Carolyn Hill, the president of SGA, and Judy Biggs strolled from the student parking lot towards the faraway sound of electric blues guitars and rolling snare drums.
"I knew it was perfect." Judy commented. Carolyn looked as angelic as ever in the fit-and-flare gown that Judy was saving for Easter. Luckily, Carolyn always saved her white lace gloves for the most special occasions. The embroidered flats were actually from Judy's mother, but Judy wouldn't tell.
Carolyn could finally relax and smile. Some of the guilt of sneaking out was wearing thin. She was also happy to see that the president had found a date after all, with one of the most blonde, popular, and unusually kind hearted ex girlfriends of Dick Harvey.
The gym was wrapped like a present with ribbons and all-purpose Christmas lights in the high school's colors. The main floor jumped with dancers doing their best to hold on to each other as the band blared out their favorite derby-hop. Shiny leather loafers stomped widly on the floor next to dance heels of turquoise, strawberry, and pineapple-yellow, fresh from the newest catalogues.
The three burst into anxious smiles at the sight of their old friends having the time of their lives. The president pulled Judy towards the excitement, but then he hesitated. "You coming?!" He shouted at his VP.
Carolyn shook her head and inched toward the refreshment table. On it's hand crocheted table cloth were carameled sweet potatoes, a roasted turkey, steaming green beans and even homeade apple and pecan pies that stretched along the wall for miles. Carolyn couldn't wait to try a slice of the lemon cake on the end. Carolyn settled for a glass of punch from the table and sipped on it longingly. She peeked at Judy and the president while they easily twirled each other around. Some guys next to her with gelled waves noted the surprising couple.
Out of nowhere, the SGA historian ran up and shoved a camera in Carolyn's arms. She fumbled with her punch, almost spilling it on herself.
"Can you take pictures for a bit?? If you don't mind!!" He shouted excitedly as he ran back to start the jellybean with a tall, brunette senior.
"But--!" Carolyn started to say.
Dick Harvey, who looked like a Hollywood star in his baby blue tucedo, suddenly locked eyes with her. He got the attention of Roxanne and Jason, and they also pointed and laughed at Carolyn, who was standing alone without a date, holding an old camera and punch. Carolyn looked down, swallowing the last of sugar-liquid with a growing lump in her throat. All she wanted to do was go back home. She didn't even care if her father met her at the front door.
Just as she was about to start her long walk home, loud whistles made Carolyn start to approach the circle forming on the dance floor. In the middle was Michael, who was practically dancing like James Brown himself to the funky guitar runs on stage. He was...incredible. Simply incredible. She wondered if he took lessons. His hair had changed: it was much shorter with shiny loose curls. Carolyn's eyes were glued to his every move, but she quickly made good use of the yearbook's camera strapped around her neck.
"Alright, everybody." Announced the sparkly lead singer on stage. He wiped his forehead. In the silence of the band, hard breathing and giggles echoed around. "We're going to slow things down a bit. It's time to grab that lucky lady in three...two...!"
The percussionist lightly tapped on a drumhat in a slow and steady rhapsody. The brass on stage harmonized softly. The ameoba of students from the middle split off into their dates and enveloped around one another. Carolyn glanced around-- turned once--but she still couldn't see Michael. Then, someone eased her around in the dimmed lights.
Michael didn't speak for a few seconds, but then he breathed out in awe. "You weren't lying, were you? You surprised me."
Carolyn cheesed, but then covered her mouth with her gloves. The feeling Carolyn got all over when Michael smiled at her filled her with something that she couldn't stop grinning about. Michael pulled her in, and Carolyn rested her chin on the firm fabric of his tucedo. "All day at work, I've just been waiting for this." Michael's airy voice told Carolyn above her ear. His breath tickled her bare neck. Michael didn't mind Carolyn not answering, because he could feel her heartbeat quicken against his chest. They let the music lead their imagination. Soon enough, under a dense melody, it was just them and the universe.
A tap on Carolyn's shoulder made her eyes open. It was the principal.
"This is your first and final warning about this." He spoke to the couple. "Or, we will have to ask you both to leave. You too, Ms. Hill."
Michael separated from Carolyn slightly. Carolyn's eyes steeled at the principal and the tight-lipped desklady she had known for years standing next to him. "We didn't do anything wrong." She declared.
"They may do things differently at other schools, but...we have our rules here." The principal softened. "All we ask is that our students follow them." With that, the faculty members disappeared to their watchful posts over the dance floor.
Carolyn glared at them as they weaved through the slow-rocking bodies. Some couples near them stared at Michael and Carolyn with confused looks.
Michael squeezed his date's hand to get her attention. "C'mon. Let's go. Remember what I said about not causing any trouble?" He said, sounding just above a whisper. Carolyn nodded quickly, blinking fast. On the way out, he got Carolyn a slice of lemon cake that she asked for.
