Chapter 31: Prom Night (I)
(Friday, May 25th 2012 – 19:05pm – local time; Chamberlain, Maine)
So for this chapter, we're gonna be focusing on Carrie's classmates as they enjoy their Junior/Senior Prom Night back in Chamberlain. Now just to be clear ladies and gentlemen, this Prom Night that you're about to read ISN'T the one that we're all familiar with where Chris Hargensen dumps pig's blood on top of Carrie, who then goes off on her infamous Black Prom rampage in the school and throughout Chamberlain with her telekinetic powers. That particular Prom Night is still a good year away from happening within the timeline of this story, and as we all know that Carrie has run very far away from her Chamberlain home, it means that the horrific Black Prom which we're all familiar with seeing WON'T be happening at all. But regardless of how things are going within the story, please enjoy this chapter.
(Location; Snell Residence)
Taking in a deep, calming breath so as to steady his nerves, Tommy Ross stood in front of the door of the house along the street where Sue Snell and her family lived. He was wearing a very smart tuxedo, shiny black shoes on his feet, and a smart dickie bow around his neck, and he was here to pick up Sue so that both of them could go to their Junior Prom together over at Ewen High School. Taking in another deep breath to calm himself, he reached his right hand forward, and he knocked on the door.
A few moments later, the door opened up, revealing Sue's mother standing inside the front door.
"Ah, good evening, Tommy! Do come in please!" she said, as Tommy stepped calmly, but nervously, into the hallway of the house.
"Sue's almost finished getting ready upstairs. I must say…you clean up quite well this evening." Mrs Snell said, as she surveyed the smart suit that Tommy was wearing, which included a Boutonniere on the left lapel of his jacket.
"Thank you, Mrs Snell. And I always like to really impress Sue as much as I can." Tommy said, in a very modest way.
"And it's a good thing too…" came another voice, as Sue's father stepped out from the kitchen, "…as she's no doubt expecting a good time at her Junior Prom, Tommy."
"Yes, sir. I'll try and do my best to give her a good time this evening." Tommy said, as he and Mr Snell shook hands with each other.
Just then, there came the sounds of someone standing at the top of the stairs, and they all turned their heads to see who it was, and almost at once Tommy's breath left his lungs when he saw just who it was. Wearing a beautiful turquoise-blue prom dress with matching shoes and having had her hair done up at a nearby hair salon earlier on in the day, Sue slowly and elegantly descended the stairs, a smile on her face, and looking exquisitely beautiful, towards her date for the evening. As she came forwards towards Tommy, the very faint scent of Sue's favourite perfume could be clearly smelt in the still air. From the top of the top of the stairs, Sue's younger sister, Sierra, watched with a smile on her face as her older sister descended the stairs towards her prom date.
"Sue, hon…you…you really look so beautiful this evening." Tommy said with a smile, as he looked into the eyes of his date while reaching forward and taking her hands in his.
"Thanks, Tommy…and I must say…you look very handsome as well this evening." Sue said, as she looked into the eyes of her prom date and smiled at him too. And then Tommy produced a small box and opened it up, to reveal a beautiful corsage of blue and white flowers that went very well with Sue's prom dress.
"Oh, thank you, Tommy." Sue said, with a smile, as Tommy carefully took out the corsage out from its box and then he carefully put it around Sue's left wrist.
"And there you go, Sue." Tommy said, as he took Sue's hands in his again, and she smiled at him while looking into his eyes.
Then Tommy noticed Sue's mother step out from the kitchen with a camera in her hands. Sue then turned her head as well and saw her mother with the camera too, and so the young couple, after putting their arms round each other, posed for a few photographs, eager to remember this moment for the rest of their lives.
Soon though, it was time for them to be on their way to the prom, which was taking place over at Ewen High, and a night for them to really remember.
"And please make sure both of you have a good time tonight, Tommy. And please bring her back home safely once you're finished." said Sue's father, as he opened the front door, allowing the young couple to step outside.
"I will, sir. And I'll do everything I can to make sure that Sue has a good time at the prom tonight." Tommy said, as he and Sue linked arms and set out towards the door.
"I only wish that I was going to the prom with you two tonight. I would love to be there." Sierra said, as she stood off to the side a little and watched as her older sister set off to the prom with her date for the evening.
"Oh, you will, Sierra. You just need to wait for a few more years though." her mother said, as she turned to her youngest daughter.
"I'll see you later. Bye!" Sue called with a wave of her hand, as she and Tommy headed out the door, and then down the path to the curb-side where Tommy had parked his car. Tommy opened the door on the passenger side and allowed Sue to get in, and then, once she was seated and putting on her seatbelt, he closed the door. Going round to the driver's side, Tommy got in, closed the door, and put on his own seatbelt, before starting the engine and slowly pulling off from the curb-side and away from the Snell Residence. From the front door, Sue's parents and younger sister all watched as the young coupled went off down the road before they turned and went back inside the house.
(With Sue and Tommy)
The young couple made their way steadily along the road in Tommy's car. They were both feeling a little nervous about the Junior/Senior Prom this year, and were wondering how it was going to go.
"Are you feeling okay, Sue?" Tommy asked, as he drove steadily along the road towards Ewen High School.
"Yes, I'm feeling all right, Tommy. I've been looking forward to this for a long time." Sue said, as she smiled a little while taking in a deep breath to calm herself.
"Yeah, me too. The anticipation up to now has been killing me, and I just hope everything will be fine this evening." Tommy said.
