A/N: I'm glad you all enjoyed that last chapter! It was so much fun writing! Once again, evil cliffys are my thing. Don't you guys just love me? Just a reminder, my responses to everyone's reviews are now posted at the link that says homepage, on my author profile. Thanks for all the reviews! I couldn't possibly even keep writing without your input! You guys rock! Alrighty then. Here's the next chapter! Don't forget to review! Enjoy!
She hesitated at first. But after a few seconds, which seemed like hours, she finally nodded her head in response.
Kevin pulled her into a hug.
I guess this would be the first school dance that I would attend without Sydney as my date.
"Well Mike, I guess we can stay home and play X-box live," Weiss said, trying to cheer me up. That's what I need right now. Cheering up. Especially since the girl I am totally crazy about is going to Homecoming with another guy. A guy who's not me.
It was right after lunch, Weiss and I were walking to Mr. Donovan's English class.
"Yeah, I guess," what can I say? I'm a guy. I have to find a way to entertain myself. X-box live would do the trick. Halo 2 anyone?
"What are you smoking dude?" Weiss asked, punching me the shoulder. Well that hurt.
"Ow. What the hell was that for?" I demanded, rubbing my shoulder gingerly. How many times can a guy get punched in a week?
"There's got to be at least twenty girls out there who would want to go to Homecoming with you," Weiss said, throwing his arm to the side, as if representing the female population of Brookenbridge High.
"Yeah, but it wouldn't be the same Eric," I said quietly. I wouldn't be the same. Not without Sydney.
"I understand man," Weiss nodded in agreement with me. "Especially since you're madly in love with your ex-girlfriend," he muttered, thinking that I couldn't hear him.
And I'll let him think just that.
"No, not that one," Francie said when I held up the hanger. "Unless you're going for the please-bang-me look."
I shook my head violently. I put the dress back on the rack. It's too tough to even try to find a dress for Homecoming. Not that I couldn't find any dresses, I found hundreds of dresses. I just couldn't find the right one. When I used to go to school dances with Vaughn, picking out the perfect dress was impossible. So I guess I should be thankful this time, that it's not Vaughn I'm going with. Wait. What am I talking about?
"Black is good Sydney. It flatters your skin color. So let's just find you a nice little black dress," Francie suggested. "With an asymmetrical hem maybe?"
"That would be fine Fran," I laughed shuffling through the clearance racks at Nordstroms. There has to be something in here...
"Syd!" Francie cried. "This one's perfect!" she said, holding up a deep pink halter dress. I threw her a disgusted look.
"Uh Fran, that's a little too pink," I coughed.
"Not for you! For me!" she said as if it were a joke.
"Oh, okay," I snorted. She rolled her eyes.
"I'm gonna go try it on," she said, making her way to the dressing rooms.
While I waited for her to try the dress on, I flipped through the knee-length dress section...too short...straight hem, yuck...this is brown...this would make me look pregnant...this one suggests something else...I don't like the flower on this one...okay Syd, look for a black dress...how about this one?
I examined the dress before me.
It was a sage green, strappy lace dress, with an uneven hem. Close enough to an asymmetrical. Not black, but it was perfect.
"Vaughn would love this dress," I said to myself, gingerly tracing the elegant fabric with my fingers. The green reminded me of his eyes.
I mentally slapped myself.
I'm going to Homecoming with Kevin, not Vaughn.
Why the hell can't I get that out of my head?
"Syd, how's this look?" Franice asked, stepping out of the dressing room. She was clad in the deep pink halter dress that I at first rejected. The fabric hugged her body in all the right places, and accentuated all of her curves. In that dress, my bestfriend looked like a rockstar.
"Okay Fran. Let's pretend I'm Will," I said before changing my voice to be deep like Will's. "You look hot, baby!" I impersonated Will's supposed reaction.
"Oh thanks," Fran blushed, studying herself in the mirror outside the fitting room. She looked satisfied with her find.
"Now what about your shoes?" I asked her, hoping to snap her back to reality.
"I bought some strappy wedges last weekend. They match perfectly with this dress," she answered, pulling on the soft material of her dress. Well at least Francie found the perfect dress. I had found the perfect dress too. If I bought it, I would love it, but it would remind me of the boyfriend I could never have as long as I was with Kevin. It would remind me of the goregous eyes that I was once free to gaze in without worry. Because of his eyes, green was my favorite color. Those reassuring, beautiful green eyes. The green eyes that I could lose my soul in. A green ocean that only I could enjoy. Correction: could enjoy no longer. "What's that?" Francie pointed to the dress in my grasp.
"Oh, just a dress I found," I said straightening it out so she could see it.
"Syd it's so pretty! Michael would love it!"
"I know, I said the same thing to mysel-" I stopped myself from beaming any further. I'm not going to Homecoming with Vaughn! Francie grinned at me with a knowing look and raised eyebrows.
