by C. S Luis
We walked arm in arm into the prom; the entrance was large and open. I felt like a princess in a grand palace; there were so many students I didn’t recognize.
A few boys came over to talk to Jimmy. They looked like members of the football team; some faces I recognized, others I didn’t know. They waved at me and I caught a few of them blushing and avoiding my eyes.
I caught one of the guys elbowing Jimmy in the side, mouthing the words, “Lucky bastard.” He and the others snickered, gazing over at me like I was a prize to be won. I felt uncomfortable and Jimmy could sense it.
“Ignore them,” he whispered. “They’re just jealous their dates are not as gorgeous as mine.”
“Jimmy,” I whispered, blushing.
“It’s true, Claudia.”
The boys’ girlfriends wandered into the large lobby looking for them. Among them was Rachel. I felt uneasy and Jimmy’s hold tightened.
His friends were all dating cheerleaders, and they just happened to be Rachel and her minions. What a surprise.
Rachel came to stand beside one of the boys; a dark-haired, tall football player; the one that had elbowed Jimmy and been gawking at me.
“Come on, Greg, I want to dance,” she said to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.
He smiled, waving back at Jimmy.
“Come on Jim! Let’s go! We spiked the punch,” he stated and then put a hand over his mouth.
Rachel rolled her eyes, “Watch out; she might tell,” she uttered. Greg didn’t say anything but I sensed he was apologetic. He moved after Rachel as she and her minion cheerleader girlfriends followed her into the ballroom, dragging their boyfriends along with them.
“Come on Jim!” the boys repeated, waving back at us.
I felt unable to follow.
“Don’t let them intimidate you. They’re just jealous. My god, look at you. Who wouldn’t be? I’m so happy you decided to come with me.” He leaned forward and kissed me. He smiled at me and I gazed into his blue eyes, but caught him staring past me.
His nose wrinkled and I looked back, trying to see what he was looking at.
“What’s wrong, Jimmy?” He seemed to startle and look back over at me.
He smiled again, “Let’s dance.”
He led me into the ballroom. As we entered, I caught sight of Michael at the far left, standing along with Mr. Claypool and Mr. Vasquez.
I waved at Michael, not recognizing some of the adults he was standing with. They were busy talking. More chaperones stood to the side. I blinked when I looked at one of them; a vision appearing for just an instant.
However, when I opened my eyes, it was gone. I shook my head, not wanting to dwell on it too much. It was prom and I was pretending to be a normal girl that didn’t hear voices and see visions! I was going to have fun!
We went to the middle of the dance floor and I hooked my arms around Jimmy’s neck. His hands were warm on my waist and we began swaying back and forth in little steps as the slow song played.
His friends found us dancing and moved closer to us. Jimmy nudged his head over at them and they returned the gesture, high-fiving each other like guys would, especially football players. They seemed like a bunch of clowns; guys I could get along with. They seemed comfortable with me. Except when their dates started complaining; then they would stiffen and their smiles would vanish.
“Stop that,” I would hear the girls say. At one point even darting away from the dance floor. “I’m getting myself a drink.”
“What did I do, Jen?”
Jimmy brought me close, I almost forgot we were dancing, as I soaked in the events around us.
“You okay?” he asked. I smiled and nodded. He drew close to kiss me until a voice behind us interrupted.
“Where’d you get that dress, Claudia?” I rolled my eyes at Rachel’s voice and stepped away from Jimmy. In most people’s mouths the question would have been a compliment, but where Rachel was concerned, it was a sneer.
“Isn’t it lovely? I got it for her.” Jimmy boldly said, glaring at her. She looked surprised.
“It’s beautiful,” she merely said, there was a tone of sadness in her voice, and for a moment I felt bad for her. I sensed her broken heart; she liked Jimmy. Then her pain turned into anger and it was directed at me.
