Forever Starts Tonight: Prom 2000
By Misty
Part One
Saturday, May 2000
Crabapple Farm
The music slowed. Tim and the blond girl danced across the room. They stopped, suddenly, just in front of Lucy and Ted.
"Some band!" Tim said, and he introduced the tall blond girl to Lucy. "Best barbecue I ever tasted in my life," he told Ted.
The blond girl, Dot, was beautiful. "No wonder Tim thinks she's wonderful. No wonder he can't see anyone else," Lucy thought.
"Oh, come on Lucy! Kick that blond bimbo's ass!" Trixie lay on her stomach across her bed, the slim blue velvet gown bunched at her knees where she'd bent them. She was dressed, with nothing left to do towards her prom preparations than to run a brush through her curls and apply her light make up. Plenty of time to relax with one of her favorite books, "Lucy Radcliffe and the Hidden Valley Mystery".
"Next dance, Luce?" Tim asked, as the music started up and couples moved onto the floor.
"Yes, Tim," Lucy said, and she put her hand in his and was happy.
Trixie looked up startled at the knock on her door. "Yeah?" she yelled.
Her mother poked her head into the room, smiling at the picture Trixie made, lying on the bed in her prom dress, a book propped open in front of her. "Christian should be here soon, Trixie. Shouldn't you be finishing up?" she asked.
Trixie sighed and closed the book, her mind full of Lucy taking Dot out behind the school and pummeling her face into a bloody pulp. "I'm almost ready. Just need to comb my hair."
Moms smiled and closed the door behind her before heading back downstairs. Halfway down the stairs, she heard the unmistakable sounds of the song the family had dubbed Trixie's anthem since she agreed to attend the prom with Christian.
At first I was afraid I was petrified
Kept thinkin' I could never live without you by my side
But then I spent so many nights
Thinkin' how you did me wrong
And I grew strong
And so you're back from outer space
I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I'd've known for just one second you'd be back to bother me
Moms stepped into the living room in time to see Brian walk in, looking dashing in his tuxedo. Her face broke into a huge smile. "Brian! You look very handsome!" She beamed at her oldest son, darkly handsome like his father. She couldn't help but compare the young man standing before her to memories of her husband from some twenty years ago.
Brian closed the door behind him and crossed the room to give his mother a peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Moms. How're you feeling?" he asked, his brow knitted with concern.
"Tired," she replied as she walked to the sofa and sat down. "But that's pretty normal." She looked up at Brian with a teasing glint in her eyes. "I HAVE done this before, you know. A few times, in fact."
Brian smiled and sat down next to her. "I know you have, but you can't ask me not to worry." They lulled into silence and Brian grimaced when he heard the music wafting down the stairs.
It took all the strength I had not to fall apart
Kept tryin' hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart,
And I spent oh so many nights
Just feeling sorry for myself. I used to cry
But now I hold my head up high
"I'll be glad when tonight is over. I never want to hear that song again," Brian said, gazing up the stairs with disgust.
Before his mother could reply, Mart walked in the room, fiddling with his cuffs. "Moms, can you PLEASE make her turn that off?" he asked without looking up.
Helen, having enough of her two sons' whining, put her foot down. "Look you two. Tonight is difficult for your sister and I'm not going to ask her to stop doing anything that is helping her cope with it," Helen stated sternly.
Mart looked up, noticing Brian for the first time. "Hey, Brian," he greeted before facing his mother. "Sorry Moms. I'm just going crazy. This isn't the most relaxed atmosphere for any of us," he grumbled.
Helen sighed. "I know, but you're just going to have to make due."
Trixie walked into the room, unnoticed by the three already there. "You tell him, Moms," Trixie said, standing in the room in her long, slim, sapphire blue dress.
Brian stood and put his hand out to help his mother up from the sofa. "Trix, you look beautiful," he said as he walked towards her and kissed his sister on the cheek. He stood back to admire her. His smile faltered slightly at the low cut neckline and the slits that seemed to go up to her hips, but he controlled his expression so Trixie wouldn't see the big brother in him taking over.
