Are we wasting time or is it wasting us?

freshman freak or comeback of the year

[[ch50]]

RYAN’S POV

   After School, My Band Practiced In Boyd’s Garage. None Of Us Were Really In A Hurry To Get Ready For The Dance, Because We Didn’t Have Any Dates. None Of Us, That Is, Except Boyd And Frank.

   We Practiced For About Three And A Half Hours.

   “Phew! I’m Done For Today!” Boyd Said. “I’ve Gots To Get Ready For The Dance. I’m Gonna Go With Ana Maria,” He Smiled. “I Bet You’re All Jealous.” He Walked Into His House.

   “Well, I’ve Gotta Go Too, Guys,” Frank Informed Us As He Put Down His Guitar. “I’ve Gotta Get Ready. Bye!”

   He Ran Off. Chuck And I Frowned.

   “This Sucks!” Chuck Muttered.

   “Ya, I Wish I Had A Date, Too!” I Agreed.

   “What Are We S’pose To Do Tonight If All Our Friends And Everyone Else In High School’s Is Going To The Dance?” Asked Chuck.

   “I Dunno, But I Doubt Everyone’s Got A Date.”

   Chuck Snorted. “Ya, Right.”

   “Do Ya Know Johnny Kremen? That Kid Who Adores Classical Music, Has A Date?” I Challenged.

   “Unbelievable, But Ya, He Does!”

   I Laughed. “No Way! Who?”

   “Uh, That Girl!  Chelsea Iach, Who Always Plays The Leading Lady In School Plays.”

   “Whoa!”

   “Yep! I Know!”

   “How Can He Get A Date And We Cant?”

   Chuck Shrugged.

  “Ya Know What? Let’s Go To The Dance Alone! Who Cares? We’ll Steal Other Guys’ Dates!”

   “Ya! I’ll Try To Get Kremen’s!” Chuck Raised His Eyebrows And Smiled. I Laughed.

   “Do Ya Got A Suit?”

   “Yep.”

   “Me, Too.”

   “So, Let’s Get Ready And Go!”

   I Smiled.

   “See Ya At The Dance, Chuck!” I Waved And Left For My House.

   Maybe Vee’ll Be At The Dance Without A Date, And I’ll See Her. Then Maybe I’d Go And Apologize And She’ll Forgive Me, I Thought. Then We’d Dance Together And Love Each Other. Everything Would Go Back To Normal And We’d Be A Couple. Maybe, I Thought. Maybe…

   I Hoped It Would Be So, Because I Loved Her Too Much To Let Her Go.

Andy’s POV

   Pete, Bob, and I were driving to Summer’s house in Bob’s Dad’s car.

   “Bob!” Pete said. “Where are wee going?”

   “To the dance, duh!” Bob answered.

   “The dance?” I asked.

   “Ya.”

   “The dance?! We didn’t even pick up Summer and Vee, yet! How are we supposed to go to the dance without dates?!”

   “Oh, I forgots!” Bob turned around and started driving to Summer’s.

   “I feel a bit nervous,” Bob said.

   “What? Why?” I asked.

   “We don’t have dances in Mwrahland, so this is weird.”

   “Then what do ya do?”

   “Want me to show ya?”

   “Sure.”

   Bob started opening the car door.

   “No!” I yelled. “Don’t!”

   “Alright, alright!” Bob closed the door as we arrived at Summer’s.

   We got out and walked up the front steps. I sighed.

   “Here goes nothing!”

   I knocked on the door.

VEE’S POV

   “You look alright, goddamnit!” I told Summer. She was in front of the mirror fixing her hair up in a soft chignon. Her bun at the back and wispy tendrils at her sides.

   There was a knock at the door. “Hurry up! They’re probably here, already!” I had already fixed myself up, so I had to answer the door.

   “Pete,” I said.

   We stood there for some time until he said, “So, are you guys ready?”

   “I think so. C’mon! Summer!” I said. Pete was dressed in dark gray pants and matching vest, a navy blue shirt and a white, red, navy, and dark blue striped plaid tie. He looked handsome. I looked down at his feet.

  He was wearing gray Converse low-tops. I smiled.

   “You look handsome, Pete!” I said. “Your little pocket thing looks like bunny ears.”

PETE’S POV

   THE DOOR SWUNG OPEN. AIR FLEW IN HER FACE.

   "PETE", VEE SAID. SHE HAD HER HAIR DOWN AND A CLASSICAL SPAGHETTI-STRAPPED DRESS, WITH THE BLACK VEIL-LIKE LAYER ON TOP OF THE BLACK FABRIC. STUNNING.

   THE BLACK HAIR, BLACK EYES, AND BLACK DRESS WENT TOGETHER PERFECTLY.

   "ARE YOU GUYS READY?" I MANAGED.

   "I THINK SO. C'MON! SUMMER!" SHE WAVED SOMEONE INSIDE TOWARDS THE DOOR.

   "YOU LOOK HANDSOME, PETE." VEE SMILED. I GULPED HARD. "YOUR LITTLE POCKET THING LOOKS LIKE BUNNY EARS."

   I LAUGHED, LOOKIND DOWN AT MY HANKERCHIEF POCKET THINGY.

