Celebrating with Dale

I rolled into the parking lot with Wednesday Addams tucked under my arm. I planned to keep her there all night. As I parked, Wednesday giggled again before tugging on my red and white beanie, pulling me into a kiss. I tell you, the girl knew how to fog up Waldo's glasses.

I raced around the car to open the door for her and enjoyed her self-conscious blush as she took my hand to help her from her seat. Offering her my arm, she wrapped her black draped arm around my red and white striped sleeve.

At the hall doorway, I took Bella's hand and led her under dangling cobwebs further into the room.

"Mr. C …"

Emmett, dressed as John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, waved me to his table.

"Emmett, I hope you're staying alive on this fine Saturday Night." Bella laughed behind me, but Emmett frowned, so I added, "you know, from the movie."

"There was a movie?" He shrugged. "Uh, Rosie thinks the disco guy is sexy, if you know what I mean."

"Ah, well then, that is absolutely the right costume for you."

Emmett smacked me on the back, knocking my beanie off. "It was a freakin' fantastic day. Mr. C. Rosie got some great pictures."

"It was Emmett," I said as I picked up my beanie and handed it to Bella. "It really was." I grabbed Bella's hand and began towing her toward our table. "You all have fun tonight." I put on my teacher's voice and added, "but not too much fun—be safe."

Emmett grinned. "Oh, you know it," he said as he patted his wallet.

I saw Bella roll her eyes and decided to leave that one alone and keep walking.

"Evening, Mr. Cullen." I looked to see a table of robots with Tyler, again, as their leader.

"Good evening, Tyler," and nodding to the table, added, "—gang. You guys are the heroes of the day. I hope you're having fun tonight."

Tyler stood and stepped toward me. "Oh yes, sir, I wanted to thank you for letting me into Detention. Mr. Carlisle remembered about helping us get to regionals. I'm meeting with him on Monday."

I slapped him on the back. "That's great, Tyler. You've all done phenomenal work. We can continue Detention if that will help your team. After today I think every one of you could get into Detention."

Tyler paled but smiled, "Detention would be awesome. Could we make it maybe two days a week?"

I laughed. "I'm sure we can make it work." He shook my hand, and I waved to the other robots before towing Bella closer to our table.

We approached just in time to see Beetlejuice kiss Carmen and wave to us as he made his way to the sound booth. It seems Carmen came as Carmen2.0. She had teased her hair into a high pile, and her makeup was—dramatic. Carmen wore a halter dress, leaving me struggling for a safe place to rest my eyes. She was, I guess, a wildly exaggerated pretty.

Marcus took over the sound booth as we settled in with our drinks. A slide show of Dale, the Fling King, and Marcus in Viking hats, trebuchets, massive pumpkins, men in tail coats and top hats, and army fatigues danced across the walls as Werewolves of London played through the speakers.

I was playing with Wednesday's braids when the music stopped. The room fell silent, and the lights dropped. Strobe lights throbbed as Enter Sandman took over the room. Two JV cheerleaders dressed as flappers opened the doors to the lobby allowing a thick fog to roll across the floor, invading the room, and ushering in Carlisle and Esme, the King and Queen of the festival.

They stood on the threshold as the heavy base thrummed. Carlisle wore a black tailcoat with his long silver hair down around his shoulders. A top hat and red eyes finished off his look. Paler than usual, he had a trickle of blood gracing the corner of his mouth.

Carlisle pounded his walking stick with its crystal knob on the floor before lifting Esme's hand to show the ring gracing her finger. The room clapped and whistled as he kissed her hand. She was a campy Dorothy. With her short skirt and tight bodice, she was a mixture of innocence and vixen. Mirroring the blood on Carlisle's lips, she has two bloody puncher wounds on her slender neck.

Everyone cheered for the engaged couple as the King of the Undead led his innocent prey onto the dance floor. Carlisle held Esme captive as he slowly dipped her to place a kiss on her puncture marks dramatically. As he began to waltz her in dramatic swirls, Marcus's whoops and hollers sent the crowd into a frenzy of cheers before turning the sound booth back to the DJ.

Well-wishers surrounded Carlisle and Esme, and I glanced at Bella only to see her crying. "Happy tears?"

She gave me a watery smile before tucking under my arm and resting her cheek on my shoulder. "Happy—yes."

After a while, Carlisle and Esme joined us at the table. As Carmen and Bella ooo-ed and aww-ed over Esme's ring, Marcus nudged me to see Alec Newton approaching our group. He stopped in front of Carlisle, and Carlisle stood in time for Alec to cut his eyes to Esme and ask, "May I have this dance?" he looked to Carlisle and added, "Just one dance."

