Chapter 81
As Lee began the process of donning the dress she had meticulously crafted for the majority of the season, the remaining members of the cul-de-sac returned to their amiable conversations. As requested, Marie and May held off from following Lee to the ladies room, in an effort to provide her time to change into her dress; however, this did not stop them from excitedly discussing how they were "gonna make their sister pretty".
A few feet away, Double Dee and Ed remained in their place, both displaying smiles due their friends success at reconciling with his girlfriend. During Ed's accidental, yet successful dance routine, his tie had managed to loosen, the knot hanging a few inches below the collar of his undershirt. Naturally, the good natured and obsessive compulsive Double Dee was there to help, adjusting Ed's tie back to pristine condition.
As the remainder of the kids went about their business, Eddy remained in his position, staring at the entry door as if her were deep in thought. The small boy was was smiling from ear to ear, ecstatic that his plan to surprise Lee with her ball gown had come to fruition, and excited at the fact that he would be given the opportunity to see her in her dress. However, due to Lee's delay in arriving at the dance, Eddy's plan to present the Lee prior to the crowing of the ball queen had failed, and thus he had missed out on the opportunity to share a dance with her; per tradition, an hour after the ceremony the newly crowned young lady is provided the opportunity to make their way to the dance floor, and share a formal slow dance with a gentleman of her choosing.
It was at that moment that an idea suddenly sprung into Eddy's head. The realization that the traditional dance shared between the ball queen and the gentleman of her choice was set to occur at the top of the hour (five minutes from now), and the fact that Lindsay was nowhere to be found seemed to ignite a proverbial lightbulb above the boys head.
As Eddy pondered his thoughts, Marie and May decided that it was time to make their way to the restroom. The girls began their walk towards the door, conversing at what seemed like a mile a minute as they bounced happily in their high-heeled shoes. Taking notice of the girls movement, Eddy suddenly broke away from his thoughts.
"Hey Marie, May!" yelled Eddy, his voice easily overpowering the loud music.
The two girls immediately ceased moving, planting their feet on the ground while turning around towards Eddy with what seemed like perfect synchronization.
"Yes Eddy," said both girls simultaneously.
"I got another little surprise for Lee in mind," said Eddy as he walked towards the two girls, "And I'm gonna need your guys help to make it happen."
Eddy signaled the girls to lean their ears down towards his mouth; as they did so, he cupped his hand around his mouth, attempting to channel his whisper into their pinna over the cacophonous dance music. As Eddy divulged his secret plan, both girls faces transformed into radiant smiles, nodding in agreement as they did so.
Eventually, the three teenagers parted ways with a shared thumbs up. As Marie and May took their exit, Eddy slowly but surely made his way across the room in the direction of the stage, his destination being the DJ booth. As he continued his trek through the crowds, Ed and Double Dee (who had completed his task of restoring Ed's tie to it's original, pristine condition) observed their stout friend with confused stares.
"Interesting," said Double Dee, "It's seems as though Eddy has a few more ideas up his sleeve."
"Eddy's the man!" said Ed in an exuberant manner, replying to his intelligent friends statement.
The boys watched as Eddy climbed the stairs onto the stage, and approached the DJ booth. The DJ, upon sensing the boys presence, removed his head phones, turning his head towards the boy. Eddy spent the next two minutes appearing to propose a proposition in a sincere tone, to which the DJ responded in a rather negative manner . The DJ's attitude soon changed completely, as Eddy removed a fifty dollar bill from his pocket ( taken from the same source that was originally meant to pay for Lee's dress) and held it out to the DJ with a sly grin. The DJ accepted the money, quickly hiding it in his pocket as he delivered an affirmative nod in Eddy's direction. The two individuals shook hands, at which point Eddy vacated the stage, made his way back towards his two best friends, and took his place next to Double Dee.
"Eddy," said Double Dee, "If I may ask, did you just bribe the Disc Jokey?"
"Yep," said Eddy, "Don't worry, it's for a good cause."
Double Dee sighed.
"I suppose," said Double Dee, "After all, there are some circumstances where it is necessary to bend the rules for the greater good."
"Geez Sockhead," said Eddy as he playfully punched his friend, "We've been friends for ten years and all of my words of wisdom are finally sinking in."
The two teenagers shared a giggle regarding Eddy's joke, at which point Double Dee decided to continue.
"So if I dare ask," said Double Dee, "What is it you have planned that's so important as to allow you to give up one of your coveted fifty dollar bills?"
