After that we really didn't hear much from Gory anymore.

But what really surprised me was how Quigley's social life completely ascended.

Once in the cafeteria, one of Carmelita's friends waved at him. He waved back.

And there was also one day I would never forget.

We were in the cafeteria right before first period, and I saw a flyer reading, DANCE ON FRIDAY, APRIL 16. PROFESSIONAL DJ, LIGHTING EFFECTS, DISCO BALL AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF. TICKETS-5.00 per person. Snacks-0.50 each.

After telling the guys we all decided to go.

In our dorm, Andrew and Brownley already had their dates picked out. I made a commitment to try and ask Violet. I practiced in front of them and they said it was good.

When Quigley got to our dorm with a DVD of The Return of the King to watch, I told him about my asking Violet.

"You are?" he said. "I was going to." I frowned. "But you're so popular now, how about asking a popular girl?"

"But I love Violet," he said, and that flicked the switch on my back.

"Why don't you ask Rhonda?" I said, trying to get him to ask someone else. "She's been crushing on you forever."

"C'mon Duncan, please?" He begged in the way that always made me and Izzy let him have his way.

Andrew said, "C'mon Dunn, let the poor guy with it."

"Yeah," Brownley said. "He's had enough trouble in his life already. Besides, you're his brother."

Unfortunately, I had to let Quigley have Violet, with an obvious score of three to one.

At the dance a girl named Nicky was smiling at me like crazy. And she didn't look too bad, either. So I asked her.

During which, there was a slow song, so there was a sow dance. I could see Quigley and Violet slow dancing together, which really put a dagger up my butt.

When Nicky and I went to get drinks, Quigley and Violet were there, too.

I did my best to ignore them, especially when Quigley went to the snack table, and Violet said, "Hi Duncan." I mumbled a "hi."

Nicky frowned. "Is she your alternate date, Duncan?"

I shook my head. "Uh uh." The less I thought about her and Quigley, the better.

Soon Violet noticed I was playing hard-to-get, and started her own game-piece. "Quigley and I are having a great time," she continued, glaring behind her smiling. "We even won the swing-dance contest. I bet you two had plenty of fun."

"Oh yeah," I said, giving her an I-know-what-you're-doing-so-might-as-well-give-it-up look. "Nicky took dancing school when she was younger, so we've won a contest too."

When Quigley came back, he stared at me and Nicky. Then he took Violet by the arm and they went back onto the dance floor.

"C'mon Nicky, we've a contest to win," I said, taking her by the arm and leading her onto the dance floor.

There was a second swing-dance contest. Nicky and I challenged Violet and Quigley. They accepted.

"All right, ya'll," said the dance host. "The winners go first. And your names are-?" He pointed the microphone at Violet and Quigley. "Violet and Quigley," they said.

He then pointed the mike at us. "And your names?"

We told him ours, and Violet and Quigley began. Quigley bent over, and Violet placed her hands firmly on his back, and she jumped over him, legs wide apart. Then they began to swing like hippies from the 70s.

All of a sudden, Violet fell and as she put down her hand to break her fall, there was a loud snapping noise.

She screamed. Her wrist broke. Quigley cried, "Oh my Lord! Somebody help her!"

My first thought was, help her yourself, dumb butt. Then Klaus and Isadora dashed out of the crowd of staring kids, they were apparently going together, and Klaus had bandage wrapping. He wrapped her wrist and helped her up.

Isadora, Klaus, Quigley and Violet then disappeared into the crowd, heading for the dorms.

My mouth had fallen open, and I was completely stunned. "Well," said the dance host, "they obviously forfeited, so I guess you two are the champions!" He then handed us a titanium trophy.

Nicky squealed with joy as she snatched it. "Can I keep it, Duncan, please?" she begged.

"Go ahead, I don't care," I mumbled.

She then skipped off, showing her friends the trophy.

I reluctantly headed off to the dorms.

Andrew and Brownley were listening to Quigley describe the situation. My presence was announced when I said, "Where were you two when it happened? Weren't you even around?"

Andrew and Brownley smiled at each other, and said, "We had some business to attend to." But anyway" Brownley started.

Quigley didn't let him finish. "Where were you, Duncan?" he demanded. "All you did was stare with your mouth hanging open."

"I was too stunned to even move," I protested, though it didn't keep me on the clean side of the dishwasher.

"And anyway," Quigley said, continuing his story as if I hadn't spoken, "The extremely gothic school nurse made such a fuss over Klaus's wrapping it himself. 'Don't your teachers teach you to have common sense?' she said, examining her black fingernails. 'No,' Klaus said, 'they teach us to be Goths like you.'

Andrew and Brownley cracked up at that. "She got so mad," Quigley said, cracking smiles himself, "she started screaming at Klaus about how to keep his grubby hands off medical tools unless he himself was a doctor. Klaus told her that he was a male nurse, just like her."

After that I grabbed a Coke and turned on The Return of the King. Gollum was just biting off Frodo's finger and less than a minute later, fell into the cracks of Mount Doom, along with the ring. Aragorn became king, Legolas moved on, Frodo and Sam helped Bilbo make it onto the dock (though I think he was killed later) and after which I decided to end this chapter in my journal.