Not Crazy-Just Different

The Diary of Darby C Holliwether

October 1st, Day of THE DANCE

7:15 AM

I just was woken up by my roommates scrambling around, waking up at the sound of someone's alarm, set for 7:14 AM. Why is this? Well, you got me there. They're crazier than I am sometimes, and believe you me, that is saying something.

I'm keeping my little bed canopy curtain thingies closed to save my sanity. And the fact that my hair is very snargy right now. Although a lot of the time I look like this.

Okay, I think that instead of just going to bed as I usually might, I will just stay awake and sit on my bed in my PJs and write in my journal. It'll be more fun than letting them do my makeup for their own SICK pleasure. Sick, sick, sick. The guys are lucky, they don't have to get woken up by their roommates who, at SEVEN AM are already running around trying to get ready and testing makeup and stuff like that. That's ridiculous!

7:34 AM

Oliver and I were sitting at the breakfast table. He was putting his eggs into little designs on his plate, like he used to, but this time, his heart just wasn't in it. I stared at him and took a drink of some coffee. I dashed pepper all over my eggs and stirred them up, just the way I like them.

"Are you sure you're all right?" I asked him. He looked up at me, a little hint of anger on his face. This had happened many times before in the last couple of days. What can I say; I'm a protective sort of girl.

"Yes, Darby. For the last time, I am fine. It's just that I'm not feeling very well and stuff!" Oliver insisted.

Well, I am NOT going to drop it. He is not fine. There's something wrong with him; I know there is. But I just shrugged.

"Okay, fine. What ever you tell yourself," I said, finishing my eggs and standing up, leaving the Great Hall.

He is SO stubborn! What if he needs some sort of help and he wouldn't admit it and something bad happens to him? I'd die; I don't know how I could live with myself after that. Whoa, easy Darby. Nothing has happened to him.

I hope it won't though. He's my best friend.

9:14 AM

My arm hurts! Is it going limp and trying to prevent me from going to the dance? Oh wait, I've just been laying on it kind of while I sit on the couch. Haha, I knew that, of course.

Now my arm has totally gone numb, and it's all tingly right now. Ouchies. It's distracting me while I'm trying to write! What if my arm falls off? Then I can pick it up and hit people with it and stuff. What fun

5:49 PM

I am scrambling to get dressed right now. I was playing Solitaire (by myself, of course) and I just lost track of time. There we go. Oh man! I'm still in my t-shirt! Where is my white shirt? Where, where, where? It just disappeared, I don't believe it!

Oh, wait a minute. It was under my pillow. How did it get there? Well, at least I found it, right? Sheesh, I almost panicked there for a second, you guys! Luckily, I managed to stay calm!

Okay, I lied! I was about to have my brain explode there for a little minute, or maybe a long minute. I was ready to start SCREAMING obscenities and flailing my arms around and jumping up and down and accidentally vandalizing things or something like that!

Oh well, I feel like it's all resolved now. I'm going to have a good time tonight with Derrick and Percy and Oliver and everybody. It'll be so great, I just know it. And then I can get this Percy thing off of my chest, and Oliver will be happy again and everything will be just peachy keen, right?

Oh my gosh! It's time for me to go! WISH ME LUCK!

11:44 PM

I DIDN'T TELL HIM! Crime in Italy, what is the matter with me?! It's just not the way I wanted things to go! I was going to, and it wasn't like I didn't have the opportunity or anything like that, but I am such a wuss! I can't do anything right, can I?!

Anyways, I had a great time! As soon as I got there, Derrick hurried over. He looked so cute in his blue sweater and khakis! I knew right then that I'd be having a great time as soon as I saw the look on his face.

"Hi, Darby!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, taking a hold of my hands. "You look so great!" he said, glancing around the room at all the people in dressy clothes and frothy-skirted from dresses. It was a nice moment, I guess. So I smiled at him.

"You look good too! I'm glad we decided to not get too dressed up or anything fancy for this dance, Derrick," I said, in a chipper mood already, wanting to shout for some reason. The music was loud, and I was too distracted by my date to even notice where it was coming from.

"So, do you want to dance?" Derrick asked after a few minutes. I grinned.

"Thought you'd never ask," I said, excited that someone actually wanted to dance with ME, the girl who writes commercial slogans all over my trunk for a fun time, the girl who likes to pretend she can fly when no one is around.

So we danced until there was a slow dance, and then we danced then, too. And just let me say, Derrick is a GREAT dancer! It was very, very fun.

"Where'd you learn to dance so well?" I asked. Derrick blushed.

"When I was twelve my parents forced me to take dancing lessons over the summer. And I can't forget to say that YOU are a good dancer too, Darby. So where did YOU learn?" Derrick questioned.

"My parents are really not into that sort of thing," I admitted. "I used to watch a lot of old movies and stuff like that, and so I just sort of, well, I guess I just picked up on it after awhile. Sammy and Chandler don't really know about it, and they're more into doing the music instead of dancing to it, you know?" I explained.

"Wow, I didn't know that," he mused. I smiled.

"Well, I don't really like people to know that I actually am into that stuff. I like skateboarding and rollerblading and stuff better than that sort of thing. But I do have a girly side regarding sometimes," I informed him. He chuckled.

"I guess I suspected that when you said you didn't want to wear a dress," he replied.

