A Night without Stars

by Sabrina Albis

  “Thanks. You look pretty Mandy. Peach is really your color, which reminds me,” Rick said as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a peach corsage that he slipped on Mandy’s wrist.

  Rick’s mom proceeded to snap more pictures of the trio as Uncle James watched on proudly. When a minute had passed and Autumn hadn’t appeared, Nathaniel began pacing.

  “Where is Autumn?” he asked, his eyes darting around wildly.

  “She is coming Nate,” Mandy said, rolling her eyes. “She didn’t stand you up, though I would’ve.”

  Autumn, who was still at the top of the stairs adjusting her dress, heard her aunt calling out to her.

  “Autumn dear, did you need help with anything?”

  “I’m good thanks,” Autumn said, and she took a deep breath and went down the stairs.

  Even though she was surrounded by family and friends, she still felt uncomfortable with everyone watching her. When she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Aunt Katherine put her camera down and hugged her.

  “You look so beautiful Autumn.”

  As they embraced, Autumn could see tears forming in her aunt’s eyes.

  “My niece is all grown up and so stunning.”

  Uncle James nodded in agreement. “Your parents are going to be sad they missed this.” Then he paused, smirking slightly. “Although, I think your dad would’ve made you wear a sweater over that dress.”

  “A sweater? Forget that! She looks smoking hot!” Nathaniel exclaimed.

  Uncle James cleared his throat before shooting Nathaniel a glare.

  “I mean, beautiful. You look very beautiful,” Nathaniel said quickly.

  “Thanks Nate,” Autumn said, beaming. “You look handsome yourself.”

  He moved towards her, slipping a corsage of white flowers on her wrist.

  “For you my lovely lady.”

  She admired it for a moment. It was breathtaking.

  Aunt Katherine spent another fifteen minutes snapping photos before her and Uncle James bid everyone good night and disappeared up the stairs. When they had finally left, Mandy turned to Rick.

  “Rick, are you alright?” she asked.

  Autumn, who was chatting with Nathaniel, looked at Rick. He was staring at her, but something was different. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was tenderness in his eyes that she hadn’t seen before.

  “Rick?” Mandy snapped her fingers in his face. He looked at Mandy, startled, as if awaking from a dream.

  “Are you alright?” Mandy asked again, looking concerned. “You aren’t going to heave on me are you? Because that’s a deal breaker, buddy.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I’m just a little nervous,” Rick said, looking away from Autumn.

  “Dude, I know the feeling,” Nathaniel muttered. “I hope I don’t get the backdoor trots like this morning.”

  “And who said romance is dead?” Mandy muttered as Autumn put her hand on Rick’s forearm.

  “Ricky, calm down. It’s just a school dance, not prom.”

  “I’m fine,” Rick said, forcing a smile but Autumn could tell he was hiding something. Even when she touched him, he didn’t look up at her, apparently more interested in his shoes.

  “Well, if you are fine and everyone is fine, let’s go dude,” Nathaniel said eagerly. “I want to get my dance on!”

  Mandy grabbed Rick’s hand, attempting to lead him out the door.

  “Mandy, can I borrow Rick for a minute?” Autumn asked.

  Mandy nodded at her. “Sure, we’ll be outside.” And she and a perplexed-looking Nathaniel, headed out the door.

  Autumn and Rick stood together in silence, when it suddenly hit her.

  The silence felt awkward.

  Never before had Autumn felt awkward around Rick. Silence, conversation, even quarrels were easy with him. He was like a song she knew by heart, a map she had memorized, a book she had read a hundred times.

  He finally stopped examining his footwear and looked up at her. She remembered her own words, the ones she had spoken to Mandy earlier.

  I can’t say I have ever seen Rick around a girl he likes.

  Was that what was wrong with him? Was he falling for Mandy?

  The guy falls in love with the cute tomboy after her makeover? What a cliché, Autumn thought.

  Unsure of what to say or do, Autumn reached out to Rick, wrapping her arms around him. For a moment, he was frozen stiff to her touch, but then he hugged her back.

