Prom Night 'Ryden' Ch. 19

Prom Night 'Ryden' Ch. 19

BEWARE: Band slash!! Don't like it? Don't read please!!!

Isn’t it rather strange how on days when you have so little sleep, you are still energetic? When excitement completely engulfs your body to the point where you have so much adrenaline pumping throughout your system, it’s hard to do anything but think of what is to come next. Brendon could hardly contain his excitement. He had worked up until the wee hours of the night finishing up a proposal, if you will, trying to make sure his grades aren’t completely bombarded. So when he awoke, or rather got up this morning because he sure wasn’t asleep for the three hours before noon in which he had left himself for grooming, well let’s just say it was as if he was running on twenty cups of strong KNALJZ coffee. Imported things do often seem to have a strong effect, but not this time. No, this time it was all natural.

“Good Morning, sweetheart!” Martha greeted her son as she flipped a pancake, in amazingly cheery spirits.

“Hey mom.” Brendon sat down at the table and managed not to be jumpy by concentrating really hard on his plate’s purple swirls.

“So you excited?” She gave him a weary questioning look.

“For what?” Brendon had been in such a great mood, he almost forgot what for.

“The prom, silly. It’s all you’ve been talking about these past few days. Don’t tell me you forgot.” Her tone suddenly got all serious and her beaded eyes looked a little sharper.

Brendon genuinely smiled at his worried mother, and chuckled a little at himself as he did so. “Of course not! I’m just a little nervous.”

“Aww, honey, why are you nervous?” Brendon suddenly wished he hadn’t said anything as he started to blush, but he felt comfortable talking to his mother. Next to Ryan, she was the closest person he had.

“Well…uh…it’s about Ryan. He doesn’t want to arrive together at prom.” Martha put a comforting hand on Brendon’s shoulder before dumping more pancakes on his plate.

“Bren, I’m sure it’s okay, sweetie. He probably just wants to surprise you or something.”

“I guess.” Brendon shrugged, still not relieved.

An awkward silence filled the room, and Brendon’s mom put another comforting hand on her son’s hand. Along with her reassuring look, Brendon felt a lot better and his mom noticed this of course, she was his mom after all. Plus his posture wasn’t slumped anymore, and that just might have been a dead giveaway.

“It’s almost one, you should shower and get ready.” Then at the suggestion, Brendon slouched, losing his posture.

“Uhm, there’s another problem that’s been worrying me.” In reality Brendon had just thought of this now and didn’t even realize how unprepared he was for what should be one of the greatest moments of his life.

“No tux?” Brendon nodded.

“How did you know?”

“Oh a little bird told me.” Brendon gave his mom a questioning stare. “Okay, I raided your closet, but it was so messy and I just had to rearrange something.”

“So that’s why I couldn’t find any of my T-shirts!” Brendon snickered, knowing that his mom is a mega-clean freak, especially when she’s distressed.

“Worry not, I’ve got a solution.”

“You always do, mom.” Martha just smiled from ear to ear, too happy for her own good. The house was quieter than usual, and maybe that’s when she realized that giving her husband’s tux to her son to wear on what should be one of the most memorable nights of his life, might be a bad idea.

*

"Oh…you look so handsome!" Ms. Urie practically squealed. Brendon blushed.

"Would…erm….do you think?….uhh…." Brendon fumbled over his words.

"If your dad was here, he'd be very proud. He would, you haven't reason to think otherwise." A contented sigh escaped Brendon's full lips, he patted his mother's back as she quickly escaped his embrace, not wanting to mess up his tux with her tears. He didn't know if he really believed what she said, but there's a reason she fell for him. A heart of gold like hers couldn't have really gone wrong.

"You should go…" she mumbled.

"Will you be okay?"

"Of course, I just wish I could get to see your date before you go." Brendon laughed along with his mom.

"Yeah, me too."

