Maybe Prom Night : A Heathers story.

5

"Yo, JD. You need to wake up." Charlie said as she shook me. I made an odd groaning noise and sat up. I can't remember falling asleep, I don't even remember what I was dreaming about. Despite having years of experience moving around and falling asleep in the car I always hated it. I rubbed my eyes gently and looked around, why weren't we moving? It was roughly a thirty hour drive from Vegas to Ohio and with only two days till the prom I knew we would be cutting it close. We had no time for unplanned pit stops because I wanted, no need, to spend as much time as I could with Veronica. "Where are we?" | asked as | looked around. Nothing seemed to look familiar, maybe it looked different at night. " I have no idea. Yas and Jessie went to look to see where we are. The car broke down about ten minutes ago." She told me.Great so l'm stuck in the middle of nowhere when I have two days to get to Veronica, hopefully we had made it far enough to Colorado. "So it's just us two here?" I asked. I knew I should have just taken my bike. It would have been a lot easier, sure the sleep thing would have been an issue but I could have booked a motel room for a few hours when I desperately needed to sleep. "Yeah. It is." She said as she grabbed my hand. I gave her hand a light squeeze and chuckled. It's funny how I was now with people who I thought I would never see again tracking down the love of my life. "I'm glad you're here with me. " I smiled at her. Now that we've been in a car for hours on end that weird energy I was picking up had seemed to disappear. I knew it would, just took some time

"Um little tiny problem. Our engine has gone to shit and we can't find anyone to help. Good news is that we're somewhere in Kansas so we've made it halfway.." Jessie informed us. Shit. Just when I thought this was going all so well. At least we're halfway, we made it more than I expected to. "Well what can we do?" I asked him as I gave Charlie's hand a nervous squeeze. I would do anything to see Veronica, I couldn't let her down. Even if she wasn't expecting me to show up. . "Well we were gonna walk till we found something but if we got lost we're screwed." Yasmin told us. Not what I was hoping to hear but they do have a point. We can't waste time trying to back track to the car and looking for each other if something happens. "Um right. So Jessie, I say we being the strong men we are, go and find help." I suggested as I got out of the car. He gave me a supportive nod and started heading off. "Wait. Hold up I'm about to do something I've never done before. Guys I'm taking off the trench coat. I don't wanna look suspicious." | laughed as I took off my coat. I felt naked without it, that coat was like my personality, it made me different from every other preppy jock. I slammed the door shut and then we started making our way.

"So if we just follow the road we can find a car, try to get help and then get your ass back in Ohio and at prom." Jessie laughed to me.I never have been one for any school activities but this prom. I was looking forward to. I could just imagine Veronica looking stunning in her dress in her signature blue and then I'd be looking out of place in a tux and would probably be asking Veronica the whole night if I could put on my trench coat. I could imagine the school gym covered in streamers and balloons and looking crappy but magical at the same time. Martha and Betty were probably head of the decorating committee. Everyone dancing. Having fun. And at the end of the night. Once all that is done, I'd go back home with Veronica. We wouldn't have prom night sex like some stereotypical teenagers at the end of a coming of age movie, no our relationship meant more than that. We would get changed into our PJs, watch a few movies, eat pizza or something lame like that and then fall asleep cuddling. I would call that a perfect prom night but if we didn't get this damn car fixed all it would be is what I could imagine. "Yo man, what are you thinking about?" He asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts.I forgot for a second he was with me, I guess I'm just so used to being on my own. "Veronica and prom." | mumbled back to him. He let out a light laugh and started talking but | just zoned him out. God I hope we found a way to fix our car soon.

"Yo! JD get your ass over here!" I heard Jessie yell which snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up from the ground and saw Jesse standing next to a car which was pulled over to the side of the road. I walked over to the car and looked at the man inside of it. He looked tall, slicked back blonde hair, one of those douchey preppy sweaters but he had trusting eyes. What's he gonna do? Plus I would know how to fight back if he even tried anything. " JD, this man said he could offer us some assistance." He told me. This little preppy kid is gonna help us? That's funny. Don't know how daddy's money will save us now. "Yeah I used to work on old cars, a sort of passion project.I should be able to help you out." He smiled. Oh look at me I'm a kid who could buy old cars just to fix them up I'm so fancy. Bleh. And I say kid even though he's at least in his mid thirties. "Oh really? Wow, that would be great if you could take a look." I said in a monotone voice. This man was my one shot at seeing Veronica and I'm here being a little shithead, I always am. He parked his car and then got out. Shit dude was taller than me. We then followed the road back to the car. Not sure why he didn't just drive down but for once I needed to keep my dumb mouth shut and just trust other people. God I hope he could fix it.

We eventually found the car and the preppy man got started. "Ah I see your problem." He called out. Well that was fast. I don't like him. Even though he was helping me. "Give me about twenty minutes and you guys can be on your way. Can you start the car for me please?" He added. I did what he wanted and started the car for him. Twenty minutes had passed and he was right. He was done and we could go. I don't entirely get what he did, my speciality was fixing bikes not cars but nonetheless he did it. "Thanks so much man." Jessie smiled at him. Good, the night was half over and we still had ages to go but we could make it. We had to. "Um here man for your troubles. Thank you. so much really." I said sincerely as I got out of the car. I then gave him twenty dollars and a grateful smile. He gave me a smile and pushed my hand back. "I can see there's a real important reason you gotta get where you're going. It's all good." He said in a voice above a whisper. I gave him a friendly nod and then went back into the backseat of the car.

"Charlie, are you wearing my coat?" I asked her, not knowing if she was asleep or not. I had never seen another woman wearing that. I don't even think Veronica had worn more than a flannel. She was my friend and everything but it just gave me a weird sensation "Yeah it looked comfortable." She mumbled as she started waking up. Yasmin and Jessie then got into the car and buckled up. Safety first guys. "Are we good?" Yasmin asked us. We nodded our heads and then got on our way, hopefully Jessie didn't care about the speed limit and would step on it but we still had time.

God was I ready to see Veronica and try to start a new life.