"You look pretty cool, Trix," Mart stated.
"Thank you. You both look very handsome as well." Trixie looked from Brian to Mart and had to admit, brothers or not, they were stunning.
"Well, I need to pick up Di. I'll see you two there," Mart said in a rush, as he headed for the door.
Moms, who had been watching the interplay between her oldest children fondly, wiped away the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes and moved quickly into action. "Wait. I want to get a picture of you all dressed up together," she ran out of the room to get the camera, ignoring Mart's protests.
"But Moms, I'm already late," Mart said to his mother's disappearing back. "I don't have time for this," he grumbled, even as he walked back to the center of the room.
The three moved in front of the fireplace, Trixie standing between Mart and Brian.
"What is your problem lately, Mart?" Brian asked. "You're not usually this disagreeable."
When Mart didn't answer, Trixie took it upon herself to answer for him. "He's turned into Whiney, the eighth dwarf. He can't help complaining about everything," she answered smugly.
"You're one to talk, Bitchy Smurf," Mart mumbled.
"Ok you two, enough," Brian ran his hand through his hair, a sign of frustration. "Can you both just stand here and smile for a couple minutes? Then Mart can go pick up Di, and you don't have to talk to each other again for the rest of the night. Sound like a good plan?" he asked irritably.
Trixie beamed at her oldest brother on her left side. "Of course. Anything for you, my favorite brother."
"If Cinderella can do it, so can I," Mart said with a sigh.
The both felt Trixie tense at being called Cinderella. Brian was about to launch into another lecture, but Mart's hurried apology came before he had the chance.
Mart turned quickly and wrapped his arms around his sister. "I'm sorry, Trix. I didn't think, honestly. I don't want to ignore you tonight, either." He leaned back and put his hand forward to shake. "Truce?" he asked hopefully.
Trixie smiled from behind the tears gathering in her eyes and shook his hand. "Truce," she agreed.
"I found the camera!" Moms walked into the room, followed closely by Peter, holding the camera up triumphantly.
The three children leaned towards each other, smiling happily as she took several pictures of them dressed in their formal attire until the roll of film ran out. She was contemplating starting another roll when Mart seized the opportunity.
"I've really got to get going, Moms. Di's waiting for me." He walked to his mother quickly and gave her a hug before hurrying to the door. "Don't wait up for me," he yelled from the foyer. He opened the door and almost ran head first into Christian.
"Christian." The way he said the young man's name could have been described as a hiss. "Come in," he finally offered with a sigh. "Everyone's in there. I'll see you later tonight." He gestured to the living room where the rest of the family was gathered. "Moms! Christian's here," he yelled by way of announcement before hurrying out the door.
Christian walked into the living room to find four pair of Belden eyes staring at him. Not one to be easily flustered, he smiled smoothly and shook hands with Peter and Brian before giving Helen the bouquet of wild flowers he'd brought with him. Girls melted when you treated their mothers extra special.
He pulled the corsage from the cellophane it had been nestled in and noticed Trixie's sigh of relief when she saw it was a wrist corsage. He silently patted himself on the back. No girl wants her father watching some guy fumbling around her chest trying to pin some flowers on her dress and no father wants to watch it, either.
The only uncomfortable part of the evening for Christian was the steely gaze that came from Trixie's older brother Brian, and he was more than happy when Brian finally left to pick up his own prom date.
Once the obligatory pictures had been taken, the duo left the farm, anxious to begin the evening.
Sleepyside Jr/Sr High Prom
Sleepyside Country Club
"Oh, Mart! Look how beautiful this is!" Di exclaimed. They'd just walked into the ballroom of the country club after having spent an enjoyable hour together over dinner. They looked around the room, trying to take it all in at once.
"Look, there's Honey and Brian," Di exclaimed. "Oh, and Christian and Trixie, too."
Mart squeezed Di's hand. "Do you want to go say hello or would you rather dance first?" he asked with an easy smile.