"I know how you feel. And do you fancy going somewhere else after the prom?" Sue asked.
"Yeah, I was thinking about maybe afterwards we could go over to the Kelly Fruit and get a milkshake and a burger. How does that sound to you, Sue?" Tommy asked.
"Oh, I'd really love something like that. I think something like that would be nice after the prom." Sue said.
"Me too." Tommy said, as he smiled.
It wasn't too long before they finally arrived in front of Ewen High School, and went into the parking lot off to the side of the school, where Tommy carefully parked his car in one of the spare spaces. Looking outside the window, Sue could see many other couples from the school, both from the Junior and Senior Years, all of whom were dressed up in their finest prom clothes. All the boys dressed up in very smart suits, including tuxedos in the style of James Bond, their dinner jackets looking very smart either in black or white, and with their shoes polished to a high shine. The girls were all dressed up in bright dresses, some of which had the backs fairly low, and which had different sorts of trim on them. Many of the other girls were also wearing high heels on their feet as well, though a few of them were wearing shoes with flat soles as it would make dancing a much easier thing, and all the girls had their hair done up into whatever styles they wanted their hair to be in.
Out along the road in front of the school, there were even more couples that were arriving for the prom; quite a few of them were even arriving in stretched limos that had been specially arranged for the evening, while others were driving to the prom themselves.
It was clear that everyone in both the Junior and Senior Years were looking forward to this prom, and a chance to really relax and socialise with each other before this school year came to an end. Afterwards, the Seniors would move on to college, and then the Juniors would move into their Senior Year, which would be their final year in Ewen High.
"Are you feeling nervous?" Tommy asked, as he turned to look at Sue.
"Yes…I am a little bit." Sue said to Tommy, as she turned to look at him.
"Well, don't worry, Sue. Everything's going to be all right. I promise you that we'll have a great time this evening." Tommy said, with a reassuring smile, as he then opened the door and stepped outside. Going round to the other side of the car, he opened the door and, taking Sue's hand, helped her out from the car.
"Let's go in and enjoy this night." Sue said, as Tommy locked his car and put his keys into an inside pocket of his jacket.
"Yeah, let's do it." Tommy said, as he reached inside his dinner jacket to another of the inside pockets and took out two prom tickets he had bought only the previous week, and handed one of them to Sue. Each prom ticket had cost $40 to buy, and Tommy hoped that the prom would go well, as it would mean his money would be well spent.
"Thanks…let's go in there." Sue said, as they linked arms and went forward towards the school entrance.
Approaching the entrance arm in arm, the young couple could see that an arch had been set up outside the main entrance, and the arch was covered with bright white lights all around it to form a lit way in for those attending the prom to go through. In fact, the lights that had been put around the arch could almost pass for Christmas lights. Going through the arch, Tommy and Sue went inside the school.
(Inside the school)
After handing their tickets at the entrance, both Sue and Tommy made their way with the others, including quite a few people they knew, and stepped into the gym hall where the prom was being held. As they stepped inside, they paused and looked around in awe; the gym hall now looked completely different from what they were used to seeing, now that it was fully set up for the prom. There were bright twinkling lights, which could almost pass for Christmas lights, set up on the ceiling and along all the walls, and there were also coloured drapes, and silk shrouds as well, set up on the walls. On the ceiling, a disco ball had been put in place and a light shining onto it as the ball turned allowed bright spots of light to go around the room. In some spots along the walls, brightly coloured balloons filled with helium floated from weights set into place on the floor.
Many tables were also set up around the dance floor, and all the tables looked simply splendid with all their prom settings, and all the chairs had nice covers over them so they looked more presentable for the evening. In the middle of each table were lights that had pale blue shades around them, and at each place setting there were plates, knives, and forks, as well as drinking glasses and napkins. There was also a prom ballot card put at each place setting for when everyone would vote for the Prom King and Queen during the evening.
At the very end of the hall was the stage with steps leading up to it, and sitting right in the centre of the stage were two fancily set-up seats for the Prom King and Queen. And very close to the stage was the D.J. station, at which was the D.J. who was ready to play his music and songs for everyone to enjoy and dance to for the whole evening.
"Looks like we're gonna have a good time tonight." Sue said, as she looked at Tommy.
"I guess so. Come on, and let's go meet the others." Tommy said, as he and Sue moved a few steps forward.
They didn't have to go too far before they came upon Tommy's good friends George Dawson and his girlfriend Erika Gogan, who were sitting a table halfway between the entrance doors and the main stage.
"Hey there, Tommy!" George said, as he stood up from his seat and then fist-bumped Tommy.
"Hey there, George! It's nice to see you and Erika here this evening!" Tommy said, as he too gave George a fist-bump.
"It's nice to see you here, Sue. I really love your dress." Erika said, as she stood up and greeted Sue with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks, Erika. I got it last week at that brand-new boutique shop that's along Main Street, and I think it suits me very well." Sue said, as she smiled at Erika.
"Really? Well, I got my dress over at the older dress shop that's along Cherry Street. And I think that it's one of the best dresses that I've ever bought. I'm certainly going to wear it for any future special events I might attend in the future." Erika said.
"Sounds like a good plan to me." Sue said with a smile, as she and Tommy sat down at the same table with George and Erika.
