Chapter 7

     Josh began to feel queasy as they pulled up in front of their high school. “I don’t feel so good. Maybe it’d be best if I stayed home,” Josh said lamely.

     “Oh no you don’t. You are going in there and you are going to have a nice time Mister now get out of this car,” Jenny said sternly.

     Josh sighed and did as he was told; he knew that there’d be no point in arguing with Jenny. He followed along behind his friends as they paid the $3 entry fee. Josh reluctantly did the same. When he entered the gymnasium he was surprised to find how many students had showed up.

     He became alarmed when he spotted James and his girlfriend coming towards him. Josh spun around on his heels and, as casually as possible, made his way over to the snack table. To his despair he found that James and his girlfriend did the same. Josh quickly started to move away without being noticed. Running out of table to keep cover with he turned and made his way to the dance floor.

     Just then the DJ played a catchy toon. Josh spotted Alan and Jenny in a corner dancing to it. He made his way over to them.

     “There you are, we’ve been looking for you,” Jenny said in a relieved tone. “Where have you been and why are you pale?”

     “I have been trying to avoid my brother for the past six minutes,” He breathed.

     111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111”Oh well that explains it,” Jenny says and looks away guiltily she quickly regains herself. “Come and dance with us.”

     “I think that I’d rather go sit down and catch my breath,” Josh lies.

     Alan laughs knowing Josh’s secret but Jenny was unaware of it. “Okay,” she says and turns her attention back to her dancing.

     Josh fights the urge to breathe a sigh of relief until he is well away from his friends. The last time Josh tried to dance the girls made fun of him because he had somehow managed to dance balle. Josh was only ten years old at the time and if he had known he would have never danced like that in the first place. Josh found a seat that was off by itself and sat down in it. Josh’s eyes fluttered around the dance room as he tried find out where his brother was but he caught the eye of a very anxious Patricia. She was dressed in a ruffled white gown her black hair was done up in a bun. Josh could help but smile at her, she was very lovely.

     He watched as she looked down at her leg and quickly exited the room. Josh quickly shakes himself from Patricia’s spell and continues looking around the room. He spots his brother in a dark corner of the room, he was making out with a girl. Josh watches as James’s girlfriend came up behind him and tapped James on the shoulder. Josh smirks as he watched the couple argue. ‘He’s got a lot of explaining to do,’ Josh thinks. Just then Patricia re-enters the room, she is sobbing. Josh felt his heart pinch with pity and sympathy. He suddenly panics as she makes her way over to him; Josh then notices the chair that was right next to him. He tries not to figit when Patricia sits down next to him. He feels very awkward but is determined to stay where he was.

     Breathing in deeply he turns to her. In his kingly tone that he uses when he plays with Mary he asks, “What is bothering thy fair maiden on this glorious night?”

     Patricia looks up at him and smiles weakly. “It’s nothing. You wouldn’t understand or care,” she says.

     Josh puts on his real voice. “Try me,” he dares and gives her his most charming smile.

     Patricia looks away she hesitates for a moment then answers, “My date stood me up.”

     Josh grows more daring. He gently takes her hand in his. “Why would anybody want to ditch such a lovely princess like yourself?” he asks in a serious tone.

     She sniffs. “He said that he made other plans.”

     Josh talks in his kingly voice again. “Nonsense. That man is a fool for leaving you alone,” Josh quickly stands up. He bows to Patricia and offers her his hand. “Would thy maiden care to dance with this Prince Charming?”

     Patricia smiles and giggles as she takes his hand. “I’d love to.”

     Josh escorts Patricia onto the dance floor. As he passes Alan and Jenny he winks at them. As soon as he and Patricia are in the center of the dance floor the DJ announces that he will spin a slow song for the love birds out there. Josh felt his face grow hot. ‘Why did the DJ decide to play a slow song right as I’m getting ready to dance?’ he thinks franticlly. He carefully wraps his hand around her waist.

     “I admit, I don’t have any idea how to slow dance,” he whispers in Patricia’s ear.

     Patricia laid her head on Josh’s chest. “That’s okay, just follow my lead,” she whispers back.

     Josh felt his face grow hotter. He never had a girl get this close to him. He did his best to follow Patricia’s swaying motions across the floor. After a couple of times that he stepped on her foot, Josh finally caught on. The song seemed to last forever as Josh and Patricia danced effortlessly around the dance floor. When the song finally did end Josh and Patricia reluctantly parted. Josh led her to their chairs.

