Edited 2019
AN: I am super tired after cleaning and unpacking. I hope you like this chapter took a while to get done but we are there.
Disclaimer: It was never mine and sadly it never will be.
Chapter 31
Our limo pulled to the front entrance to the building at half-past seven, giving our group just enough time for photos. I looked out the tinted window and saw that the homecoming committee had laid a red carpet out for the dance goers to enter upon, following the theme of Hollywood on the swamp. Our driver opened the door for us, holding it open for everyone to get out. John slipped out first, offering me his hand as assistance for exiting the vehicle, the rest of our group following. I had slipped my hand into the crook of John's arm as we walked toward the decorated doors. All eight of us made our way into the hall that led to the ballroom. I gasped when we entered, the ballroom was gorgeous. The entrance to the room had two mammoth size urns with flowers in red and white cascading out of it. As we passed under an arch of matching colored balloons, the lighting changed, the room now quite a bit darker than the hall. The dance floor was in the middle of the room, flanked by the stage and tables. The tables were draped in red and black tablecloths with white flower centerpieces, and the band that the homecoming committee had gotten, a local country band, was on stage. They could play just about anything you could think of but with a twang. A male and female singer fronted the full band.
Our group found a few empty tables and promptly took up residence. At the far end of the room, out of the way of the dance floor, was the photographer and a backdrop of a starry cloudless night. There was a small line of people queuing up for photos. Daphne squealed when she saw it, dragging Eric over. He shot me a funny look of pain while trying to put on a front of a smile at the same time. In the end, he looked constipated. Off to the side of the stage, a table was set up with voting boxes and ballots. I had voted on Thursday so it held no interest to me. At the back of the room was a refreshment table with punch, water, and finger foods. John nudged my side, stealing my attention from the room I had been taking in.
"Sookie let's go get our picture taken," John said leading me to the line behind the photographer. You would have thought that all the pictures at the house would have been enough for him, and I would have been the one dragging him. When it was our turn, the photographer had us stand in the standard dance picture position of the girl in front with the guy's arm around her waist. After taking a couple of snapshots, we headed back to our table, being spotted by Tara on the way.
"Sookie!" Tara yelled to me, waving. Eventually, we met in between our table and the punch table, where she was. "You look nice. Your eyes are super vibrant. I am glad you chose that one," Tara gushed, walking over to our table with us.
"Thank you, Tara. You look just royal. Are you getting nervous about the vote?" I asked as we took a seat.
"Nah, if I don't win there is always sweetheart and prom." Tara was one of the senior girls up for homecoming queen. Her composition was pretty stiff with a basketball player, cheerleader, two softball players, a drama girl, and soccer player. All were popular in their own right.
"That is a great way to look at it, but I bet that you get it," I said encouragingly. She just shrugged nonchalantly.
"Well," Tara said, standing again while smoothing out her dress, "I need to get back to Eggs cause his eyes have been wandering, if you know what I mean. I will see you later." She said walking off to her date. Those of us remaining sat for a couple of minutes, surveying who had attended when I felt a hand on mine. I turn to look into John's almost violet eyes.
"Sookie would you like to dance?" John asked shyly. I gave him my own shy smile.
"I would love to," I said standing up, still holding his hand. We walked to the dance floor, and as we reached it the band started to play Dream a little Dream of Me. It was a nice song to dance to. The female vocalist sang of craving a kiss when John bent down and pecked me on the lips. It was sweet and short. I smiled up at him and put my head on his chest, dancing like this for a few more songs before I needed to get a drink. John led me back to the table, heading off to retrieve our drinks. I sat in relative silence for a couple of moments, watching the others dance when I felt a tap on my right shoulder. I turned around and found Godric smiling down at me, dressed impeccably in a dark chocolate shade that he looked strangely beautiful in.
"I love your dress Sookie. It brings out your eyes. You look really pretty tonight."
"Thank you. You clean up well yourself." I returned his smile, blushing.
"Could I have this dance Sookie?" He asked extending his hand.
"Sure but I want to wait for John to get back. He went to get us some drinks and I don't want him to think I abandoned him." Godric smiled at my consideration, nodding.
"Ok. Have you been having a good time tonight?" I shook my head yes enthusiastically.
"Oh yes, just oodles. At dinner, everyone learned the importance of wearing underwear when you are a flyer from Daphne." I said sarcastically. "She has been the most helpful with her 'how to be a lady' tips, I don't know what I would have done without her sage advice." I rolled my eyes, even using air quotes. Godric just chuckled.
"I was asking more so along the lines if you were enjoying your date, but that is good to know as well." I blushed again.
"John has been the perfect gentleman all evening," I said smiling seeing the man in question has reappeared with our drinks.
"I am glad that you think so Babe. Here is your punch." He said handing me a cup. I drank it greedily. Godric turned to John to talk.