Out on the dance floor, with the D.J. already playing music at his station, quite a few of the students were already out and dancing away. Over against the opposite wall from where Sue and Tommy were sitting with George and Erika, there was a line of tables lined up with all the refreshments set up for the evening, including three bowls of punch, cans of soft drinks sitting in buckets of ice, as well as other drinks like fruit juice, two stations where milkshakes and smoothies were prepared, as well as jugs of water, and buckets of ice with scoops sitting in them.
There was also a very nice selection of good food on offer, in a combination of a self-serve buffet and people who were serving food out, including hot finger foods – such as burger sliders, pizza bites, chicken wings, fried chicken, and meatballs, as well as other hot foods such as pasta with a rich meat sauce, a variety of main entrée choices, with a good selection of hot sides, – and cold foods – such as chips and dips, shrimp cocktail, and a selection of other different appetizers, both hot and cold, on offer.
At another two tables that were set up side by side, a mouth-watering selection of desserts had been setup as well, and it included things like a candy buffet with all different sorts of candy, chocolates, as well as cakes, brownies, a wide variety of different flavours of ice cream – which were being stored in freezers behind the tables until they were ready to serve out, a selection of different pies, and a few other different, and tasty-looking, desserts as well.
With the sound of the music already being played by the D.J., Tommy felt himself smile a little, and then he took in a deep breath and turned to look at Sue.
"Sue…would…would you like to dance with me please?" he asked, as he slowly held out his hand to her.
"I'd love to." Sue said, with a smile, as she took Tommy's hand in hers, and then they stood up and went out onto the dance floor together. Carefully going out amongst the dancing groups of teens, they found an open spot near the middle of the dance floor and, without any hesitating or anything, they took each other's hand and started dancing to the music.
Quite close by at one of the other tables within the gym, Chris Hargensen was sitting with her prom date for the evening, Billy Nolan, as well as her best friend Tina Blake and her date Jackie Talbot, and Donna Kellogg and her date for the evening Kenny Garson. Chris was wearing a prom dress that was peach-orange in colour and went down to just below her ankles, while Billy was wearing a smart suit with a white shirt and a black tie. Both Jackie and Kenny were wearing smart tuxedoes, while Tina and Donna were wearing their own prom dresses, in rose and gold respectively. All three girls were also wearing high heels, and they had their hair done up at one of the hair salons in Chamberlain earlier on in the day.
"Oh, I've been looking forward to this prom for the last few weeks now. A chance for us all to cut loose and have some fun before school ends for the summer holidays!" Chris said with a smile, as she looked round the table at her friends.
"Me too, and finally having a chance to really have a good time before the end of Junior Year!" Tina said in agreement, as she took a long sip from her glass of punch.
"I hoping that we'll be able to dance late into the night, and that we'll be able to really have a few good laughs along the way as well!" Donna said.
"I'm just hoping to have a good time this evening, and stay out of the house for a few hours." Kenny said.
"And I'll drink to that too!" Jackie said, as he sipped his punch.
"And I'm just very glad that…that FREAK isn't here to enjoy the prom as we are now!" Chris said, with a nasty sort of grin on her face.
"Yeah, and I think Carrie's probably not having the good time we are right now!" Tina said evilly, and both Chris and Donna also laughed evil laughs.
"And I hope that she's in some form of trouble wherever she might be as well!" Donna added, to which both Chris and Tina laughed again for a few moments before they quietened down again.
"Anyway, I'm going over to the buffet table to get something to eat. I'm starving." Billy said, as he stood up from the table.
"And wait for me please. I want to get something to eat too." Chris said, as she too stood up, and then they went over towards the buffet table together.
Out on the dance floor, Sue and Tommy were still dancing together, along with Norma Watson and Freddy Holt, who were quite close to them. As they danced away, Sue also noticed a few other familiar faces who were out on the dance floor with them, including Heather Shyres, Jessica Upshaw, Nikki and Lizzy the Watson Twins, as well as a few of the others they were close friends with.
Over in another part of the gym hall, Sue then saw a number of the teachers were acting as chaperones for the evening, including Ms Desjardin, who was wearing a very nice crimson red prom dress that seemed to sparkle in the light, and who had her hair let down rather than have it up in a ponytail as she normally would do. And as she danced away, Sue couldn't help but think how beautiful Ms Desjardin looked in her dress.
Eventually, after another two or three minutes, the D.J. brought the song to an end, and everyone on the dancefloor stopped dancing and then they all cheered out and clapped loudly for a few moments before the D.J. then spoke into his microphone.
"Well done, everyone! That was some brilliant dancing I saw! Now let's put on the next song, and we'll see if we can all keep dancing!" he said, and many people in the hall cheered out in celebration. However, as the song started up again, Sue and Tommy stepped off the dance floor and went back to their table.
"Do you fancy getting something to eat and drink after that?" Tommy asked.
"Sure, I think I need it after that dancing." Sue said, as they arrived back at their table, picked up the plates and drinking glasses from the places where they had sat down, and then went over to the buffet tables where they lined up with the others and selected whatever they wanted to have.
A few moments later, they arrived back at the table with what they wanted to have, including with their glasses filled with punch, sat back down, and then settled down to eat. As they enjoyed what they got, Sue and Tommy couldn't help but look onto the dance floor and watch as their fellow students danced away together to the next song that the D.J. was playing at his station.
"Hmm…this is really nice." Tommy said, as he enjoyed one of the burgers.
"I agree…I didn't expect food like this to be served tonight." Sue said, as she too savoured what she was eating, which was pasta served with a meat sauce and garlic bread. It was really delicious, and this hot, good quality food was something that really helped to make the evening a really memorable one so far.