  When she pulled away, she cupped his face in her hands, smiling. His blue eyes met her green ones unsurely.

  “You like her don’t you?” she whispered, and Rick looked at her, eyebrows raised.

  “Who?”

  “Mandy,” Autumn said. “That’s why you are acting so strange. You realized you do want to be with her right?”

  Rick shuffled uncomfortably. “No it’s not that at all.”

  Suddenly, her face was in his hands. Then it happened, in slow motion but yet so fast.

  Rick leaned in and kissed her.

  His mouth pressed against hers passionately, and she didn’t move. She felt her heart pounding in her chest and like it was the most natural thing in the world, she kissed him back.

  Eric, her mind chided her, and instantly she pulled away. Unsure of where she stood with him, she couldn’t keep on kissing Rick.

  She had been blindsided, and her mind was mush now. She stared at Rick, her eyes wide and her body trembling. She was like a deer in headlights.

  “You are gorgeous,” Rick said, stroking her cheek gently with his fingertips. “The prettiest girl, I have ever seen.”

  “How could it have taken me so long to realize what I have known all along? I want you to be with me Autumn.”

  Autumn was speechless. Her knees were weak. Her breathing was erratic. She even had butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

  It was bizarre, but in this moment, it was like she hardly knew Rick at all. Suddenly, he was a stranger to her. A stranger she had just shared a passionate kiss with.

  “Rick, we need to go,” she managed finally. “They’re waiting for us.”

  “I know,” he said, reaching out to take her hand into his.

  “Shall we?”

  15

  It was a little after seven when Autumn and the others arrived at the school. As they pulled into the parking lot in Nathaniel’s van, Autumn looked out the passenger seat window and saw rows upon rows of cars in the parking lot. The gym was going to be packed.

  Though she was trying her best, Autumn couldn’t stop thinking about Rick kissing her and his confession. She also felt guilty seeing as her and Eric had been spending so much time together. She tried to convince herself they were just friends, but she saw the way Eric would smile at her, with a mischievous twinkle in his brown eyes.

  Like moths to flames, they were drawn to each other and when Eric held her, Autumn never wanted him to let go.

  Then there was Mandy, her new best friend, who was on a date with Rick, yet minutes ago, he had just kissed her.

  The whole thing made her sick to her stomach.

  Another part of her, a selfish part, knew when Rick kissed her, she felt something and she wanted to explore that. Rick was the guy she grew up with, and if she hadn’t moved away, they would’ve ended up together. It was fate, merely written in the stars.

  Autumn looked in the rear-view mirror, trying to sneak a peek at Rick. His face always brought her back, like a lost ship finding its safe harbor.

  Even his curl framed face and blue eyes couldn’t placate her right now. The guilt would gnaw at her until she figured everything out.

  Nathaniel found a parking spot for his oversized van in the far lot. He parked and jumped out, heading for the passenger side to open the door for Autumn.

  “My lady,”
he said, reaching out his hand to help her out of the vehicle.

  “Thanks,” she said cordially, grabbing onto him as she stepped out.

  She already made up her mind. She owed Nathaniel this night. She wouldn’t mope. She wouldn’t stew. She would dance and laugh and pretend everything was normal, even if it was a lie.

  “The dance awaits,” Nathaniel said, looping his arm into Autumn’s.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Rick grumbled as Autumn looked around.

  Mandy was missing.

  “Wait. Where is Mandy?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” Rick said, his eyes scanning the parking lot.

  Autumn frowned. “I think she is still in the van Rick.”

  Rick rolled his eyes, looking annoyed. “Well, why didn’t she get out?”

  “I think she wants you to get the door for her.”

  Rick put his hands in his pockets nonchalantly. “They’re sliding doors! I go out mine. She goes out hers! It isn’t exactly rocket science.”

  “Neither is chivalry and yet here we are,” Autumn said sharply. “Now, go get the door for her!”

  “Fine,” Rick said, puckering his lips into a pout. He rushed over to the van and slid the door open for Mandy.

