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Emperor of the World

July 30th, Specs' and My Room, 4:00 pm

Someone is knocking on our door. Loudly. Specs looks at me from over his textbook before getting up and answering it.

Medda comes inside, bouncing around and grinning. "Up! UP!" she yells, shutting my sketchbook under my nose and yanking my arm up so that I am on my feet. I rub my arm, wincing, and look at her.

"What is wrong with you?" I ask grumpily.

"The dance is tonight!" she yells, dancing around the room again, bouncing off the beds and twirling in circles.

"You shouldn't be in here," I say.

She ignores me. "Specs, are you wearing that?" she asks loudly.

Specs looks down at his clothes. Jeans and a t-shirt. "Huh? Medda, what are you talking about?"

"The dance," she dances to emphasize her point. Specs shoots a look at me.

"I hate dancing," he argues.

I don't say anything. Hopefully if I am quiet, she will forget all about me and not make me go. What use would it be anyways? I certainly don't want to just sit in the damn corner the whole time.

"And you, Dutchy, you have to go too! I will drag you out the door if I have to!"

I groan and shake my head. "No. Medda, I don't think so. There is no way in hell you can get me out the door and to this stupid dance thing."

Medda gasps melodramatically and throws her head back. "Don't ever call a dance stupid! I live for the dance! The DANCE!!!"

Specs mutters something about Lord of the Dance under his breath and locks himself in the bathroom. While Medda is trying to get him out I slip out the door and down the hall, sketchbook in hand.

July 30th, The Cafeteria, 5:00 pm

The cafeteria is half-empty. There are almost no girls. I think this is probably because they are all off getting ready for the dance.

There are some boys in the yard laying hacky sack. I open my sketch book and begin to draw one of them. I quickly draw the line for his back, then sausage-like arms and an arm splayed out besinde him. His hair falls into his face, just over his left eye.

The shadowing is coming along.

"DUTCHY!"

I jump. Medda is sitting beside me, looking over my shoulder. My beautiful picture has a line through it. I lok up.

"What?"

Medda smiles.

"Trying to elude me Doctor?"

Medda is seriously on something. Really.

"Medda, what are you talking about?" I demand.

Medda grins steadily. "Come to the dance!" she pleads, not answering my question.

"I don't like dances," I tell her and try to erase the line through the picture's forehead.

Medda persists. "But it will be fun. Everyone will have a good time, I promise."

"Medda," I mutter, "you really shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

"But I can keep it. If everyone just promises to have a good time then nothing can go wrong and my promise will be fulfilled. Dutchy, don't you want to have one fun night before you leave? You will look back on the summer and think 'wow, I am such an idiot for not going to the dance like that hot redhead told me'." She bats her eyelashes.

"Medda, there is no way you are making me go." The picture is coming to. The boy has a smudgy line across his face.

"Dutch-ieeee!"

July 30th, The Auditorium, 8:00 pm

Why am I here? The dance is like a nightmare. There are floaty white streamers everywhere and balloons tied to the chairs. It's like I've died and gone to hell.

Medda is dancing around the room with Jack. She is wearing a poofy purple dress and Jack is wearing dress pants and a collared shirt. Jade is sitting in a corner with a couple of guys from my old class. (Morris and Oscar) (Yes, them)

I don't really care. The only good thing about the night so far is that:

a) I haven't had to make uncomfortable small-talk with anyone, especially Jade

and

b) Skittery is nowhere in sight.

Don't get me wrong, I would take Skittery back in a second. But the only thing worse than making small talk with Jade, is making small talk with Skittery. I would literally go insane and kill myself.

Yeah. Drama king. Well, queen, I guess.

The punch here is strawberry. It is all red and I can just imagine someone spilling it all over Jade's very nice, expensive-looking white dress. If only.

I am dreaming about this with terrible pleasure when someone bumps into me.

"Oh, hi, sorry Dutchy," he says.

"No problem. You look nice."

Skittery smiles.

"Yeah, you too."

Oh crap. I am definately in hell.

End Chapter

Sorry this took so long and that it is so, so short. I am hoping that I can catch up on all my stories during the Christmas holidays! Please review and accept my apologies.

Shoutouts:

Madison Square--thanks so much! I couldn't remember what the ending was so I had to go back and reread it. Erm...yeah.

Erin Go Bragh--Yeah, there's a gay guy on Student Council and he brought his boyfriend to the semiformal. It was sweet.

Kid Blink's Dreamer--muahahahahahahaha! I love messing around with the pairings. It's such fun! (to muses) sorry boys, it just has to be.

Itey!Muse: yeah, she puts me with Snitch.

Me: Why were you sleeping with him then?

Nakaia Aidan-Sun--So, they did or didn't forget? I am so confused. Anyways, I hope you liked the card. And the chapter. ONE WEEK UNTIL CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS!!!

Iambic Pentameter--you know, the first time I read your name I laughed so hard. I don't even know why. I just thought 'hey! Shakespeare!' Then I laughed. True story.

I'll let you in on a sercre (looks around carefully) I'm in class right now.Classes are and aren't stimulating. I get ideas, but they don't always make sense, you know? I apologize for any typos. I literally live off of Spell Check. No kidding.