“I knew right way it would look lovely on her.” Jimmy added, bringing me closer. He kissed me and I felt an explosion; not just from within me but from the anger I sensed released from Rachel’s presence. I fell away, intoxicated, our eyes still locked into each other’s gaze. An image of Jimmy was now flashing before my eyes; he was over me, his face buried in my neck. I felt his lips kissing the skin there. I couldn’t break away from what I was sensing and I could see he was feeling the same; he looked lost.
“Claudia,” he exhaled in a whisper, as if he meant to ask, “What was that?” He wanted more, I could see it in his eyes.
Rachel narrowed her eyes at us as a sigh escaped her mouth.
Jimmy turned to her, the passion was obvious in his stare, he wanted to be alone with me. He wanted to feel what we both had felt in that magical moment.
“Go away, can’t you see I’m dancing with my girlfriend!” he angrily spat. I had never heard him speak so firmly to anyone. He was generally such a soft-spoken guy. He seemed like an entirely different person.
Rachel looked hurt and dashed away. Her boyfriend returned with a drink in his hand; he looked at us and Jimmy just nudged his head to the side in the direction Rachel had gone.
Greg –Rachel’s boyfriend- left us to search for her.
Jimmy put his arm around my waist and led me over to a new spot on the dance floor. The music had changed, the beat was faster. The bass pounded in my head. That was nice; I couldn’t hear anything but the music, no mumbling that I could never quite hear.
“What did you do? How?” he said.
I blinked over at him. I felt scared and looked away.
He turned my face back to him. “Do it again…” he whispered. He looked lost, intoxicated even.
“It was amazing...” He smiled locking his lips with mine. I didn’t want to; I was afraid to hurt him. And I wanted to feel normal. But he drew me in, his mind felt open to me.
Again, I felt his body over me, his lips kissing the side of my neck, buried into my hair. I could feel his body against me, eager and aroused. “Yes,” I heard him whisper, “I love you, Claudia, I want you…”
“Claudia.” I jumped, looking around. The voice had been close, as if a man had bent down and whispered in my ear. The voice did not belong to Jimmy. And it didn’t sound like Quentin’s voice. There was a familiarity to the tone, but I couldn’t place it.
This action broke my connection with Jimmy, he gazed over at me spellbound. His brow was covered in sweat, he looked exhausted and like he had been running a marathon.
“That was amazing!” he gasped, his breath was heavy. He looked dazed and lost.
“What is it?” Jimmy asked, noticing the confusion on my face. I shook my head and went back to dancing. I moved back into Jimmy’s arms for the slow movement, holding him a little closer. I lay my head on his shoulder.
I gazed up at him and found his eyes smiling down at me.
“Do you think I’m strange?” I asked him suddenly.
He blinked, cupping my cheek in his hand. “I don’t know how you did what you just did. But no; if anything you are far more interesting and amazing. I felt it Claudia, I felt everything I wanted to feel from you without a doubt. I have no words for what you’ve shown me. You’re not strange Claudia, if anything, you’re amazing.”
“Claudia,” the man’s voice said again. I flinched, and Jimmy gave me a concerned look.
“I’m not going to hurt you, just keep dancing.”
I did. “What do you want?” I asked the voice. It was silent. I let Jimmy twirl me around and I surveyed the crowd. Nothing seemed amiss. We weren’t the only couple on the floor dancing. The rest of the students were trying o
ut the different snacks and drinks on the buffet table along one side.
“I’m thirsty,” I told Jimmy when the song ended.
“Okay.” He walked with me towards the buffet and handed me a cup filled with soda. The bubbles tickled my nose and throat. I turned around as he checked the table and tried to get a handle on all of the different people. The person Michael had been talking to was nowhere to be seen.
Over the crowd, I met Michael’s eyes. He was watching me. I turned away, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear and smiling at Jimmy.
I was going to be a normal girl tonight. I was going to have fun. I caught sight of Jimmy looking away again, his nose wrinkled. He looked past me, out the ballroom door.
I intended to ask him what was wrong. But he began to talk before I could.