"Be patient," said Eddy, "You'll find out in about five minutes."
Double Dee nodded, at which point he turned his attention back towards the dance floor.
Outside in the antechamber, May had completed her task of assisting Lee in the women's restroom, and had taken up a position near the door leading into the hallway; leaving Marie the duty of finishing Lee's makeup. The blonde girl spent a few moments absentmindedly observing her surroundings, at which point the sound of the restroom door unlatching filled the air, causing the brace faced girl to turn her attention towards the end of the hallway .As Marie exited the small room, the sound of Lee's voice filled the air from within.
"Alright, youse two are acting weirder than usual," said Lee, "What are ya's hiding from me!"
"Nothin'" said Marie in a long, drawn out manner with childish inflections as she glanced down the hallway towards May, provided her sister a thumbs up signal.
"Whatever," said Lee, still out of sight within the restroom, "Eddy's lucky I lov...care about him so much, I hate looking like one of these fancy China dolls."
"Cut the bullshit Lee," said Marie, "Eddy just wants to make you happy! Besides, ya look amazing, and you can't deny you love it."
"Whatever," said Lee, "Let's just get this over with."
As Lee began making her way out of the restroom, May slowly opened the door leading into the hall. She located Eddy, still standing next to his two best friends. She slowly lifted her hand into the air, passing on the thumbs up signal provided to her earlier by Marie.
Eddy, who had been staring at the door awaiting May's signal, accepted receipt by nodding, after which he turned his attention to the stage. As he made eye contact with the DJ, he passed on the "signal" for the final time, raising his hand high into the air while extending his thumb.
At that point, the DJ proceeded to lower the volume of the music, while simultaneously bringing the microphone to his lips.
Alright ladies and gentlemen, are we all having fun or what!?
The entire dance floor erupted in cheers, providing a positive response to the DJ's question.
Very glad to hear! At this time, I'd like to make a little special announcement concerning the annual tradition of the mid-ball dance between the winter ball queen and a gentleman of her choice. I have to admit, I've been DJ'ing for the lovely folks of Peach a Creek High for seven years, and I have never seen a night as crazy as this regarding the winter ball queen contest. As it turns out, the young lady who has been crowned the winter ball queen has had to leave the dance, due to personal issues.
Under ordinary circumstances, this would require cancellation of the event. However, after being notified a few minutes prior that our runner up has finally arrived, and after some persuasion from our lovely ladies very dedicated boyfriend, the event coordinator has decided to make an exception to the rule...
Outside in the anteroom, Marie had rushed down the hallway in an effort to take her position prior to Lee's arrival; a task that was quite easy due to Lee not being used to wearing dress high heels. Marie shared a grin with May as each girl took a standing position on each side of the double doors, awaiting the arrival of their sister.
Eventually Lee turned the corner, coming face to face with her siblings, who simply stared at her with conniving smiles. Lee proceeded to roll her eyes, after which she began walking towards them in a rather brisk manner.
"Jesus Christ," said Lee as she walked across the tile floor, her heels clicking with every step, "Leave it to you two morons to make a big deal out of this!"
As Lee approached the doors, she reached her hand out in an attempt to signal her sisters to vacate her path.
"Outta my way morons!" yelled Lee.
"As you wish!" said both girls simultaneously, at which point each girl grabbed hold of their doors ornate golden handle. The girls proceeded to place both doors in the fully open position, holding the leaves in place while signaling their sister to enter before them. Lee wasted no time, delivering her sisters a sarcastic eye flare as she made her way past them.
In an instant, Lee's sardonic expression turned into one of complete surprise, for as soon she breached the threshold, a series of unforeseen events proceeded to take place. Wasting no time, the loud exuberant voice of the DJ filled the hall:
Ladies and Gentlemen, now entering the room, please welcome our first ever honorary winter ball queen ANNALEE KANKER!
Lee was suddenly blinded as a bright spotlight emanating from the stage illuminated her in it's cream colored glow. It only took a second for her eyes to adjust, at which point she was greeted by the smiling faces of the entire student body of Peach Creek High School; all staring in her direction while delivering thunderous applause and delivering whistles.
While Lee was quite bewildered by the sudden, unexpected spectacle, many of the students were quite shocked as well. Standing underneath the spotlight, in a brand new ball gown, was a girl who was borderline unrecognizable to her peers. Marie and May had meticulously restyled her usually heavy volumes red curls into loose waves, hanging over her shoulders in shiny, smooth tresses. She had removed her glasses, allowing her ice blue eyes to be completely exposed; both of which sparkled as if they were sapphires, accentuated by Marie's perfect application of her black eye-liner.
