The Date Auction

Chapter 11: Second Homecoming

I had a terrible dream that night. I'd been walking around campus, and I was certain something lurked in every shadow. I'd watch one shadow, only to hear something shriek behind me and creep closer. I'd turn toward the noise, only to hear a new threat behind me. Was this my mind, something inside me rebelling as I turned away from the image of the girl I was supposed to be? Or was it a warning? A reflection of a future that could be?

As if from nowhere, Blaise was by my side, a whisper in my ear nearly as real as the waking world, and everything calmed down. I woke just enough to snuggle deeper into my sheets before passing out into peaceful sleep.

The morning dawned along with a horrible realization. I'd been fixating so much on Blaise and the other guy I was dating, I'd been forgetting to clean up after myself. Instead of putting my dirty clothes in the hamper, I must have been absentmindedly shredding them with giant claws while I threw the contents of my desk all about. And I'd been extremely lazy about not leaving scorch marks and bloodstains everywhere. Jeez. I was really glad I hadn't invited Blaise in last night. I would have been so embarrassed.

It's okay, Madison. You just have to get your cleaning done before your next date. Which-

Oh no! I found myself overtaken with a horrible realization. Next week was the Second Homecoming Dance, and I needed to bring a date. I'd never imagined before I'd find myself in a situation where I'd have to pick between Blaise and Jake! What would I do? And even worse - I had to help set up the dance too!

I took a deep breath. I'd be okay. I knew I would. I'd just clean up a bit here before visiting Courtney and my other sisters to create our banners and maybe, just maybe, work through some boy problems.

"Madison! I've heard about Blaise and Jake! You have to tell me everything!" Courtney demanded as soon as she saw me. I plopped down beside the enormous paper banner and a plastic crate of art supplies.

"It's really confusing," I admitted, "but incredibly sexy."

"I'll bet!" Courtney said. "So, you and Blaise? How's that going?"

I made sure no one was looking before I whispered, "We've already held hands!"

"That's big for you!" Courtney congratulated me.

"I also saved his life and he owes me a date debt."

"Like in the saying? Save a man's life and he's obligated to treat you to a date?"

"I'm just so nervous. So far we've been continuously obligated to have more dates with each other. I just know that once he's done, we'll never see each other again."

"You know what I think?" Courtney asked, "I think you should help me with this banner!"

"Fiiine!" I groaned. I was no good at art. I rustled through the various glitter pens, looking for a color that sparked some kind of inspiration in me. Nothing.

"We have to do a good job this year. We've matched up with the secret, forbidden fraternity for the dance, and it'll be humiliating if we don't have a good second homecoming!"

I gasped. Blaise would be at the dance! Now I had to decorate as if my dating life except for Jake depended on it!

Second homecoming... what to even draw? I tried to remember my town history lessons. Second homecoming happened an indeterminate amount of time into the semester, of course, and it was when the twice-returned would come in from the harbor and make merry. Hardly a lot to work with. I eventually settled for a classic, though less than original image: a ship, upside-down on the horizon.

"I heard you and Blaise have great chemistry. It's all anyone on campus will talk about these days."

Blaise and I? Having great chemistry? But that's what Jake and I have! I finished my drawing and began to embellish around it while I thought through this revelation. If I liked two people, and enjoyed spending time with them, and also we talked to each other in ways that I liked? How could I even tell which relationship was better? How could I possibly rank them, and then choose the best among that ranking?

Relax, I told myself. Time would tell. All I needed to do was wait long enough, and then eventually one of them would fall out of favor or die of old age. Then I would know the true and correct one to pick.

Just as I managed to talk myself back into a comfortable passivity, Eleanor Bradlington strutted up to us.

"Hey girls," she said, "How's the decoration going?"

"You could help us," Courtney suggested.

"I'd love to, but I have a date with either Jeff Hardbody or Chad Richmoney. I forget which, because I don't care about them except as people competing to fill the role of boyfriend."

Yikes, I thought. At least I could comfort myself that as long as there was someone around who constantly treated other people worse than me, I was doing alright.

The rest of the week leading up to the dance was a flurry of preparation. I got so caught up in the hustle and bustle of it all I forgot to think about who to ask, and when the morning of the dance came around I was anxious and unsure. In the end I decided I should invite Jake. Blaise would be there anyway. I called him up, only to discover that I couldn't get through, so he must be at the gym. I'd have to remember to do it later.

Just as I was putting my phone down, I got a text from Courtney asking me to head out to the beach and help finish setting up the dance floor. But when I got there, the setup crew had it entirely under control.

"Looks like everything's fine." I said.

"No, we need you over here," Courtney took me off to the few privacy rooms we'd set up in the sand. She opened the door to one, revealing the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen.

"A gift!" Courtney declared, "from a secret admirer."

I ran my hands over the fabric. It was the finest latex/cotton blend I'd ever seen. It must have cost thousands! And yet the cut was so revealing. I blushed. If I wore that on the dance floor, everyone would be thinking about genitals.

"I can't wear that!" I squeaked. I protested heavily for a long time then changed into it, just in time for the ceremony to begin.

I took a live fish from the bucket and walked it over to the sea. The bioluminescent plankton flashed as I lowered it into the water, and trailed it for a few dozen feet as it swam away. The person behind me let go of their fish, which followed almost exactly in the path mine had taken. I looked more closely to see who it was.

Blaise.

"Hi," I said, awkwardly.

"Hey," he said, with the same reckless confidence as always. "That's a good omen. Shall we dance?"

We danced under the stars and with the crashing of waves serenading us.

When our dance was over, Blaise offered to get me punch, but before he could leave my side, Jake came up to us, three cups tenuously grasped between his hands.

"Take em quick, before I drop them." he said, "I really should have grabbed these after you were done dancing, so I wouldn't have to wait." Once we'd relieved him of all but one, he lifted his cup, "A toast, to finding home a second time!"

After we'd drained our cups, I pulled Jake aside, "Jake, I'm so sorry I forgot to invite you."

"It's okay," Jake told me, "I saw I missed a call from you. I know you tried. And besides, Blaise had my back."

Jake was so understanding. And Blaise was so thoughtful!

I took my turn to dance with Jake, and then let the men run off to work through their own rivalry, however it was men did that. It was a magical night, and when it was over, and the secret, forbidden fraternity melted back into the trees, Jake drove me to his apartment and we crashed on his bed. I kissed him on the cheek, twice, in broad defiance of the Readers' expectations, and settled into a comfortable dream.