A/N: Please don't hate me for this! It needed to be done!
Don awoke the next morning with the crunch of dried tears on his cheeks. He'd tried all night to apologize to her but she wouldn't return his calls. It was the first time he'd cried himself to sleep since his mom died. The only difference being that the hurt was all his fault this time. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, he began to get ready for school. He would apologize to her there, tell her wasn't taking Melody to the dance because he was in love with her. It was so perfect, how could it not work? He stood in front of the school doors, taking deep, steadying breaths to calm his nerves, before finally pushing them open. With calm determination, he marched in the direction of Josie's locker. He turned the corner and his heart ripped in two. Josie stood at her locker with Brian, laughing harder than Don had ever seen her laugh. Every time she put her hand on Brian's arm, his chest tightened. It was too hard for him to breathe and he turned away to leave. The walk down the hall was hard; he was turning his back on his best friend and the love of his life. Tears burned the back of his eyes and soon he found himself back outside in the warm morning sun. People pushed him aside in their rush to class and as his back hit the wall, he decided it just wasn't a good day for school. So he left.
---
Josie sat in third period English, looking over to her left. A desk usually occupied by Don was empty and cold. She chewed her bottom lip and finished copying the notes. Don had been missing all day and she was starting to worry. Another night had passed without then saying their usual good nights and wasn't something Josie was used to. Their fight from the previous night seemed silly to her now. If Don wanted to go to the dance with Melody, she couldn't stop him. Going to the dance didn't mean they would become a couple. Don could end up hating Melody just as much as she herself did. She glanced up at the clock, waiting for the bell to signal the end of class. Once it did, she would go looking for Don. She would apologize to him and tell him she didn't judge him for taking Melody to the dance. After an eternity of waiting, the bell rang. Josie was the first one out the door and was half way to her locker when Mike stepped in front of her. She inwardly groaned at the interruption of her quest, but gave him a wide smile.
"Hi Mike. Have you seen Don at all today?" she asked, continuing down the hall.
He kept pace beside her. "That's what I actually came to you about. I haven't seen him and I kinda wanted to talk to him."
"Yeah me too," she sighed. "What did you want to talk to him about?"
"Oh um…football stuff," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Did you know he was taking Melody to the dance?" she inquired, stopping at her locker and fiddling with the combination lock.
"Uh…will you hurt me if I say yes?" he countered.
She smiled and placed her hand on his wrist. "No."
"Then uh…yeah. I knew. Most of us did. Although none of us knew why he was taking her when-" He paused when he saw Don approaching them. "Don! Where have you been all day man?"
"Just…out. Hey Mike do you mind if I talk to Josie for a bit?" he inquired, casting a glance down at the placement of Josie's hand.
Josie threw her books in her locker, slamming it shut. "I was just coming to find you Donnie. I needed to talk to you about last night."
"Alright let's go talk then," Don stated gruffly, grabbing her wrist and dragging her down the hall.
"Don, stop it. You're hurting my arm," she said as he pulled her outside.
He sighed, releasing his grip on her. "I'm sorry. I'm just-I saw you with Brian this morning."
She blinked. "What-oh at the very start of the morning?" He nodded. "Yeah he had a story about Melody he just HAD to tell me. It was actually pretty funny."
"Why do you treat her like that? Don't you think talking about people behind their backs is a little rude?" he snapped.
More blinking. "She does it to me all the time. I told you Don, she's not a good person. But it was Brian's story not mine."
"Well you weren't helping by laughing your damn ass off," he barked. 'Shut up Don! This is NOT the direction you were supposed to take this conversation in!'
"You know what Don Billingsley? I was actually sorry for what I said to you last night. I even wanted to tell you- you're being an asshole for no reason! If you want to go to the dance with Melody and be her little lap dog for the rest of your life then go ahead!" Josie shouted, turning her back to him.
"What were you going to tell me Jos?" he asked, suddenly forgetting his anger.
"It doesn't even matter anymore. The moment is gone," she huffed, walking away.
He jogged along side her. "Well, what was it about?"
"You can't just bite my head off and expect me to pour my heart out to you right afterwards. Leave me alone Don. Go home and get ready for your stupid date with Melody. A date that I spent the last week teaching you how to look good for!" she snapped.
"Are you going with Mike?"
"He didn't ask me. I'm going alone," she said, storming off towards the bus.
He stopped jogging and watched her go. His curiosity was eating him inside. She had wanted to tell him something about last night and he blew it by being insensitive. With a sigh he walked back to the school, only to bump into Mike on his way. A small groan must have passed his lips, because Mike backed up, a little hurt.
"Well it's nice to see you too Billingsley," he said, shifting his backpack to his other shoulder.
"Why didn't you ask Josie to the dance?" Don inquired.
Confusion passed over Mike's dark features. "Well because she's going with Brian. He asked her this morning and she said yes."
"WHAT?" Don bellowed. "She just told me she was going by herself because you didn't ask her!"
A small smile danced onto his face. "She was waiting for me to ask her? Then why did she say yes to Brian today?"
Don growled in anger. "Because she's mad at me for taking Melody, so she's trying to get back at me. Son of a bitch! I told Chavez he couldn't ask her and she already told him no! Why would he ask her again?"