Although the young ladies face currently adopted a bewildered expression, it did not change the fact that she appeared quite radiant. Her pale skin shined underneath the lights, highlighting her natural beauty, enhanced further by her makeup. Marie had offered to apply enough to cover up her freckles, but Lee refused; her Irish roots were a source of pride for the ginger girl, and she had no desire to hide them for the sake of beauty. Not that it mattered in the slightest, as the small brown dots did nothing but enhance her appearance, providing a cute sun-kissed contrast to her almost pure white skin.
Most importantly, covering Lee's body was the coveted ball gown she had meticulously crafted. It' s thin silver straps passed over her freckled shoulders, connecting to the front and back of the emerald green, satin fabric. The dress was quite form fitting, accenting Lee's naturally curvaceous figure, while still maintaining a conservative demeanor. A silver patch adorned the area of her bust, below which were several folds of emerald green, hanging to the floor as if it was an elaborate tapestry. The green fabric was adorned with several small diamonds, shining brightly under the spotlights. Just as with May's dress, Lee's contained an elaborate and extensive tail, consisting of folds of the same emerald green fabric constituting the remainder of the dress. Finally, Lee had donned a pair of silver closed high-heeled shoes, borrowed from May specifically for the next ten minutes.
Around the ball, almost every male student with the exception of Double Dee and Ed, (both being respectable gentlemen) stood with their eyes wide open. This group happened to include Kevin, who's jaw seemed to drop to the floor in a cartoonish fashion as he stood next to his girlfriend Nazz; a prospect which Nazz responded to by angrily slamming it shut as if it were the lid of mailbox.
Although his reaction to Lee's appearance was quite different, there was no doubt that one particular individual was enamored most of all. Eddy McGee stood front and center, slightly away from the crowds. A second spotlight suddenly illuminated the boy, bringing Lee's complete attention to her diminutive boyfriend. The small boy stood with his hand crossed over his abdomen, clasping his right hand to his left wrist as he smiled in the direction of his girlfriend. Enamored by his girlfriends beauty, the boy felt as though he was in a dream; it was as if time in the remainder of the hall had come to a complete stop. His face donned a heartfelt smile, turning slightly red due to the intense emotional rush as his eyes began to appear glassy.
While Lee was not one for surprises, or one for accepting time in the limelight, all of those thoughts seemed to vacate her mind as she laid eyes on Eddy. In an instant, she too adopted a heartfelt smile, and began to blush as she returned Eddy's emotional expression; becoming lost in the same euphoria as her stout boyfriend.
At that moment, Eddy slowly began making his way towards Lee; at the same time, the DJ retrieved a piece of stationary (handed to him earlier that night along with the fifty dollar bill) and began reading it's contents:
As well all know, the crown of the winter ball queen is reserved for those who most exemplify the true spirit of the holiday season, and Mr. Eddy McGee was kind enough to provide us some background on the special young lady he is proud to call his girlfriend. You may all recognize Annalee Kanker as the girl who captured the hearts of the student body as the Sugarplum Fairy at the holiday talent show, but her fantastic dance skills are second only to her huge heart. Throughout her life, this young lady has always put the well being of others before herself, whether it was helping her sisters get dressed for school as children, or helping her clumsy boyfriend prepare for a math test. She is a brilliant mathematician, and inspires to share her skills and inspire other by pursuing a career as a teacher...sorry Lee, I know I was supposed to tell anyone, but I had to make the case to the student body in order to make this happen...
Lee rolled her eyes playfully as she continued to display a smile at the conclusion of the DJ's joke, written by Eddy specifically for the situation. The remainder of the student body let out a slight giggle as well, as Eddy continued walking toward Lee.
According to Eddy, Annalee is the most courteous, kind, and respectful human being in existence, and is always willing to stand up for what she believes in. Most importantly, Annalee is never afraid to be herself, a noble trait within itself. When there is someone in trouble, Annalee is there to help, and when Eddy gets the urge to act a fool, she's most definitely there to knock some sense into him...literally.
As Eddy came within speaking distance to Lee, he stared up into his girlfriends beautiful eyes as the DJ completed his speech.