“I’ll be back, Claudia. I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” he said.
I nodded, he kissed me on the head and began to walk toward one of the ballroom doors. I watched him disappear, feeling alone, until I heard the voice again.
11
The Stranger
Jimmy looked back into the ballroom. He found Claudia alone. He needed to hurry back to her but for now he wanted to see if what he suspected was true. He moved into the lobby and saw the man in the distance walking away. Jimmy hurried. He had seen this man before in the parking lot of Milton, something about him seemed familiar; something about what he wore. Perhaps it would seem to anyone else that what he wore; a black suit and simple dark tie, was nothing out of the ordinary, but not to Jimmy. Especially having seen it before, including the special-made glasses he had recognized.
The man exited the building and Jimmy hurried, coming around a corner of the hotel where the light seemed dimmer. A single lamp post shone over a parked car to his left, the man was nowhere. He walked past a few other vehicles, past a post that should be lighting his path, and stepped on broken glass. He stopped, looking down. A shadow stepped from beside a vehicle and Jimmy jumped in response.
“Should you be out here?”
Jimmy narrowed his eyes at the figure; he couldn’t see the man’s face in the dark but he knew it was him, the same man from Milton’s parking lot. Oddly, he was wearing the dark shades. But Jimmy knew what they were so he didn’t find it strange.
“Did my father send you?” Jimmy boldly asked.
The man came closer now; he was a few steps from Jimmy.
He took the glasses off. Jimmy could easily distinguish the features of a black man, wearing a black suit and dark tie. He was tall and brawny, built like a football player, trained to be a quick and effective killer. This was a fact Jimmy was very aware of. If his father had sent him, he wanted to know why.
“Jimmy Reinhart,” he said.
Jimmy wasn’t surprised the stranger knew his name. They were trained to know what or who they were watching. “Your date is getting lonely,” the man said, smiling over at him.
“I asked you a question,” Jimmy replied.
“I don’t answer your questions, but I’m not here for you,” the man responded and moved to leave.
“Then why are you here? Tell me. If you’re not here for me, then why are you here?”
“That’s classified, Mr. Reinhardt. You know that, boy.” The man turned to face him again, but of course, it was difficult to see his features in the darkness of the parking lot. He moved to stand under the light of the lamp above. He was a black man, and the suit he wore was the same uniform Jimmy was familiar with. The black suit, the black tie, with the odd glasses one could wear in the dark.
“I have a question for you,” the man suddenly said as he took a few steps towards Jimmy.
“Why would a smart boy like you leave such a lovely and beautiful girl like Claudia Belle all alone? If you’re not careful someone might claim her.”
Jimmy looked back towards the entrance of the hotel, cars were still arriving. He worried about Claudia even more because of the stranger he knew was working for his father. He didn’t like them, he didn’t like the way they did things.
“How do you know about her?” But it was a stupid question to ask the man in black. What he really meant to say to him was, “Stay away from her.” But once he turned back, the man was gone. Jimmy was now standing in the parking lot alone. He hurried away back toward the lights of the building and to Claudia.
12
Milton’s Prom Queen & King
“Don’t trust them, any of them…”
“Who are you?” But it was silent. I felt foolish talking to myself. I moved away to an area where I could be alone, moving to a corner of the ballroom. In the distance, I caught sight of Rachel and her girlfriends glaring over at me. I rolled my eyes. ‘Now what?’ I thought. Michael was still standing in the same place; all the chaperones seemed to be chatting and entertaining themselves in their own ways.
There was a spot at the edge of the ballroom, with some potted plants that no doubt were placed for decoration. Luckily, there was also a space where I could slide behind one and have a semblance of privacy. It was dark and a little bit dusty. I jumped when I felt the sticky thread of a spider web touch my bare arm. The spider it belonged to was nowhere in sight, thank goodness. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, wondering if I would be able to hear the voice again.
I tried to keep the sound of that voice in my mind, the warmth of it. He sounded like someone I knew, but who. “Who are you?” I thought, but no answer came.