Di thought for a moment before deciding. "Um, dance first. Definitely." They walked hand in hand to the middle of the dance floor and wrapped their arms around each other, holding on tight.
Jim walked into the ballroom, a bubbly, petite blonde girl on his arm. He and Cathy had been friends when he attended Sleepyside High School. They'd both held positions on the student council, Jim as a Senior representative and Cathy as a Freshman representative.
"Thanks for coming with me tonight, Cathy. I really appreciate it."
"Oh Jim, it's no problem. You know I'd do anything for you and Trixie. Besides, I didn't have any plans for tonight anyway," she said softly, her southern accent playing over the words smoothly.
They walked to a table on the far side of the dance floor. They both sat and Jim craned his neck, looking for any sign of Trixie. There were so many people milling around, dancing and laughing that he was having a difficult time spotting anyone. Cathy leaned forward a little, also craning her neck. "I don't see her," she whispered softly.
Jim shook his head. "Neither do I," he said, his voice trailing off into a sigh.
"Maybe she'll try and stay near her friends. There are Honey and Brian, out there dancing. I'll keep an eye on them and watch which table to go to after their dance. We'll never find her this way. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," she said softly.
Honey and Brian, following Mart and Di's lead, had also made their way to the dance floor. Honey was peering over the hand she'd rested on Brian's shoulder, looking at all her friends, watching as all the silent dramas unfolded in front of her eyes.
Brian, however, was looking at Honey. "You're beautiful," he whispered.
Honey snapped her attention to Brian and without realizing she was doing it, put more distance between their bodies. "Sure, Brian," she chuckled, shaking her head back and forth as if she couldn't believe what he was telling her.
"You are beautiful, Honey," he protested.
She had no response for him and the two danced in silence until the end of the song. When the song ended, Honey released herself from his grasp and smiled warmly. "Thank you, Brian," she said before walking off the dance floor.
Brian, not sure if she was thanking him for the compliment or the dance, simply followed her back to the table they were sharing with Trixie and Christian.
On the other side of the room, Cathy watched the couple leave the dance floor and walk to a table near the wall on the opposite side of the room from them. She grabbed Jim's arm and pointed as discreetly as possible in the direction of the table.
Jim watched as Trixie and Honey got up from the table and he had to take a deep breath to calm his nerves. Trixie looked beautiful. He followed her with his eyes until she and Honey disappeared into what he assumed was the ladies room.
Jim and Cathy watched the door to the ladies room for a solid ten minutes. Jim was on the verge of asking Cathy if she'd go in and see if they were still in there when they both emerged, giggling.
Trixie and Honey giggled uncontrollably. When they stepped out of the ladies room where they had been freshening up their make-up, discussing Brian's bombshell and generally chatting about the evening, they found a woman on her cell phone making a frantic call to the Club's operator, yelling at them for their faulty locks on the restroom. From the way the woman was squirming, it was obviously an emergency. Trixie and Honey apologized quietly as the woman glared at them and ran into the now vacant room.
They went back to their respective dates and the four moved to the dance floor where Di was still holding Mart captive.
Jim stood and pulled Cathy's chair back while she stood. He took her hand and they walked to the dance floor, positioning themselves as close to Trixie and Christian as possible.
Mart and Di watched everything from where they stood, both slightly amused by their friends' actions.
"They obviously miss each other. I don't know why they don't just talk it out and get over it," Di said. She watched Jim watching Trixie and saw that Trixie was doing her best to ignore Jim's existence.
"I think they're both crazy," Mart whispered, his eyes not leaving Di's. "But, I don't want to think about them tonight," he said before leaning in to kiss her gently on the lips.
Di smiled a slow, sexy smile and leaned her head against Mart's shoulder. "What DO you want to think about tonight?" she asked, her voice low.
"I'm thinking about how this is the one year anniversary of the time we first made love," he said into her ear.
Di blushed, but smiled, her head still resting against his shoulder. "That's right. It was your prom the first time, wasn't it?" she asked, lifting her head so she could look at him. "I can't believe it's already been a whole year."
