Life to the Fullest

by ryurei-chan

If life was fair, then what would it be worth living? Maybe the Simpson kids and their companions will understand seven years into the future. Constructive criticism appreciated.

17. A Night to Remember

Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only the original characters listed in this fic.

I accept constructive criticism. c:

Warning: there is some unsavory behavior towards a minor towards the end of this chapter, if you are triggered by that, please take heed when reading.

~•~•~•~

November 13th had arrived amidst the recent chaos and drama that had stirred up the teens' lives and gave them all a break from the madness; the Harvest Dance had arrived.

The students of Springfield High School were in their houses, freshening up after a long day or just now waking up to start getting ready for the event. Some had given themselves at least an hour head start while others took less than half an hour. It was a mix between the Simpson teens as Bart was putting on his blazer while Lisa was still doing her makeup at Marge's vanity. Popping into his parents' bedroom, the older teen groaned as he saw his sister still fussing over her eyeliner. "Aw, c'mon Lise, you've been playing with that stupid pen for the last five minutes, let's speed it up!"

"Bart, shut up! My hands keep shaking or I keep making the line too thick!"

Bart rolled his eyes, leaning against the doorjamb. "I still don't understand why you didn't just go over to Alex's place to get all made up, she actually knows how to do that stuff."

"Well, if mom didn't demand that I go with you to keep an eye on you since you're borrowing her car, I would have. Now be quiet, I should be done in ten minutes or so…" The way her voice trailed off as she began drawing over her left eyelid once more didn't give him much hope.

Realizing that he would end up having to wait for his sister, the blond decided to go into the shared bathroom down the hall and give himself a once-over in the full-length mirror. His look for the dance was casual enough to be comfortable yet dressy enough to not get turned away at the door. Bart wore a burgundy T-shirt underneath a dark gray blazer along with dark wash jeans that were slightly more fitted than his regular ones. Not really wanting to deal with oxfords, he ended up wearing one of his fancier sneakers on his feet, the hi-tops made of black pleather with pristine white soles. He decided to keep his low ponytail but slicked the blond spikes back, only leaving a couple of strands hanging over his forehead for a more polished look. The outfit was topped off with a few spritz of cologne on his neck, sure to entice some of the girls tonight.

'Well, well, you've outdone yourself this time, Bartman.'

Shooting his reflection a wink and some finger-guns, Bart left the bathroom and decided to head downstairs to chill in the family room until Lisa was ready. Maggie was already in there, watching some new cartoon that just premiered recently. Plopping down next to her on the couch, he reached over and ruffled her hair. "What up, Mags?"

"Hey, watch it!" Pouting at her brother, Maggie reached up and fixed her hair and bow. "I'm checking out this show Gerald told me about, he hasn't shut up about it since it aired a couple weeks ago."

"And the verdict?"

The little girl shrugged. "It's not bad, actually. I'm a bit behind but I've got 'til Monday to catch up."

Humming in acknowledgement, he watched the show with her while also checking his phone, texts incoming from his friends. Some were on the way to the school while others were still at home getting ready. Among those texts, one from Jessica came, her name standing out like a sore thumb in his notifications.

'Hey Bart, should be leaving in about five minutes. The Rev's gonna drop me off and leave so I'll meet you in front of the gym doors, okay?'

Nodding to himself, he replied back with a 'sounds like a plan' before locking his screen. Surprisingly, he found himself a bit excited about meeting up with the minister's daughter. He knew back then that she knew how to have a good time and something told him that those wicked jade eyes and shapely body could possibly keep him entertained the short time they were together. Eyes widening when he realized what just passed through his mind, he shook his head (prompting a weird look from Maggie). He shouldn't be thinking of his ex like that especially after he made it clear that they were just going as friends and would split up once someone else got their attention.

Bart's reprimanding was interrupted by the sound of thumping down the stairs, followed by Lisa running into the family room, slightly panting. "Okay, I'm ready!"

"Finally, took ya long enough!"

Lisa stuck her tongue out at him, careful not to ruin the coral gloss on her lips. She didn't plan to take so long getting ready, seeing as how mom had put her hair in rollers earlier for her and she showered before but that darn makeup threw her for a loop. Her overall look left her pleased; her hair was curled back into soft spikes rather than the straight ones she always wore. On top of the light foundation, her eyelids were dusted with champagne-colored shadow with a soft brown on the outer lids. Her eyeliner that took so long was a thin line that finished into a wing at the corner and the black mascara helped lengthen her short lashes. Feeling that something was missing, she decided to dust the apples of her cheeks with a peachy blush, emphasizing her round cheeks when she smiled. To accessorize the red dress she bought, she settled on some gold teardrop earrings and a gold necklace in the shape of a saxophone (her and Allison bought matching ones since the store had a BOGO deal). On her right wrist was a simple gold banded bracelet and her feet donned nude closed-toe block heels with a strap around the ankles. She was going to leave her nails alone but knowing that Alex would have a tiff over how ragged they looked, she filed them a bit and put a nude polish on this morning.

Bart gave an appreciative whistle, truly impressed by how nice his sister looked. "Well then, guess all that time was worth it."

Lisa blushed a bit at the compliment before sticking her tongue out once more. "Thanks Bart. C'mon, let's go say bye to mom so we can head out." The other nodded before standing up, walking with Lisa into the kitchen where Marge was busy icing a cake. "Mom, we're about to leave now!"

Marge looked up and put down her piping bag, clasping her hands together with a huge smile. "Oh, look how spiffy my babies are! Are you sure you two don't want to eat anything before you go? I know last year the food was lacking…"

Bart waved his hand. "Nah, mom, I think we'll be fine. Lisa said that her friend who helped put it together made sure to order extra food this time."

"Well, alright. Just make sure you take your time driving there and back, Bart. Remember, come back by 10:30. Once 11:00 hits-"

"You'll call the police, we know, mom. We'll be fine and I'll drag Bart out by his feet if I have to." Lisa smirked, ignoring the annoyed look her brother gave her from the side.

"Good! Alright, have fun you two, call me if anything comes up!"

The siblings gave their mom a hug before heading towards the front door, saying bye to Maggie along the way, earning a distracted wave back. Grabbing Marge's car keys off the hook, Bart opened the door, letting Lisa out first before following and shutting it behind him. He unlocked the car so they could both get in, starting it up before adjusting the seat and mirrors. "So Lise, ya nervous?"

The blonde gave him a confused look. "Nervous? What for? It's just a dance."

"Yeah, but I know social events aren't exactly your forte-" He shifted into reverse and began backing out of the driveway. "Figured I'd make sure you weren't gonna chicken out or be a wallflower the whole time."

Lisa's lips twitched a bit; her brother had a funny way of showing his concern for her. "Bart, it's not gonna be like when we were in middle school and I spent most of the dances on the bleachers waiting for my friends to finish dancing. I promise I'm going to be social…well, social enough to be acceptable."

Bart chuckled, using one hand to hold the steering wheel. "Good. Even then, I'm sure Alex or Becky wouldn't let you be a wet blanket anyways."

"Oh Buddha, don't remind me. Those two are going to be a handful tonight, I swear."

The duo laughed at the thought and kept up the regular chitchat until they arrived to the school. There were multiple cars idling in front of the entrance while students walked into the building, either in groups or couples, or parents took obligatory pictures of their children. Seeing the sign directing them to the parking lot, Bart turned off the main road and into the lot, managing to grab a spot that was halfway down. He shut the car off and got out with Lisa, locking the doors before tossing the keys to her to hold them in her purse. They walked towards the front entrance, giving casual waves or greetings to those they knew. As soon as they stepped in, Bart cleared his throat.

"So, uh, this is where we'll be parting, sis."

Lisa raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Aren't your friends waiting for you inside? Why not just walk in with me?"

"Actually, I, uh…" He raised a hand and scratched the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. "I agreed to meet someone here first…"

Her head tilted now at her brother's flustered reaction. He never mentioned having a date to the dance, which was a shock in of itself, so who could he be waiting for? She couldn't think of anyone that he'd be hesitant about being seen with so…

"Aaaalright then…well, I'll see you later tonight then." Giving her brother a wave, Lisa headed to the ticket table and gave hers before walking with the crowd of students heading to the open gymnasium doors, the sound of music thumping out into the hallway.

Bart sighed in relief once she left and whipped his phone out of his back pocket, pulling up Jessica's number and shooting her a text.

'I'm here now, waiting in front of the trophy case'

Not even a minute later, his phone buzzed with a response.

'On my way ;)'

Rolling his eyes at the winky face at the end, he pocketed his phone once more and crossed his arms over his chest as he waited. A few acquaintances passed by, giving him a 'what's up', and a group of girls walked by too, giving him flirty smiles and waves. After another minute of waiting, he felt a finger tapping him on his right shoulder.

"I didn't keep you waiting long, did I?"

Bart turned before speaking. "Nah, I only got here a couple of-"

His words trailed off at the sight in front of him. It was Jessica, as he expected, but he didn't expect the way she looked. Her face was made up only a little more than she usually did but her jade green eyes were emphasized by the dark liner and smoky brown shadow surrounding it. Her hair was missing its headband and hung down to her waist, curled loosely at the ends. What really caught his attention was the dress she was wearing; it was a number made of plum-colored satin with spaghetti straps and a V-neckline that showed off her toned shoulders and slight cleavage. The fabric hugged her curves perfectly and flared out at the bottom with a slit on the right that stopped a couple of inches above her knee, keeping in line with the dance's dress code. Her already tall frame was heightened with silver strappy heels on her feet; he noticed then that her nails were painted a shade darker than the color of her dress. Her jewelry matched her heels in color but was simple, consisting of silver studs and a thin chain necklace that wrapped around her neck before dropping into a line that stopped right above her cleavage…what was with him and staring at her chest?

"Uh, helloooo? Earth to Bart Simpson?"

Bart's looking over of the teen was interrupted as she waved her hand in front of his face now. The look on her face wasn't one of irritation or modesty but one of amusement.

'Damn, she caught me slipping…not my fault she looks really good in that dress…'

Clearing his throat, he slipped a shaking hand into his pants pocket, looking off to the side with faux disinterest. He would've passed for someone who wasn't fazed by the girl if it wasn't for the pink dusting his cheeks. "S-Sorry…you, uh, ready to head in?"

Jessica giggled in that silky voice of hers before stepping closer and hooking her arm around his free one, noticing the way the other gulped at the close contact. "Ready whenever you are, Mr. Simpson."

Groaning inwardly at the way she said the title, he gave himself a mental smack before leading the both of them towards the gymnasium. He pulled his ticket out of his pocket while Jessica pulled hers out of her wristlet, handing them to the desk worker to get stamped in. After being told to enjoy the dance, the duo stepped inside the gym and letting themselves get enveloped by the music. Now, Bart wasn't much for admiring decorations and whatnot but he had to admit that the committee really outdid themselves with the layout this year.

Tree cutouts were scattered along the edge of the gym but instead of fake leaves, the tops were covered with a multitude of fall-colored balloons, ranging from reds and oranges to yellows and browns. He even saw some leaf-shaped balloons stuck in some of the bunches (he didn't even know that was a thing). Fall-colored ribbons hung down along all the walls, hiding the concrete and padding, with assorted leaf garlands sitting on the top of them. The tables were covered with burnt orange cloths and held plenty of refreshments and snacks for everyone to feast on (he gave it an hour before someone attempted to spike one of the punch bowls, though). Looking around some more, he couldn't help but grin at all the activities scattered along the room, away from the gaggle of students on the dance floor. In one corner, there were large wooden buckets lined up where a couple of kids had their heads dunked in to bob for apples (funnily enough, only a couple of girls were in line waiting, surely most of them didn't want to ruin their makeup). In another corner, there was a large pile of mini pumpkins and two long tables with a couple of students drawing and painting onto their personal ones. In the middle of the right wall, a little photo area was set up with quite the line. The little backdrop showed the picture of a dirt road with trees hanging over it, the leaves changing into autumn colors. A few bales of hay were set up in front of it with pumpkins on and below it; a couple was currently sitting on the longer one in the middle, grins stretching their faces while the guy held bunny ears behind his girlfriend's head.

To his right, he heard the dark-haired girl give an appreciative whistle. "Wow, to think this school was capable of making this place look cool and not corny."

"Tell me about it."

All of a sudden, Jessica let go of Bart's arm, making him miss the slight warmth of her body against it. "Alright Bart, we had a deal. I don't want to be a clinger so I'm gonna go get a drink and dance or something. If you change your mind, though-" Her lids lowered and her glossed lips stretched into a mischievous smile. "You have my number. Ta ta."

Wiggling her fingers as a farewell, the teen turned and began strutting away from the blond (he caught his eyes following her all the way to the refreshments table, much to his dismay). Now that he was alone, he let out a deep breath, not sure how this night was going to go now. At least Jessica had kept her promise and split as soon as they stepped in but he found himself wishing she stayed just a bit longer…

'Whoa, whoa there, Bartman! Don't even think about getting hung up on her, there's plenty of girls here you can have fun with. But first…'

Squinting his eyes, he studied the crowds, looking for some familiar faces. A sound of triumph left his lips when he spotted his friends hanging a few feet away from the apple bobbing corner. Nearly running over, he shouted out over the loud music once he was close enough. "'Sup bitches!"

All five boys looked up and gave some cheers and jeers back towards the Simpson boy, happy to have the group completed now. Lewis bumped his fist against Bart's, his other hand holding a cup. "There you are, man! We thought you dipped on us!"

"Whaaat? Like I would ever do that, I just, uh…got caught up with something, that's all."

The boys nodded before their eyes seemed to wander over to the refreshments table. Bart knew the reason why and sighed internally; ever since he had told them about Jessica's request, they had been concerned for their friend, worried that the vixen was trying to get his guard down and sink her claws into him again. He had been reassuring them for the last week that he had everything under control but none of them seemed to believe him, especially Milhouse (the poor guy nearly had a conniption when he fessed up in study hall that day). Not wanting to dwell on the thought, he smirked and pointed at each of them. "Nice to see you guys don't look like hobos."

A couple of swears, eye rolls and middle fingers responded back, receiving a loud laugh from the blond. It was fun messing with his friends but they all did clean up pretty well, especially Nelson. The Muntz boy had a light brown blazer over a salmon-colored button up shirt, the top couple of buttons undone, and jeans that had patches and bleach stains (Bart bet his bottom dollar that it wasn't a fashion choice and he really had jeans like that in his closet) scattered over the denim with a belt topping it off. His feet had scuffed brown ofxords and made him look somewhat professional for once. Milhouse, who was standing next to him, had a very light pink button up shirt on with a black and white polka-dot tie tied tight around his neck; the teen should have bought a bigger size though, his muscles were nearly bulging through the fabric. He kept the rest of his outfit simple with black slacks and black slip-on loafers. Looking at Donny, he was surprised he didn't have any girls hanging off of him yet. His pine-colored dress shirt was undone a bit at the top and rolled up at the sleeves, showing off his toned forearms. The pants he wore were light gray slacks and brown oxford shoes (Bart swore they were the same as his daily shoes but in a different color) sat on his feet.

