Chapter 20:
Prom Night:
(Friday May 26th, 2017; 6:45pm)
Well, everyone…this is what we've all been waiting for…it's prom night at last!
Jack took a deep breath and stepped up to the front door of Rita's house, a small box in his hands, his camera round his neck, prom tickets, mobile phone and wallet in his jacket pockets and his foot tapping nervously on the ground. It was finally prom night, and he was waiting for Rita to let him into her house so he could pick up Carrie.
Taking another deep breath, he knocked on the front door three times and waited. After a moment, the front door opened to reveal Rita Desjardin wearing a sparkling dark navy-blue dress that hugged her curves very well. Her red hair had been let down and curled, which really helped to bring out her beauty, and she was wearing high heels which gave her an extra inch in height.
"Ah Jack, you're here! Come in! Come in! Carrie and the triplets are almost finished upstairs, and I must say you clean up quite well."
"Ah thanks, Rita. You look quite nice this evening too. Hoping to drop some jaws on the dance floor tonight?" asked Jack.
"Ha, ha, maybe." she said in a teasing way, and they both laughed.
"Hey, is that you, big bro?" came the voice of Catherine from upstairs. The triplets had spent the previous night as Rita's place, as the said teacher had been made Carrie's legal guardian. And to celebrate that, the triplets, Carrie and Rita had a girl's night at Rita's house, complete with fast food, popcorn, soda, ice cream and good movies.
"Yes, it's me. I literally just got here." Jack said, as he looked up the stairs. Then footsteps were heard as the Sullivan triplets descended the stairs. They were all wearing an identical make of dress, with a strap over one shoulder and ending just above their ankles, where Jack could see the three were wearing high heels, with a slit on the right side of each dress which showed a bit of their right legs.
The only difference between the dresses was their colours; Catherine was wearing bright green, while Grace was in crisp white and Louise was wearing orange. Their hair had been done at a hair salon at the mall earlier on in the day, and they had only the slightest hint of makeup on their faces with their best necklaces round their necks.
Jack brought his camera up to his eyes and took a few pictures of his sisters as they descended the stairs, before he lowered his camera again. He smiled; his sisters were wearing the colours of the Irish Tricolour, which would, no doubt, make for some very interesting comments and photos at the prom this evening.
"Well, you three…you all look amazing, though I don't know what mom and dad would say about your choice of prom dress colours if they could see you right now." Jack said, as the triplets stood side by side, green, white and orange forming the Irish Tricolour. Rita smiled; she'd thought the same thing when she'd seen the triplets in their prom dresses.
"Thanks Jack, but we just wanted people at the prom to know that we're all Irish and we mean business." Louise said, as she rolled her eyes.
"And you know we can take care of ourselves if we need to." said Grace.
"Yet, that's a nice tuxedo by the way, big bro." Catherine said, as she and her sisters examined what their brother was wearing.
"Thanks very much." Jack said, while admiring the smart James Bond style tuxedo he was wearing, consisting of smart black pants, black shoes polished to a high shine, while his upper body was adorned with a smart white shirt, navy blue waistcoat and black jacket with a black dickie bow round his neck.
"And Carrie's almost finished upstairs…so you may wanna take a breath when you see her." said Louise.
Then a sound at the top of the stairs silenced everyone as they turned their heads and looked up. Jack felt his jaw drop a bit, his eyes widen a little and the air leave his lungs when he saw his prom date appear.
Wearing a light pink dress that she made herself with a matching flower on the right shoulder, Carrie looked like she was an angel sent down from heaven, particularly with the way her strawberry blonde hair was framing her face and how her emerald eyes shone brightly. Jack made sure to burn this image in his mind as he wanted to remember it forever.
Going up to her, Jack gently took her hand in his and stared into her emerald eyes.
"Wow, you look absolutely incredible this evening." he said, with a smile.
Blushing a little, Carrie smiled back shyly while looking into Jack's eyes. "Thank you, and you look handsome too." Jack's smart suit really made him look like a handsome prince in her eyes, which made her his princess.
Jack took out the small box he had and opened it up to reveal a beautiful corsage with white flowers. Keeping as calm and composed as he could, Jack very gently placed the corsage round Carrie's right wrist as Rita and the triplets watched on with smiles on their faces. Jack was smiling nervously, as was Carrie, since she was as nervous as her date. The triplets pulled out their iPhones and took some photos of this so they could send some of them on to their parents a little later on.
With the corsage attached, it was then Jack and Carrie noticed the triplets with their phones taking pictures of them, as Rita was too. But instead of feeling embarrassed, they turned with their arms round each other and posed for photographs.
For the next five minutes, they took photographs of each other, including with Jack's camera where he and Carrie posed with the triplets, and then with Rita. Then it was just Carrie with the triplets, then Carrie with Rita and then Jack with Rita. As they were finishing up, with Jack commenting on how good the quality of the photos was, there came a knock at the door. Rita went over to the door and opened it, to reveal a familiar face waiting outside.
"David! Come on in! You're just in time!" Rita said happily, while allowing the detective to come inside.
"Detective Roberts? Why are you here?" Carrie asked curiously, as Jack explained to the triplets who this man was.
"Hey, just call me David as I'm off-duty. As to why I'm here…well I'm here to pick up my date for the prom." he said, now that the teens could see he was wearing a classic tuxedo, very similar to what Jack was wearing.
"Hang on…you're going to the prom with Rita as your date?" asked Jack.
"Of course. I asked him to accompany me to the prom after he helped with the documentation so I could become Carrie's legal guardian. I felt it would be a good way for me to show my appreciation." Rita said, as she went and gently took David's arm. "Anyway, you lot, I think it's best we get going. After all, we've got Sue and Tommy to pick up before we head to the prom."
"What about Norma, Freddy, Heather and Roy?" Catherine asked.
"I expect they're already at the school by now, Kate. They all live quite close to it, and besides Norma's one of the main organisers of the prom, so it's her baby and she wants everything to be just so." Jack said.
"Okay, let's go then." Louise said, as they gathered what they needed and headed out the door.
Outside on the street in front of the house, there was a stretch limo waiting for them, its silver paintwork having been cleaned and polished to a bright shine. At the door in the middle of the limo, which opened up like a bird's wing, the driver stood waiting in his smart chauffer's uniform.