Through the fronds of the potted plant, I could see the rest of the school, still dancing and laughing. Rachel was glaring around the dance floor, no doubt looking for me. That girl needed to get a life. I resisted the urge to find some way to humiliate her, punish her for making fun of me. However, that would make me no better than her. I could behave myself for the sake of Jimmy.
Glancing around, I couldn’t see him at all. He’d just been going to the bathroom, right? He should be back by now. I decided I would look for him.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of my hiding place and made my way around the ballroom. I moved quickly, but not too fast. No point in drawing anyone’s attention. Michael glanced over in my direction, but I just smiled at him. He watched me for a moment, but then his attention was stolen away by one of the chaperones. I stepped out one of the side doors and into the hallway. It was quiet out there; just a few students milling around.
Seeing the sign for the bathrooms, I made my way there. There were a few chairs in the hall outside the restroom and I settled into one, the soft cushions practically sucking me down into my seat.
I waited, five minutes, then ten. A boy whose name I couldn’t remember walked up to the door. “Hey, can you see if my boyfriend is okay? He went in there twenty minutes ago,” I requested.
He shrugged. A few minutes later he came back out. I looked at him expectantly.
“There was no one else in there, sorry.”
I thanked him, trying not to let the dismay show on my face. Jimmy never lied to me. Where could he have gone?
“Don’t trust them.” The voice was there in the back of my mind again.
“Who are you?”
“A friend,” the voice said. I could feel the affection in the words and it sent a warm feeling through my body. It was like when Jimmy spoke to me. I wanted to know why this voice thought I shouldn’t trust Jimmy, but as soon as it said the words I knew it had left again.
Wherever it was must be far away. It was like reaching for someone when they were across a river; completely pointless.
I stood up, trying to think of where Jimmy could have gone. Maybe he went outside? I started down the hallway, picking up the hem of my dress so I wouldn’t trip as I hurried.
I could see my reflection in the glass doors that led to the exterior. As I neared, the reflection changed and I could see movement in the pool of light beyond. I was about to push open the door when he appeared on the other side.
“Claudia?” Jimmy said, blinking at me, looking startled.
> “I was worried when you didn’t come back, so I came looking for you.”
“Sorry, after I went to the bathroom I needed to get some air.” His cheek twitched just slightly, a small curve of his mouth. I’d seen it before; his tell, but it was never directed at me. He was lying. Why?
“Is something wrong?” I asked, wrapping my arms around him. He rested his cheek on the top of my head.
“No, I just... you know what? Let’s not worry about it. We can go back to the dance.” He kissed my forehead and hooked my arm through his. I glanced over my shoulder and could see a man completely dressed in black in the pool of light just beyond the door. He smiled at me, then faded into the darkness.
Who was he?
We reentered the ballroom, I wondered more about the stranger in the parking lot; I wondered why Jimmy had lied. Did he know the man? Something in his face, in his nerves, told me that he did but not well enough to know his reasons for being there. Yet, I wanted to know. But I didn’t want to at the same time. I pried even though I didn’t want to.
He pulled me from the entrance of the ballroom with him. His friends caught sight of him.
I wanted to avoid them and Jimmy felt that I did. He led me away back to the dance floor and I wrapped my arms around him. The song now playing was a slow one and as I looked into his eyes, I saw it; the one thing I was trying to avoid, the truth of the man in the parking lot. He was a man that worked for his father’s company. Was he here for him? Jimmy was asking himself the same thing. He didn’t know, I could see that. I was relieved to think the man wasn’t sinister. That thought had crossed my mind when Jimmy returned acting strange and telling me a lie.
He smiled at me.
“What are you thinking about, beautiful?”
I didn’t know what to say. I blushed instead.
“You look miles away,” he added.
“Who was that man in the parking lot?” was what I wanted to ask but I could sense his fear; that I was going to ask him such a question. And he didn’t know what to say.