It wasn't too long before Sue and Tommy had finished their food, and they had just drained their glasses when they heard a voice coming towards them.
"Hey, Sue, what's up there?!" and Sue turned her head to see none other than Chris Hargensen coming towards them, with a glass of punch in her hand.
"Oh, good evening, Chris." Sue said, trying to sound friendly. "Is everything okay for you and Billy?"
"Yes, it is. And I'm pleased that it's going even better as that freak Carrie White isn't here with us. I don't think I'll be able to enjoy the prom otherwise." Chris said, as a big smile crossed her face. Deep inside, Sue was appalled to hear anyone say something like this, especially when the circumstances that Carrie had been in hadn't been the best circumstances at all in the first place, including when factoring in the fact that her mother, Margaret White, had been abusing her behind closed doors. The fact that she had been bullied by many of the people in Ewen High School for almost all of her time here hadn't helped matters at all. However, Sue was very careful not to say anything to Chris that might cause her to snap back in a rage, as Sue didn't want to create an unnecessary scene, especially with all these people here and with all of them having a good time.
"Oh…how very nice for you then." Sue said quietly, as she turned to look at Tommy.
"If that freak was here, I don't think I'd even be able to stand her presence. And I don't think you or anyone else would either." Chris said, as she spoke without even considering that what she was saying might be offensive for some people, especially those here who regretted their actions of bullying on Carrie. Both Sue and Tommy were horrified that Chris was speaking like that; hadn't she learned her lesson about bullying? Obviously not. But before Sue could say anything, Chris spoke first.
"Anyway, I'd better be getting back to my table. I don't want to keep Billy, Tina and Donna waiting for much longer." Chris said with a big smile on her face, as she turned and walked away from them. Sue looked at Tommy with quite an offended look on her face; she couldn't believe the girl she had once called a friend had said such offensive things like that about a missing person, and quite a vulnerable one at that.
"Don't pay any attention to her, Sue. I think she's only trying to upset other people who are trying to have a good time this evening." Tommy said.
"I'll try not to, Tommy. But I promised myself that I would try and forget about Carrie for tonight, but it's not the easiest thing for me to forget about…even for a short while." Sue said, as some bad memories, including the memories of the nightmares she had experienced, came flooding into her head.
"Well…try not to take too much notice of her, Sue. Let's just have a good time with everyone else here tonight while the prom lasts, and we'll go and worry about Carrie afterwards." Tommy said, as he put his arm around Sue's shoulders and gently reassured her that everything would be fine.
"All right, Tommy. I'll try not to think about Carrie too much for the rest of the evening." Sue said, as she smiled a little at Tommy, somewhat assured by what he said.
Close by, Rita Desjardin, who had been going around and making sure that everything was okay with the students at the prom – which was one of her jobs as the chaperone for the prom this evening, had overheard everything had Chris had said to Sue and seen Sue's reaction to what Chris had said. She too had been somewhat appalled by what Chris had said, and without even thinking about how other people around her might feel about it, and hoped that Chris wouldn't do anything else to upset or offend anyone else at the prom before the prom was over. Making a mental note to speak with Sue and Tommy later on if she got the chance, she continued on with going around and making sure that everything was okay with the other students, and even stopped to chat with some of them every now and then.
A little later on in the evening, after Sue and Tommy had gone back out onto the dance floor and had danced away amongst the other students, they stepped back off the dance floor and towards their table. Erika and George were back at the table too, and sitting back down and resting their feet after having been dancing out on the dance floor for the last while. At his station, the D.J. was playing a new tune and quite a few of the others in the room, as well as those who had been sitting down until a few moments before, were now dancing away to the new music on a dancefloor that was a little more spaced out than it had been before.
"Well, are you feeling okay now, Sue?" Tommy asked, as they arrived back at the table and sat back down.
"I'm feeling okay now, Tommy. And I hope we can dance out there again, but when the floor is a little more spaced out than it is now and we can dance to slower, more romantic music." Sue said.
"You know I'd love something like that, Sue." Tommy said, as he smiled at her and looked deeply and lovingly into her eyes.
"Hey, come on and sit down, you two. You must be tired after dancing out there again." George said, as he chuckled a little at the sight of the two of them staring lovingly at each other.
"Oh, um…sorry George." Tommy said, as both he and Sue blushed a little at displaying such affection to each other in front of their friends.
"I think we'll reserve the P.D.A. for somewhere more private next time." Sue said, with some slight embarrassment as she and Tommy sat back down on their chairs.
"Are you two going to try any more of the food at the buffet line?" Erika asked, as she took in another bite of the food she had on her plate.
"Oh, we certainly will, Erika. But at the same time, both Tommy and I are planning to go to over the Kelly Fruit after the prom and get something to eat there. So, I want to save some space for that, but at the same time I really would love to try as much of the desserts as possible." said Sue.
"And me as well, as I can see there's gonna be a good selection of desserts ready to be served out once it's ready." George said.
"And many of them really look nice as well. I saw them too." said Tommy, as he settled back in his chair and stretched his legs out.
A few moments later, as the next song came to an end, there was the sounds of a man coughing into the microphone to try and get everyone's attention;
"Attention, everyone. May I have your attention please?" and everyone in the hall looked towards the stage to see who it was; it was none other than the Senior Class President, a boy named Hank Martin, who was dressed in a very smart tuxedo with shiny black shoes.