"Wow! Now THIS is THE ideal way to go to a senior prom…in style!" Jack said, as he looked over the limo.
"Indeed! Let's go!" Louise said, as the teens clambered into the limo first, with Rita and David following behind. Jack and Carrie were very impressed by the limo's stylish interior when they got in; bright multi-coloured lighting, a soft carpet with a long couch on one side, shorter ones at the back and front, all of which were covered with the finest leather in grey and white, and with a mini bar complete with a selection of drinking glasses and drinks, including champagne in a silver ice bucket and soft drinks in a small refrigerator. There were also a number of small TV screens built into the interior as well.
After Rita and David got aboard and had their seat belts on, the driver started the engine and they set off.
They soon picked up Tommy and Sue at Tommy's place not too long afterwards. Sue was wearing an eye-catching red dress, complete with red high heels, while Tommy was wearing a smart tuxedo, except that his dinner jacket was white with black lapels.
After they got aboard and were comfortably seated, they were on their way again. Jack was thankful they didn't need to pick up Norma and Freddy or Heather and Roy, as the limo was already full enough with everyone in it as it was.
They were chatting excitedly as they came nearer to the school, and Jack had taken a few more pictures on his camera. Then the limo slowed down and, looking outside, everyone could see they had arrived in front of the school. There were already other students, all dressed in their finest suits and gowns, going into the entrance to the gym, where an arch had been set up with bright lights and balloons.
"And here we are, everyone. And remember, we're here to have a good time tonight, so please be responsible…okay?" Rita said.
"Yes ma'am." the teens said, as they got off the limo one by one and went up towards the entrance to the prom. After they stepped off, Jack and Carrie linked their arms together, with their prom tickets in their other hands, and joined the line where the teens were entering the prom. After handing over their tickets and their picture taken by the photographer by the entrance, they went inside.
(Inside the school gym hall)
As the group stepped inside, they could see the prom was in full swing; people were dancing to the music on the dance floor in the middle of the hall, a disco ball turned on the ceiling scattering its reflected light all over the space, and along one wall a number of tables loaded with refreshments, both hot and cold, as well as drinks had been set up. There were brightly coloured balloons floating from weights on the floor, while on the walls were veils of bright silk hanging with twinkling lights.
At many of the tables set up around the hall, groups of teens were laughing and chatting together, while occasionally posing for pictures for their friends.
For Carrie, this was a little bit overwhelming as she and Jack strolled in together.
"Hey, are you all right, Carrie?" asked Jack, and snapping out of her daze, Carrie turned to see the concerned eyes of her date.
"Oh, y-yes, I was just a bit surprised by all this." Carrie said, as she looked round.
"Well, come on…let's get this party started." Jack said, as he gently led Carrie through the sea of young people over to one of the vacant tables with the others from the limo following close behind. Occasionally, they would stop for photos or would speak to people they knew for a few moments before they arrived at the vacant table.
(A little while later)
Tommy and Sue were dancing together on the dance floor, while Jack's three sisters were dancing together and showing off their dance moves. Some of those round the dance floor, especially the boys, were watching them dance and, just as Jack had predicted, many of those watching were quietly commenting on their choice of dress colours and some even took photos when the Irish Tricolour formed when the triplets were alongside each other in the right order. Yet, many boys didn't dance anywhere near them as they didn't want to get a beating, either from the triplets or their older brother, who easily defeated Billy Nolan and his two lackeys without suffering a single scratch.
Jack and Carrie were sitting at the table watching everyone dance while enjoying some of the hot food on offer, including chicken wings, mini burgers and pizza.
"Well, good evening you two!" came a peppy voice. Jack and Carrie turned and saw Norma Watson standing before them; she was wearing a black dress with thin white straps over her shoulders and had white gloves over her hands. Her hair had been done up in a bun behind her head and she was wearing silver earrings on her ears.
"And good evening back, Norma. I must say you look exquisite this evening." Jack said.
"Thank you, Jack." Norma said, before turning her attention to Carrie. "Carrie, you look SO different this evening! I-I can't believe that! She's glowing, don't you think?" Norma said, as Carrie smiled and blushed a little.
"Yeah, she is. She really has that bright glow on her. And I'm very happy to see her with it." Jack said, as he smiled at Carrie.
"Thank you." Carrie said with a smile, as she looked up at Jack.
"Can I just say Norma, this is one fantastic event you've put together. It looks like everyone's having a good time." Jack said, as he looked round the hall.
"Thanks Jack, this is the final major event of high school and I wanted to make sure that it was really something special that everyone would remember." Norma said.
"Oh, I'm sure, but where's Freddy got to?" asked Jack.
"Right here, Jack." Freddy said, as he stepped up to the table with a cup of punch in his hand and his camera round his shoulder. Freddy was wearing a fine dark suit complete with white shirt and a tie.
"How's your evening been so far, Freddy? Have you taken many photos?" Jack asked.
"Norma and I have bene having a great time, Jack, and yes I've taken quite a few pictures." Freddy said, as he held up his camera proudly.
"We're gonna be handing out the ballots for people to vote for the prom king and queen very soon, and I'm really looking forward to seeing who'll win." Norma said.
"I'm looking forward to it too." Carrie said.
Then Heather and Roy arrived by the table, arm in arm.
"Good evening you lot." Roy said as they arrived.
"And good evening to you both as well." Jack said.
"Are you having a good time?" Heather asked.
"Yes, we are, so far." Carrie said.
"Oh Carrie, I love you dress! Where did you get it from?" Heather said, noticing the fine pink prom dress Carrie was wearing.
"Thank you. I actually made it myself." Carrie said.
"No way! Did you really?!" Heather said, having not expected to hear that.
"Yes, I did make it myself. I like sewing and it's a really simple pattern." Carrie said. They talked for a few minutes more before Heather and Roy went out to dance.
"Hey Norma, do you wanna dance?" Freddy asked, as he put his empty cup on the table.
"Sure, Freddy." Norma said, as they took each other's hands and walked onto the dance floor, leaving Jack and Carrie alone at the table.
