The Perfect Couple

42

I was the only girl in the restroom when I got there. I wished I could splash some cool water on my burning cheeks, but I didn't dare ruin my makeup and maybe spot my dress. Back there in the gym I was still the center of attention. I washed my hands, keeping them under the water for a long time. I was about to go back to the dance when the door opened and Mary came in.

"Hi!" She said. "You look simply gorgeous tonight. I've been hoping I'd get a chance to tell you."

She didn't seem the least bit hurt that Alan had left her side to dance with me. Maybe she wasn't anymore serious about him than he was about her. I was glad there were some girls that way. It kind of evened things up.

"There's something else I wanted to tell you," she went on. "We're being transferred again. We'll move right after the first of the year."

"Oh, Mary!" I cried. "I'm so sorry. You're just getting settled here."

She gave a wry smile. "That's why I've never bothered to get settled in. This is the first time I've ever gone to a school dance. You know, I'll be really sad to leave Bayside."

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I should have minded my own business. I've just made things worse for you."

She shook her head. "I'm glad you told Becky about our talk and that she wrote her article. I know now it's better to get acquainted if it's only for a little while then to brood about how lonely you are. You can bet that in my next school no one will find me crying in the locker room. I may even go out for the pep squad!"

I was so happy about my part in helping her that I gave her a friendly hug. Then I went back to the gym. The orchestra was playing again and I went up to Marcus who was standing against the wall.

"Do you want to dance?" I said.

"You bet."

While we moved around to the music I said, "it was nice of you to dance with Joanne."

He smiled mysteriously. "It was nice of you to dance with Alan."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Did he already know what I just discovered myself?

"What do you mean?" He replied.

"Stop teasing me! You know what I'm talking about."

"Baby I'd like to hear you put it into words."

"Alright," I declared with a sudden burst of courage. "I'm not in love with Alan."

"Of course you're not."
"Don't tell me you've known all along!"
"No, not all along," he admitted.
"When did you find out?"
"I can't say for sure. I just really got the feeling you and Alan did not belong together and I knew that someday you'd wake up and see the light."

If we haven't been all dressed up and if everybody wasn't still looking at us as if we were celebrities, I would have punched him in the ribs for being so smug. . . .

A minute later I saw Becky goadsby with a tall, familiar looking boy. It took me a second to recognise him as James lerner, editor of the Bugle. Becky had always made out that she couldn't stand him, so I was surprised to see how dreamy she looked, her eyes half closed add a soft little smile on her lips as her chin rested on his shoulder. Even in a simple biscuit and a peasant blouse I've seen her wear a half dozen times before, she still looked different and dressed up.

"Look at that!" I told Marcus. "For a girl who has a nose for news, Becky can show keep quiet about her own news. She hasn't said a word about dating James. I didn't think she even liked him."

Marcus looked at the dancing couple and smiled. "It seems to me there's a little liking the on both sides."

A buffet supper was served at eleven. I finally come down and off so I could eat and I paid my paper plate with all kinds of food, making up for the supper I skipped. Marcus always ate like he was a bear about to go into hibernation, so we didn't say much as we sat in a corner and put away a few thousand calories.

I was doing quite a bit of, though. Marcus and I why would no longer be going together because of Alan, so what would happen after tonight? Would we go back to just being friends around school? Somehow that wouldn't seem right not at once. We'd talk it over tomorrow, I decided.

When we went back to the floor Alan tried to claim me for a dance, but Marcus smilingly waved him off. "Sorry, Rogers, this dance is mine."

So where are all my other dances . . . until the lights finally dimmed, signalling that the ball was over. I'd already called Dad and he was waiting for us outside. Kim got in the front seat again, but Tom, who lived in the opposite direction, had gotten I left from somebody else. Marcus and I sat quietly in the back. In fact, we didn't really say anything to each other until we were left alone on the front doorstep.

"Well, I guess it's over," Marcus said.

What was over? I thought, a sad feeling coming over me. Did he mean the evening, or was he referring to the fact that there was no more need for us to go together because I was no longer interested in impressing Alan?

Well, the evening certainly was over, but it seemed to me we'd still have to go together for a while and I told Marcus so. "I don't see how we can let everybody down by suddenly going back to acting just like friends."

The porch lights on full on his face and I could see he was frowning. "No, I guess not," he said. "How long do you think we should go on pretending to be you no sweethearts?"

I gave a tight little laugh. "After being chosen as Bayside perfect couple I guess we have to drag it out for at least awhile maybe a week or two into the spring term."

He didn't say anything for a few seconds. He just stood there frowning. Then he said, "Yeah, I suppose that would be the thing to do."