Saving the Sun

one: crappy school dances

chapter one: crappy school dances

☾ ☼ Owen Grey

Saturday, September 12th, 2017

SHE MUST HAVE THOUGHT I WAS BATSHIT INSANE.

The colorful lights, flashed, illuminating the gymnasium, and the large mass of bodies, lumped together, sticky and hot.

My cheeks were burning red- half from the humid air of the room, half from the awkward eye contact I kept making with Josie McBride. She must have thought I was some kind of freak, some tall, awkward, sweaty guy was gawking at her from across the dance floor, what else could be running through her mind?

Josie offered me an awkward smile, then leaned over to whisper something into her friends ear, now both of the girls were looking at me, fantastic.

I quickly avert my eyes, sipping on the sugary red punch. No one had spiked it yet, though I wished someone had, maybe I'd actually find the balls to talk to her, with the courage of alcohol.

"Maybe try....talking to her, instead of staring at her like some stalker creep,"Nelson suggests, placing a hand in his back pocket, loosening the blue tie around his neck, with his free hand, his dark hair was plastered to his head with sweat, and his cheeks were flushed, I imagined I looked fairly similar, except my sweaty body wasn't as attractive as his.

I picture myself, confidently walking up to Josie, I would smile down at her and she'd smile back, glancing at her friend, blushing. "May I have this dance?" I'd asks, reaching my hand out to ask for hers, and she'd place it in mine. "I'd thought you'd never ask." She'd reply, and just like that, she'd fall madly in love with me. Too bad only shit like that happens in your head, or in crappy romance movies. This was not a crappy romance movie, nor could I live my life inside my head, though sometimes, it felt like I already did.

I steal a glance at the girl once more, as she swayed to the beat of the music, her yellow dress rippling, like a golden wave. People shouldn't be allowed to be that pretty, it was almost criminal.

"Did you forget the last time I tried to talked to her, nearly pissed my pants."

"Yes, well....that was last year, things are different now,"He joked, nudging me lightly, causing the punch in my cup to swivel, almost falling to the floor, I toss it in the trash, no longer thirsty.

Nelson was certainly right about things being different, last school year, I was a walking horror show. Face full of oily, red zits, a shit hair cut, fifty pounds more, and braces. But with some sort of luck- my face cleared (for the most part), I grew my hair out, discovered what that exercise thing was, that so many people rave about, and got my braces off. I was no model, but certainly not the ugliest creature to attend Felton High.

"I'm too sober for this dance,"I mumble to Nelson, removing my tie from my throat as well, the musky heat of the gym becoming overwhelming.

If I was being honest, I wasn't quite sure what I was doing at a school dance in the first place, dancing in public wasn't really my thing, being surrounding by people from my school willingly, wasn't my thing, yet here I was, awkwardly standing by the punch table, sweating my ass off.

I glance over at Nelson who wears a devilish smirk on his face, reaching into his pantsuits pocket. A smile then grows on my face, when I see a silver flask in his hand.

"I think you'll need this more than me, bud,"He says to me sympathetically, placing a firm hand on my shoulder, as he nudges in the direction across from the crowded gym.