Carri felt herself smile as she watched her fellow students enjoy themselves by dancing to the music, laughing fondly about things that had happened in the last four years of high school and having cups of punch and plates of food. While Carrie's confidence had greatly improved to an all-time high over the last two months, she was still feeling a little bit shy about dancing in front of her fellow students.
"I'm sorry, Jack." she said, as her gaze turned to Jack.
"For what, Carrie?" asked Jack, raising one eyebrow. Carrie looked towards the people dancing together on the dance floor. Jack immediately understood.
"It's all right, Carrie. Do you remember what I told you about how I wouldn't force you to do anything you weren't comfortable with?" he asked, as Carrie looked at him and nodded. She felt her heartrate increase a little when she remembered him telling her that.
"Well, we could just sit here and talk with each other and other people here for the whole evening, and I still would have the best prom night. And do you know why? It's because you're here with me, and that's more than enough." Jack said, as he gently put his right arm round Carrie's shoulders.
Warmth filled Carrie as she listened to Jack tell her that her presence alone was enough to make prom night memorable for him. But making up her mind, she gathered together all the courage she could muster, took his hand and stood up.
"Come on…let's dance." she said.
"Are you sure?" Jack said, as he stood up too. The young telekinetic teen nodded while smiling and they went out onto the dance floor.
"Hey, we've been wondering when you two would show up." Catherine said, as Jack and Carrie stepped out onto the dance floor.
"Yeah, come on you two, let's dance!" Louise said, as she and Grace danced among the other students. Carrie paused a moment, unsure of what to do next. Looking round, she noticed a few of the other students glancing in her direction and wondered deep down if she made a mistake. Then Jack gently took hold of her hands and she looked directly into his eyes.
"Hey…don't worry about them, Carrie. Just look at me and dance to the music." Jack said. So, Carrie did and began moving to the beat of the music and she was soon smiling widely as she and Jack danced together, not worried about anyone staring at her and really enjoying the night with her boyfriend, his sisters and her closest friends. For the first time in her life, Carrie could really and truly let go of what fears she had and feel like a normal teenage girl instead of the shy, awkward outcast she'd been a few weeks earlier.
For about half an hour or so, they danced away on the dance floor, and at one point they switched partners while a tango style music was being played; Carrie danced with Tommy while Jack danced with Sue and they were able to dance quite well together, having a great time in the process, and once that piece of music ended, they went back to their original partners.
(A short while later)
They arrived back at their table, their feet tired from the dancing and drinks in their hands, either cups of punch or cans of soft drinks from bowls filled with ice.
"Well, that was fun." Jack said, as he took a sip from a can of Coca Cola. The others also took sips or gulps from their drinks to cool down as they'd been dancing so much for the past half hour, and some were sweating a little on their foreheads.
"Yeah, it was fun." Carrie said, as she opened her can of 7Up.
"Hey, you guys…check out Ms Desjardin and the detective dancing." Heather said, indicating onto the dance floor. Looking over, they could see Rita and Detective Michaels moving round the dance floor as it they'd been dancing for years. The smiles on their faces clearly showed they were enjoying themselves.
"Wow…they seem to be having a good time tonight too." Roy murmured.
"Hmm…I never knew Ms Desjardin could dance like that." Freddy said, his eyes being drawn unconsciously to the gym teacher's swaying hips.
"Hey…" Grace said, while giving Freddy a light smack on the back of the head. "…that's our big sister you're looking at. And watch your mouth, you're beginning to drool a bit." Blushing a bit, Freddy kept his head down as the others laughed at his predicament. Then, as the song ended, Principal Morton appeared on stage and stepped up to the microphone.
"Okay everyone…just to let you know we'll be handing out the ballots for the prom king and queen in a short while. Thank you." he said, before he stepped off the stage.
"I wonder who'll be on the prom ballots." Jack said, as he wondered.
"Be patient, Jack. I'm sure you'll be quite surprised." Norma said.
"And I'm wondering who'll win the Prom King and Queen titles this evening." Sue said, as everyone gazed towards the two thrones set up on the stage.
A few minutes later, after the next song ended, a few of those in the group went either to the bathroom or over to the refreshment table to get some more things to eat or drink, leaving Jack and Carrie sitting alone at the table with the triplets.
"So, how are you feeling thus far tonight, Carrie?" Louise asked, as she took another sip from her cup of punch.
"I'm feeling great, Louise. I've never had this much fun before in my life. And I'm very glad I had this chance before the end of high school." Carrie said, with a bigger smile on her face than Jack or the triplets had seen before.
"Well don't forget, there's your 18th birthday next Saturday, Carrie. Have you decided what you want to do for that day?" Catherine asked.
"I haven't really decided that yet, Catherine, but I'd like to spend some of the day at the mall." Carrie said.
"Well, whatever you want to do at the mall next Saturday is perfectly fine by me, Carrie." Jack said, as Carrie smiled again.
"Would you like us to get you a cake like we did for Jack last week?" Grace asked.
"Sure, thank you. I'd really like that." Carrie said.
Then Rita Desjardin stepped up to the table.
"Hello everyone, are we having a great time tonight?" she asked as she stopped by one of the empty chairs before sitting down on it.
"Of course, Rita." Jack said.
"I'm really hoping that the night will never end, Rita. I'm having such a good time." Carrie said, as she smiled at her guardian as Rita sat down.
"I'm really pleased to hear that Carrie, and Jack…I'm really very proud of you for doing so much for Carrie since you arrived here. If you keep that up, you'll end up going a very long way in life." Rita said, as she looked at her surrogate younger brother.
"Thanks Rita, I'm just very happy I could give Carrie the help she needed and to make a real difference to her life." Jack said, as he and Carrie looked at each other and smiled.
"Do you remember what your high school prom was like, Rita?" Grace asked.
"Oh, I can and very well…and it wasn't that many years back…" Rita said with a smile, as she reminisced, "…I went on a date with the captain of my high school's baseball team…he was an old friend of mine…and we had a fantastic time that night. We danced on the dance floor for most of the night, and we spent a lot of time with our respective friends before we left at about 1 o clock the following morning." Rita said.
"Whatever became of your date from that night, Rita?" Catherine asked.
"Well, he went on to play professional baseball for the Major League Baseball and is doing very well in his chosen profession." Rita said.
