Ch. 10
(P.O.V : None)

The school bell rang while over two-thousand anxious kids fled the school, wanting to be home. Wally and Nigel, who had the same seventh hour, walked out talking about what they were going to do after the dance on Friday.

"I dunno, we could have another party at my tree house," Nigel suggested.

"Fine by me," Wally shrugged, walking on his toes trying to find Kuki.

"Looking for someone?" Wally heard behind him.

"Not anymore," he said smiling, forgetting Nigel was there in the first place. Nigel walked awkwardly beside them, waiting for one of them to say something to him. 'Geeze, those two are impervious,' Nigel said to himself, shaking his head. 'Oh well, at least they're happy,'

"Anyone in there," Nigel heard a voice ask him.

"Oh, sorry about that; I was just thinking…," Nigel said, trailing off as he watched a girl walking, her books clutched in her arms. He's always seen the girl around school, but never has he talked to her. As the hallway got more crowded, more people started pushing their ways out of other's; that was when Valerie decided to get some space of her own, shoving the girl down. Unaware kids accidentally kicked or stepped on her, that eventually led to her being yelled at by them. Nigel ran over to help up the girl.

"You okay," he asked, concerned.

"In all honesty, not really," she replied as she tried to get the scattered papers back in her books.

"Let me help you," he proffered, picking up the papers one by one so more dirt wouldn't tarnish them.

"Thanks," she said sweetly, attaining the stack of papers from him and setting them in her book.

"What's your name," Nigel asked, gathering himself.

"Rachael. Rachael McKenzie," she replied as they stood up.

"I'm Nigel," he said, scanning the hallway to find Wally and Kuki.

"Nice to meet you," Rachael said as they started walking slowly. Impetuously, Nigel blurted out, "You going to tomorrow's dance?"

"I was; with my friends. But not anymore. They're all flaking out on me," she said disappointedly.

"Oh," Nigel said, smiling at the idea that formed in his head. "Would you want to come with me and my friends?"

"Really? That would be great!" Rachael said, now smiling.

"Awesome! If you're not doing anything, we could go somewhere so you could meet them," Nigel started, but realized he might have been taking it too fast. "That is, if you want to," he said, finishing his statement.

"I'd love to! I know this great place that we could meet at then eat dinner!"

"Cool," Nigel said, as they took a moment to exchange phone numbers.

"So…I'll text you later!" Rachael called out before boarding the school bus.

"Awesome," Nigel said, running off to locate Wally and Kuki. After he finally caught up with them, Kuki asked, "Where did you go?"

Later on that night, Nigel, Abby, Hoagie, Kuki, and Wally all sat in a booth in The Base, a new eatery including an arcade, comfy couches, and small televisions at each table. Nigel was tapping his fingers impatiently with his eyes glued on the front door.

"So, what are we waiting for again?" Abby inquired.

"I don't know, but I'm about to hit the arcade," Hoagie said, staring at the hundreds of glowing buttons and controllers from across the room.

"She's here!" Nigel yelled, waving his hands in the air trying to get Rachael's attention. She walked over as Nigel scooted over in the both, accidentally shoving Hoagie.

"Ow," Hoagie grumbled.

"Hello, everyone," Rachael said, waving. "I'm Rachael,"

"Hello, Rachael; nice to meet you!" Kuki chirped.

"Sup, girl?" Abby added.

"Hey," Wally murmured, tossing her a nod.

"Rachael will be joining us at the dance; her friends totally blew her off."

"Man, that ain't cool!" Abby grumbled.

"Yeah, well, it's fine, really. They're not very nice, anyways," Rachael said, trying to forget the people she hung out with.

The six teens ate dinner, then made their separate ways; the boys heading off to the arcade while the girls got acquainted and talked about 'girl stuff.' It was about eight o'clock, after three hours, that they finally decided to head home.

Arriving at Rachael's house, Nigel walked her up to her doorstep. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Rachael replied happily, as she opened the front door. "Good night," she finished, and then shut the door behind her. Nigel ran back to his car full of excitement; he couldn't wait until the dance. He drove home, thinking of all the fun him and his friends were going to have Friday night. Arriving home, he ran straight upstairs, changed, brushed his teeth, and went straight to bed. After all, the faster you get to sleep, the quicker Friday would come!

Wally fastened his tie and brushed his hair over to the side. "You really think she'll like it," he asked, his voice aimed at his computer.

"Dude, you look awesome. Don't sweat it!"

"Thanks Hoagie. I…I guess I'm just a little nervous," he replied back chuckling to Hoagie, who could be seen from Wally's computer with the help of a webcam. Wally took in a deep breath, then stepped back for Hoagie's final approval. "How do I look?"

"Good, but one thing…"

"What," Wally asked, a tad confused.

"…You forgot your pants."

"I'm coming!" Kuki said, her voice raised so that whomever was outside her door could here her. She opened the door to Abby, who had decided earlier to get ready for the dance at Kuki's house.

"Hey Kuki!" she said, greeting her with a friendly hug.

