Rafe stood in front of the mirror in the hallway pulling at his tie and running his fingers through his hair. It was the night of the Junior prom and he was as nervous as they come. He was taking Sara Larson, the one girl in the entire town that had more date offers as Elizabeth Sullivan. Sara was walking perfection. Student council vice president, captain of the cheerleading squad and rank fifth in the class academically. Her hair cascaded in colors that shifted from golden brown to gentle blonde depending on the sun and her eyes were so dark gray they nearly the color of charcoal.
"Rafe, let's get a move on, you know Beth hates it when I'm late." Danny stood beside his best friend tapping his foot impatiently, with Beth's corsage in hand.
"Oh quit your yappin' Danny, you and Beth have been a couple for four years now, you gotta impress her." Rafe quipped
"You're not gonna impress Sara if I get to Beth's and she's mad, cuz I'll kill ya."
"Yeah, yeah. Hey did we ever find out of we're picking up Rosie?"
"Yup, she got a date so we don't need to. Now let's go." Danny grabbed Rafe's arm and attempted to pull him out the door only to be stopped by Noreen and Edward McCawley armed with smiles and a camera.
By the time they reached the mayor's mansion Beth was pacing. As the mayors daughter she'd grown accustomed to having everything going the way she liked it and having Danny over twenty minutes late wasn't something she was fond of. Basically she was a control freak. Still she was the picture of flawlessness, even for a girl that was about to blow her pretty blonde top. Danny slid the orchid over her wrist and kissed her cheek. Then of course posed for more pictures.
By the time Rafe got to Sara's house his palms were sweaty, his throat was dry and he thought for sure he was going to throw up. On first glance somebody probably would've thought he had the flu, but then noticing his twitching and subtle ramble you'd realize he'd never been so nervous in his life.
"Hello Rafe, come in. Sara will be down in a minute." Mr. Larson opened the front door and ushered the boy in as Mrs. Larson ran up the stairs to hurry their daughter.
When Sara came down, Rafe noticed the impossible had happened, she'd gotten more beautiful. Her hair had been piled high on her head in sun colored ringlets, her hunter grown dress caressed each of her curves like a glove, around her neck sat a pearl necklace that matched the earrings that her lobes were adorning.
"You look…wow." The boy managed, his jaw dropping to the floor
"Do you like it?" Sara spun around the skirt of her dress flaring around her like a flower in bloom
"I certainly do, uh here's your um corsage." He stuttered trying to pin the flower on his date. His hands however were shaking so hard he stabbed her instead.
"Ouch!" The girl shrieked jumping backward
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I…I didn't mean to poke ya." Rafe stammered
"I certainly hope not." Sara declared snottily "Give it here, I'll do it myself."
After Sara had her flower and Rafe his boutonniere, the couple had to stand for of course more pictures. Then they went out to meet Danny and Beth in the car and head off to the school.
Rafe was standing by the punch bowl about two hours later when a tiny dark haired girl walked over to him with a tooth paste ad smile. He barely recognized her at first. That was until he slugged him hard in the arm to gain his attention.
"Rafe McCawley you look at me right now and you better say I look nice, if you know what's good for ya."
"Rosie?" His eyes widened, she looked gorgeous. Incomparably beautiful, her chestnut hair was falling in lose curls, brushing her bare shoulders, her light blue gown was held up only by her cleavage, with was showing amply that night as well. Her eyes seemed to sparkle and the only jewelry she wore was a washer from the first car she ever fixed on her own, on a silver chain, the same necklace she'd worn since she was ten.
"Well don't stand there lookin' all stupid." She crossed her arms "Say somethin' for Pete's sake."
"Rosie, I… I honestly don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful girl." Rafe leaned closer to see if he was dreaming
"Thank ya very much, I'm damn pleased with myself too. Where's Sara?"
"Oh I dunno, she took off after dinner. I don't think she had many plans on sittin' with Danny and I. Though you'd think she'd wanna be around Beth, everyone else does."
"Not everybody."
"Yeah, well you two have hated each other since the fourth grade, I don't think you'll ever like each other. Anyway where's you date?"
Rosie giggled at the reference to her 'date'
"Rafe, it's just Roland from the garage. I think my daddy put him up to it. Either that or uncle Arthur. Being the sheriff's niece has it's advantages. Roland's sittin' at the table like a bump on a log. You'd think being in a room with so many pretty girls he's at least wanna move."
"He's already here with the prettiest."
"Right Rafe and Santa Clause lives in sin with the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy in Vegas."
"Even when you're all dressed up girly like you gotta talk like a sailor.
Rosie rolled her eyes
"Don't look like either of us are gonna be doin' much dancing tonight."
"Nah, I guess not. Hey you wanna dance Ro?" Rafe extended his hand to her
"Sure, why the heck not."
Rosie felt almost magical in Rafe's arms as they circled the floor. She was to short for her head to reach his shoulder and she rested it gently on his chest, just above his heart. It was almost like she was dancing on air, that was until Rafe's eyes caught sight of something. His arms fell quickly from around her and he took off across the dance floor.
Before anyone knew what was happening Rafe had Peter Zion pinned to a wall.
"Jesus Rafe let him go!" Sara screamed, trying to pull the two apart
"That can't be good." Danny stated to Beth as he ran across the floor as well
"What's the matter Pete, couldn't find a girl of your own? I know she's gorgeous but you better keep your lips off mine."
"What's going on?" Beth asked as she and Danny came to a stop
"Peter was kissing Sara." Rafe grumbled no loosening his grasp on Peter's neck
"Rafe let go of Peter before you get suspended." Danny commanded
"Not till he apologizes to Sara."