As for Richard and Lewis, the duo outdid the others as usual, having the best fashion sense out of the group. Richard had a teal-colored sweater on with a white collar and cuffs peeking out of the neck and bottom of the sleeves and heather gray pants on that hugged his legs (something about this kid and tight pants always clicked). His feet had a pair of all black Vans on though, tying into his skater boy style. Lewis looked like he was auditioning for a GQ cover with his black, white and brown striped button-up, unbuttoned down to the top of his chest and showing the two necklaces he wore underneath every day (they were gifts from his grandma and grandpa when he was a baby). His pants were a lighter shade of brown and were held together with a dark brown belt, loose enough to give him some comfort. He decided to go for the slip-on loafers just like Milhouse but had dark brown instead of black.

"Look who's talking, you think you're cool with a T-shirt under a blazer?"

Bart's face became smug as he adjusted his blazer with a flair. "Uh, yes, I do think I'm cool, Lewis. You should all take pointers from moi."

Richard rolled his eyes and gave the blond a gentle shove, breaking his showing off state. "Whatever, man. Anyways, I was telling the guys about this girl I asked out to the dance. She turned me down and said her cat had to have surgery so she wouldn't make it. But guess what?" The Asian boy scowled and pointed to a blonde in a lavender dress giggling with friends by the DJ booth. "Look who's standing there, happy as a clam! What kind of shit is that?!"

Donny snorted while taking a sip of his drink. "Wow man, that's fucked!"

Milhouse guffawed at his friend's irritated face. "Richard, getting lied straight to his face rather than being told no, there must be an ice age coming!"

"Milhouse, shut the hell up, at least I didn't try to ask the same girl for the past four years."

"H-Hey! Low blow, man!"

While observing his friends' banter, Bart continued examining the room but kept finding his eyes searching for Jessica. True to her word, she was part of the group dancing, a plastic cup in one hand while she moved her body to the current song, her hips swaying in time and mouth singing along. Realizing that he was staring too hard for about a minute into her movements, he shook his head and made sure to focus on his group again. His brain reprimanded him once more for getting caught up but godammit, he was male. A male who knew and could appreciate a woman who looked good and put it out there for everyone to admire. Jessica Lovejoy was definitely one of them but he needed to control himself and remember their deal.

'Stick to the plan, Simpson, stick to the plan…'

~•~•~•~

Lisa should have found her friends by now but she kept getting distracted by the decorations, lights and the sight of everyone's smiling and laughing faces. This wasn't her natural habitat at all but the sheer enjoyment in the room was starting to infect her, bringing a smile to her face (she giggled when she saw Ralph pull his head up from one of the buckets, dripping with water while an apple was held between his teeth).

"Lisaaaaa! Over heeeeere!"

Ears itching at the hyper voice, she turned towards the group of tables to see her friends sitting together at one of them, all waving her over (Becky was standing up instead, flailing her arms excitedly). Lisa ran over to them, almost tripping in her heels. The girls all wore the dresses they had bought that day and the hairstyles, makeup and accessories they had on complemented the garments. She had noticed Becky first with her heart lollipop earrings, eyeliner and pumps, all the same bright pink. Next to her, Nina was the complete opposite, her eyes smoky with black and gray shadow and her lips colored with burgundy. Since she ended up wearing a dress, she wore some regular black Doc Martens on her feet, ensuring her comfort for the night. Sophie didn't accessorize or doll up too much, wearing some light brown shadow on her lids and a few gold bangles on her wrists. Her feet had cognac colored sandals on, the multiple straps wrapping around her ankles. Alex had teased the hell out of her hair and curled it to get the serious volume she had going on, gold hoops peeking out from the strands and matching with the Gartier bracelet on her right wrist. Her stilettos were gold as well, showing off her polished toes and giving her a couple of inches in height; with the brown and gold eyeshadow and her glossy lips, she could pass for someone older than her. Allison was dolled up, the cornflower blue dress she had picked out flattering her fair skin and her hair pulled up into a half updo, tied back with a matching ribbon and falling in loose curls. Her makeup was soft, eyeshadow only slightly pinker than her skin dusting her lids and blush sitting on her cheeks. No one looked worse for the wear.

"There you guys are! How long have you been here?"

Nina shrugged, leaning back in her chair with an arm hanging over the back. "Eh, I just got here a minute ago. Dad was having car trouble."

Alex chimed in. "The rest of us have been here since the doors opened. I'm surprised you weren't early, Lise!"

"Well, see-" She chuckled nervously while shrugging. "My makeup was giving me trouble, heh…"

"Ugh, I told you you should've let me do it for you! Next time you see Bart, tell him I'm gonna kick his butt if he interferes again!" The blonde laughed as Alex shook her fist, not really looking threatening in her glittery dress and voluminous hair. "Duly noted."

Sophie rolled her eyes and patted Alex's shoulder. "DMY, Alex, there will be plenty of events where you can catch up on your MUA skills." The curly-haired girl smiled up at Lisa, looking her over with admiration. "You did a pretty good job though, Lise, the shadow really brings out your eyes!"

Becky walked over to the Simpson girl. "You're right, Soph, but you know what would be better?" Before anyone could respond, she grabbed one of Lisa's hands and playfully twirled her around with a laugh. "If she showed off her lovely outfit on that dance floor!"

Lisa tried to pout at her friend but being spun around pulled a giggle out of her before she stopped and held the other's shoulders. "Becky, if I dance at least once with you, will you stop harassing me for the rest of the night?"

"Mmm…no promises but I'll try!"

Lisa grinned and patted her shoulders. "Good girl."

Letting go of the blonde, she scanned the table, eyes falling on the one person she was eager to see tonight. Allison looked wonderful but she couldn't mask the sadness in her eyes. Nina was telling her a dramatic story that pulled a couple of half-hearted laughs out of her mouth but she seemed to be going through the motions tonight. Lisa and the girls had been checking up on her since the break up and had to convince her multiple times not to sell her ticket to the dance; staying at home alone would have made her despair even worse.

Just as she was about to walk over to her best friend, a clearing of the throat sounded behind her. Turning around, her lips pursed a bit at the sight of Milhouse, his shirt a little too tight on his muscled body and a sheepish smile on his face. "H-Hey Lisa…I saw Bart so I figured you were here too."

"Hey Milhouse…yeah, we came together."

The blue-haired boy nodded and looked to the dance floor before looking back at her. "Do you, uh, wanna dance for a bit? I can't go too crazy because of my asthma but I can do a mean Cha-Cha Slide!"

Face twisting a bit in uncertainty, she felt a rejection on the tip of her tongue until she felt someone behind her, whispering mischievously into her ear. "Y'know, if you go dance with him, that can be a 'get out of a dance with Becky' card."

Her head turning back to give said girl a glower (receiving a brace-covered grin back), Lisa sighed and looked at Milhouse again. "Alright Milhouse, let's go."

The older teen's face lit up in victory while he held an arm out to her. She hooked her arm around his but made sure to keep a couple of inches between their bodies as he led her to the dance floor. At least he didn't take them into the crowd and stayed at the edge; she was already feeling like running away, she didn't need claustrophobia to make it worse.

At the table, Alex watched her best friend get led away with a pitying stare, sighing heavily. She didn't know when the van Houten boy was going to take a hint that Lisa would never see him as more than a friend but it clearly wasn't tonight. The fashionista made sure to keep an eye on the duo out of the corner of her eye but for now…

"Alright ladies, I don't know about you but I'm ready to make some moves!"

The girls grinned and nodded sans Allison, who played with a strand of hair while biting her lip. "Oh, I don't know…why don't you girls go ahead? I might sit here for a bit."

Alex gave the redhead a concerned look. "Aw Alli, come with us, please?"

Sophie chimed in, holding a hand out to her. "We're not going out there without you, missy."

Becky clasped her hands and pouted, giving blue puppy eyes to her friend. "Come on, Allisoooon. I need my partner in case they play Single Ladies!"

Nina finished off, raising a brow. "You paid to be here, I really don't think you should spend your money sitting and people-watching. Hell, you can do that at home."

Eyes darting between each of the girls, Allison realized she was at a disadvantage and sighed before standing up. "Alright, let's go do this, then."

"Woo hoo!" Alex and Becky cheered before each of them grabbed one of the redhead's arms, pulling her towards the gyrating crowd. Nina and Sophie followed behind them, the former snorting in amusement. "We've only been here for a few minutes and already those two are on their shit."

"Oh, leave them be. Allison could use some of that extra energy tonight, y'know?"

Nina nodded, her lips turning down as she watched the back of said girl's head. "I know, Soph."

The group finally merged with the dancing students, just as the first few notes of Say So began. A majority of the teens sucked in a breath before belting out the lyrics with each other.

Day to night to morning, keep with me in the moment

I'd let you had I known it, why don't you say so?

Alex and the girls danced with each other, bouncing up and down and whipping their hair back and forth as they sang. To make sure Allison didn't try to run away, Becky held her hands with her own, jumping around and swinging them as she tried to get her into the groove. It worked slightly as the other swayed a bit with the blonde, unable to hold back the small smile on her face from the infectious energy. Nina had a more aggressive style of dancing, bobbing her head and punching the air as if she was in a mosh pit. Sophie managed to avoid the potential hits with her graceful dodges before wiggling her body to the beat, curls bobbing around her face.

As a couple more songs passed by, Alex felt a tap on her left shoulder. Turning her head, she grinned when she saw who it was. "Heeeey, Chuck, you made it!"

Chuck rolled his eyes but grinned back before giving the teen a quick hug. "Just barely! My old man was bitching about me going to this instead of staying to be bookie for his poker night but I told him to buzz off and let me be a teen."

"Ugh, he's still forcing you into that? That old geezer needs to get some actual friends or something…"

"Tell me about it. But enough about that-" His body straightened up and he adjusted his bow tie before speaking in a posh voice, holding his hand out to her. "Care to share a dance with me, m'lady?"

Giggling at him, Alex nodded and took his hand, dancing with the other teen. The platinum blonde loved to dance and usually was two steps ahead of her partners but Chuck Berger was one of the few people who could keep up with her or even outdance her (she would never forget the blisters on her feet after Becky's birthday party last year). The duo moved, shimmied and shook with each other for a couple of songs, taking a moment to breathe as the DJ lowered the music to inform someone that the lights on their Chevy were still on. "Damn boy, what did you snort before you got here?"

The blond boy laughed at her quip before shaking his messy bangs out of his eyes. "If I said grade-A Colombian cocaine, would you believe me?"

"Hell no."

Chuck pouted and shrugged. "Fair enough." All of a sudden, his body stiffened and eyes widened as he looked off past the crowd. Following his gaze, Alex saw a teen with fair skin, freckles and auburn hair parted neatly off by the refreshments table, pouring himself a cup of punch. Her light bronze glossy lips stretched into a smirk as she elbowed her friend. "Ooooooh, looks like Aiden is all alone over there…"

"Aleeeex…"

"Ugh, c'mon Chuck. I don't know what you're holding back for, you know he's into guys also plus he's single!"

"I know, but…I'm not exactly skilled in flirting…"

"Then do what I do." Alex wrapped an arm around him and leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Just be friendly, charm your way in and push all intentions of romance out while you do it. If it goes well, then you guys will end up friends and then you can start slowly but surely dropping hints that you want more!"

The blond boy hummed as he pondered over her advice before sighing. "Alex Whitney, you're a crazy girl…but it just might work."

Alex patted his shoulder and pumped her fist up. "I know it will. Go get 'im, tiger!"

Chuck puffed his chest up in show before giving his friend a goodbye, making a beeline towards the redheaded boy. 'Ah, schoolboy crushes.'

As soon as Chuck left, another boy (this one was a freshman who was nerdy but sweet) shyly asked her to dance. Having a soft spot for anyone who wasn't demanding or entitled, she agreed and slowed down a bit so the other didn't trip over his own two feet. The fashionista found herself laughing, not at the teen, but at how he kept apologizing for not being very skilled. She quickly assured him that he was fine and to just let loose and have fun with her. The two split after a few minutes when the teen needed a drink (he gave her a bow before running off to the refreshments table), causing yet another boy to request a dance with her. This rotation kept happening for a few more songs until Alex seemed to get a break to herself, looking around to see if her friends were still nearby. Lisa was still with Milhouse (she could see the blonde's shoulders sagging from here), Becky was still trying to cheer up Allison with wild dance moves and Nina had just come back with drinks for her and Sophie.

That made her realize how thirsty she was and she decided to walk over to pour herself a drink also, making sure to sniff it to see if it got spiked yet (it was safe, for now). Sipping the fruit punch, she stood off to the side to finish her drink, watching everything around her. She tried not to think about how in two days, she would be in court facing Jack Crowley. She'd have to relive that horrifying night word for word to a crowd of strangers who would be scrutinizing her statements.

Alex shook her head. She didn't want to bring down her night, she was having a major blast and the night wasn't even halfway done.

'Just wait, you psycho. We're gonna make sure your ass pays for what you did.'

Chugging the last bit of her punch, Alex tossed her cup into the nearby trashcan and started to walk back to her friends until she spotted a tall head of spiky blond hair out the corner of her eye. Smiling out of reflex, she headed over to the figure, hanging at the edge of the crowd with a couple of his friends talking. Sneaking up behind him, she tapped his shoulder and spoke with humor.

"Well, well, to think Bart Simpson actually came to the Harvest Dance!"

Bart turned around and grinned at the shorter teen. "Hey Alex! Did you find Lisa already?"

"Yup, but, uh, it looks like Milhouse found her…" His face becoming confused, Alex pointed to where his best friend and sister were dancing together (if you could call crazed krumping dancing). "Oh geez, he couldn't wait until after the first hour to bug her?"

"Nope."

"Ay ay ay. Anyways, what brings you my way, Ms. Wintour?"

Alex couldn't help but roll her hazel eyes; Bart gave her that nickname back when she was in sixth grade and it stuck. "Well, I'm hydrated and ready to dance again but I haven't seen you out on the floor yet, Mr. Simpson."

Bart raised a brow at the other and leaned in a bit, flashing a boyish grin. "Well then, you should see if you can fix that, hm?"

The platinum blonde didn't know why but her cheeks warmed a bit at the close proximity; not wanting him to catch her slipping, she grabbed one of his hands and tugged him along to the dance floor. To her pleasure, Dance, Dance began playing once they found a spot, prompting her to start mouthing the words to her partner.

She said she's no good with words but I'm worse

Barely stuttered out a joke of a romantic stuck to my tongue

Bart seemed to be a big fan of this song as well as he sung back to Alex, bobbing his head to the drums.

Weighed down with words too overdramatic

Tonight it's it can't get much worse

Versus no one should ever feel like

Along with the rest of the crowd, the duo began shouting the chorus at each other, teeth baring in enjoyable grins.

I'm two quarters and a heart down

And I don't want to forget how your voice sounds

These words are all I have so I write them

I need them just to get by

Counting down in their heads, they began jumping with everyone, singing their hearts out.

Dance, dance

We're falling apart to halftime

Dance, dance

And these are the lives you love to lead

Dance, this is the way they'd love

If they knew how misery loved me

The two teens couldn't believe how much fun they were having dancing with each other, especially Alex. She had planned to bug the older boy for a dance or two before moving on to the next one but something about the way his face lit up and the energy and confidence he exuded kept her next to him for the next few songs. Likewise with Bart, he admired the way Alex danced without a care in the world and still looked like she had barely broken a sweat. He also had to admit, the dress she had on did her justice.

