Prom Ghosts (A Perry Moxley & Harry Singer Story)

An Enemy In The Making

Lobby perks up.

"Why would there be half naked guys playing basketball in the gym?" I asked.

"I don't know!" she says. "I swear my eyes burned."

The Chemistry teacher, Mrs. Pullman, hovers near our table and casts a warning glance. Immediately, we all shut our mouths and pretended to work.

"Why is it that you four are always on the same pairings?" she inquires.

"Oh, no, we're not, miss," Daryl says. "I'm paired with Lobby. Angie's paired up with Perry. Last time I paired up with Angie. We switch lab partners all the time. We pick draws."

Mrs. Pullman was about to say something but was interrupted by a knock from the door.

"She bought that this time, right?" Daryl snickers as soon as she was gone.

I glanced at the teacher as she conversed with someone out the door in hushed tones. She thanks the person outside the door before returning inside with a peeved look in her face.

"I have an announcement to make," she spoke.

Half the class turned to look at her attentively as she makes her way towards the front of the class.

"Some students were caught loitering around by the school's West Sides last night," she says sternly.

A collective gasp erupted from the students and Mrs. Pullman clears her throat to quiet them down. I forced myself to gulp down my dry throat. My whole body tensed and I could feel myself breaking into a cold sweat.

"May I remind you that the West Sides are strictly out of bounds," she continues. "Students are prohibited to be in there. You all are aware the rules."

She looks at all of us one by one until her gaze lingers on mine. I held my breath but she immediately shifts her eyes away and I sigh with relief.

"Now that the Spring Promenade is just days away, I want you all to keep in mind that no students should be caught snooping around by the West Sides again, understand?" she said. "Return to your works."

We all looked back down at our tables.

"The West Sides, my ass," Daryl snorts. "Why do they speak of it like it's something of a forbidden place?"

"Because it is," Angie says. "Whoever went there last night were idiots."

I purse my lips as I squint at Angie.

"Everybody tries to get in there all the time," she says. "But nobody's been caught before. The students last night were just sloppy they got caught."

"Speaking of last night," Lobby says and looks directly at me. "Why weren't you in your bed last night?"

Time suddenly slowed to a still. I blinked, not knowing what to say. I tried to stammer out an excuse I hastily made up in my mind but was interrupted.

"So, this is the Losers Club Convention," Dawn croons. "How cute."

"So, you're a Stephen King fan, now?" Daryl says sardonically.

"I'm a fan of everything," she babbles.

I doubted she even knew who Stephen King was. I immediately tense up again the moment she looks at me.

"I've been meaning to talk to you, Perry Moxley," she says slowly and precisely. "I'm a big fan of yours, you know. I don't know why but, suddenly, you've started to be the talk of the town."

I stare at her blankly. Nobody spoke for a second. The only sound was Daryl slowly dispensing a tinted blue liquid into a graduated cylinder.

Dawn forces out an awkward laugh and shoots my friends a sharp glare. "I meant, alone."

"Oh. Just pretend you're not seeing us. It works all the time," Daryl tells her.

Dawn was clearly annoyed but my friends wouldn't leave the table so she had no choice.

"So, Perry, since when did you meet Harry?" she asks.

She stressed my name too much.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Why?"

"Well, that doesn't matter. But let me tell you something," she said, closing the gap between us and facing me nose to nose. Her sweet scented perfume wafted into my nostrils and I fought the urge to gag. "I don't like people stealing what's mine. You do know that stealing is bad, Perry."

I stare at her but say nothing. I clearly had no idea what she was trying to point out.

"Why don't you just give up?" she smirks. "He's so out of your league, anyway. You'll never have a chance with him. Don't raise your hopes too much."

I inhaled deeply, staring straight into Dawn's golden brown eyes. Somehow, her words infuriated me.

"I don't like Harry," I told her as a matter-of-factly. "If that's what you're worried about."

"Yeah, and nobody likes you, Dawn," Daryl adds drily, breaking the tension in the atmosphere.

Dawn steps back, blinking, her composure suddenly gone. She ran her fingers through her hair and glares back at me down her nose.

"Well, then, I guess I've made myself clear," she says before turning away, her lab coat trailing behind her.

Lobby looks at me, patting me gently on the arm. "Are you okay?"

"Don't mind her," Daryl says. "She's always been a pest."

I sighed, breathing heavily. I was shaken. I didn't feel good anymore. "I think I've just made myself an enemy."

Don't forget to leave a vote to show your support for Prom Ghosts!

Tune in for the next chapter!