In Michael's car
Michael's foot pumped the gas pedal of his dad's rusted Bentley. Carolyn gives him questioning stares as the car jolts and whines along the dirt road. The plate of cake rattles in Carolyn's lap. The yearbook camera sits alone in the backseat. Michael's tires slow and crackle along the gravel when the car rumbles to a halt on the pitch-black shoulder of the road on the way to Caroyln's house. Michael fumbles with the ignition. They meet eyes for a passing second as if it will jumpstart the vehicle and take them home out of the darkness closing in around them on the abandoned country path.
The lights of the car flicker out, but the ignition roars over and over again in Michael's feeble attempts to start the car. He shifts the car in park and slumps back in the driver's seat.
Carolyn's last forkful of cake enters her mouth.
"Seriously--we're out of gas!" Michael states to Carolyn's slightly panicked look facing him.
Carolyn ask a question so quietly in her sweet little voice that Michael can barely hear her over the chirps of night crickets. "So, what do we do now?"
Michael stares straight ahead at the endless view of a pitch black mile of red dirt stretching out from his view of the windshield. The new moon makes it even harder to see absolutely anything, but the dark unveiled a glistening blanket of stars in the night sky. Carolyn smooths her gown and finds Michael eyes traveling along the clever ways that the dress's snow-white material wraps around her body.
Michael notices a thick smudge of lemon frosting still sitting on Carolyn's lip and he chuckles. "Well, first...you've got somethin'. Right there." Michael reaches over and wipes it off with his thumb. Carolyn can't help but glance at his finger when it slows down her chin. In deep thought, Michael leans over to the passenger seat and meets Carolyn's dewy lips. They still taste like lemon cream in their slow kiss.
Michael's hands start to roam Carolyn's white gown like they know every curve that the velvet can't hide. Carolyn's gloves move along Michael's shoulders and travel down his feather-built biceps. Michael gently grasps Carolyn's bottom, and earns a small sigh. Then, it takes only seconds for their lips to completely lose themselves in the feeling of each others' mouths, which are warm and sugary.
Michael feels her laced gloves everywhere---over his shoulders, his chest, his neck and his waist. Her hands feel like licking flames all over his body. He lets out a moan to the night air; it's suddenly too hot to breathe. Michael's hands ride up Carolyn's dress. Without her control, her panty-hosed legs lift around his waist. Michael fondles her calves.
A police car cruises by.
They freeze. Michael exhales as he looks back at Carolyn. Carolyn's starry hazel eyes are darting over his face to read his expression, but only her own emotions show--fear. She and Michael breathe, wondering what to feel.
The police car didn't comeback.
Very soon, the sounds of crickets float to their ears again. Their hearts are still beating wildly out of their chests. Michael unwillingly comes to his senses. "We're goanna have to walk for help. It's only a mile." Michael whispers.
He gets out of the car and helps Carolyn onto her feet on the road. Carolyn's gloves pinch Michael's bowtie to straighten it for their journey to the town's only gas pump.
They hold onto each other in the dark and walk for a couple minutes without saying a word. The disappearing car behind them shows their agonizingly slow progress, but between them there's a peace at knowing that the dark hides them from any hate-filled eyes.
Michael walks steadily ahead in his form-fitting white dress shirt. Carolyn peeks at Michael's lean muscles and irresistibly slender frame. She grips his hand. Michael holds it momentarily, but then he slowly twirls her around by her hand and folds her closer to him as they walk. His long teeth and defined laughing lines show themselves in a full smile, but then it dims into a reserved smirk. Carolyn stares briefly at his face to once again see the smile that sent another heatwave through her whole body, but its gone, and now his face is exactly like it always is: distant. Their footsteps make the only sounds in the darkness for a quarter of a mile.
"Carolyn?" Michael says, piercing the wall of noise from the crickets.
"Yes?"
"You know I like you."
"Yes." Her glove presses shyly over her giddy smile from remembering the past half hour ago.
"And--" Michael stops their stroll. "--I hope you like me, the way I like you."
"Yes."
"I was wonderin' if..." Michael shrugged. "I was wonderin' if...you'd..."
Carolyn's light brown eyes brightened.
"Be my girl."
Carolyn hugged him. "Oh, Michael..." Her mouth tickled Michael's cheek with every quiet syllable of his name.
His hands produced a bright coirsage. He fastened it on her dress. "Now it's official."
Carolyn fingered the flower petals and gave him a grateful look.
As they were paused, Michael sighed before saying, "I've got somethin' I wanna tell you."
"...What?" Carolyn replied. She heard something foreboding in his voice.
"I'm going back home. Tomorrow."