"Would you mind if I borrowed your date for the next song?"
"As long as Sookie is ok with it and you bring her back. I don't see the harm." I nodded my head in agreement and followed Godric back to the dance floor. The band was playing a faster song that I could not recognize. We jumped and bounced around to the song. At one point Godric spun me around and then dipped me. It was great fun and we were laughing hard when the song ended. He took me back to the table. By then, John had been joined by Eric and Holly.
"Thank you for the dance Sookie. I will come back for another one later." He said and then kissed my hand.
"You look like you were having fun out there was it a good dance?" John asked earnestly. He placed his arm around the back of my chair.
"I did! And Godric is a better dancer then he gives himself credit for." I said leaning back into John's arm.
"Would you be up for another dance partner Sookie?" Eric asked. I looked at John and he nodded his head. I agreed and we went to the dance floor. This time I recognized the song almost immediately. It was Jolene. I thought that it was rather appropriate for the situation as Daphne came over to claim her date back, glaring at me. I couldn't help it when my smile began to fall off my face as I left her with him, heading back to the table. Next thing I knew, before I could get two steps in, I was captured by someone else's arms. I whirled my eyes upwards, meting kind green eyes.
"I think you should get to finish your dance Sookie." It was Preston. He was smiling down at me and moving me off into the crowd on the dance floor. Laughing, I shrugged in agreement as he escorted me back to the dance floor. We danced for the rest of the song and the one after it. I took my leave as soon as the second song ended, him thanking me for the dance. I went back to the table to find Amelia and Holly talking. They stopped abruptly when they saw me.
"I need to go to the restroom would you come with me Sookie?" Asked Holly.
"I'll go too! Need to powder my nose," Amelia said standing up. The three of us made our way to the restroom, the closer we got, and the more I realized my need to go. I had just sat in the stall when I heard the door open again, letting in a few more girls.
"I cannot believe that she tried to pull that." A very disgruntled Daphne said leaning against the vanity to check her makeup. "I mean really who does she think she is dancing with my date?!" She sounded completely p.o-ed.
"He did ask her you know," Tanya interjected. Moments like these, I think Tanya really isn't that bad.
"That is not the point! She has been trying to take him from me all night, I just know it." Daphne whined. I swear I even heard her stomp her heel.
"I don't know why you are so insecure. She's a freshman. No competition to you" added Debbie. A compliment from Debbie is rare, even if it is at the expense of another person.
"You don't see the way he looks at her, it is like she can do no wrong. All of the guys have been that way with her all night! Well, I guess except for Tray but he has been so wrapped around Broadway's little finger." Daphne continued to rant. I could not understand this girl. She was so shallow and stupid, it was sad really. They left the bathroom after that. I sat in the stall for a minute trying to understand this crazy girl. She was jealous over nothing. I left the stall and washed my hands. Holly and Amelia were standing there waiting for me. We all stayed quiet on the way back to the table. Mrs. Fant, who was chaperoning the dance, came up to the microphone.
"Are you all having a fun time tonight?" She asked and got a huge burst of applause and screams. "That is great but I am here to remind you to vote for homecoming king and queen. Voting will close in thirty minutes so that we have time to count and crown our court. Have a great time I will be back up later to announce the winners." She said handing the microphone back to the singer.
Over the next hour, I danced with John and Godric again, and even Alcide. The music stopped, and Mrs. Fant returned to the stage. "Can I have all the nominees up to the stage please?" She asked and waited. Everyone trickled up to the stage taking their places, anxious looks on their faces. "Your homecoming court girls are Betsy Jones, Sophia Anthony, Mattie Bishop, Katie Miller, and Jamie Dubois. Your homecoming court boys are Alcide Herveaux, Preston Pardloe, Eric Northman, Tray Dawson, and JB Du Rone. Your homecoming Prince and Princess are John Quinn and Dani Lynn Rose. And your Homecoming King and Queen are Jason Stackhouse and Tara Thornton." Everyone broke out into a huge round of applause. Each person on court received a sash while John and Dani Lynn both got small crowns and flowers. Everyone except Jason and Tara stepped off the stage, giving the spotlight to the presentation of scepters and crowns to them. Ms. Fant handed Tara the biggest bouquet of red roses I had ever seen, the room filled with sounds of applause and cheers at the newly crowned King and Queen. They posed for the traditional picture. As the night wound down, the band announced that they would be playing their last song. John asked me to dance one more time. We swayed to the slow song. I had had a wonderful night overall, at least the good greatly outweighed the bad. We piled into the limo one last time for the trip back to Gran's house. Daphne had clung to Eric like a barnacle for the ride home. I was nestled into John's side. He and Alcide talked about the paper they had due on Monday. We got back to Gran's around midnight. I was surprised to see that the lights were still on. I climbed the back stairs to the kitchen and opened the door to find that Gran had company.