'Better than Jessica's?'

Nearly pausing from the sly voice in his head, he told it to shut the hell up and continued dancing, the first few notes of an older rock hit coming on. He was sure Jessica was living it up by herself right about now.

~•~•~•~

"You know that new IMAX theater Downtown? My uncle owns it. I get some pretty good discounts all the time, even for 3D showings!"

"Mm, is that so?" Jessica could honestly care less.

"Yes ma'am. Maybe we can catch a show together one of these days? A big tub of popcorn plus you can pick any candy you want, free of charge!"

A convincing giggle came out of her mouth. "Mmm, maybe, I don't know. My parents are pretty strict about what movies I watch…"

The boy grinned (looking more like a Cheshire cat than a casanova). "Well, what mom and dad don't know won't hurt them…"

Jessica gave him yet another fake smile. She was getting tired of this guy and his attempts to impress her. She barely remembered his name (Zack?) and was hoping he would get the hint and buzz off. Zack had the looks and the riches but he was severely lacking in charisma. Movie theater discounts and free candy? That would've sounded exciting if she were ten years old again; even then, that was stretching it.

She sighed internally, looking for someway to exit this pathetic conversation.

Her salvation came in the tall form of Bart, walking over with his charming grin and a plate of various snacks in one of his hands. "Yo, Jessica!"

She couldn't help the automatic smile stretching her glossed lips. "Hello there, Bart. Don't tell me you were bored and looking for little 'ol me?"

As expected, the blond rolled his eyes. "Pft, you wish. I was just checking up on you, making sure you weren't getting showered with attention."

Jessica rolled her eyes back. "Well, you're a little late on that, Mr. Simpson. Zack here was just telling me about the lovely discounts he gets at the IMAX Downtown-" She shot a silky smile to the other boy. "Isn't that right, Zack?"

Whatever confidence he seemed to have before had dissipated as he nodded slowly, eyes darting between the raven-haired beauty and the spiky-haired boy with hesitance. "Heh, yeah…listen, I gotta go meet up with some friends, I'll, uh, leave you two alone…"

Secretly cheering inside, the teen girl nodded at him. "See ya, Zack."

Zack nodded back quickly before rushing off, not before giving a couple of glances behind him to the duo. Before she could open her mouth, Bart spoke for her. "What the hell was that about? Dude took off like I was an axe murderer or something."

Chuckling a bit at the question, Jessica grinned at the other. "Well, if my guess is correct, he probably thought you were my boyfriend or something."

"What? Where the hell did he get an idea like that?"

Bart popped a pig in a blanket into his mouth while the other teen made an inquisitive sound, folding her arms and tapping her chin with an index finger. "Well, you probably didn't notice but a few people were staring at us when we walked in earlier. As you know, word does get around this place pretty fast…"

"You mean to tell me that the teens of Springfield are sticking their nose into other people's business and making baseless assumptions and rumors?" His face was full of mock surprise, eyes wide and head shaking side to side. "Fucking shocker."

Jessica couldn't help the snort that escaped her mouth, quickly covering it with her hand. The Simpson boy's sarcasm never failed to amuse her; she always admired how outspoken he was about the bullshit that occurred around him and the causes of it. Ignoring the amused look he gave her at the sound, she tilted her head at him. "So, having fun out there? Any lovely ladies catch your eye yet?"

The taller boy shrugged. "I've been hanging around my boys and dancing a bit with some friends, nothing serious. Speaking of, I haven't seen you on the dance floor with anyone else yet."

At his raised eyebrow, the teen pretended to play coy and looked off to the side. "Mm, I got some offers but I didn't take them." She wanted to play it off like she rejected the suitors out of disinterest but it wasn't the full truth; they just weren't capturing her interest like the boy in front of her did. Her eyes kept following him whenever he was in her sight and a twinge of disappointment hit whenever he disappeared or was pulled by a random girl to the dance floor. Jessica was doing her best to keep fulfilling their deal but the urge to spend some time with the Simpson boy grew stronger as the night continued.

'Screw it, one little dance won't hurt.'

Turning her head back towards Bart, Jessica spoke in a voice that didn't match her usually confident one, a hand reaching up to toy with a curled strand. "Hey Bart, do you wanna-"

"Ohmigosh, there you are, Bart!"

A high-pitched voice interrupted her question, causing the raven-haired girl's face to cringe. Two girls ran over, matching from head to toe with their long lavender hair, light pink dresses and mischievous grins on their made up faces. She recognized them as Sherri and Terri, the school's well-known and gossipy twins.

One of them spoke up to Bart, blatantly ignoring her. "Bart Simpson, are you hiding from us?"

Bart laughed and smirked at her. "The Bartman doesn't hide from the ladies, Terri. Maybe you two need to get your eyes checked or something."

The other one, Sherri, giggled with her sister and playfully hit one of his arms. "Oh, don't be so mean, Bartikins! We came all the way over here to find you and this is how you treat us?"

"Yeah, that's no way to treat two beautiful ladies!"

Jessica couldn't help but roll her eyes hard, glad no one was paying attention to her. These two were so full of themselves that she was surprised they didn't float to the ceiling with all the hot air in their heads.

"Aww, forgive me, ladies. What brings you over my way?"

"We're roping in some of the old gang for pictures over by the photo area, we couldn't start without you."

Terri, not even waiting for an answer, latched herself onto one of his arms. "So c'mon Bart, we're all waiting for you!"

Sherri mirrored her twin on the other arm and gave a slight tug, nearly causing him to drop his plate. "Yeah, let's go, Bartman!"

"Alright, alright, watch the snacks, ladies!" Quickly turning his head to Jessica, he gave her a smile as an apology for having their conversation cut short. "Sorry, duty calls. Try not to be a wallflower and get some dancing in, yeah?"

Raising an eyebrow to him, Jessica smirked and made a shooing motion with her hand. "Yeah, yeah, go away."

Bart laughed at her response before being dragged away by the twins, who happened to remember she was there when the teen acknowledged her. Their scrutinizing eyes were not unfamiliar to her and it took all her willpower not to say anything snippy to the duo. Once they were gone though, her amused expression became one of annoyance.

'All you had to do was say two more words, Jessica. Maybe you've gotten a little too soft…'

Pursing her lips, she heard a throat clearing and turned to her left to see a guy standing next to her. With the size of his build, she figured he was one of the school's football players. The teen shot her a lopsided grin. "Hey there. I'm not gonna butter you up because I'm sure you've gotten enough of that tonight but-" He held a meaty hand out to her. "You wanna dance for a bit?"

Looking down at his hand, she was ready to say no yet again until she remembered what the blond had said to her. Lips turning up a bit, Jessica nodded and placed her hand into his, letting the other lead her towards the crowd. There wasn't anything wrong with distracting yourself, right?

~•~•~•~

Allison figured out that it was going to be a rough night when not even Becky's infectious laughter, jokes and wild dance moves couldn't remove that cloud over her head. She tried her best to play along with a fake smile for a couple of hours until she felt that she needed a moment to herself. Just as Toosie Slide finished playing, the redhead gave the blonde's hands a gentle squeeze. "Hey Becky, I'm going to go sit down for a bit, okay?"

Becky pouted. "Aw, what's wrong? Do you not like the music? I can go run up to the DJ and make a request for you!"

"No, no, it's fine…my, um, my feet are just starting to hurt."

Becky looked down at her feet, clad in light brown wedges, before looking back up at her. She knew why Allison wanted to go away and wanted to do her best to keep her around to help her forget about the recent drama. "Just take them off for now, I'll guard your feet!"

The younger teen sighed heavily, her eyes lidding slightly now. "Becky, look…I appreciate what you've been doing but really…I need some time alone. Is that okay?"

The blonde opened her mouth to retort but quickly shut it at the morose look on her friend's face. Sighing in defeat, she nodded before giving her hands a tight squeeze. "Alright Alli…go take a seat. I'm gonna drag you back over here before the night's over, though."

Allison smiled a bit, knowing that the teen wasn't joking with her threat. "Thanks, Becks." She gave one last squeeze before letting go and heading back to their designated table, feeling the girl's blue eyes on her back all the way. The redhead plopped down into her seat and sighed once more, her body sagging as her faux energy slipped away.

It had been a week since her and Martin broke up but it felt like it just happened yesterday.

When she had gotten home after the long vent session with her friends, she ran up to her room and shut herself away, glad that her parents weren't home. Putting on Bill Evans' You Must Believe in Spring, she buried herself under the covers, staring at the poster of Ella Fitzgerald on her wall. At first she was quiet but then sobs wracked her body once more before she went quiet for a bit, the motions repeating until she heard a knock on her door. Her mother arrived hours later and was calling her for dinner, to which her stomach turned. Nonetheless, she had to get herself together and act like everything was normal; her parents were fond of Martin and she didn't need a laundry list of all the reasons why they should get back together.

It worked for a few days until Sunday night when her mother noticed that she hadn't seen Martin's car come around the house recently and questioned Allison as to why that was. Tired of hiding, she fessed up and told her everything that happened sans who her ex had been cheating with. To her surprise, her mother gave her a hug and told her that it would get better but emphasized that she should avoid dating for a while and focus on her schoolwork instead. Of course the woman couldn't leave the subject of school alone for one day but it was better than nothing. Her father emerged from his office to grab some coffee and passed the duo in the living room, wondering what was going on. He was quickly informed and gave his daughter a hug as well, his expression one of displeasure for what the older teen had done to her. Not to her surprise, he parroted what her mother said as well.

And so, she threw herself headfirst into her academics, pushing everything else to the back of her head.

It worked pretty well up until tonight, realizing that things weren't going how she planned months ago. She should have been walking in arm in arm with Martin, discussing the latest book they both read or even attempting to slow dance with nervous smiles and narrowly crushed feet. Thank goodness the senior wasn't here though, she assumed he sold his ticket or just ripped it up after last week's mess; it made being here a bit easier. Her friends, bless them, were doing their best to keep her spirits up but the last thing she wanted was to burden them on what should be a fun night.

Frown deepening, she leaned back in her seat, looking to get comfortable as she watched the festivities from behind her invisible wall. There was nothing wrong with people watching.

~•~•~•~

Lisa was starting to question how genuine her friends were right now.

Not one of them came over to steal her away or looked in her direction to see her silent cries for help. And so, she was stuck dancing with Milhouse for the last forty minutes or so.

'They're gonna hear it from me later, I swear to Buddha.'

Much to her delight, the current, upbeat song segued smoothly into a slower groove, one that was meant for couples who wanted to slow dance or people who wanted to take a breather. Milhouse seemed to believe that they fit into the former category as he held a hand out to the blonde, eyebrows raised and a wide grin on his face. Feeling irritated now, Lisa sighed and shook her head.

"Look, Milhouse, I appreciate bringing me out here but I think I need some time to rest."

"Aw, but it's still early, Lisa! Don' t tell me you're quitting for the night!"

"I'm not!" Her eyes narrowed as her hands rested on her hips. "Look, can't I just go get a drink or something? You'll be fine for a few minutes, I promise." Not bothering to wait for an answer, she turned and began to head off until a thick hand gently grabbed her arm. Her head whipped around quickly to look at the offender, feeling slightly bad about the way he shrunk back at her withering glare.

"S-Sorry Lisa, I just have to ask you something before you go…"

An eyebrow raised as she turned back. "What is it?"

"Look, I-" The blue-haired boy closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening, new-found determination swimming in them. "I know I always do this and you always say no but I feel like I have to try again since well…after I graduate, who knows where I'll go and if I'll see you again. So, uh…"

Lisa couldn't help but swallow hard, already knowing what was going to come out.

With a straightened posture and a serious expression, Milhouse said the words that she didn't want to hear.

"Lisa…will you please go out with me? I don't care if it's to the movies, a restaurant or even that jazz cafe you like, I…I want you to give me another chance."

Lisa imagined many scenarios as to how she would respond; most of them ended in her yelling or harshly reprimanding him. But to her own surprise, a sense of finality washed over her as her face became straight. Taking the older teen's hands into her own, she felt a twinge of guilt at the hopeful look on his face that was about to be smeared away.

"Milhouse…" She took in a deep breath and let it out, looking into his eyes. "I appreciate your honesty and tenacity in pursuing me for a romance but I…I really can't fulfill your wishes." His face quickly became the kicked puppy look that she was too familiar with. "I know, it hurts every time I reject you and I don't really like doing this to you but it wouldn't be right if I said yes and led you on instead…I couldn't do that to you. Not to someone who I've known practically all my life." Her lips quirked a bit. "Even though you always annoyed me when you asked me out, I couldn't bring myself to do that. We did have some good times together but I don't think we can take it any further than that, for your sake and mine." Her hands lifted his up to be level with her chest, giving them a squeeze as her eyes softened.

"Please…can we just stay friends and leave it at that?"

For what felt like forever, the duo were silent, blocking out the raucous noise from the background. After a minute of it sinking in, Milhouse brought his eyes back up to hers, tinged with hurt but acceptance as well. "O-Okay, Lisa…if that's what you really want…I'll do anything for you, you know?"

The blonde's lips turned up further, giving his hands one more squeeze. "I know…but I'm doing it for you too, okay? I'm sure there's an amazing girl out there waiting for you who can give you what you need but it can't be me." The other nodded to her slowly, the lump in his throat forming at this final rejection. Sensing that he was getting emotional, Lisa surprised herself with what she did next; she wrapped her arms around his bulky frame and gave him a light squeeze. "You can be sad for now…but I promise it'll get better. Besides, you still haven't showed me that gelato place you like so much."

Her little quip managed to bring a small chuckle out of the older boy, getting his own arms to wrap around her loosely. "I know…one of these days, when I'm ready."

He then removed his arms and stepped back, giving her a small yet sad smile. "Go see your friends and sit down for a bit…you deserve it."

Lisa couldn't help the tugging of her heartstrings at how wistful the van Houten boy looked. "Thank you. Go have some fun for me, would you?"

Milhouse nodded back and gave her a half-hearted wave before she turned, walking away to get something to drink. She missed the way his lip trembled for a few seconds before he went to search for his friends, shoulders sagging along the way. Rejection from the Simpson girl was nothing new but she had never said it with such conviction before; that's how he knew it was over for good. More than seven years of pining after her and it had ended in under five minutes.

If that punch bowl wasn't spiked by now, he was going to find the usual culprit and make some serious demands for them to hurry it up.

~•~•~•~

It was 7 PM now and the energy in the gymnasium had increased. Almost everyone (sans the wallflowers and solo attendees sitting at the tables) was having a good time but many were waiting for the main act of the night, Compasshead.

The indie pop band were locally-based and consisted of four college-aged boys who were beginning to make a name for themselves outside of Springfield. Kurt Welles was the lead singer and the one that many publications, along with girls and guys, had their eye on. The rest of the band were talented as well and easy on the eyes but Kurt had that special something that seemed to draw everyone in. Whether it was his classic frontman looks, the charisma he exuded in interviews and on stage or the way he sang out the lyrics of the songs, it brought the band in high demand for the Harvest Dance. Somehow, the quartet agreed to perform at the event for only a portion of their usual fee; their manager wasn't too pleased but agreed with them that the exposure and show of love for their hometown would do wonders for PR.

So here they were, ready to perform to a crowd of chanting teens.

