It was Friday night and Riley stood before the mirror to check that
everything was good for the dance. She had used some serum to straighten
all of her still-sunstreaked dirty blond hair and eliminate all the frizz.
Then, she'd put on clean socks, loose army green pants and a long-sleeved
white shirt with light purple snowflakes on the sleeves and across the
chest. She was now just fastening on a silver charm that hung from a black
silk cord. Yep, everything looked just fine, though not necessarily
perfect. That was okay, she wasn't trying to impress anyone.
Then, Riley heard the doorbell.
"I got it!" she called as she quickly spritzed herself once with body spray.
Riley ran out of her room, slid down the hall, thundered down the stairs and got to the door just before her mother. She held the doorknob with both hands behind her back.
"Got it," she said, smiling as innocently as she could manage.
Her mother stared at her, confounded by her daughter's odd behavior.
"I'll take care of it," said Riley gently.
"Well, alright," Ms. Ewing said, retreating to her study.
Riley continued to smile until she was gone. Once she'd disappeared, Riley grabbed a light blue knit wool scarf off of the hat stand and opened the door.
"Be home before one!" she called and shut the door before she could be answered.
Now she turned to the person on the stoop with her.
"Hey, Zeke."
Zeke smile. He wore the same clothes he had that day; loose dark blue pants and gray long-sleeved shirt with a dark blue screen print that said 'ripcord.'
"Aw," he said with mock disappointment "I'm not going to meet your folks?"
Riley draped the scarf over her neck and smiled as she freed her hair. "Let's just say you wouldn't go over too well with my parents."
"I'm hurt."
She smiled again and grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's go."
*
The gym was full of people. Balloons and streamers hung from the walls. Riley took in the decorations as she paid for her entrance and got her hand stamped with a hornet.
The DJ was already spinning a fast-paced song and the floor was starting to be danced upon. Zeke looked uncomfortable. Not to the point of hurling but his tough outer shell was beginning to waiver.
"You okay?" asked Riley.
"Yeah," he said, looking around "I just haven't done this in a long time."
"I told you, you need to get out more."
She grabbed onto Zeke's arm and pulled him out onto the dance floor. Within moments they were surrounded by bodies that were spinning, jumping, rubbing or flailing their limbs. Zeke noticed Riley's movements were becoming more and more in sync with the pulsing beat of the music. Still holding onto his arm, she managed to weave them through the tightly packed ocean of dancing high schoolers. When Zeke looked up, he saw some familiar faces.
"Hey, Zeke," said Casey. He left Delilah's side and came closer to Zeke so he could talk a little. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"
"Yeah," added Stan, who came up behind Casey "I thought you didn't like this kind of thing."
"I still don't," Zeke growled as the other two drifted back to their girlfriends as is magnetically charged.
He turned to riley, who was starting to dance. She grabbed his other arm and moved him in time to the music. Zeke tried his best to find the rhythm.
As the night progressed, the temperature in the room rose. Zeke almost wanted to take off his shirt and saw that a few guys already had. He moved to the pounding beat and felt all of his thoughts melt away. Instead, all he knew was adrenaline rushing through him. His vision was full of swaying figures, nodding their heads, waving arms, shaking hips, dancing, sweating, bouncing, pulsing.
*
The cool air hit Zeke's face as he stepped out of the gym. Riley was on his heels. The stereos in the over-packed room blared some sentimental pop song. Riley pulled on the ends of her scarf.
"Sorry," said Zeke, starting to feel bad about almost bolting on her.
"It's okay," she replied "I hate boy bands too. Besides, I need some fresh air."
She looked around and headed for a tree off of the main sidewalk. Zeke followed and joined her. Other people milled about but the two paid them no attention.
"So, is this as terrible as you though it would be?" asked Riley after a pause.
"Maybe this is the adrenaline speaking," said Zeke, " but this isn't too bad."
"See, Riley replied "It's so great. I love the rush you get. Only problem is you get kind of sweaty." She looked down at her hand, the back of which sparkled with miniscule drops of sweat.
Zeke looked at her. "I don't mind it."
Riley looked at him. He slipped an arm around her waist and she put her hand on his bicep. Zeke leaned down and their lips met. They closed their eyes and indulged in the sweet sensation of that kiss. Riley pulled back but then raised up on her toes a little to capture his mouth with hers again. Zeke used his lips to pull gently at Riley's then kissed her again. she brought her free arm up to his shoulder and he placed his other hand on her neck. Zeke kissed her more passionately, pressing his mouth to hers.
