What's happening my lovelies! I'm offically the most excited to present this chapter! Why? Because its leading up to the climax! Anyways, so glad chapter 4 was enjoyable, and lets see if this one can measure up! Thanks for the FANTASTICAL reviews, and to pay you back for the great feedback, chapter 5! Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T ANYTHING BUT MY CREATED CHARACTERS AND MY OWN IMAGINATION.
Despite their crazy principal's antics, if there was one thing good to be said about Mesa High's leader, it was that he knew how to throw a party. When the lemonade gang walked into the gymnasium, it was completely transformed from their silly string prank earlier that day, and into a scene from a teenage movie. The gym was packed with dancing Mesa students, lit with string lights and star shaped cardboard cutouts hanging from the ceiling. There was a disco ball shining, giving the room multi-colored effect; signs reading, "Sizzling Summer Bash" hanging around the gym. There was a DJ playing the hottest music, as Ke$ha's We R Who We R boomed in the gymnasium.
"This place is off the chain!" Charlie exclaimed as the Lemonade mouth couples expressions said the same thing. Then two girls walked by and Charlie's teenage boy eyes followed. "What's going on ladies?" He said chasing to catch up with them. The lemonade gang laughed.
"Well it looks like Charlie is having fun, how about we hit the dance floor?" Wen said to Olivia holding out his hand.
"Lets' go!" Olivia said as she took Wen's hand and they made their way into the sea of teens.
"Come on Scott!" Mo said dragging him by the hand in the same direction. Ray, whose arm was draped loosely around Stella's shoulders, moved in front of her and took her by both hands with a smirk.
"Let's hope you're a better dancer than you are at giving pep talks. Last time you gave me one you slapped me. (A/N It's Obvious That Ray is Stella's Honeybee reference )" Stella smiled.
"You better hope I don't step on your foot too." She said as he took her to the dance floor.
At 10:30 the summer bash was at its height; the DJ was in his prime and every Mesa High student was on the dance floor creating a heated musk of teenage craze that was so familiar. The spiked punch was starting to take effect as girls fancy hairdos were falling, boys ties were increasingly becoming loose, and the heels that once were on girls feet were now abandoned as dancing took over. Even Stella, the ultimate symbol of nonconformity, was enjoying herself as she danced with her girlfriends, boy-friends, and her boyfriend, who she was pressed up against at the moment. Usher's Without You was playing, and after rocking out with Mo and Olivia during the fast portion, Ray pulled Stella by her waist to him during the slow portion as he buried his face into his neck as she smiled, placing her hands over his that lay on her stomach.
"12 inches apart people!" Brennigan's voice rang as he put a ruler in between Stella and Ray as he blew a whistle. All Stella could do was laugh, as Brennigan couldn't ruin her uncharacteristically happy mood.
"Weren't you ever a teenager Brennigan?" Stella yelled over the loud music.
"Yes, this is precisely why you are 12 inches apart! Now move it!" He ordered as Ray and Stella rolled their eyes and moved apart.
"Mohini, Scott! Same rule is for the both of you! And Charlie! Step away from those two young ladies!" Brennigan continued on his tirade of keeping the bash "pure". As soon as Brennigan was gone, Ray pulled Stella by her hips and brought her back against him.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you to obey?" Stella joked, as she couldn't complain about being in Ray's arms.
"She also taught me to the golden rule: treat others like you want to be treated." Ray smirked kissing her ear as she flinched away laughing. Unexpectedly, Wen was interrupting the couple's moment.
"Hey Ray, we're up dude." He said with a microphone in his hand.
"Okay man, I'm coming." Ray said as Wen nodded and made his way to the stage.
"Kiss for good luck?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Stella leaned in to kiss him, but pushed his chest playfully.
"You don't need luck." She said. Ray smirked and began to walk away.
"Tease!" He yelled, as he ran to catch up with Wen. A few moments later the music was cut short and uproar of protests came from the dancing teens as Brennigan came on stage.
"Let's not descend into madness students!" He tried to calm down, but met no such luck. "I'm interrupting your unsanctified fun, to introduce a performance by our very own Raymond Beech and Wendell Gifford." The teens began to cheer as the two emerged and Brennigan exited with a roll of his eyes.
"What's up Mesa High?" Ray yelled into the microphone, trying to get the crowd hype. He was met with excited screams and cat calls.
"It's summer time and who's ready to party?" The cheers got louder and more enthused as Stella shook her head and smiled. It always amazed her at the way Ray could get a crowd going. You would have thought they were back in Madison Square Garden with a crowd of 10,000.