Kurt grinned widely and gripped the mic stand. "Hello, Springfield High! How are you guys doin' tonight?"

A round of cheers answered him back, widening his smile even more.

"That's what I'm talkin' about! Y'know, it's only been about five years since we graduated from here but it looks like that spark and energy never left. It makes Evan, Pete, Chris and I real happy to be back here and perform for you guys tonight. But enough of the sentimental stuff, you guys came here to party, right?!"

The cheers became even louder, causing a couple of the older chaperones to wince at the noise.

"Hell yeah! Here we go!"

As the bassist and guitarist began their opening riffs, the students quickly found their dancing partners, whether it was a full group of friends or longstanding crushes. The drums soon joined along with Kurt's smooth voice, singing the lyrics in an almost whispery voice.

In the crowd, Bart was bobbing his head to the music, familiar with this song that was being played. He was solo at the moment, his friends either having bailed on him or dragged away for a dance. Richard had gotten yanked by Becky, saying that he needed to take Allison's place as the redhead had decided to take a breather. Nina had done the same with Lewis but the boy had met her halfway, already having the same idea as the brunette. Milhouse was bummed out about Lisa's rejection and muttered something about looking for Johnny and his flask. Nelson had snuck out to do God knows what (Bart threatened to come look for him if he didn't come back in an hour) and Donny was dragged away by two freshmen, eager to dance with the new kid.

It was whatever to him, he could use a bit of alone time.

He didn't notice the tall, raven-haired girl making a beeline for him through the crowd. Jessica nudged her way through the gyrating bodies, narrowly avoiding getting her feet stepped on or shaking off a few hands who tried to pull her in for a dance. She finally ended up behind Bart's tall figure and took in a deep breath. Reaching out, she tapped his shoulder and quickly donned her confident expression right before he turned around. At his surprised look, Jessica held a hand out to him while raising a dark brow, her lips curling in mischief.

"Care to dance, Mr. Simpson?"

Bart stared at her hand for a couple of seconds before looking back up to her face. The straight line of his mouth twisted into a smirk as he reached his hand out to enclose around hers.

"Only if you can keep up with me."

Laughing airily at his quip, the other teen matched his smirk and flashed her teeth at him. Bart took it as a challenge accepted and began bobbing his head once more, Jessica following the same motion immediately. Soon enough, their bodies began bouncing in time with the beat, shouting out the lyrics with the rest of the room. Bart didn't think he would be humoring Jessica with a dance tonight but she had been on her best behavior so far; it would've been unfair of him to say no. Although, he did find his eyes wandering a bit as she swung her hips back and forth, eyes closed and arms raised above her head as she was really getting into the music. Unfortunately, she had caught him after she turned around quickly, eyes widening a bit before lowering, a devilish grin on her face. The Simpson boy was ready to defend himself but as soon as he opened his mouth, the girl had the nerve to wink before turning back around, going back to dancing like she didn't catch him red-handed. His jaw dropped at her action before he shook his head, gaining back some self control lest she make a smart comment next time…next time?

'Maybe I should have said no…eh, whatever, one slip-up ain't gonna kill ya, Bart.'

~•~•~•~

Donny wasn't much of a dancing person but somehow he got roped into it by two freshmen girls who wanted an excuse to be close to the teen. His slight swaying and arm movements somehow convinced them that he wasn't completely incompetent, much to his surprise. He was growing quickly bored though; all the boys had split up by now and being the newest kid here, he didn't really have anyone else to go hang out around. Sighing to himself, he gave the girl in the bright purple dress a lazy smile when she shot another compliment about his dancing to him.

'These girls are laying it on a little too thick now.'

Thankfully, the song ended and he quickly excused himself from the duo, turning around and walking away, missing their disappointed faces. Feeling slight hunger pangs, he headed to the refreshments table to load up on some snacks. There was a slight line but soon enough, he reached the platters and picked up some pigs in a blanket, mini sandwiches and mac and cheese bites. Donny filled a cup up with punch as well (sadly, it wasn't spiked yet) and began looking around for an empty table when he found a tiny redhead sitting at one by herself.

Donny was surprised yet pleased to see her not surrounded by her friends; it was a perfect opportunity to talk to her. He hadn't really interacted with her much since their last conversation, only seeing her in the halls and giving out a quick greeting. Letting out a breath, he puffed up his chest and began heading his way over, not sure why he was feeling a bit nervous. But there was a chance she could reject him asking to sit or even be waiting for her boyfriend…

Shaking his head at the irritation at the thought of Martin, he brought up one of his signature smiles and spoke up once he was behind Allison. "Is this seat taken?"

She jumped a bit at the voice and turned in confusion before her eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, Donny, it's you. Go ahead, no one's sitting here right now."

Giving her a thanks, he plopped down next to her, setting his plate and cup down on the table. "Thanks Red."

One of her eyebrows lifted while her face scrunched in confusion. "Red?"

"Yeah, you know, Red. Like the color of your hair?" Seeing the other's face scrunch further as she looked at her curled strands, he quickly covered his tracks, thinking she was offended. "I mean, I can keep calling you Alli-"

"N-No. It's fine…it's different but I don't mind."

Sighing in relief as he didn't blow it already, he picked up a pig in a blanket and spoke before popping it in. "Where are your buddies at?"

Allison shrugged her shoulders a bit. "They're somewhere out there."

"And you're not?"

The girl pursed her lips a bit before shaking her head. "I've had enough dancing for one night."

Donny nodded but he couldn't help but notice the sullen tone of her voice. Her face seemed pretty blank and looked out of place on her dressed up self. "Everything alright, Red? You seem kinda down for someone who's at a dance."

Allison chewed on her bottom lip as the other teen picked up on her mood. News of her and Martin's breakup hadn't really spread through the school that much, the only ones who knew were her, the latter and both of their friends plus the student council board. She could tell Donny about what happened but she didn't really know him that well to mention something so sensitive. "Well…it's a rather complicated issue that I'd rather not talk about right now."

"Hmm, I see…understandable." The dirty blond picked up a sandwich and took a bite, swallowing before talking again. "Oh hey, where's your boyfriend at? I'm surprised he's not sitting here with you right now."

Donny looked around curiously before his eyes returned to the other teen, his stomach filling with regret at the current expression she had. Her face went from sad to damn near crushed, her brows raised and emerald eyes filled with pain. Her teeth were gnawing into her lower lip now, almost white from the pressure, and her small hands were curled into tight fists on her lap, clutching the blue fabric. The redhead took in a deep breath before speaking in a quiet voice.

"Donny…M-Martin is…Martin and I aren't together anymore."

The older teen's eyes widened and jaw dropped at her sentence. "Wh-What? When did th-"

"Last week. Believe me, it was necessary." She spotted the other about to apologize for bringing up the sensitive topic before she held up a hand, shaking her head. "Please, don't apologize, you didn't know…not many people do. Just…let's leave this subject behind, please?"

Nodding quickly at her request, the two fell into silence, contrasting with the loud thumping of the drums and the whoops of the students. Donny was starting to think that Allison negated whatever charm and charisma he had when she was around him; this was the second time he ended up saying something to bring up bad thoughts for her. Stuffing his mouth with a mac and cheese bite, he chewed heavily to give his embarrassment an outlet. Of all the things that he expected to hear, that definitely wasn't one of them. He was honestly surprised to hear that the couple called it quits, seemingly out of nowhere. While he felt bad for the redhead as she seemed to be taking it hard, a tiny, selfish part of him was somewhat excited to know that she was now single. But the rational part of him was cursing out the hormonal part for thinking like that; the poor girl was vulnerable as hell right now. Another romance was the last thing she needed.

He looked to her profile once more, staring off into the crowd. She really looked nice tonight, her hair curled and running down her back. Her face had a little more makeup than usual but it only emphasized her soft features; his eyes kept trailing to her lips, covered in gloss that emphasized their shape and pinkness. They shouldn't have been pressed so firmly together right now.

He had a strong urge to cheer her up and make her have fun, at least for now. That didn't require anything serious, right?

"Hey."

Allison turned her head towards him. "Yes?"

"Did you eat anything yet?"

"Ah, no, I didn't. It's fine though, I'm not-" A loud rumble emerged from her stomach, causing her cheeks to pink. "Really…hungry…"

Donny rolled his eyes and pushed his plate towards her. "Here, help yourself. Don't wanna pass out while you're dancing, do ya?"

"Oh no, I couldn't eat off your-" Allison's eyes widened before narrowing. "Wait, dancing? Who said that I was going to dance?"

"Uh, I did. Now come on, eat up!"

The redhead was ready to protest again until she saw the no nonsense look the older teen was giving her. Realizing that she'd have to humor him to get him to back off, she sighed before picking up a mac and cheese bite, popping it into her mouth. The two continued eating off the shared plate for a little longer until they were down to the last sandwich (Donny graciously got her a cup of punch, also). Deciding to split it in half, they chewed while Allison felt her mood improving a mite; she never realized how hungry she was, she hadn't eaten anything since noon. Swallowing before sipping the last of her drink, she made a small sound of relief and raised a brow at the other. "So Donny, I have a proposition."

Leaning back in his chair, Donny folded his arms over his chest. "Shoot, Red."

"I know that you insist that we dance but I will only go if we do another activity first."

An eyebrow raised. "And what would that be?"

Her face became serious. "I want to go apple bobbing."

Donny's jaw dropped at her request. 'Apple bobbing? With her hair and face all made up? Is she crazy?'

"Uh, Red, you sure you wanna do that? I don't think water is gonna mix well with, you know…" His hand motioned to her person. He ended up receiving a head tilt in response.

"I'm positive that I'll keep my look intact, I've done this before. But-" Her hands clasped together. "You have to join me as well."

"Oh Jesus…do I have to? Why not something like painting pumpkins? It's less…wet."

Allison raised an eyebrow. "Because negotiations aren't effective if the one who is being offered has to be haggled with even though the other is the one who started it to begin with."

Donny was starting to think that this girl wasn't as soft and gentle as she looked but he didn't mind that much; he liked a girl with fire in her. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, you got a deal."

Her lips quirking a bit, she pushed back her chair and stood up, motioning him to do the same. Chugging down the rest of his drink, he picked up their trash and stood up, following her over to the apple bobbing corner. He tossed out the plate and cups on the way, wondering to himself how he got roped into doing something like this. But if it was necessary to get her on the dance floor, he'd dunk his entire head in the bucket if it was called for.

~•~•~•~

Lisa was standing in the hallway just outside the gymnasium, needing a breather after what just happened. She wasn't surprised at Milhouse's proposition but more on how she rejected the older boy for the last time. It did come out nicer than she expected (her first instinct was to yell at him for the continued harassment) but the look on his face stung a bit. She wouldn't be surprised if her brother grilled her before the night was over on why his best friend looked like a kicked puppy.

The current music wasn't to her liking either, it reminded her too much of the songs Bart liked to blast from his room. Seeing all of her friends occupied, she snuck out through the double doors and sagged in relief at the more silent atmosphere (a few students were straggling out here as well, talking rather than yelling over the music). Leaning against the concrete wall, she let out a deep sigh and stared off into space. She was starting to wonder why she had such bad luck with boys most of her life. One of three situations always happened when feelings got involved; if she liked one, they didn't like her back; if one liked her, she didn't like them back (Milhouse, in this case); if they liked each other, something would always come up to separate them. She knew she was only fifteen and had many more years to have possibly fulfilling romances but that didn't mean it wasn't frustrating right now.

The blonde grumbled under her breath before her eyes looked into the gymnasium. Everyone was having a great time, especially the couples. Many of them were sitting together at tables, chatting with each other and laughing up a storm or dancing together in the crowd, a few standing too close for the chaperones' liking as they were reprimanded.

'One of these days, Lisa, one of these days…'

Her lamenting was interrupted as a glittery figure came strutting out of the entrance, her curls whipping around as she scanned the hallway for something. Just when Lisa realized it was Alex, said girl spotted her and ran over, heels clicking and echoing out. "Lisa, there you are! I was worried Milhouse kidnapped you or something!"

Lisa's eyes widened before narrowing. "Alex, don't joke about that."

The fashionista winced before wrapping a strand around her index finger, looking away in embarrassment. "Yikes, you're right, poor taste. My bad." She then tilted her head. "Anyways, what are you doing out here? The party's still going on!"

"Well…things with Milhouse got a bit dramatic…plus I hate this music they're playing right now."

Lisa had said the first part faster than the second but Alex's ears didn't escape it, hazel eyes narrowing immediately. "Did he do something to you, Lisa?"

"No, no! More like, I did something to him…"

The other girl crossed her arms over her chest, face showing that she meant business. "Spill. And don't skimp on anything."

Taking in a deep breath, the Simpson girl regaled to her best friend everything that had occurred after Milhouse had dragged her away from the group. As soon as she finished, Alex's expression was filled with astonishment. "Wow…so the 'Milhouse Pining over Lisa Saga' is doneso, huh?"

Rolling her eyes at the title she gave, Lisa nodded. "Yeah, it is. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he promised to stop but I can't help but feel a bit bad for him at the same time…"

"Psh, he'll get over it, girl. Like you told him, there's plenty of fish in the sea and I'm sure one of them will be biting for his awkward and nerdy hook."

"Hrm…"

Seeing that she wasn't convinced, the fashionista stepped forward and placed her hands on the other's shoulders. "Lise, it's alright to be selfish once in a while, you know. You can't keep going your whole life with that and you did the right thing. Just let him have some time to himself, let things be awkward for a little while and you two should be cool again in no time."

"Mmm…I hope you're right. As annoying as he can be, I do care for him as a friend…besides, Bart would never let me hear the end of it if things don't improve."

Alex released her shoulders and cocked her hip out, placing a hand on it while smirking. "Well then, tell Bart he'll have to get through me first. Unless he wants a second helping of what happened at Wall E. Weasel's back in middle school…"

Lisa laughed out loud at the subtle threat, remembering the incident and how Bart tried to bribe their parents to ban the girl from their house with his allowance and extra chores. "I'm sure he won't want a repeat of that."

"Exactly. Now-" Alex hooked an arm around Lisa's elbow, shooting her a dazzling smile. "I don't know about you but I'm pretty famished. They have those little quiches you like…"

Eyes lighting up a bit, the Simpson girl chuckled and motioned the other to lead the way, feeling a bit more ready to head inside again. The duo walked back into the noisy room, a few boys looking their way with flirty smiles or intense stares. Lisa's cheeks burned at the attention but Alex was unfazed, shooting back her own smiles or waving at them. They finally made their way to the food table, picking up a plate and filling them up. "Alex, how do you deal with all this…attention?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

The blonde gave her best friend a look of exasperation. "I mean, all this male attention. Doesn't it get exhausting sometimes?"

The other girl made a 'psh' sound and rolled her hazel eyes before picking up some cheese cubes. "Well, it can, but here's the thing, Lise. I don't really give many of them the time of day outside of some light flirting and maybe a date or two. Wouldn't do well for my rep, ya know?"

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you care about your reputation?"

"I don't but my parents do. Y'know what happened the other day? My mom tried to play matchmaker and set me up with one of her friend's sons from the country club. Said that I needed to pick one boy and stick to them, it doesn't make our family look good with my 'serial dating'."

A scoff was the response she got. "But you're a teenager, it's the best time to date around and get to know your likes and dislikes."