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. It's time for us all to vote for this year's King and Queen. Thank you very much." he said. And virtually everyone who was standing at some point in the hall made their way back to their tables where at each place setting, the ballot for this year's Prom King and Queen awaited.
At their table, Tommy and Sue picked up and looked at the prom ballots at their places, and took a look at who to vote for.
"Who do you think we should vote for tonight, Sue?" Tommy asked, as he picked up a pen and tried to make his decision.
"I'm not sure yet…" Sue said, as she looked through the ballot, "…but I just hope that I make the correct decision on who to vote for." After a few moments of looking through the six couples on the ballot and thinking carefully, Sue made her decision and then she marked it down on the couple she wanted to see. In the meantime, Tommy had also marked down the couple he wanted to see as the King and Queen for this prom.
Soon, with everyone in the hall having made their decisions on who they wanted to see voted to be this year's Prom King and Queen, those with the ballot boxes went around to each of the tables and began gathering up all the votes. Among those who had been assigned to collect up all the ballots was Heather Shyres, and she was going from one table to another, along with another girl with a ballot box in her hands, and collecting up all the ballots from everyone.
"Your ballots please! All your ballots into this box!" Heather said, as she came up to the table where Sue and Tommy were sitting with Erika and George.
"Here you are, Heather." Tommy said, as he and Sue raised their ballots up for Heather to collect. She brought the box up and Sue, Tommy, Erika, and George placed their ballots inside through the narrow opening at the top of the box.
"Have you placed your vote, Heather?" Sue asked.
"Yes, I already have, Sue. And it's already inside this very box along with many of the others as well." Heather said with a smile, as she moved on her way to the next table to collect the votes there.
"I'm looking forward to seeing who wins this evening. Yet, I wouldn't like to be voted prom king myself, as I don't think I'd be able to take any of the attention from everyone else here if I were to win it." George said.
"Neither would I. I'm not sure if I'd be able to deal with the publicity from winning it." Erika said.
"Well…I wouldn't mind winning the Prom King and Queen titles. I'm sure that it would be nice to do it." Sue said, as she knew winning something like the title of Prom Queen was a long-time dream of hers, ever since she was young.
"You never know, Sue…maybe at next year's prom, we could both run for Prom King and Queen. After all, it'll be the end of Senior Year and running for King and Queen might be a nice way to cap off our time here in Ewen High." Tommy said.
"Well...now that you mention it...I think I'd really like to do something like that, Tommy." Sue said, as she smiled at Tommy.
"I just can't wait until next year's prom comes around, as it'll be the last one before we graduate. And I hope that it'll really be something to remember." Erika said.
"Yeah, me too." Sue said.
(A little while later)
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen…it's time for us to move onto the next level of music; it's time for us to play a really romantic tune for all you lovebirds out there to dance to. And so, the time has come for all you lovebirds to head out onto the dance floor." the D.J. said, as he then began to play the romantic tune.
"Sue…would you like to…?" Tommy asked, as he held out his hand towards Sue.
"Sure, I'd love to, Tommy." Sue said, as she took Tommy's hand in hers, and then they both stood up and went out onto the dance floor together, along with between 10 and 15 other couples, some of whom were Juniors and others Seniors, and, holding onto each other, they gently began to sway with the music as it played away. From the side, most of those who weren't dancing just sat at their assigned tables and chatted quietly with each other, or just sat back and watched as the couples before them danced away with each other. From the table they were sitting at together, Norma Watson and Freddy Holt sat side by side and watched as Sue and Tommy, with their arms around each other, danced away.
"I think those two are so sweet together…don't you agree, Freddy?" Norma said quietly.
"Yeah, I reckon you're right, Norma. I think Sue and Tommy really make a great couple." Freddy said, as he glanced over at Norma and smiled at her. Norma, feeling herself blush a little, smiled back at her boyfriend. Then they turned their heads back, and continued to watch the couples before them dance to the slow romantic tune.
As they danced, Sue pulled herself a little close to Tommy and laid her head on his right shoulder, and she felt his arms wrap a little tighter around her. She couldn't help it, especially considering that the atmosphere was now quite a romantic one. Taking a quick look, Sue could see there were other girls on the dance floor who also had their heads resting on the shoulders of their boyfriends just like her. Feeling somewhat comforted by the fact that she was feeling the same as all these girls were, Sue continued on dancing with Tommy.
A few minutes later, the romantic song came to an end, and all the couples stopped dancing. Almost at once, there was a chorus of applause and cheers from those who had been sitting around and watching the couples dance; even the teachers who were acting as chaperones clapped and cheered as well. A few of the couples bowed a little, or even waved to those who had been watching them dance, before they went on back to their tables.
"I think you and Tommy really both danced well out there, Sue." Erika said, as Sue and Tommy arrived back at the table.
"Thanks, Erika. I really very much enjoyed dancing with Tommy, and he danced quite well too I think." Sue said, as she turned and smiled at her boyfriend.
"Thank you, Sue. I hope we can dance like that again sometime again in the future." Tommy said, as he gave Sue a warm hug, which she graciously returned.
A little later on in the evening, it was getting closer and closer to the time when the King and Queen of this year's prom would be announced and would then be crowned upon the stage on front of everyone. Also, by this time, most of the hot foods and appetizers had been eaten, and the desserts were being served out to everyone in the hall, and many of the Juniors and Seniors were lining up at the buffet tables and getting whatever desserts they wanted to have. Tommy and Sue were also lining up, clean plates in their hands, and eager to see what was on offer. Standing just by them, Heather and her boyfriend Brian were also eager to see what was there to have.