"I bet he is." Jack said.
"And Jack…with your time here in the States getting nearer and nearer to its end, and you and your sisters gonna be heading off home in less than two weeks, how are you feeling about it?" Rita asked. Jack smiled and was quiet for a moment before he spoke.
"Well Rita, I've got this range of mixed emotions inside me. On the one hand, I'll be very happy to be going home again and seeing Dublin, the familiar places that I've grown up in and of course everyone I know at home…yet, at the same time, I'll be sad at leaving the United States as I've really grown to like this country as well as all the many people I've met and now see as friends." Jack said. Hearing their brother speak like that got the triplets thinking, and they rubbed their chins and looked at each other.
"I'm sure many people will miss you too, Jack. You've made a really big difference here at Ewen High in the last two months, especially for Carrie." Rita said.
"Thanks Rita." Jack said before turning to Carrie. "I'm just going over to the refreshment table, would you like me to bring you back anything?" he asked.
"Yes please, would you bring me another cup of that punch?" Carrie said.
"Certainly." Jack said, as he stood up and went over to the refreshment table. Seeing that their brother had gone, the triplets turned their attention to Carrie and Rita and began talking with them about something.
(Outside the gym hall)
As people were enjoying themselves inside, a shadowy figure dressed in black, and making sure not to be seen, was heading towards the back door to the gym hall, where Tina Blake was waiting. Arriving at the door, which Tina quietly opened, Chris Hargensen stepped inside.
"Are they in here, Tina?" Chris asked, and Tina nodded, knowing full well the people that Chris was referring to.
"Yes, they are. They're in enjoying themselves along with the others." Tina said, as she quickly shut the door again.
"Have the ballots been counted yet?" Chris asked, as she headed for the stairs that would lead up to the catwalk over the stage,
"No not yet, Chris, you're a little too early for that, but they'll be sending them out to all the tables in just a minute or two." Tina said.
"All right…just stand by. I'll be waiting." Chris said, as she gave an evil smile before heading up the stairs, ready to unveil the nasty surprise while Tina, also giving her friend an evil smile, went back towards the prom as if nothing had happened.
(At Jack and Carrie's table)
"And are you sure it won't be too much trouble?" Rita asked.
"Of course not, Rita. Don't worry, it'll be no trouble at all, and I'm sure that Jack will be thrilled when he finds out." Louise said.
"But don't tell Jack just yet; let's let him find out in due course." said Grace.
"All right. I'm very happy you came up with this idea you three." Carrie said, with a big smile on her face.
"Ah there you are, Rita." came the voice of Detective David, as he stepped up to the table.
"How are you enjoying the night, David?" Louise asked.
"It's great, and reminds me very much of my own prom night." David said, as Jack arrived back at the table with his and Carrie's drinks.
"Here we are; sorry I'm a bit late, but there was a queue at the refreshment table, and some of those there wanted me to pose with them for a few pictures." Jack said, as he handed Carrie her cup of punch.
"Oh, no problem at all, Jack." Carrie said, as she sipped her punch. Then, one of the boys came round and began dropping off slips of paper along with pens.
"Here's the ballots for you all to vote for the prom king and queen. Good luck to you." he said, and after handing everyone at the table a ballot, he went over to the next table to make his deliveries there.
Jack and Carrie had a look at the ballots they had; there were six couples to choose from. Among them were Sue and Tommy and, much to their own surprise, Jack and Carrie could see their names were down on the ballot too.
"Well…what do ya know. We're both on here as well." Jack said to Carrie, as he looked over his ballot card.
"Yeah, I wasn't expecting that. Well…who should we vote for?" Carrie said.
"Hey, you two could always vote for yourselves." Louise said jokingly, as she, Catherine and Grace ticked off who they wanted to see as Prom King and Queen.
"Now I don't think that would be fair on everyone else, Lou." Jack said, as he marked down his vote on his ballot while Carrie did the same.
(A short while later)
Soon, the ballots had been collected and were taken away to be counted. Then the DJ, sitting at his mixing station, made an announcement.
"All right everyone…we're now gonna slow things down for you all with a romantic tune. So, for all the lovebirds out there amongst you…the dance floor is yours." and the DJ turned on the romantic tune.
"Come on, Carrie." Jack said, as he and Carrie stood up, took each other's hands and went out onto the dance floor, where other couples were holding each other close and swaying to the slow romantic music. Once on the dance floor, Carrie put her arms round Jack's shoulders and he put his hands round her waist, and they began to sway with the music too.
Carrie felt her whole body begin to heat up; she was being gently held in the arms of the boy she was in love with and dancing to a romantic song on prom night. If this was a dream, she wanted it to go on forever.
Looking down at Carrie, Jack felt as if they, in that moment, were the only people in the world right now. When Jack first arrived in the United States, he had no idea he would meet someone who would help change his life so much and that it would be someone he cared for more than everyone in the world. Right then, as they danced away, he knew he had to tell her exactly how he felt about her.
"Carrie?" he said softly.
"Yes?" she answered, looking up into his warm eyes.
"There's something I…I need to tell you. Something I've been feeling deep inside for a while now." Jack said.
"What is it, Jack?" Carrie asked, hoping deep down that it was nothing bad.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Jack spoke. "When I first arrived here, I was expecting many things. I expected to be amazed by everything I saw and I was. I expected to make enemies, and I did. I also expected to make friends and I did…I made great friends. But the one thing I never expected to happen…was to fall in love."
Carrie gasped, and her hopes went sky high when she heard him say that.
"From when I saw laid eyes on you, Carrie…I was entranced by how beautiful you are. In the past few weeks, spending time with you has made me realise how joy and happiness you've brought to my life and how much you mean to me." Jack said, as he gently brought his right hand up and cupping it on her right cheek, he stared deeply into Carrie's bright green eyes.
"I love you, Carrie."
And Carrie felt her heart was about to explode with happiness as her eyes opened wide and a smile drew across her face. She gently placed her hand behind Jack's head.
"I love you too, Jack." she said, and slowly their faces moved closer until their lips meet together in a gently, heart-warming kiss.
Jack felt as if he was on top of the whole world; he'd confessed his love to Carrie and was overjoyed when she said she loved him back, and now they were finally sharing their first kiss.
