Chapter 20
Immediately after school on Friday, Michael called Sydney’s cell phone and begged for the details of her plan. Sydney was steadfast, though; the only thing she asked was whether or not he was still chaperoning the dance on Saturday night. When he said that he was, she assured him he would have a front row seat.
Getting ready for the dance on Saturday night, Sydney could not help but have a huge smile across her face. Since she had never really attended dances during high school, this dance was like her first dance ever and she was certainly going to make the most of it. She absolutely adored the pink glittery dress she bought. It was so beautiful it make her want to wear it constantly like the four-year-old girls who never take of their princess dresses.
After curling each strand of her hair perfectly and pulling half of it back with a sparking clip encrusted with fake diamond jewels, Sydney was ready to go. She said goodbye to Heathcliff before skipping out to her car, ready to have a night to remember. She hoped that if all went according to plan it would be memorable not only for herself, but for McMillan high as well.
“Oh my god Sydney you look perfect!” Jenny squealed when she bumped into Sydney in the parking lot walking into McMillan’s gymnasium.
“You look great too Jenny. I love that purple color,” Sydney smiled at her.
“Thanks! Oh its so sad you’re here alone,” Jenny frowned slightly.
“It’s okay,” Sydney promised her. Quite frankly she preferred being alone rather than forced together with a date she had nothing in common with. Besides, there was a man waiting inside for her, they just would not be able to communicate with each other inside. Then again, with the music blaring that was not that big of a loss.
Inside the gym was decorated with dozens and dozens of glittering streamers. Of course, it was dark as well, so they were difficult to see unless one of the spotlights hit them. Then, bursts of colorful light were shot across the gym and reflected on the walls.
Just inside the door, Sydney parted with Jenny, promising to meet up with her later. Once on her own, Sydney made her way all around the gym, trying to find Michael. Her first time through she did not spot him, but the second time she spied him by the punch bowl. She casually made her way over to him, trying to catch his eye. When she finally did, she winked and saw him wink back. With this, she went back out on the dance floor hoping to speak with Jenny one last time before the big show began.
By ten o’clock the dance floor was packed with students. Most were dancing inappropriately so the teachers were working overtime trying to get them to at least behave with some semblance of dignity. As ten fifteen was displayed on her watch, a slow song began to play and Sydney put her plan into action. She slipped out of the main crowed and hugged the wall, making her way towards Michael’s punch bowl station. She tip-toed her way over to him and smiled. “Dance with me?”
Michael laughed. “Funny joke,” he mumbled quietly.
“I was quite serious,” she assured him. He gave her a look making it clear she found her positively out of her mind. “Please? C’mon no one will see. Please? This is the first dance I ever went to and I’ve never really danced with anyone before. Pretty, pretty please?” she begged continually, hoping her persistence would get him to give in.
“Woman you are gonna get me in
so much trouble,” he groaned, but reluctantly agreed. Staying by the punchbowl, where the lights were the darkest, Michael tentatively put one of his hands at Sydney’s waist and picked up her hand with his other.
At this dancing position Sydney laughed. “We should dance more like them.”
He shook his head. “I’m too old for that; I’d break a hip.” Sydney rolled her eyes.
After just a few moments of dancing, Sydney pulled herself closer to Michael, no matter how uncomfortable it made him. “You know Michael,” she began softly. “I wouldn’t have made it through this whole thing if it wasn’t for you. I mean, not just this stupid assignment, either – everything. You’re the only person that’s bothered to see through my stupid geeky exterior and see me for the freak I am – a freak you can stand to be around, I mean…”
“You’re not a freak,” he assured her softly.
“Well, that’s debatable,” she laughed softly. “I’m just… I’m so glad you’ve been here for me this past week…I’m glad you’re in my life, even if I don’t always understand why… I just wanted to say that even though we’ve only been together for not quite six months now, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had and I love you,” she admitted. Ok, so that was
not part of the plan; that just came out, so she decided to go with it. “And I hope I didn’t make a mistake by admitting that,” she added more nervously.
“You didn’t,” he assured her softly. “I love you too.”