Any chance she planned that?
"I m-mean, it's a very p-pretty der-ress" I stuttered. She caught me. Damnit.
"Syd just admit it."
"Admit what?"
She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Sydney Anne Bristow!"
"Yeah?"
She was frustrated. I waited for her answer.
"Admit it, and save me and everyone else some sanity," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "And Nadia, save her sanity too".
"I don't know what you're talking about," I denied. Though, I knew exactly what she was talking about.
"Admit that you still have feelings for Michael, and that you believe what Nadia said about the letters," she stated, starting to pace in a circle around where I was standing. Oooo intimidation. She continued, "Admit that you don't really want to go to Homecoming with Kevin, and that you wish Vaughn would have asked you first just so you wouldn't have to go with that so-called boyfriend of yours." She stopped pacing. She had made her point. "Or that you're still in love with Michael."
"Fran, I don't know. Maybe the last one," I murmured. Her face lit up as a reaction to my response.
"Sydney, you have to tell Michael how you feel," she said sympathetically. "And you have to tell Kevin."
"But I want to make this work."
"Then you have to fix it."
"How?"
"I don't know, but it's only something that you and Michael can fix."
Funny.
That's what my mom said just last week.
"I was wondering, since you don't have a date for Homecoming, you'd go with me," the girl asked me. Say no Michael, say no.
"Hey Michelle! Take a number!" Weiss inturrupted stepping between me and Michelle Kent. She was the eleventh girl who asked me to Homecoming that day. Even though Homecoming was just Saturday, and today was already Thursday. Imagine how I'm going to survive the rest of the week.You'd think these girls would make an effort to lock in their dates weeks before Homecoming. Michelle pushed Eric out of the way, and waited for my response.
"Well?" she asked with a hasty attitude.
"Sorry Michelle. No thanks," I said, afraid of what her reaction might be.
Michelle stormed off in a huff, after kicking Weiss in the shin. He let out a small gasp.
"Well you were nicer to her than that Lauren Reed girl," he said, cowering over his leg.
"Yeah, well Lauren's just a flat out bitch," I replied with a slight laugh.
"Don't I know it," Weiss agreed. Lauren was a bitch. She was one of those conceited cheerleaders who got everything she wanted. Why the hell doesn't she just go to Homecoming with that kid Julian Sark or whatever? I never liked Julian either. He was always one of those guys who would dictate a situation. Those two are perfect for each other.
I let a sigh escape my mouth.
"So X-box live for Homecoming night it is, buddy," Weiss said, pretending to punch my gut.
"Wait Eric. I thought you were taking Nadia to Homecoming."
"Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me Mike!" Weiss looked surprised. How could he forget he had a date? Well, I can't say that Weiss has always been the sharpest pencil in the box. No offense to my bestfriend, but what an idiot. Well someone had to say it. "I guess you get to hang out with Lana."
"Yeah, I guess," I sighed again. Not that hanging out with my little sister wouldn't be fun. It would. Just not on the night of Homecoming. Especially when there's only one person that I would rather be with then.
"Sorry Mike."
"Why was I even nominated?" I asked Associate Principal Tyrrell. Why would I, of all the other girls in my class be nominated for Homecoming Queen? I'm not even a senior! The other nominees were seniors. But why was I nominated?
"Well Ms. Bristow, the Student Body Council thought that a respectful, and inspirational student should be a nominee this year," the stout woman started. "They elected you as one of this year's nominees. With your astounding achievement on the school's soccer team, the Council thought that a generous amount of your peers would vote you Homecoming Queen. Are you saying you would not like this opportunity?"
"No. It's great to be nominated, I was just curious as of why I was," I reassured the Associate Principal.
"Then there shall be no problem here Ms. Bristow," she smiled. "Nice teamwork by the way, at your soccer game last Saturday. You are a very good player."
"Thanks," I blushed.
As I walked out of the school office, pride took over my body. My classmates would actually vote for me, according to the Student Body Council.
This was going to be an interesting Homecoming dance.
"Ow! Damnit!" I burned myself again with the curling iron. It would have been easier if Francie was here to help me do my hair. But Nadia insisted on going to Fran's house to get ready, leaving me here on my own to fend for myself. They were both still pissed at my Homecoming date decision. But they were totally blowing their opinions about Kevin out of porportion.
It was already Saturday, the night of Homecoming. The first social event of the year, where your reputation of the rest of the school year would be decided.
I was nervous.
I let out a sigh of relief. I had just finished my hair and make-up. Kevin would be here any minute.
The door bell rang.
"Mom! That's my date!" I hollered from the top of the stairs. Kevin was late. I was going to wait at the top of the stairs, so that I could make a grand entrance - just like in the movies.