After a minute, Riley broke away.
"We should go," she said in a low whisper.
Zeke nodded and kissed her gently on her temple.
"Come with me," he whispered.
Riley smiled and grasped his hand.
Then, Riley heard the doorbell.
"I got it!" she called as she quickly spritzed herself once with body spray.
Riley ran out of her room, slid down the hall, thundered down the stairs and got to the door just before her mother. She held the doorknob with both hands behind her back.
"Got it," she said, smiling as innocently as she could manage.
Her mother stared at her, confounded by her daughter's odd behavior.
"I'll take care of it," said Riley gently.
"Well, alright," Ms. Ewing said, retreating to her study.
Riley continued to smile until she was gone. Once she'd disappeared, Riley grabbed a light blue knit wool scarf off of the hat stand and opened the door.
"Be home before one!" she called and shut the door before she could be answered.
Now she turned to the person on the stoop with her.
"Hey, Zeke."
Zeke smile. He wore the same clothes he had that day; loose dark blue pants and gray long-sleeved shirt with a dark blue screen print that said 'ripcord.'
"Aw," he said with mock disappointment "I'm not going to meet your folks?"
Riley draped the scarf over her neck and smiled as she freed her hair. "Let's just say you wouldn't go over too well with my parents."
"I'm hurt."
She smiled again and grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's go."
*
The gym was full of people. Balloons and streamers hung from the walls. Riley took in the decorations as she paid for her entrance and got her hand stamped with a hornet.
The DJ was already spinning a fast-paced song and the floor was starting to be danced upon. Zeke looked uncomfortable. Not to the point of hurling but his tough outer shell was beginning to waiver.
"You okay?" asked Riley.
"Yeah," he said, looking around "I just haven't done this in a long time."
"I told you, you need to get out more."
She grabbed onto Zeke's arm and pulled him out onto the dance floor. Within moments they were surrounded by bodies that were spinning, jumping, rubbing or flailing their limbs. Zeke noticed Riley's movements were becoming more and more in sync with the pulsing beat of the music. Still holding onto his arm, she managed to weave them through the tightly packed ocean of dancing high schoolers. When Zeke looked up, he saw some familiar faces.
"Hey, Zeke," said Casey. He left Delilah's side and came closer to Zeke so he could talk a little. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"
"Yeah," added Stan, who came up behind Casey "I thought you didn't like this kind of thing."
"I still don't," Zeke growled as the other two drifted back to their girlfriends as is magnetically charged.
He turned to riley, who was starting to dance. She grabbed his other arm and moved him in time to the music. Zeke tried his best to find the rhythm.
As the night progressed, the temperature in the room rose. Zeke almost wanted to take off his shirt and saw that a few guys already had. He moved to the pounding beat and felt all of his thoughts melt away. Instead, all he knew was adrenaline rushing through him. His vision was full of swaying figures, nodding their heads, waving arms, shaking hips, dancing, sweating, bouncing, pulsing.
*
The cool air hit Zeke's face as he stepped out of the gym. Riley was on his heels. The stereos in the over-packed room blared some sentimental pop song. Riley pulled on the ends of her scarf.
"Sorry," said Zeke, starting to feel bad about almost bolting on her.
"It's okay," she replied "I hate boy bands too. Besides, I need some fresh air."
She looked around and headed for a tree off of the main sidewalk. Zeke followed and joined her. Other people milled about but the two paid them no attention.
"So, is this as terrible as you though it would be?" asked Riley after a pause.
"Maybe this is the adrenaline speaking," said Zeke, " but this isn't too bad."
"See, Riley replied "It's so great. I love the rush you get. Only problem is you get kind of sweaty." She looked down at her hand, the back of which sparkled with miniscule drops of sweat.
Zeke looked at her. "I don't mind it."
Riley looked at him. He slipped an arm around her waist and she put her hand on his bicep. Zeke leaned down and their lips met. They closed their eyes and indulged in the sweet sensation of that kiss. Riley pulled back but then raised up on her toes a little to capture his mouth with hers again. Zeke used his lips to pull gently at Riley's then kissed her again. she brought her free arm up to his shoulder and he placed his other hand on her neck. Zeke kissed her more passionately, pressing his mouth to hers.
After a minute, Riley broke away.
"We should go," she said in a low whisper.
Zeke nodded and kissed her gently on her temple.
"Come with me," he whispered.
Riley smiled and grasped his hand.