A/N: Whoa, it's been a while. It's mildly horrifying reading my profile and author notes from my teenage years, although it was very nostalgic. I checked back here out of curiosity and found more reviews. Thank you! They made me very happy. It turns out I had a bunch of chapters I never uploaded here. I will not be writing anything new, but I'll upload everything I wrote. Hope you enjoy!

His & Her Circumstances

Chapter 7

We arrive at school an hour and a half late. But we aren't the only ones to. Through the car window I watch as a few students stumble to the entrance, failing in their attempts to hide that they had pre-gamed. Mr. Greely turns a blind eye and lets them in anyway, a quiet smirk on his face. He must be recalling the days of his youth, days that had no similarities to the days I live. This is the second school dance I have ever gone to. The first dance I attended was during the end of fifth grade, where all the soon-to-be middle schoolers would get to see their future classmates. I recall myself being spun around by Dave Curley until he lost his grip and sent me flying across the floor, scraped knees and all. Yes, I always hated dances.

Jackson opens the door and after seeing my refusal to move, bows his head as his palm faces the sky. "After you," he says sarcastically. I roll my eyes and exit the car, not even bothering to wait for him close the door. "Hold up Lisa!" He has my shoulder yet again. I stop and look at him angrily. I follow his eyes and see that he has his elbow out. Immediately my facial features soften and I am at a loss of what to do. He does it for me and hooks my arm with his. "Now be a good date, or face the consequences."

'How romantic.' "Just be happy we're in public now. I want to keep my image just as much as you do."

"You mean more than I do."

I throw my arm away from him. "You know, we're not at the door yet. I don't mind walking home, it's a nice night."

He laughs, his hands surrendering. "Alright, alright. Let's just have a good time." That smile is on his face again, and before I can let it melt me I turn away with a "hmph!" I stick my arm out, and he locks it with his arm.

Mr. Greely welcomes us in and I am greeted with dizzying colored lights and balloons dangling across the gymnasium floor, silently watching the trashy spectacle before them. It is as if the gymnasium has puked cheap polyester and loud floral patterns. A slow song blares through the speakers, and the couples are in their own world, eating each other's faces without shame. Suddenly reminders of Jackson's fake kiss at Macy's flash through my head and I feel awkward that I am linking arms with him. But the feeling quickly dissipates as Claire spots us.

"Lisa!" She squeals as she skips to me. Her smile loses its brilliance as she sees who's by my side, but it quickly snaps back. "Are you two…"

"She's my—"

"We're just here together as friends," I interrupt. "That's all."

"Okay," she says through a giggle. "Well we're going to be over there. You should come dance with us." She pats my shoulder and flashes her smile towards Jackson before returning to her group. And with her exit summons three of Jackson's peers, all with girls dripping off their arms. I recognize one of the girls as Ditzy Dina from cheerleading. I'm not in the mood to explain my status with Jackson and so I slip away for a drink.

Why did I interrupt him?

What am I more afraid of, being called his date, or just a friend? Which one would bug me more? I mindlessly stir the punch as I ponder these questions. 'Of course being called his date! You hate him, remember?' But do I still? I pour the red liquid into the plastic cup and consider pouring another for Jackson. I look back to help make my decision.

I shouldn't have looked back. Super tan Leah is under his arm, rubbing his chest as she reaches for his ear to whisper something. I can't look anymore. I chug my fruit punch and look for Claire and her gang. I let anger distract me from the hurt that squeezes my heart. 'Stop it, Lisa. You're still in character. Put on that pretend smile you've mastered over the years!'

"Hey guys!" As they see me they pull me into their circle.

"Lisa!" Leslie has my hands. She uses them to anchor her as she bounces up and down. "I'm so happy you decided to come to the dance!"

"Yeah, well I finished my work early." I am relieved she finally releases me from her grip.

"Where's Jackson?" asks Claire.

"We just thought it convenient to come together. You know, less gas." 'What a stupid lie.'

"What a shame," says Hannah, shaking her head. "You two would look so cute together."

"Wouldn't they!" gushes Leslie. "I mean seriously, if this was a TV show, you two would be the leads!"

"Oh, stop it," I say as I work to contain a blush. Good thing there aren't many lights in this godforsaken place.

"Wait!" Leslie crouches, her ears perked up as she listens to the acoustics echoing throughout the room. "It is! It's Nirvana's All Apologies! I love this song!" She suddenly breaks into air guitar mode and Hannah, her boyfriend, and Claire become her fans as they rock out—hands flaring and heads banging. I find the whole scene rather uncomfortable, but I certainly can't just stand here, and so I play along by simply rocking my head to the beat.

I find my cheer squad in the middle of the dance floor and they become my ticket out of the situation. "I'll be back. I have to say hello to some people," I tell them, and walk off to the cheerleaders. Lindsay spots me and waves. Beyond her are other members who managed to find their dream jock dates. Lindsay was with the band of singles at the outskirts of the group who found comfort in the fact that they weren't the only losers who couldn't nab a date.

