The four sat down.
Tina looked around at the gym again. People were dancing to the music. She wanted to join them.
Jimmy was just looking off into space. She nudged him and asked, “Could we dance?”
“Oh, okay.” He stood up and led her to the dance floor and then confessed, “I’ve never danced before.”
“Me either,” she said and laughed. “Just act like everyone else.” She pulled him close, her breasts pressing up against his chest.
Jimmy tried to hide his erection but couldn’t and she felt it poking her as they swayed to the music. She liked it.
For the next five minutes the two clumsily danced along the floor, both stepping on each others feet from time to time, and bumping into other couples who gave them frustrated looks. It was a sight worth watching, which is what Alan did while sitting next to Rachel.
After the dance ended the two walked off the dance floor and sat down, each with a large grin.
“That was something,” Alan said. “You call it pinball dancing?”
Tina laughed.
Jimmy gave him a look. He then turned to Tina and said, “There just wasn’t enough room out there for us, right.”
“Not enough room,” Tina agreed.
Jimmy looked down at her right foot. “Your toes okay?”
Tina laughed again. “Yeah, I think so. It’s a good thing they aren’t open shoed, or whatever the hell you call them.”
“Open toed,” Rachel said. She sounded annoyed, her words almost asking how could someone not know that?
Tina looked at Jimmy who just shrugged back.
Rachel looked at Alan and said, “Why don’t you get me something to drink.” It wasn’t a question.
“Sure.” Alan started to stand.
“Hold up a sec,” Jimmy said. He turned to Tina. “You want anything?”
“Yeah, anything’s fine.”
“Okay.” Jimmy got up and walked with Alan to the buffet setup. There weren’t many people there at the moment and the sound of the gym seemed to fade as they got closer. The two were actually able to hear each other without shouting.
“Having fun?” Alan asked.
“I really am,” Jimmy said. He took two cups and dipped them into the punch. Without realizing it he also dipped the bottom of his left cuff sleeve.
Alan did the same only without staining his sleeve. He then looked around at the crackers and cookies, but decided against trying to balance two cups and a plate. “Tina seems to be enjoying herself.”
Jimmy glanced back toward their table. “You think so?” he asked hopefully. “I really made a mess out of that dance.”
“Don’t worry, she’s having fun. I can tell.”
Tina didn’t see him looking at her. Instead her gaze was on the dance floor, waiting.
“What about you?” Jimmy asked.
The two started walking back.
“Rachel isn’t talking much. I’m not sure she really likes me the way she let on and only wanted me to take her so she could be here.” He shrugged. “You know, so she didn’t miss her senior prom.”
A second later the two returned to the table.
“Thank you,” Tina said as Jimmy handed her the drink. Then, “Oh no, what did you do?”
“What?” Jimmy asked.
“Your sleeve.” She took hold of his wrist and turned it over for him to see. Her face betrayed her determination not to laugh.
“Damn,” Jimmy said loudly, though no one could hear it because of the music. “That’s gonna cost me big time.” The tuxedo had come with a list of offenses that would result in more charges. Stains were one of them.
“Well, go to the bathroom and try washing it out,” Tina said, her voice taking on that of a concerned mother.
Jimmy eased his wrist away and sat down. “I’d rather stay here with you.” His voice had cooled. “Besides, it won’t come out.”
The song ended, along with the current dance. Tina looked at the floor and then at Jimmy. “Want to get in on the next one?” she asked.
“Sure,” Jimmy said.
* * *
Halfway to the school Matt stopped and realized that even with a ticket they probably would not let him into the dance due to his casual attire, and wondered if he should go home and change into something formal.
Thoughts of Caroline and how she had said NO to him a few weeks earlier followed. A mixture of resentment and embarrassment came next, especially since he had been unable to keep himself from tearing up as she let out a laugh, his emotions so high strung from working up the courage to ask her that they broke easily after she turned him down.
It had been one of the worst moments of his life, and afterward he had been too scared to try and ask anyone else, fearful that he would be rejected a second time.
God what if I see her there?
What if I beat the shit out of whomever she is with?
The thought would never become a reality.
The same was probably true with the idea of Brett and Jimmy going at it tonight because even if he got inside he doubted Jimmy would take the bait.
Just go home.
As appealing as the idea was, he continued toward the school so he could at least say he had tried. If they turned him away, which he was almost certain would be the case, he could tell Brett to go there himself and wait for him. If not and somehow Jimmy did take the bait, he would get to see Brett get his ass kicked - he was pretty certain of this as well - which would make it all worthwhile.
He continued toward the school, his hand ready to pull the ticket from his wallet where it had been stored next to his one and only condom, both of which he held on to just in case something unforeseen happened. Unforeseen but dreamt about often.
In the end he didn’t need the ticket, but only because Jimmy was already outside.
* * *
“You know what this reminds me of,” Tina said as the two headed down the hallway toward the door so they could get some fresh air.
“What?” Jimmy asked.
“You promise not to laugh?”
“Maybe,” he said with a smile.
