Chapter 7
The Catilin is tonight.
Jake was in their room trimming her hair as Ham watched.
"Okay, done." Ham looked up from Jake's magazine.
"It looks the same."
"Are you sure?"
Ham tilted his head to the side, "yeah."
Max, who was looking for something in the closet, poked his head out. "It looks shorter, nice."
Jake hit Ham with a pillow. Then for the first time noticed the cedar oil. "What's this?"
"Cedar oil, it relieves stress, or so Maria thinks. She gave it to me, she's really into aromatherapy."
"Smells nice." Jake said as she took a sniff.
She handed it to Ham, who inhaled a little too much of it. "Yeah, kinda piney." He handed it back to Jake wrinkling his nose. She put it back.
"Listen to this," Ham said.
"Yes, we're listening." Jake said when Ham didn't continue.
"Blonde hair, blue eyes, good body, sensitive." Ham read.
"Sounds like Will." Max said.
"Um, tall, mysterious, with interesting tastes."
"Max!" Jake said.
"Uh, what?" Max asked, he had not been
paying attention.
"See, Max is tall, he has dark hair, we don't know anything about his past, and his clothes tell us he has interesting tastes. He's prefect."
Max raised his left eyebrow. "What's wrong with my clothes? Is there one that describes you?"
"Let's see. No."
"Let me see." Jake handed Max the magazine. He glanced at the cover. "First of all I can't imagine why you have a copy of YM." He looked over the column. "Here's one: I'm short, so my prefect guy would have to be my size. He would also be sensitive and a little wild."
"Wait, where does it say that?" Max showed her. "Oh, but I'm not wild." "You have a motorcycle."
"Yeah, well…uh…never mind."
"I'm going to take a shower." Max said as he walked out.
Max met Kyle at the shower.
"Ready for tonight?" Kyle asked.
"Yea," Max said sarcastically. "I'm wondering more about Maria and Tess with Ham and Jake."
"Well, Tess and Maria can take care of themselves." Kyle said. "Stop worrying. It causes wrinkles." Kyle smiled.
"Shut up." Kyle.
Meanwhile Lena and Gwen are at Maria and Tess' hotel room getting changed.
"So, Gwen, is there anything we need to know about this dance?" Tess asked.
"Like what?" Gwen asked.
"Like introductions, how to dance, and such," Tess said.
"Oh, not my department." Gwen replied looking at Lena.
"Well, since Jake and Ham go to the school, they will introduce you. You just have to shake hands with everyone they introduce you to. As for dancing, well, the music is like jazz. I think, I'm not sure, I didn't get to dance at the last one."
"Oh, okay." Tess replied.
"How do I look?" Maria said, coming out of the bathroom.
"Very nice." Lena complemented.
"Now just have to do your make-up." Gwen said.
"Hey, Lena, can you help me with this zipper?" Tess asked, turning around.
"Sure, move your hair. There you go."
Will and Scout's room
"So are you actually going to dance with her this time?" Scout asked.
"Yes, I hope to have a fun night. Nothing is going to ruin this."
"Let's hope not."
"Tie."
Scout sighed as he helped Will with his tie. "You really have to learn to do this yourself."
"Do I have to?" Will said with a laugh.
"Yes."
"So how is Paige dealing with you spending nights with us and Bella at the diner."
"I don't know…well, she doesn't like that Bella's there, but she doesn't say anything about it either."
"Mmm, I wonder how Jake and Ham are going to pull this off."
"Yeah, cause if Maria or Tess figure out anything out, they'll immediately tell Max and Kyle."
Later that evening Gwen, Lena, Maria, and Tess met up with Max, Kyle, Jake, and Ham in front of the building, where the dance is being held.
"Hey, guys," Will said as he, Scout, Paige, and Caroline walk up.
"Ladies first," Max said as he opened the door.
"Wow," Maria said in awe as she walked in.
"It's so pretty," Tess added.
"So you want to dance?" Ham asked Tess.
"Sure." Tess answered; at that the group begins to break into pairs.
Jake led Maria out onto the dance floor. Jake put her arms around Maria's waist as Maria slid her arm around Jake's neck. They swayed to the music. Jake and Ham spent the dance staring at each other. Gwen and Kyle moved to the back of the room to be alone. Paige and Scout danced up front by the band. While Will and Caroline stayed in the middle of the floor.
"Did you realize tonight is our two month anniversary?" Caroline whispered into Will's left ear.