"Hey Abby," she said, letting her in to escape the cold air outside. "I cannot wait! Just think; in a couple of hours, I'll be hanging out with my best friends at my first dance in years!"

Abby smiled set her bag of clothes in the living room. She loved seeing Kuki as the happy girl she is. To break the somewhat-peaceful silence, Abby murmured, "So…I guess we're going to Nigel's after the dance?"

"Can't wait for that either! Tonight is a night we'll never forget…" Kuki ran upstairs to change, as Abby made her way to the bathroom. After they were done changing, they both helped each other do their make-up, (although there wasn't much) and watched T.V. Remembering, Abby jumped up. "My tickets; I left them at home! I gotta go, Kuki. See you at the dance!" Kuki watched Abby as she got in her car and drove home. Half an hour after turning her attention to the T.V., she heard a knocking at the door. 'Back already?' she thought as she got up to answer the door. As she pulled it open, a gust of cold air blew into the house, making her squint and rub her arms. "Hey, Abby!" she said as she was rubbing her eyes. She opened them only to see a black figure in front of her, back turned, staring at a nearby house's Christmas lights.

"Why, I never remember my parents naming me that," the figure said, as it turned around.

"Wally!" Kuki said, chuckling.

"Hey Koo-" he began, before stopping immediately. He stood there, astonished, as he scanned Kuki's ankle-long sea-green dress, his mouth halfway open. Decorated with frills at the bottom and sparkles throughout the rest of the dress, it looked stunning, especially on her.

"Wo-won't you come in, Wally?" Kuki said, blushing. Wally stepped in and closed the door behind him.

"Kuki…You look…Magnificent!" Kuki smiled and her blush deepened. "Thanks," she started. "You look…impressive," she said before pausing. She scanned his tuxedo, surprised. His black suit complemented the white undershirt and orange tie. She smiled, knowing that he'd find some way to wear orange. She searched her mind for something to stay, until something sly came up. "Did you actually brush your hair for once?"

"Hey, don't get used to it," he replied, just as slyly. Wally checked his cell phone for the time. "We still have an hour before we meet the others at the school. I guess we could watch T.V. until then," Wally suggested. Kuki smiled and nodded as she headed over to the couch. Taking a seat next to her, Wally picked up the remote and changed the channel.

"Hey! That's one of my favorite shows!" Kuki objected, taking the remote back.

"It's a cruddy girly show! Plus, ya can always record it!" Wally replied back, snatching the remote from the unsuspecting Kuki's hands.

"Give it back!" Kuki exclaimed, reaching over to try to grasp the remote again. Wally stretched his arm higher so that Kuki couldn't reach. Kuki changed positions from sitting on her rear to her knees and reached once more, the extra height allowing her to succeed. She pulled the remote as hard as she could, but Wally barely budged. Kuki stopped pulling for a moment, only to catch him off-guard. Pulling the remote unexpectedly, Wally lost his balance on the couch and the force pulled him forward. Revengefully, Wally pulled the remote even harder, causing Kuki to topple over him. Laughing hysterically, both Kuki and Wally found themselves off the couch and onto the floor, only to cause more laughing. Their faces, turning red from the closeness but also the lack of breath, couldn't have had a happier expression. After minutes of laughing, Wally finally gathered himself together, still laughing between every few words. "Okay, Kuki! You win," he finally said, tossing the remote in her direction. Brushing off her dress, she stood up. "Why thank you," she said, still chuckling, as she repositioned herself on the couch. After finally catching their breath, they both had their eyes glued to the T.V. as they waited for time to pass.

Hoagie knocked on Abby's door, his head held high. Behind him, he held a bouquet of flowers and a bag of Mars Mallows, which he overheard Abby saying were her favorite. Abby answered the door to see Hoagie grinning, his smile ear to ear. "Hey Hoagie" Abby said with a stressed out tone in her voice.

"What's wrong, Abby?" Hoagie asked, his grin decreasing.

"It's nothing," she said, trying to lie, but failed. "Okay, it's not nothing; I…I lost my ticket!"

Hoagie, grinning again, laughed slightly. "It's fine Abby," he said, trying to comfort her. "I tried to get your attention, but you were so excited about getting home, I couldn't! Anyways, you left your ticket at lunch, so I figured I would just hold it… for…you?" His last three words slowed as his voice came squeaky with fear. Abby, looking furious, finally exploded.

"You idiot! I've been looking for those tickets all night! All night! You couldn't have called or texted? Do you know how much stress Abby went through?" By the time Abby was done yelling at Hoagie, she felt immediate remorse. Hoagie, looking mortified, hands shook until he dropped the bag of Mars Mallows. Abby looked down upon the fallen bag and felt her heart crack. She bent down to pick them up, making Hoagie flinch, him still being scared.

"Hoagie, I…," she tried to find the right way to apologize, but just couldn't find the right words. Hoagie, still shaking slightly, pulled the bouquet of flowers from behind his back with the other hand. Abby took the flowers and set them on the table right by her front door, then pulled Hoagie into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Hoagie," she said in the kindest tone she had, her voice cracking slightly.