"DJ, turn it up!" Ray exclaimed pointing to the DJ and he responded by turning the speakers up and an upbeat techno-hip hop track began to play.
"I'd like to introduce myself." Wen said into the microphone, his back to the crowd, as the lights began to flash.
Ray:
"We gon need some water
Cuz the roofs on fire
I stay cool regardless
We gon burnin up
We burnin up"
Ray sang pulling aviator shades out of his pocket and putting them on. The beat rose tempo, and Wen turned around doing what Wen did best: rapping.
Wen:
Ok [x4] Look
Yea I'm spearkin
Sweat workin
So far gone from ya earthins
That's for certain
Body hurtin
Too hot to stop drop the curtain
Realizin
I'm rising
They thought I'd never make it I surprised them
Destroyin
Recoilin
Back to the fact that I'm boilin
Olivia was screaming her head off, and Stella couldn't take the ear piercing shrills anymore.
"Liv why don't you go to the front and do that?" She suggested insistently as Olivia nodded enthusiastically and dragged Mo with her.
Wen:
Universal
Commercials
Getting flown over seas for rehearsals
Runnin laps around the game in a circle
And anybody speakin bout my name then it's personal
I keep it movin and I'm livin a rap
Like the only vision that I'm givin is the vision I'm after
And its gotta be the reason why you feelin my static
And I never thought you'd be jumpin like a kid on a mattress
We keep it hot
Ray enthusiastically jumped in the air and collaborated with Wen.
Ray:
100 and up up
the temperatures up up
Risin risin higher
100 and up up
This place burnin up up
Its on its on fire
"He's good isn't he?" Stella heard from beside her. She was shocked to see who the voice came from: none other than Patty St. Clare. Stella turned her attention back to the blonde bombshell going crazy onstage with her fiery red headed pal.
Ray:
We gon need some water
Cuz the roofs on fire
I stay cool regardless
We gon burnin up
We burnin up
Gon need some water
Cuz the roofs on fire
I stay cool regardless
We gon burnin up
We burnin up
"Yeah he is." Stella answered, unsure as to why Patty wanted to be chatty.
"Why he ever wanted to date a loser like you I'll never know." She said.
"Listen Patty, I'm not in the mood for your insults tonight!" Stella said growing angry. Patty rolled her aqua eye shadow covered eyes.
"Relax crouching tiger; I'm not trying to pick a fight. I'm glad you took him, I'm better off." Stella scoffed going back and watching Wen spit a rhyme on stage as Ray served as his hype man getting the crowd even more riled up.
Wen:
lyrics/a/adam_hicks/we_burni
We keep it goin till we hot and we blowin
The body heat the heat the bodys where the party is goin
I say the rhythems always in em and im gettin it goin
And probably be the reason why you see my temperature growin
I'm like
Show stopper
Flow doctor
Telling all your friends that I'm hotter
So probably watch and see
The way I get it goin while I'm flowin and droppin a beat
"Then if you're so happy I took him, why do you always have to give us such grief bra-stuffing Barbie?" Stella retorted not amused by Patty's racial comment. Patty sighed.
"Truth is, Ray is a self-centered jerk, but I can tell when he's with you he's who he really is. A decent human being." Patty commented as Stella gave her a surprising look.
"Are you complimenting me?" Patty scoffed.
"Don't be stupid. It's probably the heat and the shots of vodka I drank before I got here that's making me say these things. Anyway, all I'm saying is that you two are better together than me and he would have been; why, I have no idea." Patty commented taking a swig of her punch.
Wen:
I'm ballin
Not fallin
And I'm hotter than the party that we all in
I'm ruthless
You'll lose it
Like I handed you a bomb with the fuse lit
Now get it goin and I'm bringin the vibe
The motivation from my lyrics will be takin you higher
Appreciate and when you hear it keep the people inspired
So we can go down as the hottest when we finally retire
We keep it hot
Ray:
100 and up up
The temperatures up up
Risin risin higher
100 and up up
This place burnin up up
It's on it's on fire
We gon need some water
Cuz the roofs on fire
I stay cool regardless
We gon burnin up
We burnin up
"Listen Yamada don't take this interaction as I like you. No matter how mean Ray was to me, I really liked him. I just want him to be happy. And if it's you," She said gesturing to Stella herself, "Then so be it. I can tell you really love each other." At this Stella immediately protested.
