The moon was full that night. There were barely any clouds in the sky, save for the few that lingered from that morning's shower. The music inside the hall was catchy and romantic; perfect for dancing with your lover…
Sound familiar? That's where this part comes in, see. I had this all planned out, see.
Damn, I'm good.
Anyway, back to the whole romantic part….
Do I really have to repeat it? Good… 'cause I'm not going to. You get the picture, you know…very romantic and fun and lively and all that.
And I was scared witless.
Watch it; he'll be kissing some other broad. It'd be just my luck…
What the hell was I thinking? Letting Sarah go hog-wild like that…I mean, it looked good afterwards…but what about now in the hall? Would I look like a prostitute? Would I look bad? Would I measure up to Danielle? Or worse…
Would I be compared to Baby Doll?
Speaking of Baby Doll…did I mention before that I was going to rip the skin off her scalp with my bare hands? How about I was going to throw the last thing she said to me back in her face ("You'd better wipe your mouth off, Timb, you're bleeding…") No? Well once I found her…
I have a really vengeful mind. Yet another thing I've noticed lately. Man, do I have flaws or what?
Anyway, back to the story…
I was standing outside the door, peering in and wringing my hands. Newsies and their girlfriends (or boyfriends, depending on the sex) passed me by without recognizing me, which was a blessing and a curse all in one. Who would compliment me if nobody recognized me? Then again, I didn't want too much attention drawn to myself.
"Aren't you going in?"
Blast her, if she didn't stop sneaking up on me…I turned around and glared at Sarah. Damn her, she knew she didn't have to worry about looking good or not; Jack would drool over her no matter what.
"I'll go inside in a minute…I'm just getting fresh air before I start killing my lungs with all the perfume in there." I said, nervously glancing inside.
Sarah put a hand on my shoulder. "You look fine…he'll think you're a goddess or something." She said reassuringly with a smile, and then walked inside without another word, leaving me gawking after her. How the Hell did SHE know? It wasn't THAT obvious was it?...I mean I don't really even like the boy….
Aw, screw it. I like him. Is that such a crime?
I must've looked really stupid with my jaw hanging down like that, because the next few people that walked inside next looked at me like I had three heads. One of them even did a double-take. That was when I snapped my mouth shut and rubbed my jaw.
This was it. If I didn't go inside now, I never would, and that's what scared me most. I really am a big chicken. I'm surprised I didn't start clucking.
With a deep breath in and out, I fixed my stature and walked inside.
The music was a lot louder and a lot faster than it seemed outside. People were everywhere, some drinking with their friends, others dancing with their significant others or dancing with friends if they were without dates. It was picture perfect. It was bright and fun…
It was horrible. I hated dances…people stepping all over your feet and spilling things on your clothes and rumors being spread and all kinds of nasty pessimistic nonsense-…
That's when I spotted him. The roar of the music and laughter seemed to die away, and all I could see was him. His smile was brilliant and his eyes shone with amusement. Girls surrounded him.
But of course, I thought ruefully. I was right…all girls DID like him.
I shook my head. No…I had other business to attend to first. Now where were Baby Doll and her King Kong of a friend?
Ah HAH! Of course…dancing with their usual boring group. The boys were okay looking, I suppose. Not bad considering what I've seen. But they had personalities of a piece of paper. Slowly I made my way towards them. Baby Doll must have sensed something, because she turned around and looked me straight in the eye. A smug smile crept across her face.
Tonight I'd get to smack it off. BWAHAHAHAHA! But for the moment, I just stood there. She looked at me expectantly. "What's the matter, Timb? Come back for more?" I sneered, granted Sarah done what she could with my black eye, but she hadn't been able to cover it up fully. I wanted to do the same to Baby Doll.
At that moment, of course, her ape "Mongo" came forward. Even the dress she wore couldn't hide her manliness. She cracked her knuckles menacingly. I just smirked.
"Peach, get rid of her." Baby Doll said, blasé, turning back to her mannequin of a partner. "Mongo" grinned evilly at me and aimed for my face.
Sweet Jesus, didn't she ever brush her teeth? Or eat a mint? I rolled my eyes, I may be small, but I wasn't defenseless. When the crack rattled through the air, Baby Doll turned around to see the damage. Her eyes went wide as she looked at me.
Stepping over Peach, who was holding her broken nose on the ground, I looked Baby Doll in the eye. "Maybe next time you should try handling your own problems instead of hiring a body guard." I said sweetly, before pulling her towards me and hitting her full in the mouth.
Honestly, she acted like she'd never been hit in the mouth before, because she started bawling and dropped to her knees, holding her mouth once I'd let her go. Granted, with "Mongo" around, she probably hadn't. I took great pleasure in just leaving her there. "You'd better wipe your mouth off, Baby Doll, you're bleeding." I threw over my shoulder as I walked away.
Oh, yeah, I was good.
Blowing a few strands of hair out of my eyes and tossing back comments at those who congratulated me, I went in search of the person I came there for.
Well, I found him, alright.
You remember what I said about bad things coming in three's? This is why:
He was kissing Danielle. Not like a "You're the best friend I could ever have" kiss on the cheek, either. That boy was playing tonsil-hockey.
Why is it that I have to always be right? I thought as I turned on my heel and walked out. Someone was calling my name, but I didn't feel like turning around and answering them. I don't know if I even could have…my throat was raw and it felt like it was closing up and my eyes burned.
I hate dances.