Realizing he was standing alone on the dance floor, Guy quickly walked over to where Aldys sat. Stooping down until he was eye level with her, he said, "Hello. Aldys, I figured since it's prom let's put all the crap behind us, and I would love nothing more than to dance with you."
Aldys looked at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Surely there was a prank in here somewhere. But she looked into his eyes and saw only sincerity, honesty and complete confidence that he wanted to dance with her at Prom. "All right," she said hesitantly back to Guy as she took off the protective goggles that went with her DNA costume.
"That is," he continued, "if it's okay with the rest of the Double Helix. Yes?" He looked over at Aldys' friend, David.
Aldys turned to David, who nodded at her in support.
Standing up, she shrugged out of the white coveralls she was wearing, revealing a skintight blue bodysuit that hugged every curve of her willowy body.
Guy smiled at Aldys as he swung her onto the dance floor, not caring about the strange looks he was getting from other students. All that mattered was that Aldys had said yes. She was in his arms, and they were dancing. Together.
An old song came on by The Smiths, and Guy smiled into Aldys' face, which was hovering so near his. She was smiling back at him when he finally murmured, "How's this for public?"
Aldys laughed. "This is actually more than I expected, Guy. I didn't think you had it in you to go this far."
"Well, I meant what I said. I want to put all that stuff behind us. You deserve better. I just hope that NOW you'll accept my apology."
"I do accept it, Guy. In all actuality, I accepted it in the parking lot at Na-Na's. I just wanted you to squirm a bit. Call it childish revenge, I guess."
They danced a bit more, enjoying the easy silence. For Guy the room had disappeared, much like he had seen it disappear for Josie and Mr. Coulson on stage when she was crowned Prom Queen. Guy only had eyes for Aldys. He liked the fact that Aldys was a couple inches taller than he was. It made them seem like equals, and yet Guy still felt protective of her somehow.
He had so much to say but didn't know how to express it. He was glad that Aldys had forgiven him, and was excited to think that they were going to get their friendship back on track. And who knows - possibly that renewed friendship would lead to something more? When they were fourteen he had kissed her in Mrs. J's driveway, and although he had dated other girls since then, he had always remembered that kiss. His first kiss.
"Remember when I kissed you in Mrs. J's driveway back in the ninth grade?" he asked, unable to tear his eyes from her mouth.
Aldys nodded mutely, not daring to say anything.
"Have you kissed anyone since then?" he asked softly, pulling her into his arms a bit more closely.
Aldys shook her head, still not speaking, but staring at him in silence.
Still spinning to the music, Guy smiled warmly at Aldys as he inched his mouth closer to hers.
Suddenly he heard a horrified shout from a few feet away and turned his head to see Josie, who had been dancing with Mr. Coulson, run toward them, rushing at someone behind Aldys. Guy stepped back, pulling Aldys away from Josie, and watched - almost in slow motion - as Josie knocked away a can in Tommy's hand - a can of Alpo dog food. The can flipped into the air, causing the dog food to come flying out of the can. But instead of falling onto its intended victim, it continued it's trajectory and promptly flew onto the heads of Kirsten, Gibby and Kirsten.
Together they screamed in horror as they began hastily wiping the dog food from their faces.
Gibby narrowed her eyes at Josie before spitting out, "I KNEW it - you ARE a loser."
Kristen wailed, "You ruined everything!"
Kirsten, barely containing her rage, screamed, "You SO do not deserve to be prom queen!"
Guy stood openmouthed as Josie reached up and grabbed her crown, ripping it from her head. "Let me tell you something," she said, tossing the cheap metal tiara on the floor at their feet. "I don't care about being your stupid prom queen. I'm twenty-five years old! And I'm an undercover reporter for the Chicago Sun Times and I've been beating my brains out trying to impress you people."
She's twenty-five? Guy stared at Josie a moment. Twenty-five?
