The Heart Beats in its Cage (A Strokes fan fiction)

A Deal

"You guys got your outfits ready for the dance yet?" Heather asked me and Dan.

It's Friday night and Heather was sleeping over for the weekend. Danny, Heather, and I were downstairs in the kitchen conjuring up some snacks for our movie.

"Um," Danny responded hesitantly, "We haven't... asked mom to let us go yet..."

"What?! Dudes homecoming is next Friday! I thought we were going for sure?" Heather ripped open a bag of ranch flavored Doritos and dumped it into a big bowl.

"We know, we know. We really wanna go but we just haven't... had the chance to ask yet," I said apologetically.

"You guys live together, what do you mean you haven't had the chance to ask? You guys HAVE to go!" Heather pleaded.

"It's a nighttime dance, that's why. You know how our mom is. She only just recently started letting us go places without her. Sleepovers at your house are like the only thing she really let's us do. She trusts you," Danny explained to her.

It dawned on me. "Heather, we should ask her altogether, help us convince her!"

"Hmmm..." She said as she snacked on some chips.

"Come on Heather! You know our mom loves you. She trusts you man," Danny encouraged her, probably because she really wants to hang out with Nikolai at the dance.

"I got this," she said confidently as she shot up from her seat.

"Yay," I said, not sounding very confident in ourselves. We went up to my mom's room where we found her laying in bed reading a book.

When she saw us in the doorway she put her book down, took off her glasses, and asked us what's up. I attempted to approach the subject in a delicate manner, but she saw right through me and told me to spit out what I wanted to say.

All three of us spoke up at the same time, going on in run on sentences about there being a dance next Friday, how much we all wanted to go together because we're high school women now, and how there's memories to be made together, and finally, that everyone was going.

Mom took her time and processed everything we said. Finally she asked, "What dance is this?"

"Homecoming," Heather answered her.

"What time is the dance at?"

"It starts at 8 pm and ends at midnight," Heather responded. "So I was also wondering if the girls can just sleep over at my house, if that's okay?"

Mom looked as if she was processing the question, but instead of answering Heather, she continued her questioning. "Is the dance open to all years?"

"All years," Danny said. "Freshmen are welcome."

"Where is it going to be?" Mom continued.

"The school gym," Heather replied.

"Oh...," mom said this as if she was contemplating something. "Do you girls have dates?"

We widened our eyes in surprise. "No, mom. We were just going to go as a group," I responded.

"What group?"

"My brother and his friends," Heather said smiling. "They're very nice boys, and my brother will keep us safe, I swear."

"Uh-huh... So Nick and Julian, right? And who else is in this friend group?" Mom asked as she analyzed our faces.

"Um. Fabrizio - you know him, it's the boy I'm tutoring, you met him! You know, he's so sweet and polite, and respectful. Another boy named Albert, and our friend Nikolai. Very pleasant bunch," I answered her, hoping that she wouldn't mind the fact that we were going to the dance with a bunch of guys.