Disclaimer:Monk belongs to the USA Network
Author's Note: Thank you for all the helpful reviews. I truly appreciate every bit of feedback that I get.
Benjy walked into the school gymnasium with his date, Danielle, on his arm. She was wearing a sleek pink dress with spaghetti straps. Her hair was up in a French braid, with pink clips that matched her dress. Benjy had asked his mom, Mr. Monk, and Mr. Disher to stay behind a few paces so that it didn't look like he was with them. His mom had rolled her eyes, but she did as he asked, and he was so relieved. He didn't want to embarrass Danielle, and most of all he didn't want to look like a baby or a mama's boy.
The car ride to the school was really awkward. Benjy hadn't expected Mr. Disher to sit in the back with him and Danielle. Mr. Monk made a fuss about not wanting to sit in the back, it was too dirty or something. So Mr. Disher was forced to sit with Benjy, and when Danielle got in the car, Mr. Disher scooted over to the middle seat, so he was sitting in between Benjy and Danielle. Needless to say, Benjy was incredibly happy to be at the dance standing close to Danielle, instead of being squeezed next to Mr. Disher in the Volvo station wagon.
There were decorations all around the gym. Balloons, streamers, and banners were all over the place. The room was dark, except for some flashing, colored spotlights that were shining in various parts of the gym, moving from one spot to another. There was a DJ at the front of the gym playing the music and taking requests. The bleachers were scattered with boys who thought that they were too cool to dance, dateless girls who were hoping to be asked to dance by one of the boys who were too cool to dance, and the dateless boys who were more interested in playing Dungeons and Dragons than dancing with girls. There was a snack table at the wall opposite from the bleachers. It was covered with plates of extravagantly decorated sugar cookies, chocolate brownies, and cherry and lime jello. There was a bowl of red punch in the middle of the table. Benjy made a mental note to visit the snack table before the night was through.
He looked over at the dance floor and saw his buddies dancing. The song that was blaring out of the speakers was "It's my Life" by Jon Bon Jovi. Benjy turned to Danielle and screamed, "Do you want to dance?"
"Sure!" Danielle screamed. Benjy took her hand and led her to the dance floor. They looked at each other, and then started jumping up and down, twisting, and shaking their heads to the beat.
Sharona entered the gym on the arm of Randy, with Adrian following close behind. She let go of Randy and immediately started twisting and dancing to the music. "Oh my god! I love this song!" she said.
Randy stepped back and watched her dancing with amusement.
The song ended and the DJ came on the speakers and yelled, "All right, now, let's everybody get on the dance floor for 'Hey Ya!"
Sharona grabbed Randy's arm and dragged him onto the dance floor. Sharona put her arms up, moved her hips side to side, and sang along, "Haaaaay Yaaa, hey ya…"
Monk was holding his ears. The music was way too loud, if it could even be called music. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Everyone was sloppily dancing, and no one was matching their partner's moves. They were jumping all over the dance floor, and people were bumping into each other. He had to close his eyes. He let go of his ears and folded his arms. He let out a sigh. "Remember why you're here," he thought to himself. "It's for Benjy…and for Sharona." He opened his eyes again and searched for Benjy. He appeared to be having fun. He was laughing, and he and his friends had all huddled to the same part of the dance floor, so that they could all jump around together. "I guess he doesn't need me after all." Then he searched for Sharona and Disher. Disher had his arms wrapped around her, and they were dancing, pressed up against each other. Monk did his head-shoulder twitch and tried to turn his attention to something else. The snack table. He went over to the snack table and started moving the dishes around, and moving cookies from one plate to another in order to make them even.
"Okay guys, let's slow it down with 'I'm Already There' by Lonestar," announced the DJ.
"Thank God," Monk said aloud. He was getting an unbelievable headache from the fast music. Monk turned away from the snack table and saw that the couples on the dance floor had spread out and were now dancing like normal human beings. He looked at Benjy to make sure he was still okay, and saw that he had his arms around Danielle's waste, and she had her arms around his neck. They were both smiling and intently staring into each other's eyes. Monk's eyes started to water as he remembered dancing with Trudy. He'd get lost in her eyes, and they would keep dancing even after the music stopped. She'd throw her head back and laugh as he dipped her, and then she would lay her head on his shoulder when he brought her back up, and he would close his eyes. He was in heaven when he held her so close.
Sharona caught a glimpse of Adrian as Randy swung her around. He was all alone by the snack table, with a lost look on his face. Lost in memories. "Hey, Randy, how about we sit this next one out."
"Oh, okay, sure. Is something wrong?"
"No, I just need a rest," she said. When the song ended, they walked over to the bleachers and Randy sat down. Sharona let go of his hand and headed towards Adrian.
"Hey, wait. I thought you needed a rest," Randy shouted.
"I'll rest later, I gotta go talk to Adrian," Sharona shouted back over her shoulder. As she approached Adrian, he was still blankly staring in the general direction of Benjy. She touched his arm and said, "Adrian? Adrian, are you okay?"
He nodded without looking at her. His mind was still on Trudy, wishing she were with him, wishing he could hold her again.
They stood in silence for a moment, watching Benjy. Then, Sharona took a chance and grabbed Adrian's hand. He was startled, but he didn't pull away. He just looked down at their intertwined fingers. "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel was playing. Very slowly Sharona began to lead Adrian to the dance floor. He followed like a lost puppy. When she reached her destination she put his arm around her waist, held his other hand, and put her free hand on his shoulder. They started to sway to the music.
Monk had been staring at the floor the whole time, afraid to look up. But as she gently pulled towards him, he finally looked into her blue eyes. They were innocent, curious, and caring all at the same time. He could see her. She wasn't Sharona the nurse, or Sharona the assistant, or even Sharona the mother. She was Sharona, his life. He pulled her closer to him, their faces almost touching. They continued swaying, and then Monk dipped her, and she threw her head back and laughed. When he brought her back up, he stopped dancing. Still holding her close, he slowly leaned in and touched her lips with his. She responded instantly, and he could taste the remnants of Hawaiian punch on her lips. The kiss started slow and soft, but it was turning deeper and more passionate with each second. They broke apart, and he began to sway with her again. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he closed his eyes. He finally found heaven again.