"Anything for you, Abby!" He said, examining her outfit when parting. Her knee-long dark blue dress complimented her red bracelets and red high-heels, while the white stripe at the bottom of her dress stood out the most. "You look beautiful, Abby," he said with a warm smile. She eyed his light blue tuxedo, a matching pair of pants, and took note of his lack of aviator goggles and hat. She reached up and ran her hair through his bangs swiftly. "You look amazing, too, Hoagie." Checking his wristwatch, Hoagie noticed it was almost time to meet everybody else at the dance.

"Well, the dance will start soon. Shall we go," Hoagie asked, opening the door for her. Abby grabbed a sweater and followed Hoagie out to his car. They drove off together, awaiting the events happening in the next few hours.

Back at Kuki's house, Wally decided it was time for them to go as well. "I guess we should be going," he said as he stood up from the couch. Kuki followed him to the front door and they both stepped out, embracing the cold December air. Kuki headed for Wally's car, as he called out to her.

"Hey Kuki? I was kinda wondering if you'd want to walk to the dance. If ya don't want to, I can dr-" Wally was interrupted by Kuki, who grabbed his hand and started towards the school. As they walked, the only sounds they could hear were crickets chirping, some cars passing by, and the faint music from the dance. Kuki shivered, and Wally took off his jacket and wrapped it around her arms. She looked up at him and smiled, then laid her hand on Wally's, which was still on her shoulder. He blushed, but shook it off; it was too beautiful of a night.

Everyone arrived at the dance and met up with each other. They drank many glasses of punch, ate as much food as their stomachs could hold, and talked all about what they planned to do at the tree house. While everyone danced, Wally refused to and stood in the back, watching Kuki being forced to dance with Abby and Rachael. He smirked at the sight, and looked over to the table where they all had their things piled. Squinting from the bright lights, he saw somebody going through Abby's bag. Enraged, he ran over to the kid and picked him up by his collar.

"Hey, ya cruddy thief! What do ya think you're doing going through my friend's stuff?" the kid squirmed, but that only make Wally hold his grip tighter. He tried to scream, but the kid couldn't be heard from the loud music and chatty teens.

"Put me down! I'll tell you!" he managed to say, squirming more than ever. Wally put him down and the kid took off. Wally was not about to waste his energy on the kid, until he spotted some money in his hands that he had stolen from Abby's bag. He chased the kid, yelling at him and pushing kids out of the way. Finally, after catching up with the kid, he tackled him and raised his fists, about to punch him. He felt a cold hand touch his, which made him turn around. He saw one of the dance administrators standing above him, sneering, and kicked him out. Along the way, Wally yelled and screamed to the kid about 'killing him' later on, but nobody could hear him.

The song the girls and the two remaining boys were listening to ended, as they made their way towards their things. "Where's Wally?" Kuki questioned, looking all around for him.

"Probably to the bathroom," Nigel murmured, causing Kuki to only nod. They all waited for Wally to come out of the bathroom, until Kuki was the only one left. Wally watched her from one of the school windows in the cold, screaming out her name, trying to get her attention. Back inside the school, the DJ played slower music, as couples got together and slow danced together. Kuki still stood there, waiting for Wally, until he couldn't take it. Sneaking his way back into the dance, he met up with Kuki.

"Where were you?" she asked, sounding worried.

"I'll tell ya later," he said, as he stood there nervously. Kuki turned and watched all the other couples dance. Her concentration was broken when Wally tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey Kooks? Would…Would you like to dance," he asked, extending his hand to her. Kuki happily accepted as they made their way to the dance floor.

"Just to warn ya, Kuki. I can't dance well," he said, chuckling. Kuki laughed back and showed her ask well as she could how to slow dance. They danced together, lost in each other's eyes. The slow music, dim lights, and relaxing atmosphere set the moment perfectly. Wally slowly leaned forward, and Kuki squealed happily. As they were about to touch lips, the same dance administrator yanked Wally by the shoulder and kicked him out once more; this time, a detention following. Kuki found the others and told them about being kicked out, and they all gathered their things and headed outside, where Wally said on a bench, shivering and grumbling to himself. The touch of Kuki's hand on his shoulder startled him, but his expression changed when he saw everyone standing there.

"Sorry for ruining the night, guys," Wally said, rubbing the back of his head.

"You didn't ruin it!" Nigel reassured him.

"Yeah! And besides, what got you kicked out in the first place," Rachael asked. Wally turned red with anger as he remember the kid. "I saw some punk try to steal Abby's money while I wasn't lookin', so I beat the crud outta him," he said in an angry tone.

"What?" Abby yelled, furious. Hoagie patted her shoulder, calming her down.

"It's okay; I got the money back," Wally started. "But if I ever see him again, I'll beat him up again!" he finished, yelling.

"It'll be okay, Wally," Kuki said, her violet eyes glimmering, making Wally calm down.

"Let's say we all head back to my place," Nigel said. Everyone agreed, gathered their things, and headed towards the cars.