Carlisle's jaw tensed, but he glanced at Esme, and she nodded. With a frown, Carlisle said, "One dance and stay where I can see you."

Esme kissed Carlisle's cheek before Alec led her onto the dance floor. Carlisle grabbed Bella by the shoulders and pushed her into my arms. "Dance and report back every word he says."

I shook my head at my crazy uncle but pulled my pretty girl onto the dance floor next to Alec and Esme. I had just wrapped my arm around Bella's waist as the music started.

As we began to move with the music, Alec cleared his throat. "Congratulations on your engagement, Es." His thumb brushed over her ring and added, "I'm happy for you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you've kept him waiting half a lifetime," he laughed.

She grinned, "Well, a bet is a bet, so I won't be a sore loser."

Bella took this moment to step on my foot, and I regrouped just in time to see Alec smile at his friend and say, "I'm not going to run for mayor next year. I think I'm going to travel a bit. Life is short. You know, seize the day."

"I think that will be great. You deserve some fun."

Alec turned her away from us, and I spun Bella around to catch up to them.

"Well, Mary is going on a river cruise in Europe. She invited me, and I thought maybe I'd take her up on it," Alec said.

"Maybe a second chance for you two."

He shrugged, "Maybe."

"I'd like that for you, both of you," Esme said.

Bella stepped into me, bringing our bodies closer and distracting me from my mission—she-devil. I ran my hand down her back in retaliation, causing her to shiver, and I angled closer to Esme and Alec.

Alec nodded at Esme, "Yeah, well, maybe I've been missing her some."

"You'll go, and you'll see, Alec. Carpe Deum."

He smiled and held her eyes for a moment as if willing her to read his mind. She cocked her head, a warm nostalgic smile graced her lovely face, and she nodded in understanding.

With a sigh, Alec stopped in front of Carlisle and placed Esme's hand in his.

"She's all yours, Carl. I know you will continue to be happy together."

Carlisle frowned but said, "Thanks, Alec."

With a last glance at Esme, Alec nodded and faded into the crowd. Swaying Bella on the sidelines, I grinned at Carlisle before whisking my Bella to the center of the dance floor for the next song. We danced past Jasper and Alice, swaying in the corner of the dance floor. Alice wiggled her finger at us, and Jasper nodded toward us before pulling her closer and closing his eyes. I really liked the sweet couple.

"I hope they'll keep coming to detention," I whispered to Bella, and she gave me a little squeeze. A new song began, and we were finding our stride when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"May I step in?"

I looked over my shoulder to see Mike Newton dressed as a cowboy. I turned back to Bella and murmured, "Hell no."

Mike pulled my arm wrapped around Bella's waist. "What did you say?"

Bell stopped our dance. "He said 'Go to hell,' but maybe it should be 'Go to Virginia. Move along, Newton. You're done here."

She held her arms up for me to continue dancing with her, and we moved through snickers and back pats as Mike slunk back to his table of minions.

I pulled Bella closer, and she ran her hand along my arm to rest on my shoulder with her fingers playing with my hair curling from under my beanie.

"Fiesty," I said and rubbed my nose with hers.

She blushed but grinned. "You make me brave."

My eyes stung as I pulled her closer and kissed her hair. Precious—she had become irreplaceably precious to me.

As Bella and I danced, we watched The King of the Undead's long silver hair curtain his face as he dipped the curvaceous Dorothy. The song changed, and Carlisle spun a giggling Esme back to the table.

I looked away from my larger-than-life uncle. "You know we're never going to be as cool as them."

Bella pulled my hair at my nape, "Speak for yourself, Science geek. I plan to put their cool to shame."

We glanced over at the table. Esme sat on Carlisle's lap, talking to Carmen as Carlisle rested his cheek on her cleavage, talking to Marcus. It didn't go unnoticed that Carlisle's hand was under Esme's many layers of skirt. Bella grimaced and grinned at me, "Yeaaah, we're never going to get there."

I tucked our joined hands against my stripped sweatshirt and spun her away from them. "That's okay. I think we'll like where we are when we get there." I waited for a witty comeback, but Bella melded into me and rested her cheek on my shoulder. I slowed our dancing to a gentle sway and pulled her tight against me, resting my cheek on her hair. "You know, I think this small-town life suits me." She pulled back to look at me. "Suits me perfectly," I added and covered her mouth with mine. As I slowly dipped her, I thought:

Hmm—maybe I've got some of my uncle in me after all. Who knew?