Mentally shaking his head in disbelief, Guy started to move closer to Aldys, but she backed away from him, her eyes flashing accusingly at him. 'Of course,' he thought, 'she thinks I was in on Tommy's prank.' Obviously this is what Tommy had been plotting earlier in the evening - not the flowers he said he was sending anonymously to Ms. Knox. Guy wanted to say something to Aldys, but Josie continued her confession after a momentary pause to calm down.
Josie didn't notice that Mr. Coulson, who had been standing protectively next to her, had turned and left the room when she began her confession. "Let me tell you something, Kirsten, Kristen, Gibby -- you will spend your lives trying to figure out ways to keep others down because it makes you feel more important. Why her?" Josie gestured to where Aldys stood. "Let me tell you something about this girl. She is unbelievable. I was new here and she befriended me, no questions asked. But you people were only my friends after my brother, Rob, posed as a student and told you to like me."
Several students turned to look at Rob, who grinned sheepishly from behind his dark Rayban sunglasses.
Josie spun around to encapsulate all the seniors in the final few comments. "And to all of you, there's a big world out there. Bigger than prom. Bigger than high school. When you get there, it won't matter if you were prom queen or the quarterback of the football team or, " Josie now gestured tenderly toward Aldys, "the biggest nerd in school. Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it." Josie finally shook her head and warbled a sad, "Excuse me."
With that, Josie grabbed her long full skirt and twirled around and scuttled quickly through the door that Mr. Coulson had walked through moments into her speech.
Aldys began clapping as Josie walked out, and quickly others joined in. Guy watched as Tommy also started clapping along, not wanting to be seen as the bad guy. The deejay started the music back up and asked someone to take the "Alpo Girls" out to get cleaned up. Jason rounded up the Trio and ushered them out the front door of the country club.
Guy was torn as to whether he should confront Tommy about the prank he was going to pull on Aldys, or go to Aldys and swear he had nothing to do with it. Aldys had run over to the Denominators who were all consoling her. Tommy was standing nearby looking smug and unashamed at his part in the events that had just taken place.
Knowing she was in capable hands with her friends at the moment, Guy walked over to Tommy and got in his face.
Aldys looked at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Surely there was a prank in here somewhere. But she looked into his eyes and saw only sincerity, honesty and complete confidence that he wanted to dance with her at Prom. "All right," she said hesitantly back to Guy as she took off the protective goggles that went with her DNA costume.
"That is," he continued, "if it's okay with the rest of the Double Helix. Yes?" He looked over at Aldys' friend, David.
Aldys turned to David, who nodded at her in support.
Standing up, she shrugged out of the white coveralls she was wearing, revealing a skintight blue bodysuit that hugged every curve of her willowy body.
Guy smiled at Aldys as he swung her onto the dance floor, not caring about the strange looks he was getting from other students. All that mattered was that Aldys had said yes. She was in his arms, and they were dancing. Together.
An old song came on by The Smiths, and Guy smiled into Aldys' face, which was hovering so near his. She was smiling back at him when he finally murmured, "How's this for public?"
Aldys laughed. "This is actually more than I expected, Guy. I didn't think you had it in you to go this far."
"Well, I meant what I said. I want to put all that stuff behind us. You deserve better. I just hope that NOW you'll accept my apology."
"I do accept it, Guy. In all actuality, I accepted it in the parking lot at Na-Na's. I just wanted you to squirm a bit. Call it childish revenge, I guess."
They danced a bit more, enjoying the easy silence. For Guy the room had disappeared, much like he had seen it disappear for Josie and Mr. Coulson on stage when she was crowned Prom Queen. Guy only had eyes for Aldys. He liked the fact that Aldys was a couple inches taller than he was. It made them seem like equals, and yet Guy still felt protective of her somehow.
He had so much to say but didn't know how to express it. He was glad that Aldys had forgiven him, and was excited to think that they were going to get their friendship back on track. And who knows - possibly that renewed friendship would lead to something more? When they were fourteen he had kissed her in Mrs. J's driveway, and although he had dated other girls since then, he had always remembered that kiss. His first kiss.