"He has nothing to apologize about Rafe. I kissed him." Sara interjected "The only reason I'm even here with you is because Peter brought Helen Murphy tonight."
That's when Rafe turned around and fled the gym in a fit of anger and broken heartedness.
"Rafe, let's get a move on, you know Beth hates it when I'm late." Danny stood beside his best friend tapping his foot impatiently, with Beth's corsage in hand.
"Oh quit your yappin' Danny, you and Beth have been a couple for four years now, you gotta impress her." Rafe quipped
"You're not gonna impress Sara if I get to Beth's and she's mad, cuz I'll kill ya."
"Yeah, yeah. Hey did we ever find out of we're picking up Rosie?"
"Yup, she got a date so we don't need to. Now let's go." Danny grabbed Rafe's arm and attempted to pull him out the door only to be stopped by Noreen and Edward McCawley armed with smiles and a camera.
By the time they reached the mayor's mansion Beth was pacing. As the mayors daughter she'd grown accustomed to having everything going the way she liked it and having Danny over twenty minutes late wasn't something she was fond of. Basically she was a control freak. Still she was the picture of flawlessness, even for a girl that was about to blow her pretty blonde top. Danny slid the orchid over her wrist and kissed her cheek. Then of course posed for more pictures.
By the time Rafe got to Sara's house his palms were sweaty, his throat was dry and he thought for sure he was going to throw up. On first glance somebody probably would've thought he had the flu, but then noticing his twitching and subtle ramble you'd realize he'd never been so nervous in his life.
"Hello Rafe, come in. Sara will be down in a minute." Mr. Larson opened the front door and ushered the boy in as Mrs. Larson ran up the stairs to hurry their daughter.
When Sara came down, Rafe noticed the impossible had happened, she'd gotten more beautiful. Her hair had been piled high on her head in sun colored ringlets, her hunter grown dress caressed each of her curves like a glove, around her neck sat a pearl necklace that matched the earrings that her lobes were adorning.
"You look…wow." The boy managed, his jaw dropping to the floor
"Do you like it?" Sara spun around the skirt of her dress flaring around her like a flower in bloom
"I certainly do, uh here's your um corsage." He stuttered trying to pin the flower on his date. His hands however were shaking so hard he stabbed her instead.
"Ouch!" The girl shrieked jumping backward
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I…I didn't mean to poke ya." Rafe stammered
"I certainly hope not." Sara declared snottily "Give it here, I'll do it myself."
After Sara had her flower and Rafe his boutonniere, the couple had to stand for of course more pictures. Then they went out to meet Danny and Beth in the car and head off to the school.
Rafe was standing by the punch bowl about two hours later when a tiny dark haired girl walked over to him with a tooth paste ad smile. He barely recognized her at first. That was until he slugged him hard in the arm to gain his attention.
"Rafe McCawley you look at me right now and you better say I look nice, if you know what's good for ya."
"Rosie?" His eyes widened, she looked gorgeous. Incomparably beautiful, her chestnut hair was falling in lose curls, brushing her bare shoulders, her light blue gown was held up only by her cleavage, with was showing amply that night as well. Her eyes seemed to sparkle and the only jewelry she wore was a washer from the first car she ever fixed on her own, on a silver chain, the same necklace she'd worn since she was ten.
"Well don't stand there lookin' all stupid." She crossed her arms "Say somethin' for Pete's sake."
"Rosie, I… I honestly don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful girl." Rafe leaned closer to see if he was dreaming
"Thank ya very much, I'm damn pleased with myself too. Where's Sara?"
"Oh I dunno, she took off after dinner. I don't think she had many plans on sittin' with Danny and I. Though you'd think she'd wanna be around Beth, everyone else does."
"Not everybody."
"Yeah, well you two have hated each other since the fourth grade, I don't think you'll ever like each other. Anyway where's you date?"
Rosie giggled at the reference to her 'date'
"Rafe, it's just Roland from the garage. I think my daddy put him up to it. Either that or uncle Arthur. Being the sheriff's niece has it's advantages. Roland's sittin' at the table like a bump on a log. You'd think being in a room with so many pretty girls he's at least wanna move."
"He's already here with the prettiest."
"Right Rafe and Santa Clause lives in sin with the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy in Vegas."
"Even when you're all dressed up girly like you gotta talk like a sailor.
Rosie rolled her eyes
"Don't look like either of us are gonna be doin' much dancing tonight."
"Nah, I guess not. Hey you wanna dance Ro?" Rafe extended his hand to her
"Sure, why the heck not."
Rosie felt almost magical in Rafe's arms as they circled the floor. She was to short for her head to reach his shoulder and she rested it gently on his chest, just above his heart. It was almost like she was dancing on air, that was until Rafe's eyes caught sight of something. His arms fell quickly from around her and he took off across the dance floor.
Before anyone knew what was happening Rafe had Peter Zion pinned to a wall.
"Jesus Rafe let him go!" Sara screamed, trying to pull the two apart
"That can't be good." Danny stated to Beth as he ran across the floor as well
"What's the matter Pete, couldn't find a girl of your own? I know she's gorgeous but you better keep your lips off mine."
"What's going on?" Beth asked as she and Danny came to a stop
"Peter was kissing Sara." Rafe grumbled no loosening his grasp on Peter's neck
"Rafe let go of Peter before you get suspended." Danny commanded
"Not till he apologizes to Sara."
"He has nothing to apologize about Rafe. I kissed him." Sara interjected "The only reason I'm even here with you is because Peter brought Helen Murphy tonight."
That's when Rafe turned around and fled the gym in a fit of anger and broken heartedness.