"What are you guys expecting to have?" Brian asked, as he spoke to Sue and Tommy.
"I'm hoping to have some brownies and ice cream, or maybe even a slice of apple pie if there's any there." Tommy said.
"And I'm hoping to have some ice cream with whatever dessert I have. I think I'll go through here twice once I've finished my first helping of dessert." Sue added.
"I'm just hoping to try as much of what I can before the evening is out." Heather said, as they soon reached the front end of the buffet tables. For the next two or three minutes, they went along the tables and chose whatever desserts they wanted to have from the wide selection available. They were all astonished at the selections of cakes, pastries, pies, and other different desserts on offer, including things like strawberries coated in chocolate, profiteroles and eclairs filled with cream and coated in chocolate, and of course little cupcakes with cute prom toppers on some of them, as well as special prom cake pops.
When Tommy and Sue sat back down at their table a little while later, they had the desserts they wanted to have; Tommy had a slice of chocolate cake with two scoops of vanilla ice cream as well as one of the prom cupcakes, while Sue had a large chocolate brownie, also with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, and two cake pops that caught her attention.
"Oh, this looks really nice." Sue said, as she and Tommy sat back down.
"Indeed, it does. I can't wait to tuck into this." Tommy said, as they picked up their spoons, and tucked in. They weren't too worried about the desserts running out, as there was more than enough there to feed everyone in the hall twice over.
Back at the buffet table, Chris and Billy were also going along and choosing what they wanted to have from what was on offer there.
"It's been such a fun evening so far…especially with all this nice food we've been having," Chris said, as she picked out a slice of apple pie, and then some chocolate-coated strawberries, as well as one small glass filled with a delicious-looking chocolate mousse.
"I think you're right, babe…" Billy said, as he too chose what he wanted, "…and at least it was an interesting one as well with how everyone danced as well."
"And hopefully we'll be able to have a few more good laughs before the night is out too." Chris said. A little further back along the queue, Tina Blake, Donna Kellogg, and their prom dates were also going along and choosing what they wanted to have.
(Later that evening; time 10:15pm)
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen…this is the moment! And it's the moment that we've all been waiting for the entire evening!" came the voice of the Senior Class president, as he spoke through the microphone. On hearing that, everyone turned their heads to look at him. "We're ready to reveal who the winners of this year's Prom King and Queen are!"
Everyone, both the students and chaperones alike all turned to the stage in anticipation of who had won the coveted titles, and at the same time a drumroll began as the Senior Class president got ready to reveal the results.
"And the winners of this year's Prom King and Queen are…by a landslide…Carl Anderson and Joanna Williams!" he announced, and after a brief pause, everybody in the entire hall cheered out loudly for the two winners. From above the stage, the spotlights swung down and shone their lights towards the table where Carl Anderson and Joanna Williams, both of whom were in Senior Year as well as being a well-known couple in the school, were sitting at, and they looked to be completely surprised at the fact they had won this year's coveted prom titles. The school band struck up with music for the school song as the two winners stood up from their table and, among the cheering crowds around them, headed up to the stage to claim their prize.
Those standing near them stood aside and formed a pathway, as the two lucky winners went past on their way to the stage. A few students watching them recorded or took pictures on their cameras, while others voiced their congratulations to Carl and Joanna as they went past.
Stepping up the steps and onto the stage, Carl and Joanna were greeted by two of the other students were helping out with the ceremony, and they were brought over to where the two thrones were placed side by side in the middle of the stage. Once there, the two each had a sash placed around their left shoulder. Each sash was in blue with the writing either "Prom King" or "Prom Queen" on them in silver. Then they each had a crown put onto their heads, while Joanna was handed a bunch of beautiful red and pink roses by one of the helpers, and Carl was handed a home-made sceptre by the other.
"Ladies and gentlemen…your king and queen of this year's prom!" said the Senior Class President excitedly through the microphone, as the band began to strike up with the school song and everyone in the hall cheered out loudly. Both Carl and Joanna sat down on the thrones in the middle of the stage and smiled broadly, while also bringing up their free hands and waving out to everyone. Then the helpers stood off to the side and took hold of two ropes; on receipt of a signal from Principal Morton, they pulled hard on the two ropes and, several seconds later, many countless, brightly coloured balloons, mixed with coloured streamers and countless bits of confetti, slowly drifted down from above and onto the stage, where the cheers from everyone went higher.
Both Carl and Joanna looked up in surprise, and then they smiled out when they saw the balloons and streamers drop down from above them, adding bright splashes of colour on the stage. The confetti created almost like a mini blizzard of colour as it fell down from above, but it cleared eventually leaving those on the stage somewhat covered in it.
Soon though, the main part of the ceremony was over, and both Carl and Joanna stepped off the stage and down to a spot where they could have their pictures taken, with other students around them congratulating them all the while. Sue and Tommy were among those who were smiling and watching as the Prom King and Queen made their way over to get the official photographs taken.
"I think they deserved it…and they look so happy too." Sue said, with a big smile on her face.
"Yeah, you're right, Sue." Tommy said, with a smile, as he watched the excited commotion take place before them.
"I wouldn't mind winning something like that…though I know it probably won't happen." Sue said.
"Well, you never know, Sue…you never know." Tommy said.