Never having felt more relieved, Sydney just couldn’t help herself. Forgetting where she was, she leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the lips. It appeared that their romantic admission made Michael forget where they were as well, because he kissed her back. In that one single moment, a wave of silence flooded the gymnasium; even the music stopped. Michael and Sydney didn’t notice this, though; they were too engrossed in each other.
When they finally stopped kissing and noticed the eerie silence, Sydney turned her head towards the dance floor. There, hundred of eyes were staring and dozens of mouths were agape. Sure, a rumor was one thing, but to see an English teacher kiss one of his students in the middle of the school dance? That was something entirely different.
While Michael felt all the blood in his veins ice over, Sydney, on the other hand, was quite calm. “I guess you would all like an explanation, huh?” Sydney asked loud enough for everyone to hear her. This, of course, was a rhetorical question, so she continued rather quickly.
“Well first you should know that I’m not really a student, and I’m not seventeen. I’m twenty-four and I’m a reporter. I was sent here last September to find a story and… I got one,” she laughed softly to herself.
“I’m sure each and every one of you heard the rumor that there was something unprofessional going on between Mr. Vaughn and myself. Well it was all fake. We made it up; well, actually you guys did. You spread all the rumors and all we had to do was smile at each other and you believed we were having sex,” she laughed.
“Just to make it clear – this was all my thing. Mr. Vaughn was only involved minimally and only after I asked him to be. If anyone in the schools administration has any questions about that they can feel free to contact me.
“As you might imagine, I won’t be coming back here again, but I’d like to let you know that my time here has been…interesting to say the least,” she said, laughing softly once more. Boy was that the world’s biggest understatement. She was just about to leave, having said all she wanted to, before stopping herself. “Oh and just incase there was any doubt – what happened on Wednesday afternoon was not part of anyone’s plan; that was real.” Then, with that, she picked up the long skirt of her dress left quickly, leaving a deadly silent room behind her.
Upon arriving home, Sydney was so busy giving attention and food to Heathcliff that she did not have a chance to change out of her dress right away. Just as she was about do to so and go to bed, she heard a knock at her front door. She smiled softly, knowing exactly who it was.
“You aren’t in trouble are you?” she asked carefully.
“No,” he laughed softly. “Actually the principle thought it was hilarious. And he was too relived that I wasn’t actually sleeping with a student to say anything otherwise. I think he’s just glad the insanity will finally be over.”
“That makes two of us,” Sydney said seriously.
“Three,” Michael chimed in with a smile.
“You too, huh?” she asked with a playful smile.
“Are you kidding me?! We can finally go on a real date!”
“That’s true,” she laughed softly. Then she stepped aside and ushered him in through the door. “C’mon upstairs if you want,” she told him. Michael nodded and loosened his tie as he followed her up.
“So our first real date, huh?” Sydney asked once they were in her bedroom. She walked over to him and assisted him in removing his tie before pulling off his suit jacket and putting it on a hanger so it wouldn’t get wrinkled over night. “Where we going?”
“Out to dinner – a nice dinner…maybe you could wear that black skirt,” he winked. She elbowed him, annoyed. “Hey that was hot!” he insisted.
“It’s going to the clothing bank,” she told him seriously.
“The homeless people don’t want your slutty clothes!” he insisted with a laugh.
“Slutty!” she gasped.
“I’m not calling you slutty; I’m calling the skirt slutty,” he defended.
“Can’t really argue there,” she laughed softly. Then, she stepped into his embrace and gave him a long kiss. As they were still nuzzling their lips together, Sydney grasped Michael’s hands and brought them around behind her back to the zipper on her dress.
“Sydney,” Michael said with a slightly nervous laugh.
“Yes?”
“Are you…serious?” he questioned carefully. She nodded her head as her fingers began undoing the buttons on his shirt. “But just three days ago you-”
“I’m okay, Michael,” she promised him. “Besides, it won’t be scary if you’re the one touching me.”
Unable to say no to this, Michael slowly guided the zipper of her dress down to its fullest extent before pulling her into a searing kiss.
nearly over