She playfully punched him in the arm. “Promise.”
“Okay, I promise I won’t laugh.”
“It kind of reminds me of the Harry Potter books.”
“Um, how come?” Jimmy asked.
“Because, we are in a decorated school at night having fun yet have to be guarded by the authorities because something bad could be lurking outside.”
“Oh.”
“Okay, it’s stupid, but I can’t help it.”
“No, I know what you mean. I read the books when I was younger and I can see why it feels that way.” In his mind he wondered if that made him Lord Voldemort. “Of course, in the books the Dark Lord and whatever horrible thing that threatened the students of Hogwarts was usually already inside or found its way inside, which makes you wonder if the same is true here.”
Tina’s grip around his arm tightened. “Okay you just caused a chill to run down my spine.”
Jimmy smiled.
At the door the school official who had checked their tickets asked them where they were going. Like before a deputy stood next to him. Unlike before they both had cups of punch and the deputy also had a cookie.
“Just going outside to cool off,” Jimmy said. “It’s really warm in there.”
“Okay, but just be aware that there are dozens of deputies out there and they will be keeping an eye on you.”
“We really are just going out to get some air,” Jimmy said.
The man nodded.
The two stepped outside. “I hate it when adults do that,” Jimmy said.
“Do what?” Tina asked.
“Assume we are up to no good because we are teenagers.”
“I guess that means I’m not going to get lucky while out here, am I, and to think I made that whole story up about being hot and wanting some fresh air, all for nothing.”
“Hey, I
didn’t say he was wrong,” Jimmy said quickly. “I just said I don’t like it when adults automatically assume we are up to no good.”
“Really,” Tina said. “Well then maybe we should walk a little farther from the school.”
“Maybe,” he said back and kissed her.
She returned the kiss, a small laugh escaping, and then pushed him away while saying, “I really think we should walk a little farther from the school.”
“Okay,” Jimmy said and took her hand.
A few other couples who were standing outside watched them start to walk away, knowing smiles on their faces, some of the guys thinking lucky bastard.
Together they headed down the side of the hill toward the school plaque, their direction taking them toward an unofficial walkway that went between the football field and parking lot.
“Um, Jimmy,” Tina said as they headed toward the bleachers. “Not over there.”
“How come, I don’t see any deputies over there and it’s nice and dark.”
Tina stopped walking, her hand tugging at his. “Please not over there.” The look on her face told Jimmy this was not something he wanted to argue with, though now he was curious as to what the problem was.
Don’t ask now, it might ruin the moment.
Strangely it wasn’t the hint at having a sexual moment that his mind was thinking about, but the entire prom experience.
“It’s okay, we don’t have to go over there if you don’t want too,” Jimmy said.
“Thank you,” Tina said while embracing him, her head against his chest. “Thank you so much.”
For a moment Jimmy didn’t know what to do but then simply placed his palms on her back. He could feel her heartbeat through the thin fabric of her gown. It felt wonderful.
He tightened his hold.
It was a perfect moment in time.
And then . . .
“Well, well, what do we have here?”
Jimmy lifted his head and looked at Matt. “Leave us alone.”
Matt held up his palms. “I just wanted to let you know that Brett has your bondage videos and is waiting for you at the Hood place.”
* * *
Deputy Paul Widgeon was watching a good looking girl in red lead a not so good looking young man in a black tuxedo across the soccer field, his body getting ready to follow them so he could let them know they were being watched and should stay within the school bounds - and not have sex out in the field - when he caught sight of a small guy in a leather jacket appear from between two houses on the sidewalk and step into the parking lot. Normally such a situation wouldn’t be all that unusual, but given his clothes, which weren’t adequate for the event, and his hurried pace, Paul had a feeling he was up to no good and decided to keep an eye on him. While doing this he also radioed a deputy named Carl.
“What’s up Paul?” Carl asked.
“I got a girl in a red dress leading a guy out into the soccer field on my left and a guy who looks like he is up to no good walking toward the school on my right. Can you take the couple on the left and make sure they find their way back to the school.”
“Where are they exactly?” Carl asked.
Paul looked out into the field and to his dismay saw that they had now disappeared. “They were about twenty feet into the field five seconds ago, so there is no way they could have cut across it already. I’m guessing they are laying down about thirty yards to the right of the second base.”
“Got it,” Carl said. “I’ll be over there in a jiffy.”
“Thanks.” He turned back toward the guy in the leather jacket and suddenly said, “Oh shit, I got two guys fighting near the football field. Guy in a tux just laid out a guy in a leather jacket and is beating him senseless.”
* * *
“Jimmy stop!”
Jimmy heard the words but didn’t really let them register, his mind only focused on the words ‘bondage videos’ and ‘Hood place’ while he smashed Matt’s head into the blacktop parking lot, his lips demanding to know what Brett knew and what he had told people.
“Jimmy!”
A hand touched his shoulder but he shrugged it away. At the same time he realized he wasn’t going to learn anything else from Matt, not after smashing his head so many times into the ground, and quickly headed toward his car.