  “Dude, sorry,” he muttered, reaching out a hand to her. “I didn’t realize I was supposed to get your door for you and stuff.”

  Nathaniel leaned into Autumn, a smug expression on his face.

  “Well duh. Even I knew that.”

  Mandy narrowed her eyes but still accepted Rick’s outstretched hand.

  “I don’t know what is more delightful. You abandoning me in the van, or you calling me dude,” she said sarcastically.

  The couple walked over to join Nathaniel and Autumn, and they all headed towards the school entrance.

  Autumn glanced up at the starless sky. It was foreboding. The heavens so pitch-black, the moon behind large draping clouds. Lately, the stars became an omen, a way of telling how the night might turn out.

  A night without stars, she thought to herself wryly. It sent chills down her spine.

  As the group of them approached the doors, Autumn noticed the swarms of kids entering the school. Girls in glittering dresses and stilettos, guys in dress pants, crisp button-down shirts and ties. All looking like they were playing dress up for the night.

  Voices echoed throughout the vacant halls and reverberated off the white walls. From behind the gyms beige double doors, came the soft, distant thumping of bass.

  As Autumn was taking it all in, a loud hooting sound garnered her attention. She looked behind her and saw Ben Mills snuggling with his date, Candice Kincaid. They were sauntering down the hallway, surrounded by their usual gang.

  “Candice, you have had enough,” Ben said stubbornly, pulling a silver flask towards his chest protectively.

  “I need booze. Drinking is the only thing that makes school dances fun. Besides, you are already sloshed.”

  Normally, Autumn would challenge anything Ben spat out of his annoying mouth, but he appeared to be right about Candice. She was stumbling around, her eyes half-closed as she held onto Ben for dear life.

  “I jusss want one more sipppp Bennyyy,” she slurred.

  “Back off Candy!” Ben snapped. “The rest is mine!”

  As their voices faded into the distance, Autumn rolled her eyes.

  “They’re like a regular PSA ad.”

  Nathaniel chuckled heartily.

  “I hope they get booted tonight,” he said and Mandy snickered, looking pleased by the idea.

  “Expelled would be even better.”

  When they finally arrived at the gym, Autumn was pleasantly surprised.

  She had been imagining the traditional high school dance décor of rainbow-colored balloons, pastel streamers, signs made with markers and Bristol boards and a cliché smoke machine.

  Instead, she saw tea lights were stationed all over. Some hung in fixtures along the walls, and others were placed on tables. They lit up the gym, casting a beautiful, dreamy haze. Tables draped in white lace tablecloths were spread out all over. In the centre of each, sat a vase filled with wildflowers. Another long banquet table housed the snacks and drinks. On a makeshift stage, a DJ was spinning. The floor beneath him was already filled with dancing students.

  “Do you want a drink?” Nathaniel asked Autumn as he gestured towards the refreshment’s table.

  “Sure,” Autumn said. “Water would be nice.”

  “Coming right up,” he said, winking at her.

  “Did you want anything?” Rick asked Mandy, obviously trying to be more attentive.

  “Punch please,” she replied and the two headed off to get the drinks.

  When the guys were finally out of earshot, Mandy sighed, looking perturbed.

  “Rick is acting funny!” she shouted over the music. “He seems distracted tonight! Did he say anything to you?”

  Autumn was thankful for the dim lighting. She could feel the crimson rising up her neck and across her cheeks, giving away her guilt like a waving red flag.

  “I think he’s just nervous,” she said, trying her best to sound normal. “The night is still young. Give him time to loosen up a little.”

  “I have to say Autumn, you were a total bitch when we met, but you do look scorching in that dress.”

  Autumn looked behind her to see Ben Mills smug face looking back at her. He had a large cup in his hand and he was staring at her, licking his lips disgustingly.

  “Get lost you parasite!” Mandy ordered as Autumn glared at Ben, her hands on her hips.

  “Ben Mills complimented me! I can finally die happy!” she said sardonically.

  “Where is Candice Ben? I saw you come in with her. You ditched her to hit on Autumn? Classy,” Mandy said snidely.