"Maybe he found out that she knew about you and Melody?" Mike suggested with a shrug. "But uh, if this date with Brian is just a shot at you and they don't start dating, would it be cool if I asked her out?"
"What?" Don asked, blinking in confusion. "Why would you need to ask my permission? I'm not her father."
"No but you're her best friend and you're kind of in love with her," Mike stated.
"I am not in love with her," Don snapped with suspicious quickness. "If I was in love with her I would have asked her to the dance myself."
"Unless you were afraid she'd say no," Mike observed. "But if you're not in love with her then, well, I guess it's ok with you?"
Don snorted. "Ask her out. See if I care."
Before Mike could say anything, Don had stormed into the school. With a tired sigh, he made his way to the bus to begin psyching himself up for the dance.
---
The gym was a mess of streamers, balloons and confetti. Don stood against the wall, sulking as he watched the door. He had been at the dance for an hour with Melody and he already wanted to go home. But Josie hadn't arrived yet and he couldn't leave until he confronted her. Mike stood next to him, shifting uneasily every time Melody walked up to them and demanded that Don dance with her or she would leave. To Mike's amusement, Don obeyed each time and the pushy cheerleader would drag him to the middle of the dance floor with her friends. But Don's eyes never left the doors to the gym, and Mike found himself glancing in the same direction when he wasn't busy laughing at his friend. That was how the both saw Josie saunter in on Brian's arm twenty minutes later. Her brown hair was long down her back, setting off the gold in her dress. Don felt his breath catch in his throat, something that Melody mistook for herself. She smiled and pulled Don closer, but he wrenched himself free. When she turned to see her dance storming across the room to the girl at the door, her vision went red. Mike, who seemed to sense confrontation a mile away, quickly moved to intercept his angry friend. The three of them arrived at the duo at the same time, but Don got the first words out.
"I thought you said you were coming alone tonight?"
"Oh did I? Sorry, I guess I lied. It's something you should recognize," she replied coldly, clutching Brian's arm tighter.
"That was harsh, Josie. I never lied to you about coming to the dance with Melody," Don said, folding his arms over his chest.
"You didn't? Oh well forgive me. Bullshit Don, you just lied to me again. All the times I asked you who you were taking to the dance, what did you say?" she demanded.
"I uh, I said that…I never said I was taking Melody!" he stammered.
"Ha! I believe your response was: I just haven't asked anyone yet. I wanted to learn how to dance before I asked her," she said, her voice dropping to a low, dull tone when she mocked Don.
"Shut up Josie, quit being such a bitch!" Don shouted. "You have no idea what was going on in my head every time I said that to you!"
"Well do enlighten me Don. I can't imagine it was all that much, since you only think about ONE THING. Because didn't you say to me that you had a huge line up of girls to choose from?" she yelled.
"Uh guys, you sort of have an audience so maybe you should just take this-"
"Shut up Mike!" the two bellowed, unaware that all the dancing had stopped.
"Oh nice Don. You sure do know how to treat your friends," Josie sneered.
"Well Miss High and Mighty, do you want to tell Mike why you're really here with Brian? Because he was going to ask you to be his date tonight, since you led him on so nicely," Don barked.
"Do you think you could keep me out of this?" Mike inquired, a blush creeping up his neck.
"I did NOT lead him on!" Josie shrieked. "I'm with Brian because he asked me and I wanted to go with him."
"Bullshit! You never wanted to go with Brian. You waited for almost two weeks for Mike to ask you. And you PROMISED me you wouldn't go with Brian! Yet here you are," Don roared.
"Don stop it! I-"
"You know what Josie? You are nothing but a backstabbing whore!"
The whole gym fell silent. Everyone in the room knew how close Don and Josie had been for the past six years and to hear him say that to her was too much for them. Mike's mouth hung open in shock, while Melody couldn't hide the smile on her face. Brian was oblivious to the whole situation as he stared at all the girls in short skirts. The two at the centre of the storm stood face to face, one on the verge of tears and the other in complete shock at the words that had come out of his mouth. Don opened his mouth to immediately take them back, but the palm of her hand connected with the side of his face and nearly sent him to the ground. Her tears fell freely down her flushed cheeks now and Don could see the world of pain he had just caused her. His cheek throbbed and his jaw felt out of place but all he could feel was the tight constriction of his chest. She was panting with anger and pain as she pushed him against the wall, a fistful of his shirt in her hand.
"I don't ever want to talk to you again Don Billingsley, do you understand? You are worthless to me. I hope you enjoy your whore," she breathed, too angry to yell anymore. "Take me home Brian."
Brian wandered out of his daze and nodded. "Yeah alright. This is a boring dance anyway."
Don watched her walk away, unable to say anything to make her stay. "I'm going home Melody. Enjoy the rest of the dance."
"Uh Don? Will I see you tomorrow?" she inquired.
He nodded. "Sure Melody. You'll see me everyday."
She smiled and kissed him. "Goodnight Donnie."
He sighed and turned to Mike. "I'm sorry man."
All Mike could do was nod and wave his goodbyes.