For these reasons, Mr. McGee has managed to convince us that Annalee truly exemplifies the spirit of the holiday season, displaying traits of compassion, kindness, and integrity. With that, the event committee is pleased to recognize Ms. Annalee Kanker as the honorary 20XX (unfortunate feedback through the microphone obscured the remainder of the year) Peach Creek High School Winter Ball Queen, and invites her and Eddy to share a special dance to an old holiday classic.
At the conclusion of the speech, the entire ball erupted in applause. From the entry doors, Marie and May stood with smiles, a slight tear trickling out of Mays eye, as they both delivered applause in honor of their sister. Back on the dance floor, both Double Dee and Ed, moved to emotional smiles themselves, provided their support via applause as well.
Amidst the applause, Lee and Eddy remained still, focused on entirely on each other's smiling face. Eventually Eddy decided to awkwardly begin a conversation.
"So," said Eddy, "How does it feel to be winter ball queen?"
Lee leaned down into Eddy's face with a grin.
"I'm going to kill you, and those two knuckleheads for putting me on the spot like this," said Lee.
"I know," said Eddy, "But before you do...may I have this dance?"
Eddy flared his elbow out towards Lee, providing an anchor point for her to grab his arm. Lee paused momentarily, after which she placed her hand on Eddy's elbow.
"Well, do I have a really choice?" asked Lee, "I mean, you went through all this trouble, didn't ya?"
Eddy giggled slightly, recognizing Lee's unique sense of humor and her own little sarcastic way of acknowledging and appreciating his display.
"Just smile and move Babe," said Eddy as he began escorting Lee to the middle of the dance floor.
As the couple made their way to the center of the dance floor, the hoards of students scattered throughout began to vacate the central area, forming a circle around the guests of honor. At that point, the DJ activated his turntable, initiating a popular holiday slow dance tune; as Eddy and Lee took a position facing each other.
Eddy slowly placed his right hand on Lee's hip, as he took her right in his, proceeding to raise it out to the side as typical during a formal dance. Lee responded by placing her opposite hand on Eddy's shoulder, after which they began swaying back and forth to the sound of the music, rotating around the dance floor; focused on each others gaze as if they were a tidally locked planetary system.
As the couple shared their beautiful dance, Marie and May made their way back towards their boyfriends, standing next to their significant others as they watched the display. Ed placed his arm around May, as he watched his friend enjoy himself with a dopey smile as May scrunched her lips while clasping her hands out of excitement.
Marie grabbed Double Dees hand in a laced finger hold as she leaned her head on his shoulder; after a few moments, she decided to comment on the situation.
"Man, Eddy sure knows how to turn on the charm when he sets his mind to it," said Marie.
"Absolutely," said Double Dee, "As I've stated before, Eddy is quite capable of amazing displays when properly motivated."
"You don't know how happy this makes me," said Marie, "It's not often that Lee is praised or placed in the spotlight for all she does, and seeing Eddy make it happen seems like poetic justice."
Marie paused, after which she decided to interject an additional thought.
"I can't quite put my finger on it," said Marie, "But Lee looks different somehow."
"Forgive me for pointing out the obvious," said Double Dee, "But I believe that the exquisite job you and your sisters did with her cosmetology that is the source of your observation."
"No, it's not something physical," said Marie, "It's that little twinkle in her eye, something I haven't seen from her in years. It's like she's let go of any unhappiness she has, and is just living in the moment, allowing her love for Eddy to shine. I'm not sure if it's Eddy's romantic display, or something else, but whatever it is...I'm glad to finally see it again."
Double Dee smiled as the couple turned their attention back to the dance floor, observing the remainder of the dance.
As the song came to a close, Eddy pulled Lee closer to him, simultaneously wrapping his arms around her in a hug. As he did so, he rose to the tips of his toes, bringing his mouth within inches of Lee's ear.
"Thanks for being you Lee, you're the best thing that every happened to me," said Eddy, "By the way, Merry Christmas."
"So are you Eddy," said Lee, "You're one in a million, and I'm glad to have you. Thanks for the best Christmas ever."
The couple shared a five second kiss, drawing cheers from the crowds, after which the shared another hug. Due to their height difference, Lee leaned down slightly, allowing Eddy the opportunity to place his head on her shoulder.
As Eddy rested his cheek on Lee's shoulder, staring at the far wall with wide eyes, he uttered a few words to himself under his breath.
"Well, the dress was only part of my present," said Eddy, "Hopefully the seeds I planted for the real one took...