For Carrie, this was something she'd never felt before; Jack, the foreign exchange student from Ireland, had come into her life and had made her feel a much more special person and loved than she had ever been in her life before. She knew he could've had any other girl in the school, but he had chosen her. He had protected and defended her, and had just confessed his love to her. He made her feel like she was the only girl in the world, and she couldn't have been happier.
After a few long seconds, they pulled away from each other and looked into their eyes, a little breathless but happy.
"Wow…that was…" began Jack.
"…amazing." finished Carrie.
"Was that your first kiss." asked Jack.
"Yes, it was my first kiss." Carrie said, blushing a little.
"Mine too, and it was the best of my life." Jack said, as he gently caressed Carrie's cheek.
"So…does that mean we're a couple now?" Carrie asked.
"I guess so, Carrie. I guess so." Jack said, he pulled her in close for a loving hug which they held for what seemed like ages.
Then the song came to an end, and the couples on the dance floor stopped dancing and clapped and cheered before heading back to their tables. As Jack and Carrie approached their table, the triplets were watching them approach.
"Soooo…" Catherine said, with a grin as the new couple sat down
"Soooo, that?" asked Jack as he and Carrie sat down by the triplets.
"Ah come on, don't play dumb, big bro." Grace said.
"Yeah, we all saw you and Carrie on the dance floor, so did you stop wasting time and tell her?" asked Louise.
"Yes, I did. I told Carrie how we feel, and we're a couple now." Jack said, as he and Carrie held their hands together and lifted them into the air. And everyone at the table, including Rita and David, smiled and clapped for them while giving them a hearty congratulations, saying they both deserved to be with each other.
"Well done, you two. I'm really very happy for the both of you." Rita said, smiling at her two favourite students.
"I think you both make a perfect couple." Norma said, feeling joy for her two friends.
"And just wait til we tell mom and dad about this." Louise said, as she and her sisters giggled.
"Hey…let me do that, Lou. But for now, let's just enjoy the rest of the night." Jack said.
(About an hour and a half later)
It was getting very close to the time to when the crowning of the winners of Ewen High's Prom King and Queen of 2017 would take place. All the votes had already been collected by now, but unbeknownst to everyone at the prom, the votes had been quietly rigged to ensure that two certain individuals would win the titles.
Tina Blake was by a student who had an old laptop with him, and she had a USB key in her hand. It contained Chris Hargensen's cell phone video of Carrie's period incident in the lady's locker room nearly two months earlier, and when Carrie was on stage Tina would play the video the moment Carrie and Jack got dunked in the bucket of pig's blood mounted in the rafters. Tina had an evil smirk on her face; she could hardly wait to see what the results of this prank would be.
"What are you doing, Tina?" came a voice from behind her. Tina turned and saw the Watson twins, Nicki and Lizzy, standing near her, each with a cup of punch in their hands.
"Oh…I'm just planning a little surprise for "Creepy Carrie" and her boyfriend. Trust me, it's gonna be good." Tina said with an evil smirk, knowing she would finally have her payback on those who had humiliated her and made her, Chris and the other "Ultras" Ewen High's laughing stock.
The Watson twins stared at her in disbelief; had she not learned her lesson? Messing with Carrie was now a death wish, and both of them knew that. After Jack exposed their dirty laundry, their parents had given them a very good talking to and told them that if they ever hurt or bullied anyone again, they would be punished severely. The thought of that had made their nerves shudder.
"What on earth are you doing this for? Jack has already exposed all our secrets for messing with Carrie!" Nicki said, in deep fear.
"Yeah, what do you think he'll to us all do if we ruin the whole prom for her?!" said Lizzy, in desperation.
"Hey, I don't care what he'll do! That Irish bastard ruined everything for me, you two and the other Ultras. Well, now it's time to have some much-needed payback! Chris and I are gonna make sure Jack and Carrie get what they deserve." Tina said.
"You and…Chris?" Lizzy said quietly.
"Well, I'm glad to be giving this old laptop one last hooray before I start using my new one tomorrow." The student with the laptop said.
"It's an old laptop?" Nicki asked.
"Sure, everything that was on this old one, including my school work, personal files and photos, saved websites and so on have been transferred over to my new laptop at home." the student said, just as Tina was about to hand to him the USB drive. But Nicki quickly rushed forward and splashed some of her punch on the laptop's keyboard. The laptop immediately short circuited and lit of up with a flash of sparks before dying. The poor student damn near fell out of the chair, as Tina gave the twins a murderous look.
"What the hell?! Why the fuck did you do that?!" Tina said angrily, as she moved menacingly to her former friends. However, the twins quickly threw their cups of punch into Tina's face, ruining her makeup and hair. Tina, shrieking in embarrassment from being hit with the cold liquid, spluttered and ran off to the bathroom to clean up as other students nearby who saw what happened laughed at her. Putting their near empty cups on the nearest table, the Watson twins moved quickly over towards the table where Jack and Carrie and everyone in their group were sitting and enjoying themselves. They had to warn them of what Chris was up to.
"How many pictures have you taken so far this evening, Jack?" Heather asked.
"Well…according to the counter on the digital screen…425 pictures." Jack said.
"That's a lot of photos. Could we see some of them when you put them on your laptop?" Sue asked, as she and Tommy finished off a plate of brownie squares. The desserts had been brought out and there was a good selection to choose from, including chocolate cake, cheese cake, a selection of pies, pastries, rice crispy cakes, cupcakes topped with frosting and rich fudgy brownies as well as a three-tier chocolate fountain complete with marshmallows, cake cubes, pretzels and fruit, including cherries and strawberries.
"Sure, I see no reason why not." Jack said.
"You must have thousands of photos taken of your time here, Jack." Tommy said.
"Absolutely Tommy, but my time here isn't finished yet." Jack said.
The triplets had just finished what desserts they had chosen when suddenly they noticed two girls heading towards their table, and from the looks on their faces they knew it was urgent. After excusing themselves from the table, they went over to see what was going on. As they came closer, they recognized these girls as the Watson Twins, two of the "Ultras" who had tormented Carrie.
"Hey, what do you two want over here?" Catherine said.