(Later on; 11:10pm)
It was getting very late into the evening, and by now many of those who had been at the prom were now leaving, one or two at a time or even in small groups, and either heading off home, or off elsewhere to socialise with other people at one of the after-parties for a while longer before heading back home. By now it was fully dark outside, and the sky high above was clear, showing off a vast canopy of bright shining stars that stretched throughout the sky as far as they eye could see. Also, the very thin sliver of a new moon could be clearly seen in the sky high above, as it sat amongst the countless numbers of twinkling stars in the dark night sky.
Sue and Tommy were among those who were heading off from the prom, as they were on their way to the Kelly Fruit for a milkshake and a burger, as well as to relax in a quieter setting before they went off home as well. They had both really enjoyed themselves at the prom, and were now wanting to spend some more time alone with each other while the night was still young.
"That was fun…and something I hope I'll always remember." Sue said, as she and Tommy stepped out from the hall, with the Watson Twins, Nikki and Lizzy, following along closely behind them.
"Yeah, me too. I only wish we could have events like that more often. After all, I think it would be much better than just attending boring classes every day." Tommy said, as he put his arm around Sue and pulled her a little closer to him.
"And so do the two of us." Nikki said, as she and her twin sister came along side Sue and Tommy.
"But we know that'll probably never happen to the extent we want to." Lizzy added.
"I know, but that's something that we'll just have to live with." Sue said to the twins. She wished there could be more fun events like prom more often, but sadly she, and everyone else in school, knew that wasn't possible.
"Yeah, anyway…we'll see you and Tommy tomorrow…" Lizzy said, as she started to turn away.
"…so, goodnight, you two." finished Nikki, as the twins made their way down the steps towards the sidewalk.
"Goodnight, you two." Sue and Tommy said together, as they watched the twins leave.
"Shall we head to the Kelly Fruit while there's still time, and while the place is quiet?" asked Sue.
"Yeah, let's do that." Tommy said, as they linked their arms and headed towards the parking lot where Tommy had parked his car.
"Hold on there a second there, you two…" came a very familiar voice, "…don't go off on your way just yet." And upon hearing that familiar voice, both Sue and Tommy quickly turned round to see Rita Desjardin standing a few feet behind them.
"Oh, now what does she want?" Sue thought to herself, as she watched the gym teacher slowly walk towards her and Tommy. But then she could see that Ms Desjardin didn't look anyway annoyed at all; rather she had a slightly more concerned look on her face.
"Did you both have a good time this evening?" Rita asked, as she stood before the two.
"Yes, Ms D, we did." Tommy said, with some anxiousness in his voice at what Rita Desjardin might want with them. Sue nodded her head, in agreement with her boyfriend.
"Well…I did see Chris meeting with you earlier on this evening…and I overheard everything she said to you." Rita said, as she glanced towards Sue.
"Ms Desjardin…I…I promise you that I don't condone what Chris said earlier on. And I was horrified by what she said to us when we were eating and…" Sue said, almost in protest.
"I know, Sue…and I saw your faces after Chris said everything to you both." Rita said, as she now looked at Tommy as well.
"Ms D…I agree with Sue in that I don't condone about what Chris said earlier on…" Tommy said, as he brought up his hands.
"I'm well aware of that, Tommy…" Rita said, as she glanced from Tommy and then back to Sue, "…and I just want to let you know that I'm impressed by how much you two have matured in the last few months."
"Excuse me?" Sue said, in some astonishment.
"I'm proud of the fact that you're seeing Chris for who she really is, Sue. And not just you, but a few of the other girls who were good friends with Chris…I've seen how they've been reconsidering their friendship with her ever since Carrie disappeared. And especially considering those occasions when Chris lashed out." Rita said.
"Yes, Miss Desjardin." Sue said, somewhat surprised by this. She had expected Ms Desjardin to reprimand her for something.
"Anyway, I'll leave you both to head off on your way. I'm sure you've both got post-prom plans. Good night." Rita said, and she turned and walked away.
"Good night, Ms D." Tommy and Sue said, as they watched their gym teacher head off.
"Come on, Sue. Let's get over to the Kelly Fruit." Tommy said.
"Yeah, let's do that." Sue said, and they went into the parking lot and to where Tommy had parked his car.
(A little later; at the Kelly Fruit)
After arriving and parking in front of the Kelly Fruit, Tommy and Sue went inside and sat down at one of the booths upstairs, where they ordered the burgers and milkshakes they wanted to have. Although the place was fairly quiet at this time of the evening, Tommy and Sue weren't completely alone; over in another booth that was at the other end of the room were another two young couples who had also been to the prom at Ewen High. They had already been served the food that they wanted to have, and were now enjoying their food while they chatted with each other about how the prom had gone, as well as what they planned to do together the very next day.
"So…how did you enjoy the prom, Sue?" Tommy asked, as he reached forward and took Sue's hands in his.
"Oh, I had a really good time, Tommy. In fact, I didn't want the night to stop; that's how good a time I had with you at prom." Sue said.
"Well…there's always the prom next year, babe. And for us, it'll be our Senior Prom." Tommy said.
"I know, Tommy…and I really hope that it'll be a very special event indeed. As it'll be the last major event before we graduate from Ewen High, and then we'll both be off on our way to college." Sue said.
"Hmm, but I wonder…" Tommy said, as he then rubbed his chin and looked out the window.
"What is it, Tommy?" asked Sue, wondering what her boyfriend was thinking.
"I wonder if Carrie will ever be found before then. After all, it's been about six months, is it, since she disappeared from Chamberlain?" Tommy asked.
