The gym was decorated with red and pink hearts and red, white and pink roses rose petals on the floor. Music playing from the background, the romantic ballads and the glittering lights made the place look like a different room. It looked actually like a ballroom then a gym. The tables covered with white cloths, the room seemed to be covered by long clothes of white the dim romantic lighting, the smell of roses. Becky looked around and smiled proud of the job her and the dance committee and done to the room. Having had 2 weeks to get the place ready they spent the last 2 nights getting it ready. People were starting to come inside the room, dressed up and all. Smiling at the decorated room. Becky looked at her wristwatch and sighed out softly looking around absently, she didn’t know whom was she waiting for. In the truth, she was waiting for Lance to come. She bit on her lower lip seeing no sign of him come across and shrugged her shoulders gently to herself. She knew if he would come later. Walking to a chair near one of the white clothes tables she sat down. Pablo was sitting there with her, he had nothing better to do so he opted to come to the dance so Becky wouldn’t be alone. He looked to Becky and tightly smiled as if he had missed to notice her sitting besides him. “You look nice.” He commented to see if that brighten up her day. Becky looked at him and smiled softly, “Thanks.”
Becky wore a spaghetti strapped light pink dress, it was beaded on the chest area making it look like a classy dress, it ended above her knee, wearing white strapped low heel shoes knowing she would be making sure the dance went well. Her hair was placed up, light make up over her delicate round face. She shrugged her shoulders and sighed out of frustration, rested her elbow on the table, her hand holding her chin. Pablo’s hair was a mess, dark but it was a success to get him not to wear his toque (a.k.a. beanie). He wore a white dress shirt, not tucked in and a black thin tie, black pants to add a personal touch he placed the wallet chain to it. The slacker look for a formal dance, he bit on his inner cheek knowing this was a bad idea to come. He looked around watching the couples’ walk in, filling up the gym slowly. Dancing all in pairs, smiling and laughing.
The night was bright with the stars shinning, still cold from the winter air. Tobey walked to Eden’s house, which was just next door, carrying a bouquet of lilies in his hand. He knocked on the door and stepped back. With his free hand he brushed his hair back, he wore a black jacket and no tie, the blue shirt under the jacket, black pants, elegant he looked. But that semi-formal style. His dark eyes watched for the door and then froze in his place seeing Eden open the door. Eden wore a strapless red dress, the dress hugged to the upper part of her body showing off the curves of her breasts and her waist and then it flowed down, and it ended three inches above her knees. Wearing red high heels showing off the form of her legs that were nicely built. The tanned skin seemed to glow in the lighting and she had a golden chain cross necklace. Her hair was down in soft curls and glossy with shine. Her lips painted in a soft color, makeup was light but well done. Tobey blinked, he wasn’t use to seeing Eden dressed up and he felt his heart skips a beat, or so he thought. “Tobey, what is it?” Eden said watching him, amused by his reaction but pretending to be totally clueless about the look on his face. Tobey struggled with his words and stuttered out. “Yo-You look beautiful. You’re beautiful” he said and sighed out in relief knowing he could speak. Eden smiled softly and reached out for the flowers, kissing his lips briefly. “You don’t look bad yourself” she said grinning to herself, taking his flowers from him and going inside, getting her coat.
The house near by Duncan was made to wait in the living room by Mr. Appleton who was pacing around the living room making Duncan even more uncomfortable. There was silence, Duncan wondered if this was usual to torture someone with silence. He tapped on his knee and looked over to the stairs waiting Chloe. He looked down to the tie he wore, the thin vintage long tie, a black suit jacket and pants, something vintage about his look. He wore the thick-framed glasses and his hair brushed to the side in that nerd fashion, he knew he looked ridiculous but he didn’t know how to fix himself up for an occasion like this. “There she is” he heard Mr. Appleton call out, he elder man smiled gently. Duncan stood up from the couch knowing it was the proper thing to do. Chloe stood at the bottom of the stairs and smiled softly. She wore a white dress that was strapless that hugged her chest and flowed down elegantly hugging the curves of her body, it complemented her very well with her small frame, the freckles of her body came down to the small view of cleavage. She no longer looked like a child but more like a young woman with the dress on. The small silver necklace that adorned her neck with the pentacle of some dove wings, the blonde soft curled hair was up away from her face. She looked at Duncan shyly and looked down. She never presented herself to him like this, her lips painted a soft glossy pink, light make up and sparkling eyes and her skin glowing somehow from the color of the dress it was just the night making everything look so different. Mr. Appleton chuckled softly and kissed his daughter’s forehead and gave Duncan a firm handshake. “You look after her, and you both are fun tonight.” Chloe needed to her father and placed her hand in Duncan’s hand, they both got their coats and walked out of the house. “You look pretty tonight”, Duncan said while walking towards the car, Eden and Tobey waiting in the front seats and Chloe stopped before the car and smiled. “Thanks.” Duncan went to open the door and Chloe stopped him, “Wait” she said. She ran her fingers through his hair and fixed it, it was no longer neatly combed to the side like he had it and now was a sort of a mess but it looked better that way. Duncan blinked at her and chuckled softly, Chloe leaned in and kissed his lips softly. “Better.” They got into the car and drove to the school dance. Eden sang along to the song on the radio while driving and Tobey kept on turning around every now and then to check on Chloe who was sitting in the back with Duncan, her head rested on his shoulder.
