He's Taken

Chapter 7

A few streamers and balloons were the extent of the decorations in the school gymnasium. The bleachers were pulled out so students could sit when they weren't dancing. There was a modest refreshment table set up. The prerequisite teachers monitoring it. They had yet to notice when someone actually spiked the punch. Everyone's main focus seemed to be on the DJ booth at the opposite end. The female DJ had the song cranked up and danced along to the beat.

You and Jody squeezed through the open doorway to stop and look around the dance floor. Jody was looking around for Donna. You were looking for someone else.

"I wonder if Dean's here," you pondered as you looked amongst the dancers.

"I don't think it's too healthy to get all jacked up about some guy that isn't even a thing yet," Jody muttered. She continued to scan the room for your blonde friend.

"Yeah, well when you don't have anything, you don't have anything to lose, right?" you countered.

"That's a cheerful thought," she turned to look at you. She decided that it would be safer to change the subject. "Let's go make ourselves available." The both of you moved to have seat on the bleachers.

Unbeknownst to you, you had been spotted as you walked into the gym. Your movements were being observed by Kevin Tran and his cronies, Ash Hopper and Garth Fitzgerald.

"That's the one, dude," Kevin said as he pointed to you. "Scope it out."

"She doesn't look like a freshman," Garth commented as he looked through his binoculars.

"Sophomore, dude, Sophomore," Kevin elaborated as he pulled on Garth's arm. "Fully aged Sophomore meat. Dude, we bus together."

"You talked to her?" Ash looked at Kevin in disbelief.

"Talk?" Kevin turned to the other teen. He grabbed Ash's jaw with his hand, "Dude, I have a relationship with her."

"Get off," Ash pulled Kevin's hand away from his face. "You'll mess up the do, man." Ash ran his hands over his signature mullet.

"Figure it to be 17 digits," Kevin continued while ignoring Ash's comment.

"You are such a liar," Garth scoffed as he moved the binoculars away from his eyes.

"We'll see about that, my man," Kevin boasted. He pointed at you. "By night's end, I predict me and her will interface."

You were following behind Jody but keeping one eye on the others that were dancing. You wanted to catch one glimpse of Dean. That's what you thought until you spotted him dancing with Anna. You stopped walking and stared at him. It felt like a punch to the gut when you saw Anna run her hand through Dean's hair. You imagined that it was your head on his shoulder. Being held close in his strong arms while swaying to the slow beat was your idea of heaven.

Jody turned and saw you lost in admiring the object of your affection. With a small smile, she waved a hand telling you goodbye next to your face. You didn't even notice her leave your side. Across the room, Kevin watched as you were left alone.

"Check it out," he pushed away from the wall. He decided that it was time to strike. A quick smack on Garth's cheek and he headed over to you.

"Pretty intense, huh? Over," Garth asked into the headset around his neck.

"Wacks to the max. Over," Ash replied into his own headset.

Dean looked up and made immediate eye contact with you. You thought you saw a weird look flash across his face. He looked away but brought his eyes right back to you. You could swear that you saw a hint of a smile on his face. Realizing that you were caught staring, you turned to the right so you could find a dark hole to crawl in and die.