"Something like that, yes. In a way, I hope Carrie is found, as I want to apologise to her for what happened…but on the other hand…I hope that she's never found, as I'm afraid of what Chris might do to her. Especially for telling the truth about what Chris did to her." Sue said.
"I know how you feel about that, babe. I'm also somewhat concerned for Carrie's safety if she's ever found and brought back home. But then again, I'm sure that something could be arranged to have Carrie given some protection from Chris and the others, just to be on the safe side." Tommy said.
"Yeah, let's hope that something like that could be arranged for Carrie...if she's ever found and brought home that is." Sue said.
A minute or two later, the waitress arrived from the kitchen with the food they had ordered, and carefully placed them down on the table before them.
"Thank you very much." Sue said, to the waitress.
"No problem there, and enjoy your food." the waitress said, before she turned and went back into the kitchen.
"Thanks for that." Tommy said, as he and Sue then started on eating their burgers. For the next while, the two sat in a comfortable silence as they enjoyed their burgers and milkshakes. The only sounds that disturbed the silence was the sounds coming from the kitchen, those who were sitting close to where Tommy and Sue were, as well as the occasional vehicle or cargo truck passing by along the road that went past the Kelly Fruit.
(Later on; 11:55pm)
After Tommy and Sue had finished up in the Kelly Fruit, and had paid for their food, they were back in Tommy's car and he was driving Sue back to her home before he went off home himself.
"Thank you for taking me to the prom, Tommy. I really enjoyed it." Sue said, as she settled back in the passenger seat beside him.
"Oh, it was my pleasure, Sue. I really loved that you came with me tonight." Tommy said, as he turned his car onto the street where Sue lived.
"Oh, I'm gonna sleep well tonight." Sue said, as she covered a yawn with her left hand, as Tommy gentle put on the brakes and they came to a stop along the kerb right outside Sue's house. The lights in the living room were turned on, and the light was also turned on outside the front door.
"Well, I'd better get inside and head to bed." Sue said, as she unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face Tommy. She paused a moment, as if unable to go about leaving the car, and they both stared into each other's eyes for a moment.
"Okay…I…um…I love you, Sue." Tommy said, as he reached up and gently caressed her check with his hand. Sue felt herself smile at this.
"I love you too, Tommy." Sue said, and they leaned in and shared a kiss, which they held for a few moments before releasing.
"Wow…that was nice." Sue said. And then, with some reluctance, she opened the door on her side and stepped out, as Tommy did the same on the driver's side. He walked her up the pathway to the front door, with them both holding hands as they did so.
"Well, I'll see you in the morning then." Sue said, as she rang the doorbell.
"I'll see you in the morning too, Sue." Tommy said, as there came the sound of the front door opening, revealing Sue's mother standing just inside.
"Oh well…goodnight, Tommy." Sue said, as she turned and went inside the house.
"Goodnight, Sue." Tommy said, as he watched Sue go inside. After Sue's mother wished Tommy a "goodnight" as well, Tommy turned and walked back down the path to his car, got back inside, and, feeling both tired and very happy from such a good night with his girlfriend, headed on back home.
(Island of Sodor; Saturday, May 26th; local time; 7:30am)
(Location; White Residence)
Feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep, and eager to really enjoy the weekend off with her friends, Carrie got herself up out of bed and over towards the window. Opening the curtains, she was very pleased to see the sun rising into a clear morning sky with only a very few thin clouds to be seen. Opening the larger window, she took in a deep breath of fresh morning air and felt herself smile broadly; it looked like it would be a perfect day to go out with her friends, and for them to really relax and recharge their batteries after working hard on the railway all week long.
Then, she heard the familiar sounds of sharp chuffing, along with the sound of a steam whistle, coming along one of the lines on the other side of the garden fence. Looking to her right, she waited for a few moments, and then saw No.6991 Acton Burnell Hall coming along the up line with a mixed freight train coupled behind his tender. As the G.W.R. Modified Hall 4-6-0 went on by heading north with his train rattling along behind him, Carrie leaned out a little and watched the train go by, which was a mixture of some box-vans, flat-beds, tankers, and some open topped trucks. As the brake van went past, there came the sound of another whistle from the north, and this one sounded somewhat different from that of Acton Burnell Hall.
As the sounds of the previous freight train faded away into the distance, there came the sound of another train coming closer and closer, but this one was heading southwards. After a few moments it went past the back of the White's house; it was L.N.E.R. Class K1 2-6-0 No.62001, and he was heading southwards back to the yards at Knapford with a long line of 20-ton steel hoppers wagons that were laden with freshly mined coal. Giving a short blast of his whistle, No.62001 headed on by with his train, as Carrie looked out the window and waved to the L.N.E.R. K1 as he went on by. After a minute or two, with the hopper wagons making loud rattling noises as they rolled along the line, the brake van at the end of the train went on by, with the red tail lamp clearly seen at the back of the van, and it gradually got quiet again as the train moved further away.
Feeling a bit satisfied from seeing two trains go past her first thing this morning, and wondering what the day ahead would bring, Carrie closed the window, and then she turned round and headed into the bathroom, eager to get her day started.
And that's it for this chapter! As we've seen, the Junior/Senior Prom at Ewen High went very smoothly, with nothing going wrong at all, and nothing to ruin it for everyone! However, this is one the first chapter that'll be titled Prom Night. There will be a second one, but that won't be until much later on in the course of the story. Also, this new chapter takes my story to well over a third of a million words! In the meantime, stay tuned for the next chapter!