"What a surprise seeing you here!" she says as she shoos away a boy who is trying to get personal with her backside. "I thought you said you weren't going to homecoming."

"Well I changed my mind. I mean, we're only in high school once, right?" 'And here I am wasting it here.'

She nods, spinning around with her hands in the air. I can tell she has a bit of alcohol in her system, for she loses her footing a couple of times. "Isn't this great!" she exclaims. "And Matty is a helluva DJ. You know what, I should tell him that. Be right back!" And then she is off, bulldozing through the crowd.

Wonderful. I am surrounded by boys, who eye me like a pack of hungry wolves. I push past them and look for other cheerleaders. Right as I spot Stacie, a heavy hand grabs my shoulder. I guess Jackson has found me. "What is it?" I spit out as I turn around.

"Um…" His hand recoils and his eyes shift nervously.

Ever since Jackson came into the picture, my image has been falling. Nathan, the school paper editor, is standing before me, genuinely confused by my actions. I lighten up the situation with laughter. "Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were that pervert that's been stalking me!"

Relief enters his expression and he chuckles. "Oh I see! Nope, no pervert here. Just a nice guy asking a nice girl to dance with him." He extends his hand. "Will you?"

There are a few brief seconds of me staring at his hand blankly as I try to grasp the situation. I notice that Power of Love is blaring through the stereo and the singles have conjugated to the side of the dance floor to pout at the couples. This is certainly not what I imagined my first dance to be. Where's the fluttering of my heart and the weakness in my knees? Is this how my first dance is supposed to be like, in the arms of a boy I never thought twice about?

I guess so. I take his hand and he places my arms around his neck as he folds his hands at the small of my back. We sway to the music and my concentration is fully on trying to avoid stepping on his toes. I can feel his eyes penetrate me, but I am too embarrassed to make eye contact. I find a safe spot beyond his shoulder to look at.

Safe spot my ass!

Jackson steps into the frame, throwing daggers at me with his icy eyes. My first reaction is to add fuel to his anger by laying my head against Nathan's chest, but something stops me from doing so. Could it be guilt? Why do I feel like I'm cheating? I find myself pulling away from my dance partner. "Sorry," I tell him. I escape to the girl's bathroom.

A number of girls are stationed at the sinks, fixing their makeup and playing with their hair. Others wait in line for the toilets. I join the line, trying to compose myself. Was the punch alcoholic? Why don't I have a clear head on my shoulders? Instead, a thousand thoughts fly through my mind as my heart is bursting with a myriad of feelings. I press my temples as I suck in some air. The release of my breath manages to calm me and I exit the bathroom.

"Are you trying to make me look bad?" Jackson comes out of nowhere and presses me against a wall, his hands acting like the bars of a cage. "What the hell are you doing!"

"Enjoying the dance," I reply coolly.

He half smiles, although it looks more like a snarl. "I fucking see that."

I feel my cheeks burn. "What's it to you who I dance with! Why don't you just dance with the queen of sluts herself, Leah Gladstone? Isn't it any boy's objective to get laid as much as possible? Well go get her, Jack-o. She'll spread her legs for you in a heartbeat!"

His face contorts in what I can only describe as confusion as he tries to read me. Finally he bursts into laughter. "Never thought I'd hear such words from prudish Lisa. Can you say it again? I want to record this."

I push him off me. "Go to hell."

He takes my hand before I can walk away. "You owe me a dance."

I look back, clearly surprised.

"The guys will never let it go if I don't have a dance with the girl I brought with me."

"Oh." I am staring at the ground. So that's who I am. The girl he brought with him. Somehow it sounds even worse than being called friend. I mean date! God, I'm losing it. I run my free hand over my face. "That's fine."

"Alright." I can feel his grip loosen, but it tightens as he leads me to the dance floor. There isn't exactly a slow song on, but we make it one anyway. I wrap my hands around his neck as his arms cradle my back. We rock back and forth, his feet skillfully dodging my clumsy steps.

And then he looks at me.

His gaze seems to seize my heart. Somehow, his eyes of electric blue are less intense. Though they glow eerily under the blinking lights, for the first time they look openly sincere. The haughty Jackson is standing on the sidelines and finally I can see the gentler version of Jackson. I melt in his arms, burying myself in his chest. A burst of warmth travels from the pit of my stomach up to my chest, and it is such an intoxicating feeling. What is this called? I chase away my thoughts to live in the moment.

"I don't think this song is appropriate to slow dance to." His lips tickle my ears and my trance is broken. I can hear Coolio rapping in the background.

"No, I guess not." I can't help but feel disappointed as my arms fall to my side.

"Well, I think we've made our necessary appearances. How about we ditch this place and grab a bite to eat?"

"As long as you're paying."

He smiles, a row of pearls peaking from under his lips. "Of course. You are my date after all."