Chapter Two: I'm Not That Girl.
IQ slowly got up from his seat on the toilet and walked out of the stall as Fender had moved hearing his best friend begin to stir. "You sure, you're okay?" asked Fender looking at his best friend, who looked very pale and completely not like himself. Fender knew behind the studying and the glasses, IQ was a great guy and he had a lot of personality, but the Council only saw him as the nerdy one, the one who was tops of their class at Patterson Park, the one who knew all the answers, and was usually doing half of their homework for them. Fender smiled: "Come on buddy, I'm going to need you to be healthy and ready to rock for the Corny Collins Hop tonight!" he said as he put his arm around IQ's shoulders.
IQ smiled as he looked at his best friend, who had just placed his arm around, it sent a warmth through his entire body, it felt perfect, almost heavenly, but to others it would seem a sin to think of another boy like that, IQ looked at Fender and half smiled as he put his glasses back on his face: "Don't worry, Fender, I'll be ready for the hop, trust me." he said smiling as he starred into Fender's dark eyes and seemed lost for a moment until he felt Fender's arm leave his shoulders with a gentle pat. "That's great, man. I cannot wait." Fender said as he licked his hand and sent it through his already Ultra Clutch stiff hair. "Can't let my best friend, sit home alone." he said as he walked out onto the set and awaited the show to begin. IQ smiled. "Yeah, I'll never let you down." IQ said in a dreamy tone as he starred at the perfection of his best friend, then shook his head attempting to rid the feelings once more, only to lose them in the opening notes of the theme song, The Nicest Kids in Town.
The show ended and the kids were all a twitter with the excitement for the hop that night. IQ smiled as he grabbed his books from his dress table and walked toward the exit, and then looked back at his table at the exact moment, Tammy came crashing down onto the seat of her table in tears. IQ hid behind a piece of set and watched the scene unfold: Lou Ann came walking up to her dress table as she grabbed her purse from the table and was collecting her personal belongings. "How could you." Tammy's voice rang up from the facedown position she was in on her dress table.
"Do what?" said Lou Ann innocently acting as if she didn't know what the hell Tammy was talking about. IQ was shocked, Lou Ann was a known bitch, everyone knew it, she competed with Amber for the title of Council Bitch, but Amber was much harsher and meaner, and usually won hands down. Lou Ann continued to stuff things into her purse. Tammy stood up calmly and walked over to Lou Ann's table and knocked the purse off the table. "You know exactly what you did you backstabbing bitch! You stole my god damn boyfriend from right under my nose!" exclaimed Tammy getting into it with Lou Ann: IQ could see her eyes were red from crying and her face was growing angry by the moment.
"You stupid bitch!" exclaimed Lou Ann, whose hand went slapping across Tammy's already red face, making it even more red. IQ drew back as the two began screaming and fighting over Fender. IQ slowly made his way out of the door, as Velma's voice rang out in shriek and IQ knew that the two had been found and would be dealt with accordingly.
IQ stood in his bathroom of his home getting his hair exactly right for the hop: IQ had showered and dressed and was now working on his 'do. IQ smiled as he ran a comb through his already stiff hair attempting to make it look completely stiff, as if it were possible. IQ sprayed more Ultra Clutch onto his hair and then fluffed his grayish green jacket and looked at himself in the mirror with a soft smile: IQ gazed into the mirror and he thought about Fender and the fight that had occurred just as he was leaving the show that afternoon, IQ slowly went over the motto in his mind to repress this silly feelings for Fender, he couldn't possibly, be.. he couldn't even get himself to say it, he had repressed it so much. IQ smiled as he heard his mother's voice ring up from the living room: "IQ! Fender is here." Her voice said with its sweet motherly tone, if only she knew her son's lust had just walked into their home.
Fender walked into the Duke family living room, one he had been in so many times before, pictures of IQ and his family were all over the living room: One of himself and IQ caught his eye and Fender slowly picked it up from the small coffee table: The picture was one taken when they were five years old and they had just celebrated IQ's fifth birthday and Fender had smashed cake into IQ's face and IQ had smashed some into Fender's face and they had their arms around each other's shoulders and someone had taken a picture. Fender touched the frame's edges and smiled remembering the good old days when girls had cooties and he and IQ had been closer than ever.
IQ made his way down the stairs and noticed what Fender was doing and smiled and snuck up on his best friend slowly: "You know, you smashed it in my face, I was just getting revenge." He said smirking as he noticed Fender slightly jump. Fender looked at IQ: "Yeah right, you know you hit me first." Fender said jokingly as he handed the frame to IQ to put down when their hands touched. IQ felt the warmth from earlier returning, but he pushed it aside. Fender looked at IQ and for a brief moment he swore that he saw his best friend blush. Fender shrugged it off as IQ put the picture on the table. "Ready to rock, IQ?" asked Fender strumming a fake air guitar as he usually did for the opening of the show. "Yes, I am, Fender!" he said as he stood looking back at the photo then following his friend outside.
The hop was doing just that, hopping. IQ had danced and danced to the latest hits, he had twisted and shouted, mashed potatoed, shook his tail feather and done The Madison. IQ's eyes searched the crowd, ignoring the Negro section being roped off to the left. IQ was looking for Fender, but he couldn't find him. IQ sighed as he felt the beat of the next song and slowly continued to dance. IQ felt the fast beat begin to slow as Corny's smooth baritone come into the air: "Now a song for all you crazy kids in love." Corny said making a brief wink at Brenda, who turned bright pink. IQ sighed as he stood against the wall looking bored, no one ever wanted to slow dance with him, so he'd watch the others and sigh. IQ felt himself go breathless as he caught sight of Fender and Lou Ann. IQ looked at the two of them and them seemed so close, and then Lou Ann looked up into Fender's eyes for a brief moment and gazed into them then their lips met and IQ felt his voice shriek: "No!" very loudly over the music. People turned to look at IQ who had just caused a major scene: Fender and Lou Ann pulled away from their kiss to look at IQ, who had turned bright red and his eyes had begun to tear up. IQ looked at everyone then back at Fender and Lou Ann and made a b-line for the door. "IQ! Wait!" said Fender following his best friend out the door of Patterson Park, leaving the room in whispers.