"No we don't-" But Patty cut her off.
"Oh please, you're talking to the queen of gossips here. You'd have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to not notice that there is love behind those ear-splitting fights." Patty winked, as Stella blushed.
Ray and Wen:
100 and up
Burnin up
100 and up
And it go
And it go
And it go like
We gon need some water
Cuz the roofs on fire
I stay cool regardless
We gon burnin up
We burnin up
"Patty," Came Jules' voice as she appeared next to Patty. "Why are you talking to-" She looked Stella up and down. "Her?" Patty turned back to her usual stuff.
"Please, she started talking to me. It's like getting a dog not to bark to get her to shut up. Let's go." She said and then turned and walked away with Jules. Stella just shook her head at the strange encounter and turned back to her boyfriend who was currently acting like a completely rock star on stage. Stella had to giggle.
Wen and Ray:
Gon need some water
Cuz the roofs on fire
I stay cool regardless
We gon burnin up
We burnin up
Ha [x4]
Its true
Ray and Wen finished striking an ending pose. The crowd of Mesa High students and their dates roared as the two basked in the lime light. Wen ran across the stage slapping hands and Ray threw his shades into the crowd. The boys jumped off the stage and as Ray was trying to make a b-line to Stella, he was interrupted by a flood of friends blocking his way. Stella gave him a sympathetic look that said, "It's okay", and went to take a seat at one of the tables. She took a sip of a Mel's lemonade that she hid in her purse, and twirled a piece of her dark hair as the DJ announced on the microphone, "Alright kids, it's time to slow things down. Grab a partner, and show the love." Stella laughed at the DJ's corny line, and corny choice of song: Shania Twain's When You Kiss Me. The lights dimmed and every teen found a partner of the opposite sex with to dance. Stella watched with a smirk at Charlie slow dancing with two girls (how that was possible, it's hard to say), and Mo laying her head on Scotts shoulder as the song began to play.
"No one puts baby in a corner." She heard a familiar voice say in their best impression of Dirty Dancing. Stella smirked and turned around to see Ray smiling with an outstretched hand.
"Classic Swayze reference: I like it." She said and took his hand to the dance floor, now glistening from the silver shining of the disco ball.
This could be it, I think I'm in love
It's love this time
It just seems to fit, I think I'm in love
This love is mine
Ray and Stella found a space on the floor to dance, not too crowded by others, as Stella seemed to grow uneasy, not knowing where to place her hands. "You don't get a little excited about being pressed up close to Ray's chest as his hands lay delicately on your hips?" Olivia's words rang clear as a bell in Stella's head. Her face grew pale as Ray lightly pulled her close so that they were chest to chest, and his hands resting on her hips as hers locked carefully around his neck. They were face to face, and if they were to be any closer, they would be touching foreheads. Stella gulped down the goose bumps and stomach flutters she felt rising.
I can see you with me when I'm older
All my lonely night are finally over
You took the weight of the world off my
shoulders (the world just goes away)
(Chorus):
Oh, when you kiss me
I know you miss me-
and when you're with me
The world just goes away
The way you hold me
The way you show me that you
adore me-oh, when you kiss me
Oh, yeah
"So was giving in to the system worth it?" Ray asked his blue eyes shining with amusement.
"I'll let you know once I take these shoes off and see how bad the blisters are on my feet." Ray laughed, his boyishly handsome grin coming in on his adorable features; his laugh lines showing his small dimples. He gently hoisted her up by her waist so that her toes were on his, as he danced for the both of them. She laughed at his gesture.
"Well I'm glad you came Lucy." Stella laughed at her inside joke nickname.
"Well I can't complain blockhead." She said back as he pressed his cheek to hers as they swayed together again to the slow ballad.
You are the one, I think I'm in love
Life has begun
I can see the two of us together
I know I'm gonna be with you forever isn't
Love couldn't be any better
Stella brought her face up from Ray's neck to look into his Azul colored eyes. He was looking right into hers as if she was the only girl in the gymnasium, and at this time, she felt like she was.
The world just goes away
Ray's eyes went from hers to her lips, and he ran his thumb considerately and lingeringly over her bottom lip. Her face grew warm as his intense, passionate stare was fixated on her. With that action-and that look- it was as if all of the clues of the puzzle fell into place.
Oh, when you kiss me, I know you miss me
When Ray kissed her before the end of a date, or at school before they separated for class, it was her favorite kind of kiss of the day. That lip touch spoke volumes of his emotions that he couldn't put in words- that although they'd see each other in a few short hours, he couldn't get enough of her.
