Prom is here, and I can't remember a time when I dreaded an event.
Tonight, I'm meeting my prom date for the first time, courtesy of Chloe. Apparently, she's been going behind my back to find me the perfect date. Is there ever really one of those?
This 'date' is meeting me at the front entrance, and I honestly don't know what to expect. I stand by the door waiting, one hand in my pocket and the other holding a corsage made out of lilies.
I couldn't help it; I grew fond of the Magnoliophyta.
Dressed in a black tux, I adjust the tightly tied bow-tie around my neck. In an addition to feeling nervous, I feel strangled as well. It must be my mind playing tricks on me. Anyway, I work to get my bearing up; I don't want to make a bad impression. I should at least try to enjoy myself.
"Come on, Chloe, where is she?" I mumbled to myself, tapping my foot nervously on the solid floor. I look around as I wait, but my gaze caught someone familiar.
I practically felt my heart skip a beat.
It's her.
But it couldn't be.
Lois Lane appeared atop the stair case wearing an elegant white gown that must've cost her a fortune. She had her hair down and her face covered in light make-up. She left me completely speechless.
What was she doing here?
She winks at me, and I look around myself wondering perhaps that I was mistaken, and she was here with someone else. Even the thought that she might be here with Lex crossed my mind, he is the one who got Lifehouse to come and play for the Prom.
I had to be wrong though, because once I stopped looking like a kid who got lost in the supermarket, I turn back to her.
There really was no one around me.
It was just me and Lois Lane in my sight. Her green eyes once again mixing with my blue. I hope I'm not hallucinating.
I gulped. "Hi," I mouthed silently to her and she smiled and mouthed back. "Hey," I faintly heard. Thank God for super hearing.
I look down on myself and realized that I remained in the same spot I've been waiting at for ten minutes now. I try to get my feet to move but my mind wasn't working with me at the moment.
"Hey Smallville," she approached me gracefully.
I smile at my nickname. I grew fond of that too.
She stood in front of me now and she looked 100 times more beautiful than she was a second ago. I believe that if the painter Suerat needed inspiration, she would be it.
"What are you doing here?" I asked in incredible surprise. I look her over her shoulder and spot Chloe giving me the thumps up. Oh god. Lois is my date. I look back to her. "You're my date." I announced rather audibly, gathering weird looks from a few eyes.
Lois chuckled and I take that as a positive sign.
"I take it she didn't tell you"
"I'd really wish she did." I managed to say that with a lot of pride and confidence. "When did you get back?"
She shook her head. "I didn't," she says with one of her infectious smile.
I'm even more floored. "So you came..." she nods. "Just to..." she nods again. I don't know what to say. "I don't know what to say." Ugh, I sound like an idiot.
"Shall we do this Mr. Kent?"
I take a deep breath; it was subtle enough that she didn't notice and held out my arm for her to take. And she did, leaving me happy beyond belief as I led her into the decorative gym. She remained quiet upon entrance, looking around as if noting every piece of detail that surrounded us.
"What do you think?" I ask curiously.
She smiled, contemplating her answer. "It's not bad for a small town"
"I take it you've seen better," I whisper by her ear. She smelled good, almost intoxicating to the core. I got to keep my focus.
"Define better?" her eyes glimmered beneath the strobe lights that flickered in and out of various colors.
She easily dominated my line of sight and I'm left to wonder why my emotions seem to go haywire whenever I'm around her.
"You look beautiful, by the way," I comment as we make our way across the dance floor and to the table that held the punch bowl.
She flashed me a wide smile.
"You don't look so bad yourself"
"Gee, thanks," I feigned hurt. I picked up a glass and poured some punch for the two of us. I give one to her and a question just came to mind. "How did Chloe get in touch with you?" I'm still registering the fact that Lois is my date, and I'm left partially wondering how Chloe pulled it off.
Lois takes a sip before answering. "She called me the other night about a certain farm boy deciding to go stag. I couldn't very well let that happen now, can I?" she answered, her eyes sparkling.
"You're hard to figure you out, Lois." I meant it as a compliment, but I couldn't decipher her stoic expression.
"I wasn't aware I was being evaluated"
"You're not," I assure her, but my voice faltered slightly due to how nervous she was making me feel. "I'm just – you're making me – Do you always put guys on the spot?"
She shrugs. "Only the ones I think are worth it"
"Because I – " Wait a second. Did she just say I'm worth it? A new wave of confidence surged through me. "Do you want to dance?" I shouldn't have asked that, I'm not a very good dancer. I can barely slow dance as it is.
She took a moment before answering. Every second she contemplated is a second closer to my embarrassment. I should just stop trying to impress her and be me. On second thought, I should make at least some effort.
"Okay"
Suddenly, a song with a fast tempo blared through the speakers and I'm cursing silently to myself as Lois ushered the both of us to the middle of the dance floor. I can see Chloe holding her amused look and chuckle beside her date.
"You all right?" Lois asks.
"Huh?"
"You have that faraway look." We stopped in the middle of the dance floor and I awkwardly bob my head to the beat of the music.
"I'm just glad it was you who walked up those steps tonight," I answer sincerely, but not entirely the truth. I'm scared to death, I don't dance well.
She raised her eyebrows, watching me as I mentally count my dance steps.
She gave a slight chuckle, and I realize I've been caught. I quickly turn around to leave, feeling entirely embarrassed to want to continue, but Lois reached for my hand, spinning me back around to face her.
"Oh come on, so you're not a dancer. It's easy"
"No, Lois. It's not." My eyes waver to the rest of the dancing crowd, but Lois didn't seem to get the hint.
"You can't seriously be that bad"
I sigh. "You seriously haven't seen me dance," I retorted.
"Most men usually suck it up, but you're really scared aren't you?" I try not to show it but it appears I was failing miserably in her eyes.
"You're not making it any easy for me, either"
"Oh, so now it's my fault you can't 'shake your groove thing?'" she teased lightheartedly, but it still didn't make me feel any less of a fool.
"Can't we just wait?"
"Wait for what? Sarah McLachlan to start belting out? You're never gonna learn if you're always hiding yourself"
"Lois!" I pleaded.
"Dance with me, Smallville," she requests softly. I can see myself doing anything that she asked, but there's still my dignity at stake so I'm not going to cross the line just yet.
"You know, using your soft voice and pretty green eyes aren't going to make me want to dance." I couldn't believe I said that to her with a straight face. I kind of felt a bit proud of myself. "Besides, did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't want to embarrass you?"
"Why would I care what other people think of me?" she retorted. She had a point, a very good point. With all the time I spent with her, no matter how brief, she never came off shallow. She took everything with a 'heads-on' approach.
"Are you telling me that it wouldn't bother you if I made a complete fool of us out there?"
"You worry too much about what other people think." She moves closer to me, our bodies together. "Do you want to dance with me?" she whispered as she put an arm around my neck and both my arms instinctively circle around her.
"Yes," I admit, swallowing hard.
She smiled. "Then dance with me"
As if some God tonight was watching over him, on cue, the upbeat tempo died down and a band began playing soft music. I had to grin at how perfect it was.
"You're happy," she teased me.
"What if I am?"
"Good," she says as we danced the song away. For that one moment, in her arms, I forgot who I am, where I was, and the life I hid. All that seemed to matter was being with her, even if it only lasted a moment.
That moment felt like a lifetime.
To be continued...
Author's Notes: Prom isn't over.