Mart leaned towards her, his lips a fraction of an inch away from hers. "With many more to come," he whispered, letting his lips brush hers as they formed the words, before kissing her deeply.
Jim looked across Cathy's shoulder at Trixie. He'd tried to catch her eye several times, but either Christian was letting her lead the dancing, or he was helping her avoid him.
Everyone here, knows everyone here is thinking about
Somebody else
It's best if we all keep it under our heads
I couldn't tell, if anyone here was feeling the way I do
But I'm lonely now, and I don't know how
To get it back to good
Jim sighed, wishing he knew what he could do to make things right again.
Trixie put another inch of space between herself and Christian, fighting an internal battle that was draining all her patience. If I keep my distance from Christian, it's harder to avoid Jim's stare, but if I move in to Christian, he gets the wrong idea and pulls me towards him even closer. She wanted to shout into the room, Is there no middle ground? Instead, she continued her dodging tactics.
Christian watched Trixie with some amusement as she tried to avoid Jim. He was enjoying watching her squirm first into his arms, then away from him when he'd pull her closer. It took all his self-control to keep from laughing out loud. She wasn't used to being out of control of anything and it was obvious she didn't like it.
Brian tried to keep his attention focused on his sister and her cad of a date, but he was having some unexpected problems. He couldn't keep his eyes off Honey.
"So why is it we never dated?" Brian asked, breaking the silence between them.
Almost as tall as he was when she was wearing her heels, she looked him square in the eye. "Because I wasn't willing to be one of many." She quirked her eyebrow up and gave him a wry half smile.
"You know that's not true," he told her.
Honey shrugged. "You wanted things I couldn't give you, Brian. That I didn't want to give you. And there were things I wanted that you couldn't give me."
"What things couldn't I have given you?" he asked. He made no mention of what she couldn't give him. They were both aware of his active social life and knew exactly what it was that Honey wouldn't give to him. At least not under the circumstances he wanted.
Honey gestured to Jim and Trixie with her chin. "I want what they had. That pure, passionate need they had to just be with each other. They still have it, and that's pretty amazing."
Brian glanced over to where her sister was unsuccessfully trying to avoid his former best friend's gaze. "But look at them, Honey. Look at them now. Look what they have to show for all that passionate need. They can't stand being in the same room together, let alone talking to each other." He shook his head in what could only be considered pity. He nodded his head toward them. "THAT," he emphasized, unsure of what to call the situation, "is exactly what I want to avoid."
Honey glanced at them again. "They love each other. Why would you want to avoid that?" she asked.
"I don't want to avoid love," he insisted. "I just don't want to jump into an emotional attachment right away." He discreetly glanced at Trixie one more time. "I don't want to rush anything," he said.
Honey shrugged and smiled a beautiful smile. "Well, we disagree. I'd rather jump into the emotional attachment than a sexual one. So that should answer your question. I won't have a sexual attachment without an emotional one and you don't want an emotional attachment, but you have to have a sexual one." Honey shrugged one elegant shoulder. "We're just not compatible romantically. But we'll always be good friends, right?" she asked, her beautiful smile in place.
Brian smiled back, grateful that he had her friendship, even if it wasn't more. "Always," he agreed, pulling her a little closer.
Everyone here, is wondering what it's like to be with
Somebody else
Everyone here's to blame, everyone here
Gets caught up in the pleasure of the pain, everyone hides
Shades of shame, but looking inside we're the same, we're the same
And we're all grown now, but we don't know how
To get it back to good
Jim continued to watch the couple, oblivious to Trixie's discomfort. From his jaded point of view, all he could see was the woman he loved being held by another man. And he'd driven her to it. His temper and his stubbornness was the reason she was in Christian's arms and not his.
"Jim? You're cutting off the circulation to my fingers and I think that vein in your temple is going to burst in a minute." Cathy reached over and pried her hand out of his. She took his hand and placed it on her waist where she thought she'd be the safest if he started the death grip again. "Just try and calm down a little, okay?" She smiled sweetly at him. "Relax," she reminded him.