"Thank you! But because my parents' arranged marriage happened to work out for them, they think I should have the same luck as well. This is 2020, like, get with the times!"

The duo finished filling up their plates when Lisa turned to face the platinum blonde, a determined expression on her face. "Alex, I say this not only as your best friend but as a staunch feminist; you date whoever you want, whenever you want, as long as you stay safe and don't string anyone along."

Alex grinned. "You don't have to worry about me, Lise. I cut all my strings the second I lose interest."

"Good. Now, I need to go and see if these quiches are up to par with the ones from last year…"

The fashionista laughed at her before following her to their table, sitting down and munching on their food while having more small talk. Becky had showed up not long after, looking a bit sweaty but still full of energy, with a cup filled to the brim with punch (Lisa forced her to let her sniff it before she ingested it). She plopped down next to them and began her chatter about what she had been up to since they split. Richard had been her dancing buddy for the last hour or so but the poor guy begged to take a break, needing a drink and wanting to grab a dance with Ashley Trainor. A little into their conversation, the blonde realized with shock that Allison wasn't in her seat where she had last left her. The others matched her face at the realization and looked around for their friend. Alex had soon spotted the redhead in the apple bobbing corner with a guy they recognized as Bart's friend Donny, who had his face buried in the bucket. Seeing the amused smile on her face, the trio relaxed and were happy to see their downtrodden friend having some fun tonight. They continued their conversation once more, oblivious to the pair of eyes on stage watching Alex closely.

~•~•~•~

An hour and a half of performing later and all Kurt wanted to do was his ritual of having a couple of drinks with the boys at a club or bar, discuss the details of the next show with his manager and maybe take a girl home for the night.

Instead, he was stuck on the wall next to a scarecrow, holding a cup of watered-down punch (it finally got spiked but he remembered it used to be stronger back then) and having his ear talked off by some annoying girl. But for the sake of PR, he had to smile and act like he was interested in what she was saying.

"So, can you tell me what it's like to be juggling college and rockstar life, Kurt?"

Kurt wanted to roll his eyes but held back, instead humming while sporting a coy look. "Well, it's hectic and keeps me on my toes but I manage just fine. My parents are pretty supportive and let me stay at their place whenever I gotta study, not much peace and quiet at our dorm, y'know?"

The girl laughed (a little too loud for his liking) and batted her hand in his direction. "Oh, I'm sure! You guys must have wild parties all the time, huh?"

"Sure do."

While sipping his vodka-flavored punch, the girl fluttered her electric blue eyelids at him, glossed lips turning into a sly smile. "Maybe I can come to one of these parties in the future?"

'Jesus, what a tryhard.'

"Mm, I don't know about that, not sure our parties are appropriate for a kid like you, uh…"

The girl's smile faltered a bit as he struggled to remember her name. "Janey."

"Janey, right. Just take it easy and do your usual stuff, no rush in growing up fast, yeah?"

Janey's smile dimmed a bit more at the rejection but it lit up quickly once more. "You know, that's very responsible of you to say, Kurt. It's nice to know you have a good head on your shoulders too."

The older man nodded and fought a sigh as she started off into another subject, mentioning how she couldn't wait to start college but was also nervous about what major she would be taking. He grumbled inwardly and planned how to get away from this chick until he spotted a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. Walking through the slightly sparse crowd (many people decided to rest or eat after the set was done) was the girl who had caught his eye earlier while he was on stage. She was of average height with platinum blonde hair, styled into voluminous curls that bounced as she danced along to the music. Her dress was gold and sparkling with tons of glitter, causing her to stand out from the others in a good way; the color had also complimented her lightly tanned skin. They especially drew attention to her long, toned legs peeking out from the skirt part…

Something about this girl screamed confidence and while he tried not to eyeball those who caught his attention, his gaze kept wandering over to her while he was belting out the lyrics (he almost caught her eyes a few times but managed to play it off smoothly). The other issue was that she was, obviously, of high school age but if she happened to be a senior, well, then a difference of three or four years didn't make much of an issue, no?

Kurt's gaze flitted between her and Janey until he noticed her leave the gymnasium, possibly heading out for air or to the bathroom to freshen up. Making his decision, he spoke up the second the other had a pause in her speech. "Listen, Janey, I really enjoyed talking to you but I gotta bounce and look for my friends. Stay in school and don't have too much fun, yeah?"

Before she could protest, he walked away and made a beeline for the double doors, not seeing the look of dejection on the teen's face. She was genuinely sad that he had left and figured the band had other things to do and had to leave ASAP; that is, until she noticed his eyes constantly averting from her during their talk. Curious as to what was distracting him, she turned to look while he was none the wiser, nearly missing the end of a glitter-covered skirt exiting the gym. The answer to her question made her blood boil as yet again, Fashion Freak stole the attention from her. Growling to herself, she dug her manicured nails into her palms as her fists clenched.

'I can't believe that bitch! I should go after her right now and-'

Janey halted her internal rant. As easy as it would be to chase after the fashionista and chew her out for stealing Kurt's attention, she stopped herself and told her she just wasn't worth her time. It clearly amused Alex whenever Janey harassed her, knowing that she got under the brunette's skin with no problem. But she was still bristling with humiliation and needed an outlet…Sherri and Terri had damn near abandoned her ages ago to go dance and hang out with others, promising they would return in an hour (that was 5:30, it was now 8:45). Pressing her lips together, she brought her head to look at the table holding the punch bowl. Surely some cheap liquor would calm her down.

She began walking over until a head of spiky blond hair entered her peripheral. Stopping, she turned her head to see Lisa sitting with Becky, the former sporting a cheesy grin while the latter had her head thrown back, laughing obnoxiously. A light bulb went off in her head when she realized that she didn't need a drink to quell her anger; the perfect subject was right under her nose.

Lips twisting up into a mischievous smirk, she strutted over to the duo, speaking up when they didn't notice her approach. "Well, well, little Lisa actually is socializing! I almost didn't recognize you without the wall glued to your back!"

Lisa and Becky winced at the harsh voice sounding next to them, looking up at its owner with disdain. "Janey, can't you go one day without insulting us?"

Janey let out a short laugh. "Us? Why, I was only talking to you, Lisa…oh, hi Becky, didn't see you there! Nice dress, did you get it from Dingo Junction?"

Becky gave her an unimpressed look before retorting in a sweet voice. "No, it was from Costington's, thank you. Speaking of, I can tell that's where you got your dress from. It's a shame though, Alex looked so much better when she tried it on! You make it look like it came from Sprawl-Mart, yikes!"

Lisa had to hold back her snicker when the insult hit Janey right where it hurt, her smirk forming into a sneer as her dark eyes narrowed at the other blonde. "You shut your trap, Becky. I don't want to hear anything from someone who dresses like they went nuts in the kids' section at Wage Gap!"

Becky gasped in offense at her slander, taking immense pride in her unique fashion sense. Her body shot out of her chair as she got in Janey's face, pointing a finger at her while seething through clenched teeth. "You take that back."

"Aww, did I hurt your feelings? Why don't you go buy another stupid patch to put on those jeans of yours?"

Sensing that things had the potential to get ugly, Lisa stood up quickly and sandwiched herself between the two, holding her arms out to the side. "Guys, come on, this isn't the time to fight. We should be having a good time tonight and put aside-"

"Ugh, shut up, Lisa! God, you're always such a goody two-shoes."

The Simpson girl gave her former friend a pointed look. "Janey, just knock it off, alright? Go do something better with your time and leave us alone."

The curly-haired girl scowled harder and reached forward, pushing Lisa's body aside with ease as she faced Becky off once more. Lisa had stumbled with the unexpected shove, causing her mouth to drop open in shock. However, once she realized what happened, it closed into a firm line while her eyes narrowed at the offender. A swell of anger rose in her, causing her to shove Janey away from them with both hands. Her action pulled a gasp out of the others, Becky shocked at her friend getting physical and Janey at how strong the blonde girl proved to be when provoked. Lisa didn't notice as she began ranting heatedly.

"Janey, stop it! What is your problem?! Do you know how pathetic you look right now harassing us at a dance of all places? Look at this!" She motioned an arm out to the rest of the gym and the blissful students enjoying themselves. "Everyone is here to relax and have fun and you're so hung up on us that you can't even put your animosity aside for one night and enjoy yourself! Just do us all a favor and get away from us and do something productive instead! In fact, why don't you go hang out with Sherri and Terri, I'm sure the three of you can be miserable about something away from here."

Her vitriolic words dimmed down the haughtiness the mean girl was exuding, leaving her to look slightly offended as her ex-best friend chewed her out. Just when Janey was about to say something back, Lisa gave her a disappointed look as she shook her head. "I can't believe we used to be best friends…I'm glad I came to my senses."

That sentence seemed to do the trick as Janey's eyes widened, mouth opening and closing a few times before shutting. She gave the Simpson girl an empty stare for a few seconds before turning around and walking into the crowd, hiding the hurt now showing on her face. Lisa didn't let go of the breath she had been holding until she saw her disappear into the commotion, her expression one of discomfort. She didn't mean to unload on her like that, especially with that last sentence, but the brunette had been on thin ice with her since the altercation in the cafeteria last month. Harassing them out of nowhere on top of the Milhouse situation wasn't doing too well for her nerves tonight. But she really shoved her! Granted, Janey started it first but still!

Just when Lisa was starting to look down, guilt consuming her, Becky laid a hand on her shoulder, speaking up in a gentle tone. "Hey Lise, it's alright. Don't beat yourself up over her, she's not worth it. She kind of deserved it, to be honest…"

The blonde sighed. "I guess you're right…"

The other blonde's lips turned down in worry as she scrambled her brain, looking for a way to distract her friend from over-thinking. Her face lit up as she came up with an idea. "Hey Lisa, did you paint any pumpkins yet?"

Lisa brought her head up quickly at the question, blue eyes widening. "Oh shoot, I didn't!"

"What?! Oh hell no, we gotta go paint some veggies right now!"

Becky cheered inwardly as Lisa let her drag her by the hand over to the pumpkin painting corner, knowing that it was a tradition for the Simpson girl to bring a personalized pumpkin home from the dance. 'Operation Distraction is a go!'

~•~•~•~

Allison still couldn't believe that she was out on the dance floor not with her friends, not with her (now ex) boyfriend but with a guy who was two grade levels above her and just barely an acquaintance. She honestly didn't mind, though.

Donny was no Fred Astaire or Justin Timberlake but he managed to hold his own while dancing along with the variety of songs that played. He even slyly complimented her subpar dancing skills, pulling some giggles out of her at the good-natured tone he said it in. She could say for once that she was having fun tonight, her mind not drifting to how Martin should have been in his place instead (even though the Prince boy would never be caught dancing to anything with a fast tempo). A couple of girls did come by and try to steal her partner away but the older boy brushed them off and made it clear that he was occupied. It was honestly flattering.

Once the current song ended, Allison realized how her feet were starting to ache in these heels and let out a sigh of relief. Looking up at her dance partner, she could see a couple beads of sweat on his forehead that he quickly wiped away with his sleeve. "I think now would be a good time to sit, no?"

Donny nodded eagerly. "You're speaking my language, Red. Didn't think you'd tire me out like this!"

The redhead rolled her eyes at the other. "You know, for someone of your stature and body shape, I would have assumed that you'd be more apt to high physical activity…"

He caught the gist of what she was saying and folded his arms over his chest, leaning down a bit to catch her gaze with his own. "Working out and dancing are two different things, okay? One I love to do and the other, not so much."

"But yet you pulled me out here to dance…?"

At her questioning tone, Donny shrugged and gave a lopsided grin. "Hey, it was part of our negotiation, right? And look, you're not looking so glum anymore so I think I made a pretty good offer."

Allison opened her mouth to retort but quickly closed it, realizing that he was right. Her mood did brighten a bit and he had filled his end of the bargain by apple-bobbing with her beforehand (the look on his face when she managed to grab seven apples in under a minute without messing up her makeup actually made her laugh). Instead, she quirked her lips into a little smile. "I suppose you're right…"

His grin grew wider at her response before he motioned her to start walking with him to get drinks before looking for her table. The two started moving until a few notes rang out from the DJ booth, causing the petite girl to stop in her tracks. Donny stopped a couple of feet away, only now noticing that the other had paused, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "What's up, Red?"

"I…" Allison looked towards the speakers with a look of excitement. "I love this song!" As badly as she wanted to run back and dance around, she remembered her partner and looked up at him with sheepishness, not wanting to drag him around longer. "Ah, you can go sit down, I think I'm going to-"

Donny smirked and walked back up to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading her back to their previous spot. "You mean we're going to go back. One more dance ain't gonna kill me."

This brought a considerably brighter smile to the shorter girl's face, secretly pleased that she wasn't going to be alone out there. The song that was playing tended to really get her into the groove but she needed someone to focus on so she wouldn't feel insecure about the potential stares at her dance moves. As soon as they reached, Allison immediately began moving her feet to the beat, singing along with ease.

You could put some joy upon my face

Oh, sunshine in an empty place

Donny was pretty familiar with this song and was surprised, to say the least, that Allison was such a big fan of it. With a bit of subtle prying towards Bart, he had learned that the redhead was a saxophonist and would often listen to jazz music with his sister. He figured that she would be the type to turn her nose up at Ariana Grande and gush over Nina Simone but boy, was he wrong.

Take me to turn to and babe I'll make you stay

Oh, I can ease you of your pain

His attention was quickly brought to the present when her emerald eyes locked with his gray ones, motioning him to move around a little more. Sighing internally, Donny realized that she wasn't going to let him get away with half-hearted movements and willed himself to give more effort; either it worked or he looked like a jackass as she laughed a bit before continuing to sing.

Feel you give me love again

Round and round we go, each time I hear you say

Allison, along with a good chunk of the crowd, began belting out the chorus with passion.

This is the rhythm of the night

The night, oh yeah

The rhythm of the night

The two had grown more comfortable with their intense dancing now, Allison grabbing Donny's calloused hands and swinging them a bit as she bounced from side to side and the latter spinning her in place a couple of times, pulling laughs out of them.

The redhead could hear her modest side screaming 'what are you doing' at her for letting loose with someone she didn't know so well but for once, she told it to zip it. If she had listened to it and rejected Donny's offer, she would have been sitting at that table still, watching all the fun passing by her bubble of misery. A petty part of her wanted to get back at Martin in a way, as well. She hoped he was at home, lamenting over his wrongdoings while she was having a good time without him. Then again, he could be celebrating the split with a good book or even some advanced calculus problems.

Or he could be with Database right now…

This is the rhythm of my life

My life, oh yeah

The rhythm of my life

The taller teen noticed the slight dim of her smile and figured she was thinking hard about something inappropriate for a party; the best way to remedy that was to spin her around three times in a row, cackling when she almost tripped from the dizziness. Allison pouted at him and lightly smacked his arm before her bright smile returned. He couldn't stop the feeling of triumph filling his chest right now.

~•~•~•~

"Extra strong hold, my ass…"

Alex muttered to herself in the empty bathroom, fussing over a strand of hair that would not stay in place behind her ear. She managed to get it to stay behind until the strand fell out the second she straightened up, pulling a small cry of frustration from her, peppered with some swears. She was glad no one else was in there with her, they would've thought she was insane.

