Author's Note: It's annoying when I take longer than I want to to get a chapter out. I apologize deeply and I hope the next chapter will get out sooner than this one.
A quiet knock came from Ren's door. She sighed and opened it. "What do you want?" she asked sharply to her little brother who was standing there, looking innocent enough.
He frowned slightly, "What're you doing?"
She paused, "I'm getting ready for bed…"
"Now? It's like nine!"
"I didn't say I was going to bed…What do you want?" she snapped.
"Company."
She narrowed her eyes, "Why?" though the simple word came out more like a statement instead of a question.
"Thought you might be lonely."
She raised a brow, no longer irritated, "Go to bed, Louis." She started to close the door, but he put his hand up stopping it and stepping into her room slightly.
"You working tomorrow?"
"After our dance meeting…yes. Why?"
Louis looked around the room, "No reason…"
"Stay out of my room Louis! I'm serious! You touch one thing and you will be sorry."
He nodded slightly and left the room with much pushing from Ren. He sighed, normally, I would be scared…but I've got other things to focus on. This will be a piece of cake tomorrow. She won't be home and neither will mom or dad! He sighed contentedly and walked across the hall to his room.
"Larry Beale, Ren Stevens, Amy Milner, Kelsey Johnson, Mack Jarrett…" Mrs. Bussard went on with the seating chart as students quickly fell into spots. How Ren and Larry got seated together was a mystery to her, and much to his dismay, the teacher wouldn't listen to her proposition of switching seats. "Stop whining and sit down, Stevens."
Ren narrowed her eyes and slinked into the chair next to him. The two of them were sharing a table and she tried to scoot away, but didn't get far until she realized who the on the other side of her, the girl who rarely took showers- Amy Milner.
"I'm not so bad…" Larry said, a smirk on his face.
She rolled her eyes, "I know you better than that Beale."
"Unfortunately I've known you too long…"
Ren sighed, "Did you bring all the supplies?"
"Yes. Do you think I would forget them all?"
"Do you really want me to answer that?"
"Larry and Ren! Is there a problem?" The teacher snapped.
Ren swallowed and took her chances, "Actually Ms. Bussard, I'm afraid there is…"
"Well then take yourselves up to the principal's office, because I don't have time for it."
"Wha-"
"Go!" The two sighed and slowly got up from their spots and made their way down to the principals office.
"LOUIS!" Louis turned his head abruptly as the teacher called his name. She nodded towards the flask in front of him and found that he had added salt instead of sodium and made the experiment in front of him turn into a volcano.
He sighed and looked at his partner, who was no where to be seen. "Louis, what were you thinking?" the teacher asked.
He put the flask down and walked across the room to get some towels. "The cafeteria food, Ms. Gisler…and obviously my feelings about it came out in the flask as well."
The teacher rolled her eyes, used to Louis' smart-aleck comments. "Well just clean it up, would you?" He nodded and started doing exactly that, while shooting a few looks at his wayward partner. Twitty came over and apologized, "Sorry man."
"It's not your fault."
"Who's your partner? And don't they know to keep an eye on you?"
Louis sighed, "My partner is Todd…who is currently keeping an eye on Tawny."
Twitty also looked over across the room where Tawny and Todd were talking and smiling. Tawny had gotten quite a few looks over in Louis' direction without his noticing, which wasn't good for Louis. In his mind, her 'nothing to worry about' had become a large thing to worry about.
"Forget about it man…"
Louis merely shrugged, "Forget about what?"
Twitty knew his friend though, and the problem from their last relationship was coming up in an even bigger way. "You know how she feels about you dude…"
Louis nodded and threw away from used paper towels and started again. "I know…"
"Then?"
"Then nothing. I'm good."
Twitty sighed and nodded, knowing that wasn't the case.
"I really don't know what to do with you two…" Mrs. Norman said bluntly. Ren and Larry sat in front of her, quiet. "I hear from Mr. Wexler that you two have been even been tied together and that didn't work…and to be quite honest, I thought having you two work together on the cafeteria would help, but if you can't get along in the class room…" she paused, looking at their faces. They were turned away from each other and looking very bitter. "Then I'm afraid you won't be able to work for the prom."
Ren was the first to snap to, "Mrs. Norman…you can't do that!"
"I see no reason not to! It's not that far along in progress and-"
"Mrs. Norman, we can work together…really." Larry said.
She sighed and looked at them, thinking that might've made a change. "Alright… but if there's no change in the classroom…then…"
"We understand."
"We need to work quick people!" Ren said sternly. She had gotten stencils and plenty of construction paper; her and Larry had gotten lights and streamers, balloons, decals and poster paper. They seemed to be ready.
"Alright…Louis and Tawny…you don't have to do the sound equipment until next week…so just help everyone else…" Larry said.