_____

Amongst all the glamorous white and black limousines, Brendon parked his memorable car in a corner, searching for Ryan's Mercury, but as far as he could tell amongst the reflections of the black and white cars, it wasn't there.

Walking up the steps to the school's gym seemed like a death toll. As if whatever was waiting inside was anything but good. A quivering hand reached out to open the door, but nothing unexpected was to be found. A lot of sweaty people already dancing to random techno music, and no Ryan. A large disco ball helped illuminate and reflect the flashing neon lights  alongside sparkling jewelry. Brendon could smell hints of gin and liquor across certain spots in the room, no doubt from the idiots who snuck in drinks, but somehow they were never caught. Brendon supposed the teachers probably got a spiked soda or something if they didn't seem to notice.

He felt like he would go into a seizure or something with all the flashing lights. He was past nervous anyway, he was into nauseous now what with the smell of alcohol and the potheads that didn't help freshen the room. He situated himself on the top row of the bleachers, pushing his body weight on the metal railing perpendicular to the rows. It was a good view of the gym. Sort of quiet too, despite all the cheers and loud music. He finally managed to adjust his eyes to the dim light and searched the room for any trace of Ryan, gasping in wonder whenever he saw anyone with a skinny frame and pinstriped trousers; Ryan's favorite. But Brendon just couldn't take it anymore. He was miserable at the moment, and the happy faces around him didn't help. It sort of made him realize how cruel this world can be, and that no matter what; it just doesn't stop for anyone. It's always been that way, but happiness and misery seem to go hand in hand. One isn't possible without the other.

9:48

Brendon got up and made his way to the drinks. He was sure that Ryan wasn't going to show. Maybe meeting his dad was a way of letting him gently know that he doesn't want to be together anymore. Were they even really together to begin with? Brendon can't ponder these things anymore, if he's already miserable he might as well get some company and drink a spiked soda. He reassures himself that someone definitely put something in these drinks because he doesn't remember mountain dew tasting bitter and lozenge-like.

"Brendon when did you get here?" Brendon was surprised  by the shrill voice, he didn't expect anyone to talk to him, much less notice him.

"Uh, hey Kaatie?" He managed to choke out. Her hair was brown and  maybe it was the light that changed her eye-color or maybe she had contacts but Brendon couldn't help but notice how the color of someone's eyes and hair can really change their outer appearance.

"You look great!"

"Thanks, you do too." Brendon returned the compliment without meaning. He hadn't really looked at Kaatie, because he was too focused on her transformation that when he actually saw what she was wearing he was a little disgusted, her red dress seemed more like a revealing one-piece bathing suit.

"Did you come here alone?" Brendon questioned that himself.

"I don't know," he replied.

"How can you not kn-----ooooh I love this song! Come on let's dance!"  Against his will Kaatie immediately pushed herself against a protesting Brendon and glumly became entranced by the slow song playing. About halfway into the song, she brushed her hand against Bendon's cheek and whispered in his ear.

"Just like old times, Bren." But before he could respond he felt someone bump into him; laughing. It was Ms. Cancel.

"Oh I'm so sorry, you two, Mr. Majes was just showing me a new move here. She continued to laugh, and Brendon didn't have a doubt in the world that the sodas were spiked.

"How's the project going, sweetie?" She quickly asked him as the song faded and as he relievingly unwrapped his hand from Kaatie who just grabbed it again. He couldn't respond before Ms. Cancel spoke again. "Speaking of partnered projects, where's Ryan?" Kaatie tightened her grip on Brendon's hand.

"Yeah Brendon, where is </I>he</I>?" Kaatie spat, emphasizing 'he' venomously. Brendon looked at Kaatie angrily and confusingly at Ms. Cancel who started doing the mambo and shrieking wildly, followed by pretty much everyone. Then as if right on cue, the door opened and no one but Brendon really noticed the shadowy image, but he could recognize it anywhere, anytime.

"He's right there."