"Yeah, I know." Will said as he reached into his pants pocket. He handed her a small box. "It's not much, but it's something."
Caroline opened the box to reveal a small folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and read what was written on it. She smiled, when she finished she hugged Will. "Oh, Will, it's the poem. Thank you."
"You really like it?"
"I love it." She hugged him tighter.
"Okay, Caroline, sweetie, I can't breathe."
"Sweetie?" Caroline loosened up.
"Well, what should I call you, honey?"
"Just kiss me." So he did.
As Maria and Jake danced, Maria felt that she was getting funny vibes from him. She couldn't figure out why. Suddenly Tess and Ham swung over. "Switch dates?" Tess asked.
"Sure," Maria replied.
Ham and Jake were helpless as Tess whisked Jake away.
"Having fun?" Jake asked
"Yeah, this is a lot better than most school dances."
Jake smiled.
"So you're from New York, that must be a cool place to live."
"It can be. Have you ever been there?"
"No, but I'd love to visit."
"So Roswell must be pretty cool."
"Actually it's pretty hot." Jake laughed at Tess' remark. "It's okay, due to my father's job, we moved around a lot. I've been to a lot of places, Roswell is just where we ended up."
"That's interesting."
"Yeah, it can be." The music changed. "Um, I'm going to get a drink." She said breaking away.
"Yeah, I gotta use the men's room." As Jake walked away, she looked up and gave Ham a smile.
Jake opened the door to find the room empty. She walked over to the sink and splashed water on her face. As she is wiping the water away with a paper towel, Ham walks in. He quickly checks all the stalls to find them empty. He then walks over to Jake and kisses her.
A few minutes later, Max and Lena join Tess and Maria over at the refreshment table.
"Where are your dates?" Max asks.
"Bathroom." They both answer.
"Oh." Lena says.
"Hey, look there's Gwen and Kyle." Tess says.
"I think they are getting in trouble." Tess adds.
After the couple had split up, Gwen and Kyle started dancing toward the back. Soon the dancing turned into kissing. Kyle noticed they were getting stares and thumbs-ups from his teammates, so he and Gwen went to the room with the pool table. They were making out for about twenty minutes, when Finn happened to walk by with the dean. The dean saw them, walked in, and turned the lights on. Kyle and Gwen looked like two deer in headlights.
"Come on, out!" Dean Fleming commanded.
Kyle and Gwen stood up and Kyle grabbed his jacket. They followed Finn back to the dance.
"I know you're young with raging hormones, but not here. Not at the dance, okay?"
"Yeah, okay." Gwen replied.
"Sorry, Finn." Kyle added.
Kyle and Gwen looked up to see Lena, Max, Tess, and Maria staring at them. They walked over to face their embarrassment.
"Kyle, we've only been here for an hour and already you're in trouble. Tisk-tisk." Maria said.
"Yeah, well," Kyle started to say. "Hey, where are your dates?"
"Bathroom," Maria said.
"They've been in there for ten minutes." Tess pointed out.
In the bathroom, Jake pulls away from Ham. "We gotta get back."
"Why?"
"Cause we've been in here for ten minutes."
Ham's eyes widened. The two ran out the door.
Ham and Jake walk up to the group like nothing was wrong with their long absence.
"So where were you?" Tess asked.
"Oh, we ran into this guy in the hall and started talking." Jake said.
"Oh." Maria said, but her face said, 'yeah, right.' But Jake didn't notice.
"Why don't we switch dates for a while?" Tess suggested, grabbing Kyle's arm.
"I get Max." Maria said as she pulled him away. Gwen took Jake by the arm, leaving Ham and Lena.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me." She said. "So I guess you followed your heart, huh?" She added as they danced.
"What?"
"You and Jake?"
"Oh, man."
"So it's true. You two are…"
"It's not what you and everyone else think."
"Well, if you're not gay, then what?"
"Lena, it's really complicated."
"Oh, my god. If you're not gay then…(she whispers into his right ear) Jake's a girl."
Ham took her hand and walked over to Jake and Gwen. "Gwen, can I borrow Jake for a minute?"
"Um, sure."
Ham led Jake and Lena to the men's room.
"Okay, this is interesting." Lena said, as Ham checked all the stalls.
"What's going on?" Jake asked.
"Empty," Ham said as he turned around. "She knows."
"What? How?"
"I just guessed that if you two were together, but not gay, then…"
"Oh, look you can't tell anyone about this, okay?"
"Yeah, sure."
Suddenly the door opened.