  Ben, who was wobbling around, seemed to struggle with the question.

  “Candice is probably puking by now,” he guffawed and his cup shook, spilling punch all over his shirt.

  He moved closer to Autumn, touching her hair with his hand.

  “You are so hot,” he slurred as Autumn jerked away from him.

  “Mills back off!” Mandy snapped, stepping towards him, her face contorting with anger. “I may be wearing a dress, but I can still kick your ass.”

  “Listen! You little pipsqueak,” he began, but before he could continue, Nathaniel and Rick had returned. With them was a man Autumn recognized as one of the school’s guidance consolers.

  Nathaniel’s eyes swept from Autumn to Ben disapprovingly.

  “Oh not you again,” he muttered as he handed Autumn her drink.

  “Good evening all,” the consoler smiled before turning to Ben.

  “Mr. Mills. So we meet again,” he frowned.

  Autumn looked around at the crowd that had gathered. Candice was one of the many faces she saw in the sea of students. She was watching, her mouth agape, as the fiasco unfolded.

  “Mr. Garrison,” Ben said, eyes heavily lidded now. “The coolest guidance consoler ever is here at the dance. Aren’t we lucky?”

  Mr. Garrison grinned in spite of himself. “That you aren’t.”

  Suddenly, the consoler’s expression turned grim.

  “Mr. Mills, I was watching you chat with these young ladies over here and from what I gathered you seem to be, shall I say, rather inebriated.”

  “Sorry Garrison,” Ben said belligerently. “I speak English not Spanish man. You should know that I’m failing that class. Nevertheless, I am acing Home Ec.”

  Rick snickered as the consoler looked at Ben, clearly unimpressed.

  “I’m Mister Garrison,” he corrected him. “You are obviously drunk Mr. Mills.”

  Ben’s eyes closed and opened again as he rubbed his face.

  “I am not drunk,” he s
lurred again, stumbling as he pointed to Autumn.

  “That girl, Autumn Kingston. I just came over to say hi and to see her nice rack.” Ben began chuckling obnoxiously. Autumn felt her cheeks turn pink as the crowd looked at her. Rick jolted forward but Nathaniel held him back, shaking his head. It was a silent warning to let Mr. Garrison handle Ben.

  Mr. Garrison crossed his arms over his chest. It was clear he was losing his patience and that Ben’s big mouth wasn’t helping matters.

  “Mr. Mills, that is quite enough. You need to leave the gym immediately. We can’t have you here like this. You can apologize to these two young ladies when you are back from your suspension and sober. Follow me.”

  “I can stay!” Ben began to argue, but Mr. Garrison was already ushering him away.

  When the show was over and the crowd began to dissipate, Rick handed Mandy her drink.

  “I leave you alone for a minute and Ben moves in like a vulture.”

  Mandy looked up at him from her drink, her brown eyes doe-like.

  “I would’ve gladly beaten him to a pulp but then Mr. Hot Teacher showed up.”

  “He isn’t a teacher,” Nathaniel said, rolling his eyes. “He is a guidance consoler. Don’t you listen?”

  “Who cares?” Mandy said. “Did you see that authority? So sexy.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Mr. Garrison returned to the gym, without Ben. It was around this time that Nathaniel grabbed Autumn and dragged her onto the dance floor. Swaying with Nathaniel, Autumn looked over and saw Rick and Mandy dancing nearby.

  She didn’t know why, but even after encouraging Mandy to pursue Rick, she felt a stab of jealousy.

  She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the couple.

  She could hear Nathaniel’s voice in the background, but she barely heard his words. She watched, enthralled, as Mandy leaned towards Rick and pressed her mouth onto his.

  Autumn’s heart dropped inside her stomach. She felt like she might throw up.

  Mandy was kissing Rick.

  Her Rick.

  She had never felt such jealousy.

  She didn’t even care how absurd her thoughts were, how petty and ridiculous. All she felt was betrayal and white-hot rage washing over her.

  Autumn’s expression must’ve changed because Nathaniel looked over at Rick and Mandy too.