DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of the characters from that movie. Disney does. I do not own the song 'I Shall Believe'. Sheryl Crow and whatever label she's on own that.
The gym was decorated nicely with streamers and helium-filled balloons. Colored lights shone brightly reflected onto the ceiling off of a very disco mirror ball. It was very crowded, but that was to be expected as there were more students attending Sky High than any previous year.
Being more of a spectator than a dancer, Warren walked over to the table of snack foods and punch. He didn't look back at his date to see if she would follow him, but Layla was close behind him. It seemed impolite to be at a dance with Warren and not stick by his side.
Their eyes were fixed on the punch bowl. It seemed that every year there was a new recipe being served at the dances. One year there were little globs of sherbet floating in a miniature sea of Kool-Aid and another year it was made of some sort of punch mixed with ginger ale.
"Drink…?" Warren picked up a paper cup and poured himself some of the punch.
"I don't think my taste buds would tolerate that kind of abuse." Layla wrinkled her nose in distaste, causing a tiny smile to form on Warren's face.
Layla watched Warren sip his punch, eyeing the students who were on the dance floor. She still couldn't believe how well he'd cleaned up. Freshman year he borrowed something of his father's to wear, but this year he'd worn a brand new suit of his own. She never imagined that Warren Peace of all people could look… Well, chic, like a celebrity… She smiled to herself and grabbed a tiny cheese cube from the tray of munchies.
Layla smiled as she saw Zach drag Magenta onto the dance floor as the Electric Slide began to pump from the speakers. He was making a fool of himself shaking his hips and clapping his hands. Magenta rolled her eyes but played along, mouthing a 'hello' to Layla with a tiny wave.
Tilting her head up to look Warren in the eyes, Layla nodded to the floor.
"Did you want to--" But before she could finish her question, Warren interrupted, shaking his head emphatically.
"I don't… Line dance." She looked slightly disappointed, but Warren was not about to go onto the floor doing some stupid dance - Not even for Layla. Maybe he could make a compromise, though.
"I'll do a slow song." He stated simply. She nodded, agreeing to a slow dance with him. Layla tried not to look like a lovesick puppy over such a small thing but her face betrayed her, forming the brightest smile Warren had ever seen.
It was like the DJ was conspiring against Warren - at least he thought so - for only moments after the Electric Slide finished playing, a slow, romantic song filled the air. Couples paired off, some looking awkward with their sweaty palms on the shoulders of their date while others fit perfectly in their significant other's arms. Warren was still processing all of this, standing with his mouth slightly open, when Layla took him by the hand onto the dance floor.
Come to me now
And lay your hands over me
Even if it's a lie
Say it will be alright
And I shall believe
Warren put his arms around Layla's upper body, linking his fingers together by the back of her neck. It had never occurred to him before that she was so small and fragile. Layla wrapped her arms around him, pulling him gently closer to her.
I'm broken in two
And I know you're on to me
That I only come home
When I'm so all alone
But I do believe
He wanted to say something. Maybe a witty or snarky remark or some deep revelation… The moment, though, was too perfect to spoil with dialogue. Layla had never felt this sort of blissful serenity until that moment. She'd thought that her kiss with Will Stronghold, floating outside of the Sky High gymnasium, was as magical as romance could get. She was wrong.
Not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
Please say honestly you won't give up on me
And I shall believe
The song faded into a more upbeat one, causing all of the couples to put a little space between them and their partner to allow for faster dancing. Warren, though, pulled Layla closer to him. He was glad that he had agreed to dance with her.
After a moment, though, they pulled away from each other. There were a few other students making comments regarding the unlikely coupling of the hothead and the hippie, some just stared at the couple in disbelief. Warren and Layla, though, pretended to ignore the reactions and gave each other more space.
"You wanna get some air?" Warren broke the silence that had formed between himself and Layla.
"Yeah, actually, that'd be great." Layla smiled, relieved to be getting a break from the dance's atmosphere.
He took her by the hand gently and led her out through the double doors. The two of them walked to the barrier surrounding the school, taking in the view of the city's sparkling lights below them. It would have seemed like a scene from a movie if there was kissing or caressing involved, but they just held hands, occasionally glancing to see how the other was enjoying the night.
"I like this." Layla nodded, looking out over the city below her. Warren looked over to her with a hint of a smile on his face.
"I like it, too." Warren looked away, speaking in a slightly softer tone of voice. He wasn't much for mushy, touchy-feely romance, but it couldn't hurt to state the obvious.
"Thank you for taking me to the dance, Warren." She looked over, placing a hand on his bicep. "I know that you'd probably want to be somewhere else right now, but you came and I'm grateful for that." The corners of her mouth lifted to form a tiny smile. Warren wasn't about to deny what she'd suggested. Truthfully, he would have rather spent the night conversing with Layla over lo mein noodles at the Paper Lantern. Being at Homecoming wasn't killing him, though, and if he wasn't trying so hard to mask it Layla would have seen that he was perfectly content being at the dance with her.
Warren silently leaned in, so dangerously close to Layla that she could feel his hot breath on her sensitive lips. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, debating whether or not she should take the opportunity and kiss him. The debate lasted mere seconds, but the very moment she decided to go ahead the laughter of a couple broke the silence.
Both Layla and Warren turned their heads to see who had interrupted what would have been their first kiss. Standing a few yards away were Zach and Magenta, seemingly delighted that they'd caught their friends in an intimate moment.
"Hey, you two." Magenta smiled with a wave, nudging Zach with her elbow before practically dragging him right back into the gymnasium. Layla and Warren were alone once more, but the moment had been spoiled. Layla only looked up at her date with slightly flushed cheeks, then turning her gaze to the urban landscape below them.