In the dance people were dancing in pairs and Becky sat in the table, still waiting and Pablo had gone to get both of them some drinks. He placed the plastic cup filled with fruit punch besides Becky and sipped his standing for a while. “The place looks real nice.” Pablo said nodding a little bit to himself, Becky shrugged a little bit “Too bad I won’t be enjoying it with anyone” she said in a sulking voice and Pablo nudged her arm with his hand and Becky looked up innocently, laughing a bit. “Sorry, I slipped into that self-pity mode.” Pablo shook his head and then looked to the entrance and held his breath seeing Chloe walk into the gym, hand in hand with Duncan. “Look, Chloe’s here! I thought she wasn’t coming… doesn’t she look pretty?” Becky said in an admiring voice and looked up at Pablo, not having notice that look of disillusion in his eyes.
“Yeah, I thought she wasn’t coming either.”
“Lets go say hi.”
“Uh, I will later”, he said while bringing the cup to his lips, ignoring Becky’s glaze to him. Becky stood up walking to Chloe and Duncan. Presenting herself to Duncan. Pablo watched from afar, gritting his teeth. He knew he shouldn’t be surprised that she came here with Duncan but some part of him was jealous. They had been friends for so long and she had hinted she liked him, but he never made a move and now he knew it was too late. He looked away so they wouldn’t know he was staring and sat down.
Lance came in dressed in khaki pants and a blue button down shirt, asking Becky to dance after seeing her.
Everyone was dancing, Eden rested her head on Tobey’s shoulder while the slow music came, and his hand rested on her hips, her arms around his shoulders. Dancing slowly. Tobey kissed Eden’s neck softly and whispered softly to her ear “I love you” Eden smiled hearing the words and looked to Tobey, kissing his lips softly. “I love you too.” They smiled at one another and Eden pressed her forehead against him while dancing. Not wanting the night to end.
Duncan and Chloe danced, Duncan tried carefully to not step on her toes. Chloe laughed softly. “Try to look at me and try to not thinking. Just move.” She said and he looked at her. His green eyes staring into her hazel blue eyes. Carefully he turned her around and Chloe laughed softly while coming back to him. “See, that wasn’t so bad.” She said. “No, no, not bad at all.” He chuckled softly and danced slowly and close. Pablo stood up from his chair and walked towards them. Nodding softly to them, “May I have this cut in?” he said looking to Duncan and Chloe smiled to Duncan saying it was okay. Duncan stepped away and went to get them some drinks. Pablo’s hand rested upon Chloe’s waist and the other holding her dance, the distance between their bodies wasn’t the problem. They were close but not close enough, not like the last time they danced. The silence was awkward between them, Chloe didn’t know what to say. Pablo looked down while dancing and then looked to her, “You look nice…”, he said.
“Thank you.”
“I thought you weren’t coming”
“Well, I didn’t think I was coming either”
“I was going to ask you… but, I think it’s too late for that now. Is it?” his voice sounded resentful and he was hinting Duncan. Chloe looked away biting on her lower lip absently. Pablo looked at her and sighed a little and then laughed a little. “Don’t look that way, you’re making me feel bad.”
“You’re being a silly boy”, she said, trying to return the favor of seeing him smile. He shook his head and chuckled softly.
Then the gym doors where shoved open. It was Tobey and Chloe’s father. He has flushed, people stopped to look but then looked the other way. Tobey had pulled away from Eden, who grabbed on his arm asking him what was doing on. But he told her to just wait. Chloe and Tobey rushed over to him. But before he could say anything they knew. Their mother had gotten worse she had to be rushed to the hospital. But the thing that they hadn’t told them, it was that the cancer was spreading. Tobey didn’t wait for his father to speak, he told Chloe to get their jackets that they were leaving. Eden ran out after them while they walked to the car. Duncan, Becky, Lance and Pablo watched them. Leaving the gym, watching them walk towards the car. Chloe was still inside collecting their coats. “What’s happening?” Eden yelled to Tobey while he opened the door to the car.
“I’ll see you later, Eden.”
“Tobey, tell me what’s going on!” she yelled to him, she was worried and confused. Tobey looked away shaking his head. “I can’t talk about it, Eden.”
“Tobey…”
Mr. Appleton looked to Eden, pleading within his eyes. “Eden, please. We have to go, the kids’ mother is in the hospital.”
Eden stood there quiet. She didn’t know what to say, Becky went inside to look for Chloe, and Pablo followed her. Duncan stayed outside for the moment, motionless not knowing what to do. Chloe was in the small room where the coats were. She had stopped on her tracks crying. Becky walked in and Chloe didn’t wait for her to say anything. She had walked out holding the coats in her arms. Becky ran out to her, she wanted to console her friend but Chloe didn’t stop, Becky yelled out her “Chloe” and Pablo told Becky to let her go. At the door, while the car waited and the cold was sending shivers down everyone’s spine. Duncan had grabbed Chloe’s arm. “Chloe…” he said softly but she didn’t look at him. “Let me go.” She said, eyes full of tears. “Chloe.” He said again. “I said let me go!”
Pablo was about to approach him but Lance put his hand over his shoulder, signaling him not to and Chloe forced herself away. Falling on the floor, scrapping her elbows and getting up anyway, running into the car. The car left, leaving them in the mist of confusion. Eden got into her car Duncan went with her, going to the hospital. Duncan then blurted out to her what was going on. That Ms. Appleton had cancer, reason why Tobey was always home all the time and Chloe stopped taking ballet classes. Eden bit her lower lip, eyes watering up. She felt herself fill up with guilt, thinking on how she was demanding more time without knowing, without knowing that his world and his sister's world was falling apart.
