sigh.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Yeah, Reid's being an idiot again, and got himself locked out of his won house, so I have to go help him. Again." Tyler said, getting up and walking to the door. I followed, and leaned against the door as he paused.
"I hope everything goes well with the guy, Grace." He said, then did something he'd never done before. He came to stand in front of me, and dropped a kiss on the top of my head before turning on his heel and walking away, his shoulders in a defeated slouch.
I watched him walk away, heart beat a fast staccato, and made up my mind to go though with it.
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The next day around lunch time found me nearly falling off my seat as Caleb's STBG (soon to be girlfriend) told me about the time she fell on her behind after bouncing off Caleb.
"I'm serious, I was like a bouncy ball!" she cried, waving her hands wildy. Only to hit Caleb in the chest. "Ooops." she said, and I broke into a fresh peal of laughter.
"Naomi, what have you been telling Grace?" he asked fondly. "She looks like she's about to explode."
Naomi smiled.
"I was telling her about that time in the hallway." she explained. Caleb nodded, and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Ahh yes. The first time I ever met Naomi the Human Bouncy Ball." he said, and laughed as he ducked Naomi's hand, all the while making soft, loving eyes at her.
I laughed along with them, but couldn't help the pang of loneliness that hit me. Would I ever be like that with someone? Would I joke with them, yet be so smitten that I would look like Caleb did just then, happy, yet obviously in love?
My laughter died, soon followed by the couple in front of me, who were talking lowly to each other, a faint smile on each of their faces. I couldn't stand it any longer. I needed to leave, if not I would lose it.
I made my excuse, not that they were listening, and high-tailed it out of the lunch room, only to run smack into Tyler, who looked worn and tired.
"Oh, sorry Tyler." I said.
"Don't worry. Is everything okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, Caleb and Naomi are at it again. Googoo eyes and the lot." I said, and Tyler gave a chuckle. Looking at him, I saw a trace of sadness, but knew that he wouldn't tell me if I asked, so instead, I started to do what I had planned.
"Hey, Ty? Want to walk with me?" I asked, motioning to the empty hallways and the front door.
"Sure." He said, and we made our way outside until we were walking along a trail in silence.
Time to start.
"So, remember when we first met? I was late, and rounding a corner-"
"And you ran smack into Reid. What class were you late for again?" Tyler said, some of the tiredness leaving his face.
"Dance." I said without having to think about it. "And, boy was my teacher mad. You heard her, didn't you?" I asked.
"Yeah, though that door is pretty solid, so the most I could make out was you missing on of the most important parts of dance. But I never figured it out." He said, extending a hand to help me over a fallen tree.
"Oh. I has missed the 'bonding' that she thought was necessary." I said, off-handedly.
"Bonding?" Tyler asked, confused.
"Yeah, most dances are meant to be done with a partner. And Mrs. Tilney wnted us to 'bond' so the dances would look more...natural, I guess." I said. "Do you have any idea how hard dancing by yourself is, let alone going to a dance by yourself?" I said, watching out of the corner of my eye as Tyler whipped his head around to face me, the look of something making sense on his face.
I fought back a smile, and continued walking.
"Yeah, I guess that would be hard." he said, voice suddenly more alive. "Speaking of dances, isn't your grandmother having one?" he asked, feigning thoughtfulness. I played along.
"Yes, she is. Why?" I asked.
"Well, you have to take someone as your boyfriend, right?" he asked.
"Yes, that is true." I replied.
"Why haven't you asked someone yet?" he asked, and I realized that we had stopped walking and were standing quite close to each other.
"Because I was scared." I said softly.
"Why woud you be scared?" he returned, just as quietly.
"I-I was afraid of either scaring him off or being told no." I whispered, noticing that his hand hand come up to rest on my shoulder, idly playing with a strand of hair.
" Silly you." he whispered. "If you had looked closely, you could have seen that he wanted you to ask him." He said, a smile appearing on his mouth. My breath caught as he came closer and brushed his lips against mine.
"You mean it? You really want to go to my grandmother's dance with me?" I asked, giddy, once I had caught my breath. Tyler laughed, and took my hand.
"Yes. I mean it." He said, leading me back to the school. "And, if you agree, to be your boyfriend."
He said that last part so quietly I almost didn't hear him, but when what he said registered, I stopped, and stared at him through wide eyes.
"Grace?" he asked, worry on his face.
"Wh-what did you say?" I stuttered. Tyler suddenly knew what was wrong, and stepped in front of me, a tender smile on his face as he reached up to cup my face in his hands.
"What I said, Grace, was that if you agreed, I would like to be your boyfriend, not just so you won' have to lie to your parents, but for real, so that I can be with you." he said.
If I had had anything in my mouth, I would have choked. As it was, I nearly choked on my tongue.
"F-for real?" I asked, and Tyler nodded. I opened my mouth to say something, but couldn't, so instead, I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and catching his mouth in a light kiss.
Tyler's arms caught me, and tightened around my waist as he deepend the kiss slightly, mouth moving expertly on mine.
Breaking apart, I rested my head on his chest, just breathing him in, his scent of cinnamon and apple cider.
Suddenly a thought hit me, and I groaned, burying my head deeper into his chest.
"What's wrong?" he asked, voice rumbling in my ear.
"I'm still going to have to dance with all my guys relatives." I mumbled, and Tyler laughed, arms squeezig me lightly.
"I'll be fine, as long as you save the last dance for me." He said into my ear.
As soon as he said that, I knew that I was gone. Completely and utterly gone.
I loved him.
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(A.N: After a long wait, here it it. The Tyler one-shot.
But, there is going to be a big gap between my next post. I have been resticted on my computer time.
Sorry.)