"Yeah, seeing as you two bullied our brother's girlfriend." Grace said, bringing her fists up.
"If you're here to ruin prom for Carrie and our brother, then you'd better ready yourselves for an arse kicking you'll never forget!" said Louise, as she and her sisters moved round the Watson Twins, fists raised and ready to take on the twins if they tried anything. But the twins held their hands up in surrender.
"Whoa! Whoa! We're not here to try anything. We're here to warn you." Nicki said, anxiously.
"We've just stopped Tina from playing something that would've humiliated Carrie, and we need to tell you that Chris is up to something too!" said Lizzy.
Yet the triplets looked at them quite sceptically.
"Ha! Why should we believe you two?" Catherine asked.
"Yeah, for all we know, this could be some sort of trick you and other girls in your group have concocted up." said Louise.
"Look, we're telling you the truth. We wouldn't be here if we were lying." Nicki said.
"Please, you have to believe us!" Lizzy said, desperately.
The triplets studied the twins for any kind of deceit or trickery on their faces, but could find none. They looked at each other and nodded their heads.
"Okay, we believe you…" Catherine said, much to the relief of the older two girls. "…but do you know what Chris plans to do?"
"No, we don't, but knowing what she's like, she'll want to humiliate Carrie in front of everyone here. Where there'll be no place to hide." Lizzy said.
"No place to hide?" Louise said.
"The only place I can think of would be…up on the stage." Grace said, as the realisation hit her full force.
"On the stage?" Catherine, Louise, Lizzy and Nicki said. Then the realisation hit Louise too.
"Of course! It's the perfect spot. Carrie and Jack would be in front of everyone and whatever it is Chris has planned will be seen by everyone."
"Hang on, you're right. But how would Chris get Carrie up on stage!" Nicki said. Then suddenly, the DJ made an announcement.
"Okay everyone, it's very nearly time to crown our Prom King and Queen!" he said, as everyone in the hall cheered loudly.
Everything fell in place for the Watson Twins and Sullivan Triplets. "That's it!" they all said at once. Looking up to the stage, the triplets looked for anything that was out of place but couldn't see anything. Then Catherine noticed something and pointed it out to her sisters; it was the bucket sitting in the rafters over the stage. Whatever it contained was bad news.
"I see it!" Louise said, as the realisation hit her that Chris planned to dump whatever was in that bucket on Carrie and her brother.
"Come on, you two! Quickly, we've gotta stop Chris before they announce the prom king and queen!" Grace said, as she and her sisters ran as quick as they could through the crowds towards the stairs leading up to the catwalks. Nicki and Lizzy watched them go, and hoped they could stop Chris in time.
(On the catwalk over the stage)
Chris felt herself smile when she heard the DJ make the announcement. She was looking forward to the moment when she would have her revenge on the ones who had humiliated her and ruined her perfect life and school reputation. Her hands gripped round the rope as she watched everyone looking towards the stage in intense anticipation. She could just imagine the look of horror on Carrie's face, and she couldn't wait to see it. However, she was so intent on taking revenge on Carrie and Jack once they were under the bucket, she didn't notice three girls in prom dresses rushing down the catwalk towards her.
The triplets ran as quickly as they could to the stairs leading up to the catwalk, and when they arrived, they quickly ran up to the top, where they saw Chris crouching in the shadows looking down at the stage. Determined to stop her once and for all, they ran towards her. Louise and Grace grabbed hold of Chris, Grace on the left and Louise on the right, and threw her against the back railing, holding Chris in a strong grip as Catherine stood in front. Chris had been taken by surprise, so much so that she dropped the rope to the bucket.
"What the…?! Who the fuck are you three?!" she asked in surprise, furious that her revenge scheme was being interrupted. The triplets all chuckled an evil chuckle.
"Oh…we're your worst nightmare." Louise said, and Chris' eyes widened when she heard the Irish accent and saw their dress colours. "Oh, no…. it can't…they couldn't be." she thought.
"And we're here to stop YOU from ruining prom night, and not just for everyone else who's in here this evening." Grace said.
"But also, for our older brother AND our future sister-in-law." Catherine said, as she brought her fist up and then slammed it into Chris' stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs and forcing her onto her knees, as Chris's arms broke free and she held her stomach in pain. She was silent for a moment before she spoke.
"Y-you little b-bitches!" she growled, in pain and anger. The triplets looked at each other and smiled before looking back down at Chris.
"Oh, we've been called a lot worse than that." Grace said, as she raised her fist and delivered a blow to the left side of Chris' head and then Louise gave a blow to the right temple. Then Catherine gave the knockout blow right between Chris's eyes, and the bully fell to the floor, knocked out cold. The triplets breathed a sigh of relief; they'd made it in plenty of time to prevent Chris ruining prom night.
"Phew! Just in time, I think!" Grace said.
"All right…Grace, you make sure the rope she was holding is thrown well clear of here so she can't reach it. Lou…get that reel of cable just over there." Catherine said, pointing. As Louise went to get the cable, Catherine rolled the out cold Chris on her side against the railing at the side of the catwalk and Grace tossed the rope connected to the bucket over another of the rafters out of reach of where Chris had been standing.
Bringing back the reel of cable, the triplets securely tied up Chris to the railing with the cable so she couldn't get away when she came to.
"And there we are! That should keep you there for a while." Louise said, as Catherine secured the cable round Chris' legs to the railing and tied the knot.
"Come on you two, let's get back down before someone notices we're missing." Grace said, and they left, leaving Chris securely tied up where she was.
On the stage, unaware of the scuffle that had just taken place above a few moments before, Norma Watson stepped up to the microphone, the results of the prom vote in her hands.
"Okay everyone…this is it!" she said, as the drumroll started, and everyone in the hall looked towards her, waiting to hear who the lucky winners would be.
"And this year's Prom King and Queen are…JACK SULLIVAN AND CARRIE WHITE!" Norma said excitedly, as the drumroll ended.
For a few seconds, there was silence and then all the students and staff started clapping and cheering for the two lucky winners.