And when you're with me, the world just goes away
When she was with Ray, Stella couldn't pay attention to anyone or anything else. It was one thing for a girl to feel that way for a guy, but what was humbling and extraordinary to her, was that he treated her the same way. In a family of genius' who treated her like she didn't exist, and a world that once treated her like she didn't belong or deserve their attention, she finally had someone who gave her the most precious gift she had ever received: the special gift of treating her like most important person in the planet. "Or having him leans in close, and whisper sweet nothings in your ear?" Stella smiled as Ray whispered in her ear, "Your hair really does smell nice." She could feel the smirk on his face.
The way you hold me, the way you show me that you adore me
Stella got shivers when she thought of being in Ray's arms. It was almost as good as playing Madison Square Garden. His strong, muscular arms, thanks to hours of soccer training and weight lifting, kept her concealed and away from the cold danger of the world. Even though she describes his arms as if he was some superhero, it was way better. He made her feel adored, wanted, safe, important, and like precious cargo. No superhero, not even sexy Christian Bale as Batman, could make her feel that way. "And him kissing you passionately as they play the last notes to a romantic ballad?" Olivia's voice rang once again. Stella was so lost in his gaze and her thoughts, that she didn't even realize he was leaning down to kiss her.
Oh, when you kiss me Oh, yeah
It was in that perfect kiss, that when Ray pulled away, Stella didn't grow pale from his heat, but from a sudden pang of panic. It was like that moment when the CSI team figures out the murder, and the answer is right in front of them all along, and now there is the panic that they have to catch the murder before he or she strikes again. Granted, Ray was not a murderer and this wasn't CSI but a high school dance, but that same sense of panic hit Stella as she realized what she might be feeling, and that all along it was right there screaming at her to listen.
"Stella." Ray simply uttered to bring her attention back to him. His face suddenly seemed tense and anxious. "I have to tell you something." Stella's breath caught. She wasn't ready to here this. To face a new truth and something that could make a big difference in their relationship. Because just like a CSI murderer, he was about to slaughter her ignorance and bring her to reality. Ray took a brave breath.
"Stella-"
"I need to go." She said quickly cutting him off. He was taken aback.
"What?"
"Bathroom. I mean I have to go to the bathroom." She said anxiously trying to find her wording.
"Can you wait? I really want to tell you something impor-"
"Nope can't wait." She said hurriedly. "REALLY gotta pee." She said jittering for effect. Ray sighed in defeat, letting her go.
"Okay. I'll be here when you get back." He said. She nodded okay, and almost ran to the exit door to the restrooms. Ray was left standing in the middle of the dance floor running a stressed and confused hand through his hair.
"Another opportunity missed. Great." Ray said to himself.
Stella ran into the girls' bathroom with the overwhelming feeling of being sick. She turned the sink water on full blast and threw cold water on her face. To hell with the makeup, she had to calm down. She grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser, and dabbed her face.
"You're okay Stella. You're okay." She repeated to herself. She put her hands under the cold water for a few moments and took deep relaxing breaths. She rapidly shook her hands free of the water. Now she knew how Olivia felt the night of the Halloween Bash; and boy did it suck. She pressed her palms to the sink and looked into the mirror that was in front of her. The one she purposely avoided when she walked in.
"I can tell you really love each other."
"Stella, I have to tell you something."
Stella heard these words loud and clear as she looked in the mirror, and felt a sudden wave of nausea. She rushed to the stall and coughed up everything she ate that day. Stella leaned over the toilet for a moment, and then flushed the toilet. This dance was turning out to be what she expected: sickening. Stella wiped her mouth, and sat on the bathroom floor with her head in her hands. "What the hell is wrong with me? So your boyfriend loves you, so what? That's better than hate." She tried to convince herself. "And what wrong if you feel the same way...or don't? Or do? Or don't? Urr!" She inwardly screamed. Stella didn't know what to do. It seemed like during everything in her and Ray's relationship, she was always having some inner turmoil, and sitting and stewing on the bathroom floor wasn't making anything better. So Stella did the only thing she could think of to get out of this situation, and what the coward she felt like would do: she ran.
DUN DUN DUN! Where is she going? What will she do? Well, you gotta hold your britches until the next chapter! Until then, use the power of technology and tell me your thoughts! Can't wait to hear from you all! Peace, Love, and Summer Sun!
Allure xoxo