Ren went through with everyone what need to be done and how they were going to need to do it. "We need at least a hundred posters for the school...and Ruby and Monique will need to set up a table to sell tickets at the beginning of next week. You two can decorate that if you want…but the main priority is posters for the school. Use the construction paper to make maybe three or four banners for around the campus.
"Alan, Tom and Todd, you start with hanging the streamers and blowing up the balloons." She sighed, "I think that's it for now…so get to work!"
Surprisingly enough everyone set to work with working and making the cafeteria look good for the big dance. Ren and Larry decided later that day to put something down on the cafeteria floor that reflected the theme of the dance. It was a good idea, but with the theme of 'Starry Night', one certain thing was difficult to think of.
"What about stars all around the floor? Different sizes and colors?" Ruby suggested while she and Monique worked on a large banner and Ren was designing the posters that would go around the school.
"That's an idea…" Ren nodded a non-committal. Ruby sighed and Monique paused, "Ren- what about voting?"
Ren looked up, "What?"
"Voting! For Princes and Princesses!"
Shock passed Ren's face and she could feel the blood leave her face. How could she forget one of the biggest traditions in the school? Every dance the whole school would vote for a Prince and Princess from each class and then one senior guy and girl would be "crowned" King and Queen.
She stood up quickly and ran to Larry, grabbing his arm. He paused in what he was saying and looked at her hand on him and then looked at her, "What?"
"Larry- we completely forgot about the voting! The prince and princess!"
He sighed, "Ren, calm down. It'll be okay."
"No! You don't understand! We need to have all three classes vote and then we need to set up an assembly and-"
Ren was quickly hushed when Larry quickly put his hand over her mouth and barely touched her lips. Stunned, she quieted and listened. "It'll be okay. We'll do that tomorrow and have the assembly in the gym which the leadership classes will set up and it'll be just fine. We're a few days late…but it's doable."
He slowly removed his hand and Ren noticed the whole place had quieted down. No one was talking, but watching them. She then realized she was still clutching his arm and quickly let go, taking a step back. Feeling her cheeks burning, she made a quick excuse as she headed for the door, "I-I have to talk to…to the leadership teacher…"
Alan Twitty had heard about it since middle school. And while mildly amusing, all this talk about Tawny wasn't all that entertaining anymore. And since Louis and her confession of love was made- things weren't exactly balanced anymore. They never were to begin with; he was sure that Tawny had felt like this more than once when it came to Louis. But with her flirting with Todd, Twitty tried his best to change the subject.
"So, you all ready to launch your plan today?" Twitty asked Louis as he was helping Twitty hang the streamers and lights.
He shrugged, "There's not much to it, I just have to make sure I get it back in her room before she gets home."
"And you know where this book is?"
Louis paused, "I think I do…" his attention was once again turned toward Tawny as she outwardly flirted with Todd. He shook his head, not believing that this was happening.
"Dude- don't you have a date with her tonight?"
Louis nodded absentmindedly, wondering if he should bring such stuff up. "…the next thing I knew, I was onstage, wearing Tom's pants."
"So what are we gonna do?"
"I think one of us isn't ready for a relationship…"
But Louis didn't want to break up, even though the same thing was breaking them apart. Or was it? Is it all in my head?
She told you she loved you.
Does that mean she still does?
He sighed, deciding he better keep quiet until something else happened, which he hoped nothing would.
Her cheeks still seemed to burn hot red as she worked in the back room, packing quarts and pints of ice cream at Baskin Robins. Her behavior kept replaying itself over and over in her mind. Her grabbing onto Larry's arm suddenly and his hand grazing her lips.
She sighed as the bell over the door rang cheerfully. Jordan, her co-worker was already helping someone and looked back into the room to signal her to help the customer. She quickly put the lid over a pint of mint chocolate chip and walked out, only to be met with someone she desperately did not want to see. Larry Beale.
And he wasn't alone. Amber Lund was with him, a girl in Ren's Algebra two class. She was looking at the different ice creams while Larry looked at Ren. She shifted her weight uncomfortably and thought it best to talk to Amber. "Hey Amber…anything I can help you with?"
Amber stuck up her head and smiled brightly. "I was hoping you were working today…since you told me you worked here, I've been wanting to catch you…" she ran her fingers through her straightened, dark hair and looked at Larry, "And since he wanted to take me somewhere, I thought, why not here?"
Ren nodded and looked at Larry briefly, noticing he still had his eyes on her. She cleared her throat, "So you know what you want?"
"Uhm…I think I want two scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough…"
"Alright…" Ren paused, knowing what she had to say, but somehow finding it hard to do so, "And you Larry, what would you like?"
Larry paused, taking a moment to look at his choices, "Uhm, a vanilla milkshake."
"What size?"
"Small."
She nodded and got to work. Bending down and scooping out the ice cream for the dark Amber, she noticed her putting her arm around Larry's waist. He seemed reluctant to do the same with Amber, but Ren stopped paying attention. She didn't care anyways.