     “Are you thirsty?” he asks stupidly.

     Patricia had noticed Josh’s now crimson cheeks. “Were you blushing the entire time we were dancing?” she asks with a micheivous grin on her face.

     “No,” Josh croaked.

     Patricia laughs. “It’s alright to admit it. I think its sweet. Yes I am thirsty.”

     “Okay I’ll go get us some punch,” Josh says his voice an octave higher then what it was.

     He turns and makes his way over to the snack table feeling Patricia’s gray eyes following him. When he got to the snack table, Jenny and Alan approached him.

     “Are you having fun now?” Jenny asks a braod grin on her face.

     “What was it like dancing with her?” Alan asks bewildered.

     “Uh guys I’m really nervous right now so if you don’t mind,” Josh squeaks.

     Jenny laughs softly. “She’s got you all worked up doesn’t she? So how did she react when you told her who you were?”

     Josh’s eyes grew wide. He had never thought about telling her who he was. “Well, I didn’t exactly tell her,” he admits.

     Jenny nods as if she was expecting that answer. “Well don’t worry, we still have another half hour so she could get to know you a little bit more before you tell her who you are. I’ve got the perfect way to win her over.” Jenny pulls Josh’s notebook of poems from her pocket.

     Josh snatches them from her. “Are you crazy? Why would I show these?” He stashes the small notebook in his back pants pocket.

     “Because they’re really good that’s why and girls like a sensitive guy who writes poems,” Jenny explains.

     “Writing poems is what girls do and I’m not sensitive,” Josh argues.

     “Dude, yeah you are,” Alan says plainly.

     Josh scowls at him then turns back to Jenny. “Why did you bring these here anyway?”

     “In case you meet a girl duh. Now Alan and I are going to go back to the dance floor, see ya,” Jenny waves to him before leading Alan away.

     Josh quickly gets himself and Patricia some punch and makes his way back to her. “Sorry it took me so long,” he apologizes.

     “That’s alright,” Patricia says and accepts her punch that Josh hands to her.

     Josh sets down next to her and sips. “I like your dress,” Josh says. ‘Stupid, what kind of a conversation is that?’

     Patricia looks away and giggles. “Thank you, I like your costume too,” she says.

     Josh sighs ‘now what?’ Hearing another slow dance come on, he gets up. “Would you like to dance?” He offers her his arm.

     Patricia smiles and takes it. “I would love to,” she says and lets Josh escort her onto the dance floor.

     It was about half way through the song and Josh had managed not to step on Patricia’s feet through the entire song. “I think I’m getting pretty good at this,” He comments. He looks at Patricia she looked sad and distressed. “Are you okay?” he asks with a concerned voice.

     Patricia seemed to have been brought back to the present. “Yeah I’m fine,” she says quickly.

     Josh felt her head rest again on his chest, she still looked troubled. “It’s going to be alright,” was all he could think to say.

     Patricia looks up into his eyes. They stare at each other for several long moments before Josh broke eye contact. Glancing back at her he sees her smiling at him. “You know, I’ve been dancing and hanging out with you all night and I don’t even know who you are,” she says.

     Josh panicked ‘should I tell her?’ “You probably wouldn’t like me when you saw who I was,” he said.

     “Try me,” Patricia challenged.

     They stopped in the center of the dance floor. Josh takes in a deep breath and reaches up for his mask. Just then the school secretary stands up on a small podium at the front of the gym.

     “Can I have everybody’s attention please, it is 15 minutes to midnight and will be announcing the winners of the costume contest shortly,” she says into the microphone.

     Josh stops and looks up at the clock. It read 11:45, Josh panicked. “Crap! I have to go!” he looks at Patricia’s confused expression. “I’m sorry but I had a really nice time with you Patricia, good-bye.”

     Josh turns and scans the gym for Jenny and Alan. He sees them off in their own little corner. Catching their eye, Josh motions them to go to the exit. He rushes past all the students which had begun to gather around the podium. He bumped into a guy dressed as Jack the Ripper; he quickly apologizes and rushes out the door. He didn’t notice when something had fallen from his pocket………

     “Wait!” Patricia had tried to call after the boy but he was gone before she could catch him.

     She had noticed something fall from his pocket. She bent over and picked it up. Patricia turned the little notebook over in her hands. ‘What’s this?’ she wonders and opens it. She starts to read the contents within it. She didn’t notice when the secretary called her and her Prince Charming out as the winner.

Author's Note

There are sme mis-spelled words. :S