   "THANKS. YOU LOOK LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A MOVIE, VEE. GORGEOUS," I SAID, LOST IN HER EYES. THIS WAS THE NIGHT,  I DECIDED. THIS WAS THE NIGHT I WOULD TELL HER HOW I FELT; AND HOPED THAT SHE FELT THE SAME. I SIGHED.

   “I’M HERE!” SUMMER SAID AS SHE RUSHED OUT THE DOOR TO JOIN ME.

   “OKAY.”

   VEE STEPPED OUT AND CLOSED THE DOOR BEHIND HER. WE WALKED TO THE CAR.

SUMMER’S POV

   “Andy, you look great!” I hugged him when I saw he was wearing the bright, shiny purple suit I had picked out for him along time ago.

   “You’re beautiful, too, Summer,” he smiled.

   “Oh my Goth, Bob! That suit fit you well!” I saw him sitting up in the front.

   “I know! I feel like a Ken doll!”

   “You sure look like one!” I laughed. “Excited, huh, Andy?” I put my hand on his knee.

   “Kinda. I’ve never been to a dance before.”

PETE’S POV

   VEE SAT NEXT TO ME AND HELD MY HAND. SHE RESTED HER HEAD ON MY CHEST, JUST LIKE THE NIGHT OF BOYD’S PARTY.

   I FELT AS IF IT WERE A GREAT DREAM. I DIDN’T KNOW HOW I WOULD TELL HER HOW I FLET. HOW I HAD BEEN HOLDING IT INSIDE, HOW I COULDN’T TELL HER. THIS WAS GOING TO BE A LONG NIGHT.

VEE’S POV

   “You smell nice, Pete,” I said.

   “I do? Probably that new shampoo I’m using!”

   “We’re here!” Bob said. He turned off the engine and opened the door for Summer.

   Pete opened the door for me. “Thanks,” I said.

   I held his hand and we walked into the gym, where the dance was being held. A lot of people were sitting on the bleachers, chatting, and some were dancing.

   “Shall we dance?” Pete asked.

   “No, not right now. Let’s sit!”

   We sat at the bleachers, at one of the top benches. I looked down at the lower levels and saw Christi Legassi. She gave me a dirty look.

   I flipped her off and her eyes grew wide. She looked away.

   I kissed Pete’s check and he just smiled. His cheeks turned red.

   “You look handsome, even when you’re nervous.”

ANDY’S POV

   I held one of Summer’s arms while Bob held the other. People stared at me, probably because of the shiny purple suit.

   Summer and I started dancing with Bob to one of the bands I’d heard in the ‘70’s.

   Ugh, but it didn’t matter.

PETE’S POV

   VEE AND I SAT THERE FOR A WHILE, UNTIL I SAID “LET’S DANCE, VEE!”

   “NO, LET’S SIT FOR A WHILE LONGER!”

   “WHY?”

   “SORRY, PETE. I---I JUST CANT REALLY DANCE.”

   I SMILED AT HER. “IT’S OK. LET’S JUST DANCE HOWEVER WE CAN.” I TOOK HER HAND AND WE WENT TO THE DANCE FLOOR.

   WE WERE BY THE DARKEST CORNER, WHICH WAS PRETTY LONELY.

   A SONG WITH A SOFT MELOY CAME ON. A LOVE SONG, I THINK IT WAS. A SONG THAT CALLED FOR SLOW DANCING.

   I WREAPPED MY ARMS AROUND VEE’S WAIST AND SHE PLACED HER HANDS AROUND MY SHOULDERS.

   MY HEART RACED. IT WAS STARTING OUT TO BE AS A MAGICAL NIGHT.

VEE’S POV

   Pete and I started to slow dance. I felt embarrassed that I didn’t know how to dance. I probably looked like an idiot. I looked up to see Pete’s eyes shining bright. He was smiling and locking eyes with me.

   I hadn’t noticed that I felt attracted to Pete before ‘till now. It was too much to take at a time.

RYAN’S POV

   Chuck AND I Sat At The Bleachers While We Watched Frank And Nicole Dance. Cheesy, I Thought. But I’d Die To Have Someone To Be With.

   “Look!” Chuck Said.

   I Looked Up To See Boyd Hugging Up On Kit Foppe. “Boyd Likes My Cousin?” Chuck Looked Puzzled.

   “Not Such A Surprise. Boys Likes All Girls.”

   “Look!” Chuck Pointed Off Into The Darkest Corners Of The Gym. “I Didn’t Know That Veronica And Peter Were Going Out! What An Odd Couple, Dontcha Think?”

   No! Just What I Dreaded.

   I Balled My Hands Into Fists. I Felt Rage. It Was Now Or Never For Me To Fight For Vee. I Got Up And Headed Towards Them.

   “Ryan? Ryan! Where Are You Going?!” I Heard Chuck’s Voice Faint AS I Got Close To Them.

   Pete Wentz Was A Dead Man.

 ************

Thanks for sticking in there, readers! The thing is, this is the second-to-last ch. of Freshman, so enjoy! We've had problems with our comp. (it has like a virus, so we can't even turn it on, and now the computers at school have blocked Buzznet!!!! I know, can't believe it either. Bummer, huh? I'm logging on from the library's computers. Anyway, if anyone's still reading, please comment and buzz!!!