"How did you know I'm not just an individual?" I said, joking of course. Derrick smiled.

"Because, Darby, everyone knows that you, well, no offense, but we all know that you aren't exactly like everybody else," Derrick said, looking at me, but grinning. He's got a different grin. It isn't like Oliver's, all charming and the like, but his is fun and kind of goofy, even. Not that he's 'goofy' or anything like that.

Anyways, we danced a couple more slow dances, and Derrick decided to go and get himself some punch (after I said I didn't want any right then) and use the bathroom. So Oliver comes up to me.

"Can I have this dance?" he asked with a shy smile, but in a confident voice. It was the first time I have seen him smile in days. He extended a hand out to me, offering it to me in an invitation to dance.

"Well, of course you may, sir," I said as I took his hand. Now, Oliver may have two left feet but at least he isn't afraid like some of the guys to hold you closer than half a foot away, and Derrick isn't either. And he's very sincere in his dancing/stumbling around.

Oliver clomped over the toe of my boot and blushed. "Look, Darby, I'm sorry if I've been worrying you or whatnot," Ollie said quietly and slowly. "It's just I haven't really been myself. And I wanted to thank you for being there for me lately, and I'm sorry for being a royal pain. And if I've hurt you or anything, then I am truly sorry, and I hope you can be able to forgive me." He blushed even brighter.

"Aww, Oliver, it's all right. I mean, it's not the first time either of us has done anything like that. Remember, I do stuff like this quite a little bit too. And don't worry about it," I said softly. I fluffed the hair on the back of the his head. "You're so sweet."

"So we're cool then?" he asked as if confirming it. I grinned and bobbed my head happily. Oliver beamed.

"Of course we are. I love you. You're like a brother to me," I said, playing with the hair on the back of his head again.

"Well, Darby, I love you too, you're like my sister. You're great," Oliver said with a smile. He trampled my foot again too, and I must have grimaced or something like that. "Sorry. I just suck at dancing!"

"That's okay. Hey, I can teach you. Aren't we having another dance in January or something like that?" I recalled hearing something like that a while ago.

"Yeah, I heard that too. You know what? I think I could use the instruction."

"No offense, but I agree with you on the matter of your dancing abilities. And of course, I can teach you. I taught myself, right? How hard can that be?" I asked, although thinking to myself that Ollie might be a more difficult case in this matter.

"Oh, that's right, I always forget about that. You know what? I think that you should be a dance instructor, Darby," Oliver suggested.

"Oh come on, sweetie. We both know I want to be a lawyer. But hey, I know that dancing is something I'm good at. Which is kind of ironic, since I a pretty clumsy regarding other stuff. Like that whole tailbone incident," I reflected.

"Like me with Quidditch!" Oliver said. "I guess that if I wasn't being so careful I'd probably kill someone with my dancing tonight." I smiled.

"Oh, that's not that bad. You're concentrating too much. Just let go and don't focus so much." I ran a finger down his cheek. "See, you're doing better already, right? Oh, and by the way, I have a suggestion as to a way for you to not be so self conscious and stuff about dancing," I began.

"Really? What would that be?" he asked, amused. I traced my finger down his cheek a second time.

"Don't be so hard on yourself! Dancing is supposed to be fun!" I cried.

"That might help," Oliver agreed.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you how nice you look tonight," I remembered. He wore black jeans and a white wool sweater. He looked really dressed up and at the same time, a lot like he always does.

"Yeah, I know I do, don't I?" Ollie said in a put on, cocky tone. "I'm just kidding. And might I say, you look dashing," he said, emphasis on 'dashing.'

"Aww, well, thank you," I said. There was a short pause, and I continued ruffling his hair. "I'm just so happy."

"Why?"

"It just seems like you're a lot happier today!" I said happily.

"I-I guess I am," he agreed after a short pause. I rested my palm on his cheek.

"I'm so glad, Ollie."

"And why is that?"

"Because, Oliver. I care about you. It was killing me to see you so sad." He didn't say anything for a long time, just looked at me in a weird way. "Ollie. Why are you staring at me?"

"You look so pretty tonight," he mused. I blushed.

"Oh, that's so sweet!" I said, flattered. The song ended slowly. Oliver gave me a friendly peck on the cheek walked over to join Casey, who was talking to Penelope.

Derrick joined me a few songs later because apparently he had been talking to someone he knew. Percy and I made idle chat. But NOTHING surfaced about me liking him at all, not a single thing.

Why didn't I just tell him? It isn't fair that I should be such a little chicken! Arrgh! When did I get to be such a pansy-like wuss?! I am in need of a serious wake up call. I mean, besides the fact that he COULD laugh hysterically in my face and spread it around, what is THE WORST thing that could even possible happen?

Anyways, Derrick and I, along with Percy and Penelope and Oliver and Casey, all danced in the Great Hall, which was decorated with black and orange streamers and had the tables shoved out of it, until eleven thirty, when the band got sick of playing for just three couples.

I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE that I didn't tell him!

Still, I had SUCH a GREAT time!

We should have dances everyday! Not! Still, it was great.

I am SO tired. I'm going to sleep. At least I don't have to stay up using foul products to remove my makeup. Muah hahahahaha. The poor girls.

Hahahaha! I cannot help but feeling very, very smart for not putting on my clown/Mime attire for only a few hours.

LIFE IS GOOD.