Carrie couldn't believe it; she and Jack been voted Ewen High's Prom King and Queen. As the lights shone on them, she and Jack stood up and began walking over to the stage to claim their prize through a crowd of cheering students. Jack was just as shocked and surprised by this unexpected win as Carrie, but he linked arms with Carrie and they made their way to the stage. They came upon Rita and David, Sue and Tommy, Heather and Roy as well as Freddy standing near the stage cheering for them. Jack handed his camera to Rita and asked her to take pictures, and she readily agreed as Jack had shown her how to use the camera.
As they stepped on stage, Jack noticed his triplet sisters standing to his right, clapping and cheering for him and Carrie, unaware that they'd successfully dealt with Chris Hargensen and prevented her from playing a nasty prank on them.
After stepping on stage, Jack and Carrie were decorated with a sash over their right shoulders and they each had a shiny crown placed on their heads, Jack's was in gold and Carrie's was in silver, and after sitting down on their thrones Carrie was handed a bunch of beautiful red and pink roses and Jack was handed a gold sceptre. Many flashes from cameras filled their sights, including from Jack's camera, the pictures from which were being taken by Rita.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your king and queen of senior prom!" Norma Watson said excitedly, still standing at the microphone, and everyone cheered loudly. Then the school band began playing Ewen High's school song.
From the catwalk above, Chris, having at last come to, tried to get up but couldn't as the triplets had securely tied her up to the railing. She looked down with rage as Jack and Carrie were crowned prom king and queen before standing up and posing for photographs. Then after two minutes, they walked off the stage again and into the crowd of applauding students. Seeing that, Chris growled with a deep rage; her revenge plan had totally failed.
(After Prom; 12:00am midnight)
"She tried to do WHAT?" Jack asked, unsure of whether or not to believe it, as the jaws of the others dropped in surprise too. The group of friends were standing outside the gym, now that the prom was over, where the triplets told them of what Chris had set up over the stage. They were all very shocked and angry by what the "Ultras" leader had attempted to do.
The triplets had already informed David and Rita, as well as Principal Morton, and they had gone up to get Chris, who was still securely tied up there.
Suddenly, Carrie pulled Louise and Grace into her arms and hugged them. "Oh, thank you, thank you. You three stopped her from humiliating me in front of everyone." Carrie said, before then going to hug Catherine. "If you hadn't done that…I-I don't know what would've happened." she said. And then, visions of the school building on fire and filled with bloody, dead students, as well as visions of immense carnage, chaos, havoc and mayhem being wrought upon the town of Chamberlain, filled Carrie's head, causing her to shudder deeply at the thought. But then she suddenly felt a pair of strong arms wrap round her and Catherine, before Grace and Louise joined in the group hug too.
"Thanks for saving the night, you three. Really, I mean it. Thank you." Jack said, as he hugged his girlfriend and three sisters.
"It's no problem, big bro. We were just happy to teach that bully a lesson." Louise said.
"Yeah, we really enjoyed kicking the ass of that overzealous whore!" Catherine said, sounding quite pleased.
Then they heard something from the open door to the gym; they turned and saw David and Rita coming out with Chris and Tina restrained.
"Don't worry you lot, I've already called dispatch and they've sent out a cruiser. It should be arriving here any minute now." David said.
"Glad to hear it, sir. Hopefully a little time behind bars will teach those two a lesson." Roy said, as he and everyone laughed while Chris and Tina gritted their teeth in anger.
Catching his breath after a moment, Freddy spoke. "I'm glad you three were able to stop them from doing what they were planning. If you hadn't done that, then things could've gone very differently."
"Well, we wouldn't have been able to, or even known about it, if the Watson Twins hadn't told us beforehand." Louise said. The others were surprised to hear that, but Grace and Catherine nodded to confirm what Louise had told them.
"Really? Nicki and Lizzy warned you?" asked Sue, in some disbelief.
"Of course, Sue." Catherine said, and then she and her sisters explained everything that had occurred before the announcement of the prom's king and queen. Then, as they finished explaining, Principal Morton stepped out with the bucket in his hand, keeping it as far from his good suit as possible so as not to spill any on it.
"What on earth is in that bucket, sir?" Jack asked.
"It's pretty disgusting actually, Jack…it's pig blood." Morton said, his face wincing in disgust as he placed the bucket onto an old table sitting by the doors to the gym hall. And everyone close by who heard the answer groaned in disgust.
"It's obviously been sitting up there for a while…oh god, it absolutely stinks! You can smell it from here!" Norma said, as she gagged a little bit and her face went a tad green while holding her nose. Sue, after picking up a bit of the scent, turned her head away and, gagging a bit, dry heaved as Tommy held onto her and gently patted her on her back.
"What in the world were you two…idiots(!) thinking by trying something like that?" David asked as he and Rita frowned big time, but Tina and Chris said nothing.
Then the sound of a police cruiser pulling up to the kerb drew their attention. The cruiser stopped and two police officers stepped out. But then, suddenly, Chris Hargensen wrenched herself free from Rita's grip and charged towards the group, aiming for Jack.
However, Jack saw her coming and was able to get out of the way with seconds to spare. Bringing his fists up, he readied himself for the next assault. Chris turned and charged at Jack again, but Jack was ready for her; with his fists up, he managed to catch Chris on the right side of her head and forced her down to the ground. He then quickly jumped a few steps back.
"You can't win, Chris!" Jack said defiantly, bringing his fists up again.
"I'm gonna get my revenge on you! One way or another!" Chris screamed, as she got up and charged at Jack again, her hand just lightly brushing against Jack's forehead. She tried again, but Jack brought his hand and slapped her very hard against the side of her head and almost forced her down, but Chris quickly charged again.
Reaching out, Jack grabbed Chris, lifted her up and threw her towards the wall of the gym. She landed against the wall beside the table where the bucket of blood sat. Then, just as she was about to get up, she heard a "clank" and then suddenly she dunked all over in a wet, slimy, and very smelly, substance.
Catching her breath, Chris then gradually realised it was the blood that had been in the bucket she'd planned to dump on Jack and Carrie, and now it was completely covering her. She screamed as the others, including a few other students who were nearby watching, were laughing at her. Carrie was laughing the hardest, quite enjoying the sight of her main enemy being humiliated instead of her. She had seen the opportunity for some revenge of her own, and had used her telekinesis to dump the bucket of blood onto Chris.
