As Told by Ginger copyright Viacom
Chapter 5: At the Dance
Posted: 28 Aug 2008
She thought her heart would burst from all the excitement. Dodie had known that this would be a special night. But the thing of it was that she knew that in her head. Not in her heart. To think that she was about to dance with the best-looking boy in school. Chet Zipper. Who knew when she would another opportunity such as this? Her heart seemed to want to escape her chest for calmer waters.
"Why do you suppose that they have the dance in the gym, Dodie?" Macie and Dodie were resting at a table between dances while their dates while their dates where away. What were they up to? Dodie wondered.
She shrugged. "Where else would they hold them?"
Still she wondered where their two dates had run off to. It just didn't seem like them to disappear off somewhere. But disappear they apparently did. Dodie wondered what they were up to.
Every couple but Dodie and Macie and their two dates were on the dance floor. Dodie wished that she could be out there dancing, but her date had picked one heck of time to be elsewhere. What was he doing anyway?
Even Courtney was dancing with her date. So where was Chet?
Dodie stood. "Wait here, Macie. There's… there's something I need to check on."
"Is it something that I need to be concerned about?"
"No no. Not at all. Just wait here. It won't take long." She hoped.
She had wanted to make her way out of the gym unnoticed, but Courtney immediately spotted her. Dodie sighed. It looked that Courtney wanted to see her about something.
Courtney whispered something into Will's ear, the couple broke off their dance, and Courtney started in Dodie's direction. Dodie didn't think it would a very good idea to duck out of this one. Besides she was a little curious about Courtney wanted. So she waited for Courtney to come to her.
When she did, she seemed very amused with Dodie. "I think that there's something you forgot to ask me, Dodie Bishop."
Why Courtney had decided to address her that way, Dodie didn't know. But she did know that she didn't like it very much. "What do you mean, Courtney? I haven't forgotten to ask you anything?"
"Oh? Then what about your date? Brett, was it?"
"It's Chet," Dodie replied automatically. But then she remembered. "Oh yeah. I was going to ask you about you asking him to the dance, wasn't I?"
Courtney shrugged. "True. But I don't think it matters anymore since it seems that he has accepted your invitation."
Dodie nodded. Courtney was right. Chet had accepted her invitation. That was because she had held his books hostage. But still….
"Say, where is Brett anyway?"
"I don't know, Courtney. That was where I was going when you came to talk to me."
"Oh. I see." Courtney frowned. "Let's look for him together, Dodie. That little punk owes me money." Ever since her family had gone broke from all her father's legal fees, Courtney had gotten more sensitive to people not paying her back the money they owe her. "Besides, two pairs of eyes are better than one, right."
Dodie didn't bother ask what Courtney doing lending Chet money. Even though everyone knew that it was a risky proposition at best. She was sure that it wasn't any of her business. "Sure. Thanks, Courtney. I sure could use the help." She frowned. "But what about Will? Are you just going to leave him without saying a word?"
"It's all right, Dodie. He already knows." She pushed open the door, leaving Dodie feeling that she had been setup somehow, though she didn't know how.
But despite her confusion, she followed Courtney into the hallway. She still had a missing date to look for after all.
She found Courtney, once she got out there, just standing there, apparently confused about something. She looked back when the door closed behind Dodie. "Do you have any idea where he would be?"
"I think he's with Andrew, Macie's date."
"Oh-kay. Do you know where he is?"
Dodie thought about it for a moment. Then she shook her head. "No. I guess not."
Courtney rolled her eyes. "Figures." She suddenly grabbed Dodie's wrist. "I know where to look first. Perhaps they went out for a smoke."
"You don't mean?"
"Yes. The boys' bathroom."
"But, Courtney. We can't go in there. I don't know if you've noticed this. But we're girls!"
"Oh sure we can. True love is on the line here!"
Taken by surprise by Courtney's knowing of how she felt about Chet, Dodie allowed herself to be pulled along. To the boys' restroom of all places.
"But, Courtney, Chet doesn't smoke."
Courtney shook her head. "He smokes all right." She looked back at Dodie. "You don't him very well, do you?"
"What do you mean, Courtney?" Dodie knew everything that there was to know about Chet Zipper! From his love of sardine and pineapple pizza to his future career as a stand-up comedienne. Nobody knew Chet Zipper better than Dodie did.
Right?
After hearing Courtney ask her that question, she wasn't so sure anymore.
As they passed the displays showcasing that schools various sports team had won in the past, none more recent than a couple of years ago, Dodie wondered why Chet had never gotten one of these trophies. Or why he hasn't been in a sport other than basketball.
She didn't have much time to think about that before they were suddenly in front of the restrooms. As much as Dodie wanted her to, Courtney didn't hesitate in the slightest before pushing her way into the boys' restroom.
However they caught Chet and Andrew very much by surprise. Which had probably been Courtney's intent all along, Dodie supposed.
"What are you doing here! This is the boys' restroom. Girls aren't supposed to be in."
"Oh?" Courtney rushed to him, grabbed his shirt, and stuck her face ino his. "What are you doing here? You have too lovely girls who are waiting for you." Dodie blushed when Courtney called her lovely. It wasn't everyday that she got complimented by Courtney of all people. While Dodie wasn't so eager to hear praise about herself from Courtney's lips, it was still nice to hear it. "What are you doing in here anyway? I can tell that you're smoking." Neither Andrew nor Chet were holding cigarettes in their hands, and there was no sign of smoke in the room. "What brought here you two yahoos to the bathroom together anyway?"
"Where's your date, Courtney?" Chet countered.
"That's different. We girls invited you boys to this dance. Not the other way around." As if that made any difference. But Dodie didn't argue. She was way more on Courtney's side than she was on Chet's side. He was supposed to be with her in the gymnasium. Not with Andrew in the restroom.
Besides she was curious what they were up to. Two boys in the restroom together and not smoking? That just didn't seem very… normal.
Without warning, Chet and Andrew held hands. "Andrew and I have very important to tell you.
"We're…."
Dodie certainly hadn't seen that one coming.