Author's Note: I was about to update this chapter yesterday, but I had to study for my Biology test. But now I am back, and very FREE. F-R-E-E. FREE. I have one thing to say: I blame my Beatles obsession on my dad, because he was the first person to introduce me to the greatest band on earth. 'Nuff said. This chapter's quite long. I won't be surprised if you're bored. Anywho -

Eleanor's POV

I was less excited than my classmates when my dance teacher told my classmates and I that we were going to have a winter formal dance next Saturday. All of my classmates had boyfriends, and I was the only girl who didn't have a boyfriend. Ah, well, I can always spend the Saturday evening with a good book at home. I knew George wasn't going to ask me, because he had Ruth. Especially Paul, because he had Dorothy. And Mike was dating someone else. I felt even more depressed when Ramona asked me if I was going to the winter formal next week during lunch break.

"No, I'm not," I said, shaking my head.

"Why not?" she asked, sounded very surprised.

"Because no one's asking me," I said. "And I bet all boys in the other building have girlfriends. I am not going, Ramona."

"But the dance won't be fun without you, Eleanor," she said.

"It won't be fun without me, because they can tease me for not having a date," I said. "Forget it, I'm not going. I don't have time for silly dances, anyway."

"Well, maybe Mrs. Fisher can find you a partner," she said. "She told us we must come, didn't she?"

I sighed, and rolled my eyes. "I can always pretend that I am ill," I said.

"Whether you like it or not, I am going to find you the most perfect date, Eleanor! I swear to you!" she said. "After school, you're going to meet my cousin, Jonathan, at the usual café. You're going to love him!"

I gave a scoffing laugh. "Ramona, please, don't arrange blind dates for me," I said kindly. "I am perfectly fine, I really am. I am happy being a single seventeen-year-old girl."

"Are you? Then why do you always complain in French that you don't have a boyfriend?" she asked with a smirk.

I looked away from her. "Merde!" I swore in French quietly, and then looked at her again. "I'll just let Mrs. Fisher choose a partner for me."

"Okay, then," she said.

I came to Mrs. Fisher after classes, and told her nobody asked me to the winter formal dance. I told her if I nobody asked me to go to the dance, I wouldn't come. But she could only laugh.

"Don't worry, Eleanor," she said with a friendly grin. "I will find you some handsome lad from Liverpool Institute for Boys. If they're all unavailable, well, I suppose, you have to go with my son."

"You have a son, Mrs. Fisher?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes, I do," she said. "His name is Jonathan. He's about your age. A very handsome young lad, he is. But, we shall see until the end of the week."

I walked out of the school building with a frown. I got in the bus when the doors were about to close, and I thanked the driver. I paid the fee, and went up to the top deck of the bus. Paul greeted me when he saw me.

"Eleanor, Eleanor! Sit next to me, my lovely Eleanor!" he said with a grin, and everyone in the top deck was snickering.

I sat next to Paul with both of my cheeks flushed red. Paul should stop calling me his "lovely Eleanor", even though I quite enjoyed being called his "lovely Eleanor". Oh, Paul…

"Paul, please stop calling me your 'lovely Eleanor'," I said softly while chuckling. "Birds who fancy you might be jealous!"

"And is one of those birds who fancy me is you?" he asked cheekily while wiggling his eyebrows.

I looked at him with a disgusted look on my face. "Don't be cheeky, Paul," I said. "Anyway, did you hear about the winter formal dance?"

"I thought it was only a dream!" he said.

"Well, it is going to happen, and I don't have a date to go the dance! I'd rather go to an orgy than to a formal dance." I said with a sigh.

"No, I'd prefer a formal dance than an orgy," he said. "I'll go with you, Eleanor."

"And what about Dorothy?" I asked, looking at him.

"Dorothy is going to Bristol with her parents next week," he said. "So, what d'you say, Ellie? Are you willing to go to a dance with a devilishly handsome lad, which is me?"

I chuckled, and gave a shy smile. "Alright, then," I said. I was really happy to know Paul was going to be my date for the formal dance. I'd be going with Paul!

I told Mrs. Fisher the next day at school that I was going to the dance with Paul. And her response was:

"Excellent! Oh, and aren't you and Paul lovers?"

I chuckled, and shook my head. "No, we're not lovers, Mrs. Fisher," I said with a grin. "We're just close mates, s'all. Nothing more. Besides, he has Dorothy for his girlfriend."

"And how does Dorothy feel about this?" she asked.

"Oh, she won't mind at all," I said. "Besides, she's going to Bristol next week. She won't mind Paul is going with me."

"Alright, then," she said with a smile.

We had the dance rehearsal the next week, and we met in the boys' music room. The instruments were placed in the other side of the room, while the chairs were in the opposite side. I sat next to Paul, and my heart was beating fast. I heard dance rehearsal was worst than the real deal. I was nervous as hell! Oh, God! I could feel Paul's hand touching mine. Mr. Hardy and Mrs. Fisher told everyone to stand up, and stand before each other after they'd showed how to dance.

"Do you know how to do this?" I asked Paul.

"Don't worry," he said with an assuring wink.

I set my hand on his shoulder, and he held my free hand with his. He placed his right hand on my waist, and pulled me close until our bodies touched. I started to chuckle nervously.

"I think Mrs. Fisher told us to not stand so close to each other," I said as I stepped backward.

"Alright, then," he said with a cheeky smile. "You move your right leg back, and then your left. Don't look down, but look up into my eyes. Don't worry about stepping my foot."

I held my head up high, and I looked into his eyes, just like what he told me to do. He nodded his head, and started to count as we danced slowly. He twirled me around, and then leaned me down. My blood was rushing to my brain, and I laughed.

"Paul, don't do this to me!" I said, laughing.