"Remember when I kissed you in Mrs. J's driveway back in the ninth grade?" he asked, unable to tear his eyes from her mouth.
Aldys nodded mutely, not daring to say anything.
"Have you kissed anyone since then?" he asked softly, pulling her into his arms a bit more closely.
Aldys shook her head, still not speaking, but staring at him in silence.
Still spinning to the music, Guy smiled warmly at Aldys as he inched his mouth closer to hers.
Suddenly he heard a horrified shout from a few feet away and turned his head to see Josie, who had been dancing with Mr. Coulson, run toward them, rushing at someone behind Aldys. Guy stepped back, pulling Aldys away from Josie, and watched - almost in slow motion - as Josie knocked away a can in Tommy's hand - a can of Alpo dog food. The can flipped into the air, causing the dog food to come flying out of the can. But instead of falling onto its intended victim, it continued it's trajectory and promptly flew onto the heads of Kirsten, Gibby and Kirsten.
Together they screamed in horror as they began hastily wiping the dog food from their faces.
Gibby narrowed her eyes at Josie before spitting out, "I KNEW it - you ARE a loser."
Kristen wailed, "You ruined everything!"
Kirsten, barely containing her rage, screamed, "You SO do not deserve to be prom queen!"
Guy stood openmouthed as Josie reached up and grabbed her crown, ripping it from her head. "Let me tell you something," she said, tossing the cheap metal tiara on the floor at their feet. "I don't care about being your stupid prom queen. I'm twenty-five years old! And I'm an undercover reporter for the Chicago Sun Times and I've been beating my brains out trying to impress you people."
She's twenty-five? Guy stared at Josie a moment. Twenty-five?
Mentally shaking his head in disbelief, Guy started to move closer to Aldys, but she backed away from him, her eyes flashing accusingly at him. 'Of course,' he thought, 'she thinks I was in on Tommy's prank.' Obviously this is what Tommy had been plotting earlier in the evening - not the flowers he said he was sending anonymously to Ms. Knox. Guy wanted to say something to Aldys, but Josie continued her confession after a momentary pause to calm down.
Josie didn't notice that Mr. Coulson, who had been standing protectively next to her, had turned and left the room when she began her confession. "Let me tell you something, Kirsten, Kristen, Gibby -- you will spend your lives trying to figure out ways to keep others down because it makes you feel more important. Why her?" Josie gestured to where Aldys stood. "Let me tell you something about this girl. She is unbelievable. I was new here and she befriended me, no questions asked. But you people were only my friends after my brother, Rob, posed as a student and told you to like me."
Several students turned to look at Rob, who grinned sheepishly from behind his dark Rayban sunglasses.
Josie spun around to encapsulate all the seniors in the final few comments. "And to all of you, there's a big world out there. Bigger than prom. Bigger than high school. When you get there, it won't matter if you were prom queen or the quarterback of the football team or, " Josie now gestured tenderly toward Aldys, "the biggest nerd in school. Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it." Josie finally shook her head and warbled a sad, "Excuse me."
With that, Josie grabbed her long full skirt and twirled around and scuttled quickly through the door that Mr. Coulson had walked through moments into her speech.
Aldys began clapping as Josie walked out, and quickly others joined in. Guy watched as Tommy also started clapping along, not wanting to be seen as the bad guy. The deejay started the music back up and asked someone to take the "Alpo Girls" out to get cleaned up. Jason rounded up the Trio and ushered them out the front door of the country club.
Guy was torn as to whether he should confront Tommy about the prank he was going to pull on Aldys, or go to Aldys and swear he had nothing to do with it. Aldys had run over to the Denominators who were all consoling her. Tommy was standing nearby looking smug and unashamed at his part in the events that had just taken place.
Knowing she was in capable hands with her friends at the moment, Guy walked over to Tommy and got in his face.