The Promposal (COMPLETE)

17- The Slow Dance

After what seems like only a few songs, but is probably much more, my partying is interrupted by a sudden change in tone. I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz. Around me, the crowd disperses, and I realize that it's because they're finding their prom dates to slow dance.

I turn to Jonah, who seems equally, or even more so, taken aback by the sudden change in atmosphere. This is the moment I've been imagining, the opportunity for me to make that romantic movie moment. It's my only shot.

But when I turn toward Jonah and as we start to dance with the music, I can't help but feeling like something is off. It's not just because of the accumulation of drama and chaos over the past few weeks. Nor is it due to the stress of being confronted about my feelings for Jonah. It's not even the fact that this second, Jonah is watching Cynthia from past my shoulder.

No. It's not that. It's that I've finally realized that my feelings for Jonah are gone. They have been, for at least a few months now. I had wanted so badly to dance with him at prom. To fall in love, like I always saw on TV. I asked him to be my date, despite knowing it was a stupid decision, all for the slightest chance at that outcome. But I didn't have actual feelings for him. I don't even know him.

These past few months, I've tried so hard to avoid all of his faults. The fact that we had absolutely zero chemistry, and couldn't even make conversation. I took every red flag as just another obstacle. I ignored the fact that eventually, I wasn't looking forward to prom anymore.

So in my moment of courage, I decide to finally give it up. 

 "You should ask her to dance," I whisper to Jonah as we dance together. He quickly breaks out of his daze, focusing on me instead of past my shoulder. Red flushes over his face, so that I know he's at least partially aware of what I'm implying.

"If you don't ask her now, you might not get the chance again," I explain. This time, I am louder and more determined. There's no turning back now.

"Huh" Jonah mumbles. How thick could his skull actually be?

Not willing to give up until I've got him and Cynthia together, I continue to speak. "Stop being pathetic and ask Cynthia to dance with you. It's not that difficult." I pour all of my confidence into my words. "I mean, I asked you to prom out of nowhere, didn't I? And that worked. Why can't this?"

There's a moment of silence, and I'm not sure if Jonah heard me clearly. He just stares with those wide confused eyeballs of his, as if trying to build up courage. Eventually he lets go of my waist and squares his shoulders. "You sure it's okay with you?" he asks. I smile proudly and nod, before watching him walk off to shoot his shot. 

I make a great wingman.

Not wanting to interrupt anyone else on the dance floor, I take the quickest route to the bar. There, I watch as my prom date asks another girl to slow dance. Jonah approaches Cynthia slowly, brushing past couples on his walk toward the other side of the dance floor. She seems surprised at first, but the blush and nervous smile that creep onto her face confirm what I had believed all along. She likes Jonah back.

It's a bittersweet feeling, sure. But I desperately needed a cold drink at the bar and to give my feet some rest anyway. Who cares about some cliche slow dance anyway? Hardly anyone meets their soulmate in high school. Divorce rates are over 50%. There's no happy endings anyway because we all end up dead.

The sound of footsteps break me out of my daze and I turn to see Nolan approaching the bar. He watches at the dance floor in disbelief, as his introverted best friend slow dances with the girl he had previously refused to ask to the dance.

"Did you have any part in this?" Nolan asks, turning toward me. I know he's probably considering everything that has happened so far. From Jonah's reluctant yes to my promposal to my anger at the proposition of cancelling on him. Anyone in their right mind would be very curious how this turn of events came to be.

"Yeah," I respond plainly. "Do you think it was stupid?"

"What was stupid?" Nolan responds.

"I don't know, thinking it wouldn't end up like this." I gesture toward myself. Alone. It's only then that I realize that Nolan is alone too, meaning he must relate somewhat.

"You had the guts to take the gamble, while most people don't. I think that just makes you smarter, if anything." Nolan answers once again. He is staring at the ground, deep in thought, and I wonder if he relates to that statement as well. But if so, which was it? Did he take the gamble? Judging by his expression, that seems unlikely.

But instead of bringing that question up for discussion and potentially bothering Nolan, I simply take his words as comfort. "Oh well, at least they seem happy," I mention between sips of my water.

"Those lucky bastards," Nolan jokes. It makes me laugh, and even cough a little considering I had been drinking water. Nolan lifts his gaze to mine and we make eye contact. I wonder if Jonah would've ever had the courage to look a girl straight in the eye. 

Then he clears his throat and looks back down at the floor. "What if we dance together?" he asks. I'm completely taken off guard, but consider it for a moment.

We're both dateless and standing pathetically in the corner. Sure, there's plenty of other prom-goers sitting out of the cliche slow dance. But it does seem like a good way to show everyone I'm not just a sad girl who's prom date ditched her. 

Plus, Nolan is kinda good looking. He's way out of my league, but I'm not going to turn him down if he asks.

"I mean the song's almost over," I mention. Before quickly adding "But yeah, let's do it!"

Nolan seems relieved by my response, and we quickly dump our drinks and rush to the dance floor before the song finishes. In all honesty, we probably don't get to slow dance for more than a minute before the song ends, but it's still nice. I forget completely about my ice cream incident, about the brat with my dress, and Cynthia blaming me for ratting her out to school admin

Finally, I kinda see why everyone remembers their high school prom. It's not really about your date, or the ball gowns, or even the mosh pits that could trample you. With everyone in this room being those I've gone to school with for years, I remember all the memories I've made. All these faces, some of which I've known since elementary school. Gathered together.

All that besides the fact that I'm now completely over my crush on Jonah. In fact, I find that dancing with Nolan makes me feel quite the sensation of butterflies in my stomach.