* * *
Tina didn’t know what to do and just stood there in the dissipating exhaust smoke for several seconds, tears falling from her eyes. She had chased Jimmy all the way to the car after he had stopped beating the guy on the ground, pleading with him to stop, but to no avail and now he had driven away.
“Hey, you!” someone shouted in her direction.
Tina looked toward the voice and saw a town deputy standing over the guy.
“Me?” Tina asked.
Her voice barely registered yet the deputy seemed to understand what she was asking and nodded while saying, “Yes, you, come here.”
Tina obeyed.
Others came as well, most curious onlookers who had witnessed the brief fight from a distance and now wanted to see what was going on.
Several of them gasped when they arrived, the blood leaking from the guy’s ears startling them.
“This is Deputy Widgeon over at the Ashland Creek High School Prom. I need a paramedic here for a head trauma ASAP!” Deputy Widgeon turned toward Tina and said, “Who was the guy you were with and where did he go?”
Tina just shook her head.
Another deputy arrived on the scene and said, “Good god, what happened.”
“I don’t know,” Deputy Widgeon said. “One moment this guy was walking toward the school the next he was being knocked senseless by the guy that was with her.”
The second deputy turned to Tina. “What happened?”
“I - I - I don’t know,” Tina said. She wrapped herself with her arms.
“Yes you do!”
“They just started fighting.”
Voice started to mix and mingle behind her.
“Hey what’s going on?”
“Someone beat the shit out of someone!”
“Huge fight!”
Tina looked around but didn’t see a single familiar face in the growing crowd. Up near the doors of the school students were flooding out of the building as if a gunman had opened fire within, news of the fight having reached them.
“Stay with me, young man,” Deputy Widgeon said. “Help is on the way. Do you know what your name is?”
Tina was close enough to hear him say Matt, but anyone beyond her would have thought he was non-responsive.
“Okay, Matt, can you tell me what happened?”
Nothing.
“He’s in and out,” the other deputy said. He turned toward Tina. “The guy you were with, the one who did this, what was his name?”
“Um? Jimmy.”
“Jimmy what?”
“Hawthorn. Jimmy Hawthorn.”
Her voice was loud enough for a few people in the crowd behind her to hear and the next thing she knew Jimmy’s name was being said back and forth, the words ‘Jimmy Hawthorn beat the shit out someone’ bouncing from person to person until everyone had an idea that Jimmy Hawthorn was involved in something.
“And where did he go?” the deputy asked.
“I don’t know.” Tina really didn’t.
Her emotions suddenly got the better of her. First the thoughts about her father and mother under the bleachers, and then Jimmy’s comfort as he hugged her and said it was okay, and then the fight and now him driving away from her. It was too much. She couldn’t take it and sat against the car next to her crying.
* * *
Alan noticed several people racing from the gymnasium as he and Rachel walked onto the dance floor and wondered what was going on.
“. . . Jimmy Hawthorn . . .”
His head jerked toward the voice, his brother’s name being the only part of the sentence he heard and said, “What about Jimmy Hawthorn?”
The guy, who had been
talking to a girl who was wearing a really risqué cocktail dress, looked at Alan and said, “Was I talking to you?”
Alan let go of Rachel’s hand and grabbed the guy by the collar and thrust him backward into a table.
The girl next to him let out a brief, “Oh my,” and stepped aside.
“If it involves my brother you better tell me what you said!”
“Hey man, sorry, chill. I was just saying Jimmy Hawthorn beat the crap out of some guy outside and then took off in his car.”
Startled, Alan asked, “Took off where?”
“How should I know? The police are everywhere though and when I was coming in I heard an ambulance.”
Alan let the guy go, who gasped while pushing himself away from the table edge, and headed toward the door.
Rachel stood and watched him go, confusion distorting her face.
Alan didn’t say a word to her as he headed outside, his body having to push himself through the crowd that had gathered at the door, several cries of excuse me and get out of my way leaving his lips.
Once outside he found himself looking down toward the parking lot. Flashing lights danced across everything as an ambulance pulled in, its siren blaring.
To the left the crowd was being pushed aside to make room for the emergency vehicle while another couple of deputies knelt by a young man lying on the ground. Next to them Alan saw Tina sitting on a car, but no Jimmy.
He hurried down toward her, his legs taking him to the right so he could detour in between the parked cars thereby making his journey much easier than if he had tried pushing through the crowd.
“Tina!” he called as he neared her. “Tina!”
Tina looked up the second time he shouted her name, saw him coming toward her, and quickly stepped between the cars to meet up with him.
“Are you okay, what happened?” Alan asked.
“Jimmy got in a fight,” Tina said. The makeup she was wearing had been streaked by tears and now was smeared as she wiped at the wetness with her arm.
“Do you know where he went?” Alan asked. He noticed she was shivering and quickly took his coat off and draped it over her shoulders.
“I don’t know,” she said, her hands hugging the warm jacket to her body.
“Tell me what happened, okay,” Alan said. “Take a deep breath first.”
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