Jim visibly relaxed immediately. He smiled sheepishly at Cathy. "Sorry. I'm sorry." He stepped back and offered her his hand. "Do you want to sit down for a while? I haven't talked to you in such a long time. We should spend some time catching up."
She took his proffered hand and let him lead her to their seats. Halfway across the room, they saw Dan walk in with Ruthie. They smiled at the couple and waited for their friends to catch up with them.
"Dan, it's good to see you," Jim said, a smile lighting his face.
Dan shook Jim's outstretched hand and kissed Cathy on the cheek. "It's good to see you both. Where are you sitting?" Dan asked, looking at the tables behind Jim for one that had empty seats where they could sit.
Jim pointed at a table near the back. "Just over there. I think there were a couple empty seats if you want to sit with us," he offered.
Dan smiled. "That would be great. I didn't think this place would be so packed," he said as they started weaving their way through the tables.
Jim kept his hands on Cathy's shoulders as she led them to the back of the room. He turned his head to talk to Dan. "Why are you guys so late?" he asked.
"Ruthie had some tutoring to do today that she couldn't get out of. Rather than rush to get here on time, we decided not to stress about it and just get here late," he explained. "Hey, have they announced the Queen and King yet?" he asked anxiously. It was common knowledge that Di was a favorite, but that didn't stop her friends from feeling nervous for her.
Jim grinned. "Not yet. An informal survey has Di sweeping it, though."
"Who'd you survey?" Dan asked.
"The other Bob-Whites, of course," Jim replied.
"Oh yeah. Definitely an unbiased group there. Good survey technique, Jim," Dan teased.
"She's going to win. I'm confident," Jim stated firmly as he pulled out Cathy's chair for her.
Cathy and Ruthie sat next to each other and were soon deep in conversation. Jim moved to the empty seat next to Dan so they wouldn't have to shout at each other over the table. "So, was Hallie okay with you bringing Ruthie tonight?" he asked quietly.
Dan stiffened. "Ruthie and I are good friends. I don't have to ask my girlfriend permission to go to a dance with a friend," he said tersely.
"She got pissed, didn't she?" Jim asked matter-of-factly.
Dan sighed. "She'll get over it," he said.
Ruthie turned to Dan. "Would you like to dance?" she asked.
Dan smiled, the tension flowing out of his body. "Absolutely," he replied easily, taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor.
The evening progressed over the next few hours as Jim tried several times to get Trixie alone. All his attempts were futile. If she wasn't with Christian, she was with Honey or Di, gossiping. There was even a twenty minute trip to the ladies room just before Di was crowned Prom queen where Trixie and Honey helped Di prepare herself in case she won. Jim had no idea what they had to do that took twenty minutes in the restroom and he didn't want to know. He just wanted some time with Trixie.
At the moment, he was standing with Honey waiting for Brian to come back from visiting with an old teacher. Cathy had gone to talk to some friends not long ago. He'd lost sight of Trixie and was scanning the room looking for her. He leaned to the right where Honey was standing beside him. "Have you seen Trixie lately?" he asked, the tension returning to his body.
Honey didn't look up from the program she was reading. "She's probably with Christian," she answered dryly. "You know, her date?" she smirked.
"Christian? Oh, you mean dickhead?" Jim asked.
Honey flipped the pages of the program until she found Christian's name. She held it out so Jim would be able to see it. "No, use your phonics. 'krischn'. See? There's not even a 'd' in his name!" Honey loved teasing Jim. It was one of the things she loved most about having a brother.
Fortunately for her, Jim felt the same way. He loved teasing Honey and being teased back by her. He felt as if she'd been his sister his entire life, rather than just a few short years. He took the program from her and ran his finger under the name as he spoke. "D-i-c-k-h-e-a-d," he read slowly as he pointed to the name, handing the program back to Honey when he was finished. She laughed at him as he grinned back at her.
Drew maneuvered himself so that he was standing on the other side of Honey. "What's so funny?" he asked, turning so his arm lay behind her.