Rummaging in her wristlet for a bobby pin, she pulled one out and quickly pinned the strand back, sighing in relief. Straightening up once more, she gave herself a quick once-over before shooting a thumbs-up to her reflection and turning to walk out the door. Entering into the dim hallway (the only source of light was from the front entrance), she began heading back until a baritone voice sounded, startling her.

"Taking a breather?"

The voice was unfamiliar, causing her face to scrunch in confusion as she turned her head towards its source. A little further in the opposite direction was Kurt Welles, leaning against the concrete wall, one leg bent and resting on it while the other was straight and supported his weight. She could barely make out the expression on his face in this poor lighting.

"Oh, uh, yeah…just had to freshen up a bit, too."

Kurt chuckled. "Looks to me like you didn't need that much."

Alex's cheeks warmed a bit at the compliment. "Ah, thanks…well, I should get back-"

"Whoa, what's the rush? You mind if we talk a bit?"

The platinum blonde knew she should've said no and continued walking back but a part of her was wondering what the problem was; he was a former student, maybe he just wanted to see how things had changed or wanted to make nice with the current students to gain some more fans. Deciding to ignore her gut feeling, she turned around fully and stepped towards him, standing in front of his tall, lanky figure. She had only seen pictures and videos of the singer and had always thought he was rather good-looking but standing in front of him, she could see why he had so many fans. His wavy, shoulder-length hair started off brown at the roots and faded into blonde further down, framing his high cheekbones and tilted smile, surrounded by stubble. His brown eyes were currently trained on her face, although she couldn't see exactly what was lingering in them in this light.

"What's your name?"

"Alex…you're Kurt, right?"

Kurt chuckled and nodded. "Sure am. I'm guessing you're familiar with the band?"

She shrugged. "Mm, a bit. I've listened to a couple of songs, you guys aren't too bad."

"Heh, thanks. Maybe you should try to come to one of our shows in the future, it's a hell of a good time."

Alex hummed once more and tilted her head. "Aren't they usually held at bars or eighteen and over clubs?"

"Yeah, but…" His teeth showed now, showing nothing but mischief. "I think I could sneak you in."

The fashionista giggled a bit, somehow hiding the underlying nervousness. Surely this guy knew she was underage…right? "I, uh, appreciate the offer…"

"No problem, babe. You know…" He paused and took a sip before continuing. "That dress really does you justice, I could see you all the way from the stage."

Now Alex paused, eyes widening slightly at what he said. She had sworn she had felt like someone was watching her while she was with Lisa and Becky but looking around, she couldn't spot anyone staring her down. The last person she expected it to be was the freakin' lead singer himself; he was so focused he managed to pick her out in a large crowd? 'This guy is starting to look skeevy…I really should get out of here.'

"I-Is that so? Guess I messed up, I was trying to not stand out tonight, hehe…"

The teen had reached a hand up and started playing with her hair as an outlet for her nerves but the older man must have mistaken it as a flirty gesture as he reached his own hand out and held hers still before speaking in a lower voice. "You did…but I'm not complaining."

Alarm bells were starting to ring in her head at his touch and how his eyes had lidded a bit, lips still curled into a lazy smirk. Alex swallowed a bit and barely managed to keep the shaky smile on her face. "Look, Kurt, this was a nice convo but I really should get going…"

Kurt's lips formed into a pout now, his head tilting. "Aw babe, don't be shy. It's just us down here and I don't have to leave for a little while…" Leaning down now, he whispered in her ear. "Why don't we get to know each other a little more?" The hand that was holding hers now replaced it by playing with the large curls like a cat with a string.

Alex's face became fully shocked now, realizing that this guy had no qualms about how wrong this was, as long as he got what he wanted. That voice in her head was shrieking now for her to leave immediately but her body was frozen solid. Her chest was getting tight and her breathing began to pick up as these unwanted advances brought alarm. Managing to send a signal to her feet, she slowly began backing away from Kurt but he matched her step for step, eventually causing her back to squish against the opposite wall. Before she could make a run for it, he caged her in with his long arms, pressing the palms on the wall next to her head. The motion pulled a gasp out of her, looking up at his face with fear. The singer wasn't fazed at all, his grin now wolfish and his gaze predatory. What really startled Alex was how Kurt started morphing into another person before her very eyes.

His brown and blonde shoulder-length hair morphed into a shorter and neater style, not a black hair out of place. His lanky figure became bulkier but shorter. His brown eyes transformed into cold, blue ones, leering at every inch of her body with lechery. Now the sense of dread had climbed into a full blown panic as she felt deja vu.

She was reliving one of the worst moments of her entire life. A moment she had kept to herself and prayed since then that if she didn't think about it, it never happened. But the nightmares, trust issues and dreadful family functions refused to let her be blissfully ignorant.

'Alex Lenore Whitney, get the fuck out of here! NOW!'

Her inner voice bellowed, it begged, it pleaded but her body refused to listen, staying still as Kurt nuzzled her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut but it made the sensations worse, intensifying from the cut off sense and making her even more nauseous.

'Why won't you speak, dammit?!'

Alex wanted to so badly, praying that even though the hallway had been empty when she went to freshen up, that someone had stepped out and could hear her cries for help. But when she tried letting her voice out, a threatening voice had interrupted her thoughts.

"Make a sound or tell anyone and I'll do so much worse to you."

She had almost forgotten how cruel they were to her, leaving her with no choice but to stay silent and let them do what they wanted. They were so much bigger than her and well-loved by the family, would they really believe her even if she ran out screaming with the physical evidence? No, they wouldn't; she was only supposed to be the ditzy, spoiled girl who spent daddy's money without a care and didn't cause any trouble that would spoil their reputation. Staying quiet then was the best way to deal with the problem.

And so, she did the same in the present.

~•~•~•~

The atmosphere in the gymnasium had shifted. The lights were dimmed down a bit and the DJ made an announcement that it was time to slow things down, urging the teens to grab their boyfriend, girlfriend or their unattainable crush and have a moment with them. Shortly after he finished, he started off with Always and Forever. Many teens grabbed their significant others or worked up the nerve to approach those they had their eye on while some decided to sit out the sappy songs.

Bart was not the kind of guy to slow dance, no matter what. If the tempo was fast, he was down but anything like what was playing now was a no go. And so, he wiped the sweat off his brow before shooting a grin to his dancing partner.

"Alright, that was fun, I gotta admit, but there's some punch calling my name, sooo…"

The Simpson boy turned around, ready to dart off, until a small but strong hand gripped the crook of his elbow. "Hold your horses, where do you think you're going, mister?"

Bart turned halfway to look at Jessica with disbelief. "Um, to get a drink and sit down?"

Jessica sighed and gave the taller teen a disapproving look. "Don't tell me you don't do slow songs."

"That would be correct, ma'am."

She groaned. "Oh my God, Bart, really? Can you tell me why?"

"Uh…because I don't like doing that sissy stuff? It involves being romantic and you're practically forced into finishing the dance with the other person because you'll look like a mega asshole if you walk away from them? You want any more reasons?"

The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes hard at his reasoning before resting her hands on her hips. "Bart, you mean to tell me you've never slow danced with a girl you were dating or liked?"

Bart scoffed. "Well yeah, but that was in middle school! Look, I ain't doin' it so don't beg me, Jessica."

She groaned in defeat. "Ugh, who said I was going to beg? I don't beg, Bart." Her hands then held up in surrender. "Fine, go sit down. I'll just find someone to dance with instead."

Jessica turned and began walking away to look for a partner, leaving Bart to himself to smirk in satisfaction as he succeeded in avoiding the dance. He hated to admit it but he would have loved to spend more time with the teen but there were just some things he didn't do. Hopefully, the DJ played a couple of faster songs before the night ended.

The blond resumed his trek to the refreshments table, frowning as he saw two chaperones swapping out the punch bowls, much to the dismay of some students who were waiting. Looks like someone had caught wind of it being spiked and informed a teacher, causing him to miss out on the alcohol-infused drink. Sighing to himself, he didn't mind for now as he just really needed something to quench his thirst. After a few students got their drinks, he poured a full cup for himself, heading to an open spot on the wall next to the photo area. Leaning against the ribbon-covered padding, he began nursing his punch, eyes scanning the room. He didn't know what the hell his guys were up to now but he just hoped they were having fun, especially Milhouse (he reminded himself to grill him later on what killed his good mood). He also hoped Donny was enjoying himself, being a new kid who didn't know many people outside of him and the boys. The answer to his question came as he saw the dirty blond hanging around Allison for quite a while, pulling a smirk on his lips.

Eventually, Bart decided to look for Jessica to see if she had achieved her goal of finding someone to dance with. Unsurprisingly, she did in the form of Tommy, the pretty boy in his Economics class. He had nothing against the guy, they both had their own cliques and never talked outside of trading notes. But seeing the coy grin on his face and the way his hands gripped Jessica's waist made him frown a bit. He managed to brush off the mild irritation until he said something that made the girl throw her head back in laughter, the feeling coming back in full swing.

'The hell is so funny? What he said can't be that hilarious…'

Without missing a beat, the obnoxious voice in his head piped up.

'Bart Simpson, don't be jealous, that's not cool, man.'

Bart's eyes widened in alarm. 'Jealous? Who the hell are you calling jealous? It's just a dance, a dance that I rejected.'

'Yeah, because you're a stubborn asshole who likes to ignore what's right under his nose.'

A growl emitted from his mouth, earning a weird stare from a nearby duo. 'Just leave me alone, man. She's not my girlfriend, she's free to dance with whoever the hell she wants!'

'Whoever she wants?'

The mocking question brought his gaze back to the two on the floor, eyes narrowing as he noticed the gap between their bodies had shortened. Where the hell were the chaperones when you needed them?

'Whoever she wants, you say?'

Making a sound of annoyance (causing the nearby duo to scurry off in disturbance), he chugged down the rest of his drink before tossing the cup in a nearby trashcan, making a beeline for Jessica and Tommy. 'Zip it. Fine, she wants a dance? I'll give her a stupid dance.'

When he reached them, he cleared his throat loudly, pulling the confused gazes to his face. Before she could open her mouth, he held a hand out to Jessica, ignoring the burning in his cheeks. "Care to dance?"

Jessica's jade green eyes widened in disbelief at Bart's offer before they darted between her current dancing partner and her 'date'. Eventually, she gave Tommy an apologetic smile and removed her hands from around his neck to rest on his arms. "Sorry Tommy…this was fun but do you mind…?"

Tommy's eyes flashed a bit in disappointment before he removed his arms from her waist. "No, not at all…thanks anyways." He looked up to Bart before giving him a curt nod. "Have fun."

The teen turned and walked away, leaving the duo alone together. They stared each other down until the blond cleared his throat awkwardly, grumbling out the next words. "W-Well…aren't we gonna dance?"

Jessica, of course, couldn't miss this golden opportunity to tease him and tilted her head, smirking at the taller teen. "I don't know, are we? I was under the impression you didn't know how to slow dance…"

This pulled an exasperated groan out of Bart, the tips of his ears reddening now. "I didn't say I didn't know how, I just didn't like to slow dance in general. Gimme a break, woman…"

The raven-haired girl laughed in amusement at how the other resembled a pouty child who got caught kissing his mom goodbye in the schoolyard. Not wanting to push him too far, she stepped closer, leaving only a few inches between them before looking up from beneath lidded eyes. "Then show me what you can do, Bart Simpson."

With the way she delivered that breathy pronunciation of his name, Bart couldn't hold back the shiver down his spine. Before she could tease him further, he brought his arms up and placed his hands on her waist, noting how the curve felt firm under his palms. Jessica responded by mirroring the position she was in with Tommy, locking her fingers together behind Bart's neck, resisting the urge to toy with the strands hanging from his ponytail. The sounds of Luther Vandross' voice faded out before a new song began.

Fortunately you have got

Someone who relies on you

Bart wasn't lying when he said he knew how to slow dance but it had been a while. He reminded himself to just step side to side to start off and ease into more complex movements once he was comfortable. Thankfully, Jessica wasn't in a hurry to get things up to speed and let him lead. She was just excited to be this up close and personal with him. To think that a couple of months ago, the blond despised her and wouldn't even look in her direction; now here they were, dancing together for the second time this night.

We started out as friends

But the thought of you just caves me in

Sensing his anxiety with trying not to step on her feet, the shorter teen decided to show mercy and began speaking. "Relax Bart, you're doing fine. I'm not expecting a full waltz or anything."

Jessica did her best not to bust out laughing at the way he sighed and sagged his shoulders in relief. "Thank God…I was starting to think I looked like an ass."

"Heh, if you get too lost, I'll take the reins."

Bart raised a brow down at her, lips tilting a bit. "Dominating, aren't we?"

Jessica smirked up at him, winking a bit before they fell into silence once more, letting their bodies move to the music.

The symptoms are so deep

It is much too late to turn away

The duo managed to get into a satisfying rhythm, Jessica now leading them in circles instead of side to side. The Simpson boy quickly caught on, managing to take the reins now, pulling a sly comment from the raven-haired girl. He didn't know why but his hands reacted before his brain could stop him and he gave her waist a slight squeeze in response, pulling a small gasp and a flustered look from the girl. The reaction brought a mischievous grin to his face as she pouted, cheeks tinged with pink.

We started out as friends

Jessica was not expecting him to do that and reprimanded herself for slipping. It was extremely rare for her to get flustered from another guy, it was usually the other way around. Then again, this wasn't any ordinary guy, this was Bart freakin' Simpson. Springfield's resident bad boy, the ne'er do well, the devil incarnate…

The boy that even after all the hell she had put him through, was willingly spending time with her.

She knew from the beginning that despite his mischief, the Simpson boy had a good heart, especially towards those who were misunderstood and viewed as an inconvenience like him. Maybe that's why she was still so drawn to him after all these years.

Sign your name across my heart

I want you to be my baby

Bart watched as the minister's daughter eyes lowered to stare at his neck instead, her gaze oddly contemplative. He didn't know what could be causing her to think so hard but he took this chance to study her face, this being the closest he had ever been to her since their reunion.

Her face had become more defined, showing only minor traces of the baby fat from when they were ten, high cheekbones jutting out slightly and a narrow jaw that tapered at the chin. Her eyes, still lidded, housed some long, dark lashes, casting shadows on her cheeks. The long, refined nose sat above her downward-turned lips, currently pressed into a gentle line. Looking a little harder, he noticed a couple of beauty marks scattered on the edges of her face; one sat at her right temple, one was on the left of her lower jaw and one sat on her long neck.

Her long neck that was smelling strongly of black orchids and vanilla…

Sign your name across my heart

I want you to be my lady

Jessica's thoughts kept running rampant on the boy in front of her, oblivious to his stare.

She was glad she convinced her parents that she was going solo tonight; she just hoped that no one blabbed to them, especially her gossip of a mother. The girl would never hear the end of it if they found out that she was not only hanging around Bart but slow dancing with him? Surely the Rev would pull her out of school and send her back to St. Tesla's with a scarlet letter.

But she couldn't give a damn.

If this was the only way she could get some attention from her parents, then she would stay around Bart for as long as it took, toeing the line of having fun and getting caught.

Time I'm sure will bring

Disappointment in so many things

It seems to be the way

When your gambling cards on love you play

The blond's nose was filled with the scent of her perfume, wafting into his senses and clouding his judgment. His blue eyes lidded a bit, now looking at her face once more.