"Okay Sweetie," she yelled up the stairs. She opened the front door, "Why hello Michael! Sydney will be righ-". My mother stopped mid-sentence when she realized that it wasn't Vaughn at my front door. It was Kevin dressed in a suit that I assumed to be his father's. None the less, she invited him inside to wait for me. "Sydney will be right down," she blushed. That was my cue.
I walked nervously down the stairs, afraid of Kevin's reaction to Mom's greeting.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I managed a smile, while Kevin just looked down at his shoes.
"Sydney, I think we need to talk," he stated flatly.
"Sure okay," I threw a look of confusion at my mother, but she just shrugged. I motioned towards the kitchen so that Kevin and I could talk about whatever he had wanted to say.
"Okay, this isn't working out for me," he said firmly, and unemotionally.
"What?"
"Your mom just thought that your date was Vaughn. Not me."
"Kevin, it was a simple mistake," I defended my mom.
"Well I can see why she thought that he would be your date," he continued.
"Excuse me?" I asked leaning against the counter, crossing my arms across my chest.
"You can't honestly say that there isn't anything going on between you and Vaughn," his voice was louder this time. He was angry.
"There isn't."
Kevin just snorted, while I just looked at him in complete disbelief. He was jealous of Michael. "You just don't get it, do you?" Kevin asked in a sardonic tone.
It hit me.
"You did take the letters didn't you? The letters that Vaughn wrote me!" I said. Finally everything was coming together. My friends were telling the truth. Well my real friends. Looks like I owe some apologies. But not now.
"Bravo Sydney, bravo," Kevin snapped sarcastically, clapping his hands. "You were so naive!"
"But Kevin, why did you do it?"
"Ha! You were my stupid middle school obsession. I was just waiting for Vaughn to move away so I could ask you out. And yet, you didn't even know me until I made my approach. So naturally, I had to take the letters he wrote you, so you would just forget about that loser," he scoffed. He was such an asshole.
I could feel the tears stinging my eyes. How could Kevin be so hurtful? I should have believed Nadia.
"And the real sad part Sydney, was that you fell for it," he laughed. As if it was funny to make me miserable. "It was almost too easy."
I gasped, "You're just jealous of Michael. You still are!" I yelled. "Why the hell would you do this?"
"Because Sydney, it looked just too easy," he said. "And it was. Yeah, I was jealous of Michael. So what. He deserved it."
"Why did he deserve it?"
"He took away my obsession, you," he laughed again. Kevin was a stalker. A psychopathic freak. "But now you're worthless. I'm moving to Sacramento anyways, so it's just pointless to have you dangling around as my 'girlfriend'" he finished, doing air-quotes when he said 'girlfriend'.
"You asshole," I muttered. "I think it's time you leave," I sniffled, directing him towards the front door.
"Oh believe me Sydney, I'm leaving," he sneered.
I gave him the famous Bristow death glare.
But that didn't stop him from continuing his hateful words.
He laughed, for what seemed like the hundredth time tonight.
"And believe me when I say, Sydney, we're over," he laughed again, "Oh boy, are we over."
"Michel, pourquoi vous n'allez pas à cette danse?" Michel, why aren't you going to the dance, my mother asked me.
My mother and I usually talked half of our conversations in French. Besides, it was part of our culture. Lana and I were lying on the couch in the family room watching re-runs of Whose Line is it Anways. Wayne Brady had just attempted to be an aggresive, but pissed off secretary. That guy was always random.
"Parce que Ma'man, je n'ai pas une date," Because Ma'man, I don't have a date, I replied.
"Même Sydney pas? Elle est une telle belle fille," Not even Sydney? She's such a fine girl, she asked me another question. Lana giggled. She was always as fond of Sydney as my mother was. They had related to her quite well before we moved to France.
"She already has a date Ma'man," I answered my mother. Lana rolled her eyes while the phone rang. She went to go answer it.
I turned my attention back to the television. The show had gone to a commercial, and I decided that I would stay true to my word and play X-box live.
"Mikey? The phone's for you!" Lana yelled from the kitchen in a high-pitched voice. "It's Sydney," then she covered the phone, and in a soft yell, "She's crying!"
At that, I made a mad-dash for the phone. Why was Syd crying?
I grabbed the phone out of Lana's hands.
"Hello? Sydney?" I asked into the phone.
"Michael?"
"Yeah Syd, I'm here."
I could hear her sniffling out a cry on the other side of the line. "Will you take me to Homecoming?"
A/N: I think it's safe to say that was intense. It WAS long! How did you guys like that one? Do you still like me? He he he, you better! It was fun to write! Just a reminder, my responses to everyone's reviews are now posted at the link that says homepage, on my author profile. Please review you guys! I really, really, really love and appreciate your feedback! Your reviews mean the world to me! Go ahead, you know you want to click that little purple "Go" button to review. How could you even THINK about not reviewing? He he he...