About You Now

Homecoming

The music rumbled through the sports hall, as students and teachers alike mingled together. Some talked among themselves, while others prepared for the inevitable joke or two. Some teaching staff roamed the perimeter, others stayed at the drinks table to ensure nothing happened to the fruit punch and fizzy drinks. The braver students could be found busting a few moves on the dance floor while engaging in a contest with their friends, others could be found gathered around tables and on the bleachers to the sides. All students in attendance followed the simple dress code, as did the teaching staff.

Stephanie walked around the hall with a wide smile. Everything was as close to perfect as imagined. Students of all years were in attendance, no matter the group they belonged to. Cheerleaders from younger years mixed with the weirdos, and Jocks spoke with the mysterious ones so often shrouded in the shadows. Students were laughing and having fun all while being bathed in the sparkles of the disco ball and glittery decorations. The stage had long since been set, the second centerpiece for the event, the first being the dance floor. The headmistress was proud, for the first time in recent memory, Homecoming wasn't an exclusive event held by the selfish students, it was for everyone, as it should be.

Hunter had noticed the students in attendance admiring the pictures lining the walls, the ones to show the uniqueness every year processed, everyone to be photographed had been in a natural setting, and the photographers and frames had done excellent jobs. But as much as Hunter admired the unity the students showed and the enjoyment they displayed, he and the rest of the teaching staff were on high alert and had been since ever since Austin Theory and Elias Sampson had informed them of the cruel plot in place to humiliate Carmella. No student went by without suspicion they too were in on the plot, those once so popular had in play to ruin the event and hurt a fellow student.

Carmella herself was on the bleachers with the rest of the mix-and-match girls. Dressed in a beautiful sparkling emerald dress. The boys were at the bottom of the bleachers enthralled in their own dance-off. Rhea and Shayna appeared to be acting like the judges for the competition, with Damien Priest nearby cheering them on, as did the group of girls on the bleachers.

"Anything?" whispered Stephanie, as if trying not to disturb the fun the students and the majority of teachers were enjoying, trying not to alert them and potentially scare away whoever was helping Brie, Daniel, and their group of friends. Regal had already alerted them, Serenity, Natalya, and Ronda were sneaking around the school premises, Cameron, Charlotte, Eva, and Kaitlyn before that. All who were on the lookout knew the boys wouldn't be too far behind, and neither would Brie herself.

"Just caught a glimpse of Andrade and Lashley. Cena and Daniel can't be too far behind" came the static voice of Finlay through the walkie-talkie Hunter held on to. Vickie soon walked by, quietly announcing she'd check the halls, suspecting those who were in on the plan would be hiding close by. Thanks to both Austin and Elias the teaching staff who'd branded themselves the prevention team, had a basic idea of what was planned by the spiteful group.

"If you catch them, send them to the art floor" stated Stephanie, wanting the group to be as far from the dance as possible. After the victory the football team had achieved the night before, they and the student body deserved the celebrate, to have fun together as they prepared for upcoming sports events. The swim team had its own tournament to focus on, the girls' volleyball would be competing this year as well, as would the wrestling and dodgeball teams.

As if time had flown by, Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners suddenly began to boom around the sports hall, the students who'd previously occupied the dance floor, cleared quickly as the teaching staff waddled onto the polished floor. As the dance began many teenagers surrounded the floor or took up residency in a place they could see the dance. The majority of the teachers were red-cheeked, to begin with, but soon began to enjoy themselves and smile as the overall embarrassment wore away. Instead, they were encouraged by the clapping of the student body, in time to the beat of the song. Those in attendance were determined to support those on the dance floor, as those very teachers had insisted on supporting them over the years.