"Jessica…"

Said girl looked up at him, mouth hanging open slightly at the look on his face. She had seen that look on so many other boys over the years and was never fazed. But to see it on Bart's face now was causing her heartbeat to race.

I'd rather be in Hell

With you baby than in cool Heaven

Bart's eyes were now locked with her jade-green ones, forgetting that they were in the middle of a crowded dance floor. His brain had completely shut off now as his body reacted on its own, his head leaning down towards hers. Jessica felt the same as well, tiptoeing up to meet him halfway.

It seems to be the way

In a matter of seconds, their lips met.

Sign your name across my heart

I want you to be my baby

The act of kissing was nothing new to the duo but the sparks that ignited when it happened took them off guard. No one had come even close to bringing that feeling, even the most experienced French kisser. Jessica was jumping for joy in her head, running around and screaming like a schoolgirl who found out that her crush liked her back. She never dreamed she would be doing this with him tonight, the most she expected was a goodbye hug before they went their separate ways. This, though?

If there was such a thing as Heaven, she imagined this was what it felt like.

The inner voice in Bart's head was silent however, lost in the physical connection. If it was vocal, it would be hollering and cussing right now, demanding to know what the hell he was doing. He was doing the one thing he promised not to do since Jessica reentered his life.

Unfortunately, the moment was broken up when a tipsy student stumbled past them, bumping into the taller teen's back before mumbling out an apology and continuing his walk. This motion woke Bart up from his trance as his eyes flew open, pulling back from the other's lips with a gasp. The raven-haired girl looked up at him with alarm as he pushed himself away, letting go of her waist and taking a couple of steps back. "Bart?"

The blond was reeling right now, head spinning with guilt and the lingering scent of her scent. He just kissed her!

Looking up at her with panic, he blurted out. "I-I have to go…get s-some air…"

Jessica stepped forward, holding a hand out in desperation. "Bart, wait-"

Stepping back as she came forward, Bart shook his head quickly before turning and running out of the double doors, not stopping until he exited the front doors of the building. Stopping just outside them, he doubled over, taking in deep breaths to get the smell of black orchids and vanilla out of his senses. Once he got himself under control, he straightened up. Feeling a sense of anger wash over him now, he yelled out in frustration before giving a solid punch to the concrete of the school.

"Fuck!"

Bending his arms to rest against it, he hung his head between them, staring down at his sneakers with disdain. "What the hell did you just do, man? There's no coming back from that…"

He couldn't believe he fucking kissed her. What happened in that moment to break his rule of staying as friends? Was it the music? Was it the close proximity of her and the scent of her fragrance? Or was it because of his stupid teenage hormones?

Growling under his breath, he shook his head to clear it a bit, taking the time to just collect himself. He was all by himself out in this chilly November air so he didn't have to worry about another student bugging him or a chaperone telling him to get back inside. After a few minutes, his heartbeat returned to normal and his skin had cooled down, goosebumps starting to form on his hands and neck. Sighing heavily, he pushed himself off of the wall and headed back inside to the empty hallway. He stopped and stared with unease into the gymnasium. He could go back in and find one of his friends but there was just too high of a chance of running into Jessica.

He really didn't know how he was going to face her after that.

Deciding to hang out in the dim hallway for a little longer, he walked over next to the trophy case and leaned back against the wall. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and pressed the home button, frowning as he didn't see any texts from his group on his whereabouts.

'Look at you, looking for your friends to save you from an awkward situation that you created.'

Bart's face formed into a glower.

'If you don't shut the hell up, I'm gonna go stick my head in a plastic bag and pray that it kills you off.'

The threat worked as his inner voice zipped it, leaving him to lament in the silent hallway. After a couple of minutes though, he swore he heard voices coming from further down. Eyebrow raising, he turned to look down the hall, seeing a couple of bodies pressed up against the wall. He figured it was a couple who snuck off to get frisky; the lights were dimmed so he couldn't tell who. Not wanting to feel like a creep for noticing, he pushed himself off the wall to walk to the other side until he heard the girl's voice faintly.

"Please stop…"

He froze in his footsteps, head whipping to look at them again. That definitely didn't sound like anything consensual.

Frowning now, he quietly walked towards the "couple", making sure not to alert them in case the girl was in any serious danger. He was ready to just casually interrupt them and find a way to separate the two but what he found was not what he expected.

Once he was closer, he saw Alex being pinned against the wall by the singer of Compasshead, who had his head buried in her neck, pressing kisses while one of his hands roamed her body. Not only was the man doing something illegal, Alex's face was crumpled with fear.

The sight brought Bart's blood to a boil, face twisting in disgust and rage at what was being done to the younger teen. Not wasting a moment, he ran forward and grabbed the scumbag by his hair.

"Get the hell off of her!"

He pulled back with all his strength before letting go, causing Kurt to fly back and down to the floor, skidding along until his back smacked against the concrete wall. Alex stayed frozen in her spot though, eyes still looking forward as if she wasn't aware that Bart just saved her. The Simpson boy quickly stepped in front of her, his back facing her as he bared his teeth at the older man. Kurt blinked quickly, hissing in pain, before he glared up at the teen. "Hey kid, mind your business, we're busy here."

"Your business is messed up! She's only fifteen, asshole!"

The singer only seemed to be slightly fazed by the reveal, eyebrows raising a bit before lowering back into place. "Well, she should've said something then, no?"

Bart had half a mind to beat this guy into a pulp but he just managed to stop himself. He knew the reputation this creep had and compared to his own, everyone would be angry at the Simpson boy for rearranging Kurt's beautiful face, no matter the circumstances. But he had to let his frustrations out somehow.

He quickly walked over to the sprawled-out man, picking him up by the collar before pressing him against the wall, speaking through gritted teeth. "Don't even try to blame her, you piece of shit. She even told you to stop!"

Kurt's face became smug now, teeth showing in a sleazy smile. "Did she? My hearing isn't so good from all these shows, you know."

That did it as Bart brought his fist back, socking the singer in the jaw, causing his head to whip to the side as spit flew out. He wasn't done with him yet as he threw a few more punches, happy when his lip split and let loose a stream of blood. The blond continued his assault until Kurt decided to fight back all of a sudden, grabbing Bart's jacket lapels before headbutting him hard. Stars flew in his vision as the teen stumbled back, accidentally letting go of the scumbag's shirt. Blinking the lights out of his eyes, he swore when he didn't see the battered face of the man in front of him anymore. The coward ran away rather than face the beating like a man.

Bart was tempted to run and look for him but he remembered the girl against the wall who needed his help. Turning around, his brows furrowed as he saw Alex was still in the same position as before, never having moved an inch. Slowly walking to her, he softly called out. "Alex…Alex, it's okay, he's gone now."

He might as well have been talking to a statue as she didn't respond. Frowning, he reached a hand out to rest on her arm. "Alex, it's alright, you're-"

"No!"

The second he made contact, she slapped his hand away, shrieking out in alarm. His eyes widened at her reaction before he attempted it again. "Alex, calm down, it's me-"

It was futile as she repeated the action. "Get off of me!"

Baffled at how she was rebuffing him, he decided to be more assertive now, gripping both of her arms with his hands now. He'd soon realize this wasn't smart as she went into a full frenzy now, flailing and wrestling against his hold. Bart struggled now as she was actively fighting against him, speaking once more. "Alex, stop, it's Bart!"

Her eyes stared through him and her mouth kept letting out cries of help and screams. Somehow, her arms wrenched free of his hold and before he could blink, a hand swiped across his face, pulling a cry of shock out of him. The blond let go of her then, stepping back and holding a hand to his afflicted cheek. He brought his hand down and winced at the bit of blood on his palm and the stinging that soon came.

Alex had went and scratched the hell out of him! Normally he would make a big deal out of it but it was clear that something serious was going on with the fashionista right now. It was like she was stuck in the moment of assault and wasn't reacting to his presence, only viewing him as a threat.

Shooting her a look of worry as she held herself, he quickly whipped his phone out of his pocket and went into recents, speed-dialing a specific number.

~•~•~•~

"Ugh, my feet are killing me!"

Nina rolled her eyes as Becky wiggled her bare toes, her bright pink pumps discarded next to her feet. "Becks, I told you you shouldn't have worn those tonight, you haven't even broken them in yet."

"But they looked so cute with this dress! I guess beauty really is pain…"

Lisa gave her shoulder a pat before piping in. "Hey, at least the dance is almost over. Besides, I think Allison must be happy you didn't hunt her down for another dance."

Becky gave her friend an incredulous look. "And interrupt her quality time with that hottie? What kind of friend would I be?!" The trio laughed. They had spotted their redheaded friend hanging around Donny for quite a while and while they were giving them some space now, the interrogating on Monday would be endless.

The fun was interrupted as Lisa heard her phone ringing from her purse. Quickly grabbing it out, she frowned in confusion as Bart's name and a picture of the two of them on vacation flashed on the screen. Thinking that he wanted to leave early or needed something, she answered, holding the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Lise, I need you to come out to the hall, now."

At his serious tone, Lisa straightened up in her seat. "Bart, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine but…it's Alex." A pause before he resumed. "Look, I can explain in person, just come right now, please."

Her heart skipped at the mention of her best friend's name, not having seen her for a little while. What happened to her? She lowered her voice. "O-Okay…Nina and Becky are with me though, should I make an excuse?"

Another pause. "No…bring them, just in case. Bye."

The dial tone rang in her ear before she hung up, swallowing hard as so many scenarios went through her head. Shaking her head to clear it, she stood up and looked at the other two, earning looks of confusion. "What's up, Lise?"

"Guys, we need to go to the hallway. Bart…" She leaned down and whispered. "Bart said something is up with Alex."

Immediately, the girls bristled and stood up as well, Nina speaking in a serious tone. "Lead the way."

Lisa began walking towards the doors with her friends, doing her best not to speed up and draw suspicion. Bart sounded pretty serious on the phone but she wasn't sure if she was prepared to see just what the issue was. They walked out the double doors into the dim hallway before turning to the right to head towards the restrooms. Spotting two figures in the low light, they ran over to them, Lisa and Becky gasping in shock at what greeted them.

Alex was pressed against the wall, cradling herself with her arms and rocking back and forth, whimpers falling from her lips. Bart was on the opposite side from her, eyes staring at her with deep concern and a couple of bleeding scratches on his left cheek. Nina wasted no time in breaking the tension with a startled voice.

"What the fuck happened here?!"

Alex didn't respond but Bart did, head whipping towards the group and eyes widening. "Guys-"

He was about to explain until he spotted the girls beginning to run towards the platinum blonde, quickly stepping and blocking them off, holding his arms out to the side. The brunette didn't take well to this, narrowing her eyes at the taller teen. "Bart, what are you doing? We have to-"

"No. If I let you near her, she might end up doing to you what she did to me."

His words prompted them to look at the wound on his face, eyes widening as they sunk in. Becky spoke up with uncertainty. "You mean…Alex did that to you?"

"Yeah…but I don't think she meant to…"

Lisa spoke up firmly, wanting to get to the bottom of this. "Bart, tell us what happened."

The Simpson boy nodded, taking in a deep breath first. "I was outside for fresh air and I came back in and saw what looked like two people down here. I thought they were a couple until I heard her ask him to stop. I ran down here and…" His face became stony as his fists clenched at his sides. "I saw that scumbag singer feeling her up while she looked like a deer in headlights. I managed to pull him off but the piece of shit got away after he headbutted me…" He pointed to the scratches. "I tried to calm her down by holding her arm but she flipped out and scratched me."

The girls were speechless at his recollection, not expecting that. They would never have dreamed in a million years that the charismatic, beloved frontman of Compasshead would be capable of such a heinous act, especially on one of their close friends. It angered them and while they wished bodily harm on him, what mattered right now was getting Alex to calm down. Becky looked at said girl with worry for a little while until she spoke. "Guys…I think she might be having a panic attack."

Nina swore while Lisa bit her lip. "I think you're right, Becky…it would make sense why she only reacted to Bart touching her…"

"So then how do we bring her out of it? It might not be easy."

Lisa swallowed hard while trying to reach into the recesses of her mind, sure that she had read up on panic attacks and how to deal with them once upon a time. She gathered the crucial knowledge for a couple of minutes before speaking up. "Okay…I think I know what to do but you guys have to listen to me and not do anything other than what I tell you, got it?"

Receiving three nods in response, her face became stern. "I need all of you to stay right where you are and do not move or come closer to Alex unless I say so. Especially you, Bart, she might unintentionally be seeing you as a threat right now. I'm going to stay at a safe distance from her and try to talk her down, okay?" Everyone nodded once more with conviction, even Bart who looked a bit glum that he couldn't physically help the troubled girl. The blonde nodded back and turned towards Alex's writhing form, taking only one step forward and leaving about two feet between them before speaking in a soft, low voice. "Alex, can you hear me? It's Lisa."

Seeing no change in her condition, Lisa inched forward a mite, speaking once more. "It's Lisa Simpson…your best friend…I'm right here."

That seemed to work as Alex's head lifted slightly, eyes somewhat looking at the girl in front of her. "L-Lisa…?"

Lisa smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, Lisa…I came looking for you. I wanted to see how you were doing."

"I…I was fixing my hair…then…" Her eyes squeezed shut once more, shaking her head and causing her curls to bounce. "Ngh…"

"Alex, you're safe now-" She looked up for a second to think before returning her gaze. "But I know you're terrified and why…that guy did something awful to you and you have every right to feel the way you feel. I'll make sure he doesn't step foot near you again."

"He…he had his hands all over me, just like…" Alex cut herself off, looking down at the ground once more.

The Simpson girl bit her lip in worry on what exactly she was implying but now wasn't the time for that. "He'll pay for what he did…we'll make sure of it. But…tell me what you need, Alex."

The platinum blonde looked up once more, her eyes a little more focused as confusion merged with the fear. "W-What I need…?"

This was a gamble but Lisa continued. "Do you need to sit down? Do you need some water? Or…" She carefully reached her hand out, hovering palm side up. "Do you want to hold my hand?"

Alex stared hard at the offered appendage, silence suffocating the air of the teens as they waited to see her response. After some time, she reached a shaky hand out to gently clasp Lisa's own, pulling a sigh of relief from Bart, Nina and Becky. Lisa kept her cool, giving the girl a warm smile and a gentle squeeze. What surprised her next was Alex lowering herself down to the ground, grip still tight as she dragged her friend down with her. The two sat down on the linoleum, their eyes locking on each other. Before Lisa could say anything, the other teen launched herself and wrapped her arms tight around her waist, burying her face into her chest. Soon enough, her muffled sobbing began, soaking the red dress with tears.

Lisa couldn't help but slump in relief that her actions had helped, even though Alex was in tears at the moment; it was better than being catatonic or lashing out physically. Turning her head to the others, she saw the same relief mirrored on their faces. Bart spoke up with eagerness. "I-I'm gonna go get her some water, I'll be right back!" He wasted no time in running back into the gym, leaving the girls by themselves.

Nina and Becky stood still, not sure if it was safe until Lisa motioned them to come over. The two sat down next to their friends, staying silent until Alex's sobs died down into quieter cries. She then loosened her hold on Lisa, sitting up, the liner around her eyes smudged and her cheeks wet and ruddy. Sniffling, she gave a watery smile to each of the girls.