Seething with fury at being made the fool, Chris was just about to get up and attack again, when the two police officers stepped up and pointed their guns at her. Seeing those gun barrels pointed at her, Chris knew she was finished, and she gave up.
Catching his breath, after the fighting and then laughing at Chris, Jack turned to face Carrie and she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
"I thought something would happen to you…I'm so happy to see you're okay." Carrie said, a sense of relief and thankfulness clear in her voice.
"It's all right, Carrie. Well, she did launch an attack on me, so I had to fight her off." Jack said.
"And you don't need to worry at all, Jack." Detective David said. "We all saw her try to attack you, again and again…and you did what you had to do to protect yourself."
"Thanks Dave." Jack said. After Jack and Carrie pulled away, he looked down at his tuxedo; there wasn't a single scratch or mark on it at all.
"Looks like you came out of that fight like James Bond…not a scratch at all." Louise said.
"Indeed, and I'm very lucky at that." Jack said, as he looked down at his suit again.
"And Carrie…good job on using Chris' weapon against her with your powers." said Catherine, with an amazed smile. Both Jack and Carrie were surprised to hear that, and it was supposed to be their little secret.
"But…how, how did you…?" Jack said.
"Hey don't look too shocked, big bro. After all, a full bucket doesn't just suddenly move and dump its contents on someone without someone to do it." Catherine said.
"Don't worry, Carrie, your secret's safe with us. But you've totally got to show us what else you can do with your powers later." Grace said, as she and her sisters smiled at her.
"Deal." Carrie said with a smile, as Jack rolled his eyes at his sisters.
It wasn't long before a police van arrived and a handcuffed Chris, still covered in the blood, was led to it. Other students still around were taking pictures of her, and still making jokes about her new look. She was soon loaded into the back and, after giving everyone a final angry scowl, was taken to the police station, with Tina following in the cruiser just behind.
Then, after a minute or two, a familiar silver limo arrived and stopped near the group.
"Well then, come on you lot. I think it's time to go home for tonight." Rita said, and so with that, and after saying their goodbyes, Jack and Carrie, the triplets, Tommy and Sue along with Rita and David headed to the limousine and climbed aboard while Norma and Freddy headed off to Freddy's car and Heather and Roy went off to Roy's car.
"Wow…that was some night, huh?" Rita said to David, as the limo headed down the streets to drop them off home.
"Absolutely, and much more exciting than I remember what my prom night was like." David said. On the long couch, Jack had his arm round Carrie and they were talking with Tommy and Sue and the triplets of how the night had gone.
"Goodness, I'll be glad to get to sleep tonight." Tommy said, as he yawned for the umpteenth time that evening.
"Yeah, me too. I've never been up this late before." Carrie said, as she yawned too.
"Well, we're a bit more used to it. We've been up as late as this, and later, at more than a few occasions, including our cousin's wedding in Vienna last year." Louise said.
"All right everyone, just make sure to get a really good night's sleep tonight. You've earned it after all the partying you've had tonight." Rita said.
They soon dropped off Sue and Tommy in front of Tommy's house and then, after bidding them goodbye and goodnight, proceeded back to the apartments near the mall to drop off Jack. His sisters would be spending the night over at Rita's house.
"Okay, here we are Jack. Your stop." Rita said.
"All right, Rita." Jack said, before he turned to Carrie and gave her another kiss on her lips.
"I'll see you and the triplets at the mall in the morning?" he said.
"Of course, we'll see you there." Carrie said.
"Good night, everyone, Rita…David." Jack said as he stepped off the limo
"Good night, Jack!" they all said, just before Jack closed the door behind him. Making his way up to his apartment, Jack turned on the lights and looked outside. The stars shone very brightly in the clear and cloudless night sky. He was very thankful to his sisters for preventing Chris from ruining such a good night. After a moment of watching the starts, he turned away, went into his bedroom and started getting ready for bed.
(Meanwhile, at Rita's house)
Carrie and the triplets had just gotten off the limo and had entered Rita's house, leaving Rita and David by the limo alone and in peace for a few moments.
"Well, you know, all things considered, Rita…I really enjoyed tonight. Maybe…we could go out again sometime." David said, being hopeful deep inside. Rita gave him a teasing smirk before she spoke.
"Maybe we will." she said, as they slowly leant in for a kiss. But then Rita pulled away at the last moment and looked David in his eyes. "Not yet, but if you play your cards right…you may get more." she said, before she reached in and gave David on the cheek instead and they smiled. They looked into each other's soft eyes for a few moments before they smiled and bid each other "Good night." And then Rita turned and walked back to her home, swaying her hips a bit before turning to look back and smile at David, who smiled back at her, before she went inside her home.
"Wow…what a woman." David said quietly to himself, before he closed the limo door and headed off home.
(Inside Rita's home)
Carrie and the triplets were making their last preparations before they turned in for the night. The triplets were nearly finished dressing into their pyjamas while Carrie was already in her pyjamas and in the bathroom, brushing her teeth. She soon finished and was about to climb into bed when Rita appeared at the open door.
"How are you feeling after tonight, Carrie?" she asked. Carrie could only give a smile on her tired face.
"Very tired, but I had a really great time…and…I had my first kiss with the boy I love." Carrie said, feeling very happy all over as Rita smiled too.
"I'm very pleased to see it, Carrie. Now get yourself a good night's rest." Rita said. Then the triplets came up to the door too, having finished getting themselves ready for bed too.
"Good night, Carrie. See you in the morning." they said one by one, before they turned and headed downstairs, where they would sleep in the living room on the fold out couch bed and fold out armchair beds.
"Good night, everyone." Carrie said, and closing the door behind her, she went over to her bed. Slipping under the comfortable duvet, she turned off the bedside light before she fell into a deep appreciative sleep at once.
And there we are everyone, Prom Night all completed and no Black Prom or destruction of Chamberlain took place on this occasion. It had always been my intention right from when I started writing this fanfic to have the blood get dumped on Chris Hargensen and having her own awful weapon be used against her..."hoist by his own petard", as the saying goes.
From a review left above about how the fight between Chris and Jack played out very similarly to the fight scene near the end of The Lion King (2019), well everyone...I can safely say that was no accident. I like that movie and had to put a small piece of it into this fanfic.