We stood straight, again, and laughed. It took us an hour to get it right, and not fool around. We walked out of school with satisfied looks on our faces.

"That wasn't bad, now, wasn't it?" he asked.

"Not that bad." I agreed, smiling.

"What are you going to wear this Saturday?"

"A white or blue dress. Je ne connais pas, either, maybe?" I said.

He chuckled as we walked in the bus. I looked at him with a puzzled look, and asked him what was wrong.

"Oh, nothing's wrong, my Eleanor," he said with his handsome smile as we sat down at the back row. "I just love it when you slip a French phrase in a sentence. But don't show off, won't ya?"

I could feel my cheeks blushing heavily. "I am not showing off, Paul," I insisted.

"Of course, you're not," he said with a cheeky smile.

Paul's POV

Mr. Hardy told me and my classmates that we were going to have a winter formal dance. I wasn't really that excited about it, because Dorothy would be going to Bristol next week with her family for the winter break. Oh, wait, I have Eleanor. How could I forget about her? But…some lucky lad must've asked her already by now, because she's a very pretty girl, even though she still uses spectacles occasionally. I'll ask her later when I meet her.

I asked George about Eleanor during lunch, and he didn't seem very interested in talking about her. That was something odd. He usually got excited when I talk about her. It started when he started dating Ruth.

"Do you think Eleanor has a partner to go to the formal dance?" I asked him.

"How should I know? Why don't you just go and ask her yourself like what you always do?" he asked grumpily.

"What's wrong with you today?" I asked. "Not today, but all the days every time I speak to you about Eleanor. What? You're not interested with her anymore, because you have Ruth to fool around with?"

"Oh, sod off, Paul. I've never been interested with Eleanor, remember?" he said. "Even though I tried to be her friend, but she's just so…infuriating."

"Is it her that is infuriating, or is it you?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes.

"George, how can you think she's infuriating?" I asked again.

"Because I am not you, Paul," he said. "I don't think she's a very kind girl like what you always describe to me. And she's not even that beautiful, like what I said a few years ago, remember? She drives me mad!"

"It's because she's still in love with you, you swine!" I insisted.

He looked at me with both of his eyes wide opened, and his jaw hanging. He blinked for a few times. "Paul, she hates me, now," he said, and stood up from the chair while holding his half-eaten sandwich. "I started dating Ruth, because I was starting to fall in love with Eleanor slowly! I can't get Eleanor off my mind! And now my life is in deep shite, because Eleanor hates me, Paul. Excuse me, I'll just eat in the bathroom."

He walked away, and looked at the door. I couldn't believe George dated Ruth, because he slowly adored Eleanor. What was he afraid of? Eleanor's not going to bite him. What a pussy.

I greeted Eleanor when I saw her in the bus after school. I told her to sit next to me, and called her "my lovely Eleanor". She seemed very embarrassed, and sort of happy about it. I made everyone snicker. She sat next to me, and her cheeks were very red.

"Paul, please stop calling me your 'lovely Eleanor'. Birds who fancy you might be jealous!" she chuckled softly.

"And is one of those birds who fancy me is you?" I asked cheekily.

She looked at me with a disgusted look. "Don't be cheeky, Paul. Anyway, did you hear about the winter formal dance?"

"I thought it was only a dream!"

She told me it was going to happen, and she told me she didn't have a date to go to the dance with. Poor girl. I told her I would go with her to the dance.

"And what about Dorothy?" she asked me.

"Dorothy is going to Bristol with her parents next week," I said. "So, what d'you say, Ellie? Are you willing to go to a dance with a devilishly handsome lad, which is me?"

She giggled, and gave a shy smile. "Alright, then," she said.

We had the dance rehearsal the next week, and we met in the music room. I sat next to Eleanor as we watched Mr. Hardy and Mrs. Fisher danced around the room. I could feel Eleanor's heart beating so hard.

I sneaked a peek at her, and she was looking at them dance with her mouth slightly opened and her eyes were sparkling.

"Do you know how to do this?" she asked me when we started dancing.

"Don't worry." I winked at her.

She set her hand on my shoulder, and I held my hand with hers. I placed my other hand on her waist, and pulled her close until our bodies touched. I could feel her bust against my chest. She giggled nervously.

"I think Mrs. Fisher told us to not stand so close to each other," she said as she stepped backward—not feeling her breasts against my chest anymore. Darn it!

"Alright, then. You move your right leg back, and then your left. Don't look down, but look up into my eyes. Don't worry about stepping my foot." I told her with a smile.

She held her head up high, and looked into my eyes. I nodded my head, and started to count as we danced slowly. We were getting to it, and I twirled her around, and leaned her down. She laughed with sparkles in her beautiful eyes.

"Paul, don't do this to me!" she begged, laughing.

We stood straight, and laughed at our silliness. It took us an hour to get it right, and not fool around. I was pretty happy that I rehearsed with her. She was very adorable.

"That wasn't bad, now, wasn't it?" I asked.

"Not that bad."

"What are you going to wear this Saturday?"

"A white or blue dress. Je ne connais pas, either, maybe?" There she goes, she said a French phrase that I didn't understand, even though I've heard it many times.

I chuckled as we walked in the bus.

"What's wrong, Paul?" she asked me.

"Oh, nothing's wrong, my Eleanor. I just love it when you slip a French phrase in a sentence. But don't show off, won't ya?"

Her cheeks burned red. "I am not showing off, Paul."

"Of course, you're not." I said with a smile.

I said goodbye to her when we were in my stop. I couldn't wait to see her again tomorrow.

Author's Note: What did I tell you? It's really long. Tell me what you think by REVIEWING! Bye, everyone! Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful day filled with peace and love!

P.S. I love Tintin.