"T-Thanks girls…God, you're seeing me in rare form too often for my liking…"

The quip made Becky lean over and gently rest a hand on her knee. "Hey, what friends would we be if we only accepted you at your best?"

Nodding in response, she looked up as she heard footsteps, seeing Bart run over with a water bottle. He leaned down and handed it to her, the firm line of his mouth tilting up when she gave him a small smile and thanked him. Opening it, Alex chugged half of the bottle before setting it down, leaning her head back against the wall. "To think Mr. Rockstar is a borderline rapist…" She scoffed humorlessly. "Pathetic."

Nina looked up at Bart, eyes still stormy with rage. "Please tell me you got a couple of swings in."

The older teen smirked and folded his arms. "Of course. It's gonna hurt like hell for him to sing or smile in those interviews of his for a while." His grin only grew wider at the thumbs up the punk girl gave him.

Lisa took the fashionista's hand into hers once more, leaning her head in. "Alex…if you don't want to, it's perfectly fine but…could you tell us exactly what happened?"

Alex showed some hesitation for a bit until she looked down at their clasped hands. "Well…yeah, I'll tell you…"

And so she relayed to the group on how she ended up in this mess, relying on Bart to fill in the gaps after he showed up (she can't remember exactly what happened during the panic attack). She eyed her once-again savior with admiration until she noticed the scratches on his left cheek. Questioning him on whether Kurt did that to him, her admiration turned into guilt when he confessed that it was her own hand that injured him. He quickly let her know that he wasn't mad and understood that she was in a vulnerable position; it didn't do much to assuage her remorse.

The group discussed on what to do about Kurt as he had fled the scene. All of them suggested filing a police report but Alex had strongly shot down the idea. She stated that it was too much trouble and it would be hard to provide evidence as she had no physical scars and only one eyewitness who happened to have a poor reputation. The others tried to argue and talk her into it but once her hazel eyes formed into a cold glare, they quickly dropped it. Instead, they decided to spend some more time sitting out in the quiet hall before moving back into the gymnasium. Acting like nothing happened, they did their best to enjoy the rest of the night.

~•~•~•~

Before everyone knew it, 10:00 PM had arrived.

The DJ informed everyone that the Harvest Dance had ended on the dot. He hoped that everyone had a blast and that he couldn't wait to see some of them come prom. Shutting off the music, one of the chaperones raised the lights, signifying that it was time for the students to leave. Many of them gathered their things, friends and dates and began making their way out of the gymnasium and out to the front of the school, shivering at the chilly air.

The Simpson kids and their friend groups were among them, although many of them were split up an doing their own thing.

Allison had lost her friends ages ago and decided to stick with Donny after their dance session, finding the older boy to be good company. She couldn't believe it but she had a blast with him. What surprised her was that not once did she think about Martin after that one slip-up. It was hard to, she had been either dancing, talking or painting a pumpkin (she still giggled at the look on Donny's face when she insisted on them doing the activity). To think that she was enjoying the company of a rebel more than someone straight-laced as herself…

"Oy Red, don't drop your friend there."

His quip pulled her back to the present, seeing him motioning to the dangerously loose grip she had on her mini pumpkin (painted with music notes and a saxophone). Allison giggled nervously and tightened her hold. "Oops, thank you."

"No biggie, it's just that I'd be annoyed that forty minutes of work would go to waste because you were careless."

Her face became unimpressed, staring blankly. "You mean annoyed that you sat and watched me work for forty minutes instead of keeping yourself busy with said work as well?"

Donny rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "I told you, I ain't the artsy type. You had fun anyways, didn't you?"

"Heh, yes, I did…" She couldn't help but give him a grateful smile. "Really though…thank you, Donny. So much has happened lately, I really needed to just be distracted and let loose tonight…maybe you're nicer than you let on."

The dirty blond became a bit flustered at how genuine she sounded but managed to hide it with a shrug and a shove of his hands in his pockets. "Hey, you looked like you needed cheering up, at least I did something right for once."

Allison giggled, emerald eyes sparkling. "Modesty suits you, you know."

Cheeks warming at her teasing, Donny grumbled and looked away, trying to keep up his tough guy act. "Yeah, yeah…" As nonchalant as he was acting, he enjoyed hanging around the redhead as well. He really had pegged her as one of those wallflower types whose idea of fun was curling up with a good book (well, she probably did think of that as fun) so he was surprised to see her loosen up on the dance floor and practically drag him all over the place for different activities. On the plus side, he got to admire her while she wasn't looking. Blue really did suit her…

Realizing that he didn't want to part ways and only see her in the halls during school, he turned his head back towards her. "Hey."

"Hm?"

He held a hand out to her. "Gimme your phone…relax, I'm not gonna steal it." He rolled his eyes at her wary look.

Allison complied and unlocked the screen before handing her light blue MyPhone over. Head tilting as she watched the other tinker with it for a minute, he handed it back to her. Looking down, she saw his name under contacts now, along with his number underneath. Eyes widening, she looked back up to say something. However, he cut her off with a mischievous smirk.

"Just in case you ever needed to have more fun. Night, Red."

Giving her a two finger salute, he walked away, giving Bart and the guys a quick goodbye before heading over to the parking lot where his bike was waiting. The redhead was left speechless for a few until a toothy smile broke out while she shook her head.

"I'll keep that in mind, Donny."

A few feet away, Lisa and Bart stood with Alex as they waited for Winston to arrive and take her home. The trio made some small talk about how their night went, aside from the incident in the hallway. The group who was present managed to keep up appearances and decided not to let the others know about what happened until a more appropriate time. Surely Allison and Sophie would have dropped everything they were doing and demand that they report Kurt, much to Alex's dismay. It hurt to have to lie to her friends but the platinum blonde stated that she didn't want to ruin their fun. And so she said her goodbyes to the others, somehow managing to keep the smile on her face from quivering.

She found her eyes often traveling to the scratches on Bart's cheek, now cleaned up and no longer bleeding. The three lines were thin but it was going to take a few days until it healed up. Alex's stomach twisted in guilt every time at what she did. She believed him when he said it was no big deal but that didn't mean it was okay. But at the time, her mind couldn't differentiate between her best friend's brother and her attacker and her body went into defense mode. She already spotted a few people asking about his injury but he played it off smoothly, saying that he had tripped and fell against the brick wall outside. It sounded lame, now that she thought about it, but it seemed to work.

Bart wasn't unaware of Alex's gazes, specifically on his face. He spotted her out of the corner of his eye but he pretended to be oblivious, still carrying on the conversation. After the fifth time, he took the opportunity of a break in the talking to look at the shorter girl and shoot her one of his boyish grins.

"See something you like?"

Alex's cheeks pinkened a bit but her smile was dim. "Well…I'd like it more if it wasn't scratched up…"

The blond frowned. "Alex, I told you, it's fine. You didn't do it on purpose, it's just a flesh wound, this bad boy'll go away in a week."

"But-"

Frowning more at her insistence, he stepped closer and carefully laid his hands on her shoulders, bending down a bit to look right into her hazel eyes. "Alex Whitney, stop worrying. If I was really mad, you would've known by now. And besides-" The corner of his mouth tilted up. "Worrying will put wrinkles on that pretty face of yours."

His coy words seemed to help ease her troubles as her cheeks darkened more, a pout and a glare now on her face. "Jeez Bart, way to be a horndog. But thanks…I'll try not to worry."

Bart was satisfied with her answer, grinning fully now as he squeezed her shoulders before removing his hands. He didn't notice the odd look his sister was giving the two of them as the older teen reassured her best friend. This wasn't exactly the best timing but she almost took the interaction as flirting. Shaking her head to get that inappropriate thought out, she cleared her throat to gain their attention.

"Um, Alex…are you really sure it's a good idea not to press charges? I mean, Bart can vouch for you if the police have disbelief…"

The platinum blonde's eyes became stern as she turned to Lisa. "I'm sure, Lisa. I already have a lot on my plate with this trial, I don't need to deal with something annoying like that."

Lisa was taken aback at how lackadaisical she was treating this. "Annoying? Alex, if Bart hadn't interrupted, who knows what that guy could have done to you!"

The older teen jumped in, nodding in agreement. "Lise has a point, Alex. If that guy had the balls to try that with you, who knows if he's gonna do the same thing with some other girl?"

Alex was ready to retort again but stopped at Bart's words. She didn't think about how Kurt would try to assault yet another innocent girl, only about how it was affecting herself. Hell, with the way he was so confident in approaching her, maybe he had already succeeded before. But as noble as it was, she was feeling so much discomfort at the idea of reporting him. Not only was there a chance the police wouldn't believe her due to the lack of physical evidence, most of the town adored the frontman and word would surely get to her parents about what she had done, causing them to shame her for bringing negative attention to their family. They were already cautious about everything due to Jack's attack on her, a scandal such as this would make them flip.

'They already didn't believe me once, why would this time be any different?'

Hearing the sound of a familiar horn, she looked up to see the family limo parked in front of the school, Winston waving at her through the rolled-up windows. Giving a wave back, she held her index finger up to let him know she would get in in a minute, receiving an understanding nod.

Sighing heavily, the fashionista gave a weary look to the other two. "Look guys, I can't say that I'm absolutely going to report him…but I'll keep it in mind. Let's just try to get through this trial first, okay?"

The Simpson siblings nodded slowly, not very happy with her decision but understanding her hesitation. Not wanting to push the issue, Lisa stepped forward and enveloped her best friend in a tight hug, resting her chin on her shoulder. "I think we'll manage it, Alex. Remember, you're not alone."

"I know, Lise." Giving her a squeeze, they broke the hug before she looked at Bart, standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets. Figuring that he was hesitant on hugging her due to earlier, she smiled a bit and held her arms out to him. "I don't get a hug, Mr. Hero?"

Bart sputtered at the nickname, rolling his eyes in embarrassment before he satisfied her wishes, wrapping the shorter teen in a secure hug. The close proximity caused her perfume to waft up into his nostrils, smelling of various flowers with a hint of something spicy but also something fresh. It was a nice scent but it couldn't erase the stench of black orchids and vanilla.

Letting her go, the Simpson kids waved goodbye to Alex as she headed towards her ride, hopping in the back before Winston pulled off. The duo watched the limo disappear around the corner before deciding to say goodbye to the rest of their friends, seeing as how it was nearing curfew. As soon as they were done, they headed to the parking lot, Lisa handing Bart the keys. He unlocked the doors and started it up as soon as they got in, backing out of the spot before leaving the lot, taking his time on driving back to Evergreen Terrace. The two were silent but their heads were spinning with so many things.

Bart was worried for Alex but he had almost forgotten about the trial that was in just two days. He had met with the DA a couple of times since he was requested to testify in order to make sure there were no holes in the testimony and to warn him about the defense attorney that had taken the case and the tactics he resorted to. He was very familiar with the blue-haired lawyer and was dreading the nasally voice that was going to interrogate him and paint Jack as an innocent man. But aside from that, he couldn't escape one of the other major issues that had occurred tonight.

He kissed Jessica Lovejoy.

Hands tightening on the steering wheel, anger flared in his chest at how he lost control of himself on that dance floor. What the hell happened? He was just supposed to go in with her, spend some time with other people and check up on her a couple of times before going their separate ways. Instead, he found his eyes following her many times, dancing with her for longer than was necessary and even got jealous of another boy dancing with her. He had always thought he was fully over the minister's daughter and was only attracted to her physically now but the amount of fun he had tonight threw that excuse in the trash. Now he was here second guessing himself and wondering how he was going to face her in school…

In the passenger seat, Lisa had her elbow resting on the door, cradling her chin and looking out the window as the town passed by. The amount of drama tonight was way more than she had ever expected. First she had finally rejected Milhouse, then she got physical with Janey and said some hurtful words and then Alex…

Frowning, she sighed quietly. Her best friend couldn't seem to catch a break lately, first with Jack and now with Kurt. While her emotional state seemed to have improve after being more open with her friends, Alex seemed to be back to square one with what happened tonight. There was also something that she had said that was really bugging the Simpson girl. Something about how what the man had done to her was a sadly familiar experience. Lisa did not want to even think about what she meant but her mind was running rampant with theories that made her stomach turn. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she closed her eyes to control her emotions. As much as she wanted to know just what that slip of the tongue was, something told her that she would regret the answer…

By the time she opened her lids, Bart was pulling into their driveway, Homer's car now parked next to them. The siblings got out and locked the doors before entering through the front door quietly, unsure if anyone was sleeping yet. When they shut the door, all they heard was the faint sound of the TV. Peeking into the family room, they weren't surprised to see their dad knocked out on the couch, still in his rumpled work clothes. Deciding to not interrupt his sleep, they quietly headed upstairs to their rooms. Just as Lisa opened the door to her bedroom, Bart's whisper cut through the silence.

"What a wild night, huh?"

The spiky-haired girl sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Wild isn't even the half of it. If this is what happens at the Harvest Dance, I dread to see how prom may be."

Her brother chuckled quietly. "You've got a point, sis. But, uh…did you have fun, at least?"

At Bart's bashful tone, Lisa smiled at him, remembering his concern for her earlier. "Yeah, I did…what about you?"

The blond managed to not cringe at the "fun" he had but instead nodded. "Sure did. Kind of sucks this was my last Harvest Dance but it was good."

"Good."

The teens stood in silence for a few seconds before wishing each other good night, heading into their respective rooms. Bart merely changed into his pajamas before flopping into bed, exhaustion quickly lulling him into a deep sleep. Lisa got her pajamas together before heading to the bathroom to shower; Bart and Maggie were not morning people and took forever to get ready, especially on Sunday mornings. She flopped into bed herself after she finished, sighing before her lids fluttered shut for the night, dying for some rest.

Before they fell asleep, both teens knew their mother would grill them on how the dance went tomorrow. They would have a lot of omitting to do.

~•~•~•~

Whoa nelly, I knew this chapter was going to be long but this was nearly twice the length I expected! ._.;

So the yearly Harvest Dance has come and gone but seeing as how it's my story, of course it wouldn't go smoothly. At least some character relationships are starting to be developed and some more conflicts need to be solved. Also, I pretty much made it clear that Lisa/Milhouse will not be happening here. I don't mind the pairing too much but the imbalance on their feelings for each other isn't exactly healthy so I had to cut that off ASAP.

As for the Bart/Jessica ship? Well, I don't exactly plan to present it as sunshine and roses, this is Jessica and Bartwe're talking about. At the end of the day, they are still hormonal teenagers with lingering feelings from their childhood romance who need to figure things out.

As for Alex, something dark from her past seems to have caught up with her thanks to the assault. I'm sure many of you picked up on what happened but exactly who did it has yet to be revealed and since even her best friends don't know about it, Alex isn't going to be jumping at the bit to tell them everything. I'm hoping to do my best in writing out such a sensitive topic through the story, if you have any suggestions, please let me know in the reviews.

The trial should be going on next chapter, which will probably take a while to write as well. Work has been crazy lately and I moved to a full-time supervisor position now so I'm beat when I get home lol

Songs used: Say So- Doja Cat, Dance Dance - Fallout Boy, Toosie Slide - Drake, Rhythm of the Night - Corona, Always and Forever - Luther Vandross, Sign Your Name - Terence Trent D'arby

As always, review, review, review! :)