Honey eyed the arm and raised her eyebrow. "Just arguing over how to pronounce a name is all," she replied once he'd removed the offensive arm.
"Well, would you like to dance?" he asked.
She smiled sweetly, despite the fact she felt like kicking him in the groin. "No thanks," she replied, scooting a little closer to Jim.
When she moved, Drew also moved a little closer, placing his arm behind Honey again. Honey stiffened but placed her hand on Jim's arm to keep him from doing anything. Last thing she wanted was to start a fight in the middle of her Prom.
Drew tried to make small talk, but Honey kept her answers to his questions down to one word-usually no. The three stood in relative silence until Brian joined them. It only took one look at Honey's stiff posture and the fact that he could tell Jim's hands were balled into fists in his pockets to know that it was a tense situation he'd walked into.
"Honey, would you like to dance?" he asked, wanting to get her out of the middle of whatever the problem was.
She smiled gratefully and sighed with relief. "Yes I would," she answered, putting her hand through the crook of his arm. When they were a few steps away, she added a quiet, "Thank you."
Jim relaxed slightly, but kept his guard up. Drew hadn't left as he'd hoped he would. Rather, he stayed right next to Jim, watching Honey and Brian sway to the music on the dance floor.
"That's okay," Drew said. "I was always more into the high profile chicks. Honey just doesn't get enough media coverage to satisfy me." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
Jim kept his eyes straight ahead, looking through the crowd, trying to find any sign of Trixie. "And what if your dream girl isn't the high profile type?" he asked, not really listening to the response.
"Well, that's why it's called the girl of your dreams. All the girls I dream of are high profile," Drew stated with certainty.
"What if you don't find a girl like that?" Jim asked, still scanning the crowd for Trixie. Where can she be? he asked himself over and over.
"I will. I won't settle for anything less than a powerful woman I can bend at my mercy," he said with a sneer. "You know what it's like. Isn't it a power trip being with Trixie, knowing you're the one who does it for her?"
Jim's jaw tightened and while he was still facing forward, he'd stopped looking through the crowd. "I wouldn't know," he stated flatly.
Drew, amused by Jim's reaction to his question, kept talking as if he didn't notice the change in the man standing next to him. "Oh, that's right. I was real sorry to hear about your breakup. Maybe I'll just go ask Christian what it's like tomorrow. He should know by then." Drew sauntered away before Jim could take a swing at him. He chuckled to himself, loving the way he could irritate perfect people like Jim Frayne.
Jim unclenched his fists and stretched his neck first to one side, then to the other. He took a couple of deep breaths and caught sight of Trixie, standing alone in front of a beverage table on the other side of the room.
He started walking straight towards her, unmindful of the fact his path would take him straight through the dance floor. Fortunately for him, the music slowed. He kept looking at Trixie, afraid that if he took his eyes off her, he'd lose sight of her again and would never be able to find her.
Turnaround
Every now and then I get a little bit angry
and I know I've got to get out and cry
Jim moved around people, apologizing belatedly to those he bumped into, intent on making it to the other side of the room.
Turnaround
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified
but then I see the look in your eyes
He debated waving his hand or doing something to attract her attention, but decided against it. If she really was avoiding him this evening, it probably wasn't a good idea to tell her he had found her and was trying to reach her so they could go somewhere and talk.
Turnaround bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart
He heard his name being called off to the left. He smiled when an old friend greeted him, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
Turnaround bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
They shook hands quickly and Jim excused himself before he could be dragged into a conversation rehashing their old high school glory days.
And if you only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
Cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
He looked anxiously at the table where Trixie had been standing and his heart jumped to his throat when he saw she was no longer there.
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
He turned in a half circle, frantically searching the crowds for the siren in the blue dress. He sighed audibly when he saw her leaning against a wall, not far from where she'd been standing a moment before.
Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
He started making his way back through the crowds again, intent on his destination.
Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
He was almost there. Just one more throng of people and he'd be able to see her, to talk to her. He moved through as quickly as possible, apologizing for all the feet he was literally stepping on. He finally pushed his way past the last few people, who were only too happy to finally have him out of their way. He started walking quickly to the far wall, when Christian joined Trixie and took her hand in his.
Turnaround bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart
Turnaround bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart
He was finally close enough to hear them, but with the room as dark as it was, they hadn't spotted him. He listened closely, feeling only mildly guilty about eavesdropping on their conversation.
And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
Cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
Christian ran a finger down Trixie's cheek and smiled down at her. "Do you want to get out of here? We can go somewhere private. Somewhere we can be alone . . ." He said, letting the sentence trail off, intensifying the suggestion behind his question.
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
Trixie smiled, seemingly mesmerized by the charm oozing out of him. "Sure," she replied shyly.
Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
Trixie let Christian take her hand, willing the nerves in her stomach to calm down. She tried to remember when the last time she'd been so nervous had been, and chuckled to herself when she remembered it was the first time she and Jim had made love. No, not love. Had sex, she corrected herself firmly.
She saw Di and Mart standing at the entrance, waiting for the valet to bring their car around.
"Trixie!" Di called, waving to her friend to get her attention.
Trixie and Christian gave the man their valet ticket and then turned their attention to Di and Mart.
"Congratulations on Prom Queen, Di!" Trixie said for what must have been the hundredth time that evening. She smiled as she said it, though, knowing it meant a lot to her friend.
"Thanks, Trixie," Di said. Looking at both of them, she continued, "Are you going to make it to my party tonight?" she asked anxiously.
Trixie looked at Christian. He shrugged his shoulders, indicating he didn't mind. The night was still young, after all. Plenty of time to do everything he wanted to do.
Trixie nodded at Di. "We'll try and make it, sure." Mart and Di's vehicle had arrived and she gave her friend one last hug, then also hugged her brother before they left to continue the celebrations into the night.
Honey and Cathy found Jim, leaning against the wall on the far side of the room. "Jim! There you are. We've been looking for you for ages," Honey said, rolling her eyes at her older brother. When she looked at him closer, she noticed he looked pale. Immediately concerned, she grabbed his arm. "Jim? Are you okay?" she asked urgently.
Jim smiled a sad smile. "SNAFU, Honey," he said. When he saw the confusion on her face, he elaborated. "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up," he explained, smiling to alleviate some of her worry.
"Brian's getting our car now, but I wanted to remind you about Di's party. It looks as if this is breaking up, so we're going to head over there now. Do you think you two can make it?" she asked, looking from Jim to Cathy and back.
"I don't know. I'm not really feeling up to it." Jim hesitated when he saw the discreet look Honey gave Cathy. She was gently reminding him that he had someone else to think about. He smiled again, this time a little more genuinely. "Sure, we'll go now," he said.
Honey smiled brightly. "Great! We'll see you there." She leaned forward to kiss Jim on the cheek and took the opportunity to whisper in his ear, "Maybe you can arrange a clandestine meeting at the clubhouse with Trixie," she said softly before walking away with a wave and a promise to see them there.
Jim crooked his elbow for Cathy and she slipped her hand inside it. "Shall we?"
Because they had arrived there so much earlier than everyone else, Trixie and Christian's car didn't arrive until after Honey and Brian's did. They left soon after, driving down the quiet country road. She could see several sets of taillights in front of her and at least a dozen pairs of headlights behind her. Everyone was making the trip to the country for Di's party. Trixie was staring out the side window when a flash of light and the squeal of brakes caught her attention. She found the site of the crash quickly, but was having a hard time adjusting her eyes to the darkness. Her heart sped up and she felt a sickening ball take form in her stomach. Momentarily speechless, all she could do was grip the handle of the car, trying to open the door, forgetting in her panic they were still driving.
Christian, worried she'd open the door and fall out while they were still moving, locked the doors and held the locks down with one hand while driving with the other.
Finally finding her voice, Trixie shouted into the darkness, "Stop, Christian. I think I see Mart and Brian's car!" She hated the panic she heard in her voice and cursed the tears gathering in her eyes, but said a silent prayer asking that all her friends be safe.
To Be Continued . . .