~Ethan~
6/4/24
I enjoyed my morning with Iria, I enjoyed walking her to the gym, I enjoyed our loneliness when we realized we were barely alone in the place and I enjoyed catching up in the lost time during the past hours. I always enjoyed Iria what was more than fine for me but there was something I wasn't up to enjoy, prom.
I wasn't going to show up that night, I knew everything about that night would hurt and I wanted to save it, I was tired of feeling pain, I wanted to stop it, forever. Rekindling one of the best nights of our lives wasn't an option. That's why I refused to take part in anything that had to do with that day when Iria's eyes begged me to do it -even if it was only for a couple of hours until she made up with her boyfriend.
I had a solid stance. I didn't want to dance. I didn't want to learn the fucking victory dance of the prom kings... Then why did I give in? Why couldn't I get my mouth to let out the words that my eyes shouted?
I won't dance, why didn't those words come out from my throat?
What was it about the heartbroken girl and her gaze that made me change my most solid stance if she asked please?
Iria grabbed my hand with a satisfied and huge smile when the I give up sigh I let out made her win. She always won against me. She dragged me to the center of the room, closer to the teacher so we could actually learn something. The song started playing throughout the big speakers that made the melody echo in the place. First we were supposed to just listen though I realized Iria hadn't let go of my hand.
The song ended what meant the dance started. The teacher gave the first indications of steps in which Iria and me tried to pay attention.
Try is the key word.
Of course Iria could have learned the dance by heart just by watching it once or twice, I was aware I was the problem here, however today she seemed just as clumsy as me.
Or maybe she just pretended so I wouldn't make a fool of myself alone.
The very first steps consisted in her giving a step forward with her left foot at the time my left foot -the one just in front of her left one- gave that step back. We bumped into the other, our chests crashed when they weren't mean to and she stepped on me.
It was funny, se laughed.
"This is disastrous, do you need me to scream left or right?" Her voice came out with a kidding tone I honestly missed. I missed her innocent mockery.
"Don't worry, I can write left or right on my hands." I teased looking down.
"Look up to your partner's eyes!" The teacher scolded the whole gym. I felt somehow like her words were meant for me. "I want you to fall in love with that person's eyes, you are kings of prom, dammit! Behave as royals."
I chuckled, I couldn't help laughing while staring too intensely into her eyes what made Iria laugh too. The teacher exhibited the following two steps we tried to follow as we could. You could say the choreography started pretty intensely, including the footwork of the beginning in which after Iria stepped on me she had to 'walk away'. She actually just had to give her back to me for barely a couple of seconds, reaching out to me so I could grab her arm and pull her closer, right after the space between us was reduced I had grab her thigh, leaning her body plus raising her leg -slightly. The dance cooled down afterwards, we spent some seconds staring in the latter position but then I let her go and we came back to the beginning.
"Now I want a sensual touch from your king. Run your fingertips all the way down your queen's back, boys!"
I hesitated to the new order, Iria's eyes gave me the approval to do what I was asked for.
What her king would have been asked for, rather said.
I stopped when my hands bumped into the edge of her wide leg jeans, the end of her back, where I should stop, I didn't want to bring back memories where the end of her back didn't stop my hands, not even if I had felt her goosebumps when my fingertips first met the skin of her neck.
I let a funny look sneak into my eyes warning her about my impending mockery.
"I hope you value my gentleness, any other boy would have taken the chance to slap your ass."
Iria laughed, it was a short and light laugh but I got her lips to curve. Why did I suddenly felt like smiling too? Just for a second but I felt like it.
"What ass? I don't have of that." The kidding tone didn't leave her voice, I think this is the happier I have seen her during the whole weekend.
It's hurtful to know that with happy I don't mean she gives off happiness but that she doesn't look like she might break down at any moment.
I opened my mouth to refute her, I was going to tell her that she had a gorgeous ass, that I thought she looked hot without needing skinny clothes but the teacher started explaining more steps and I closed my mouth, having this feeling that it was the best I could do.
I would have talked too much.
We kept dancing between jokes and stomps, we laughed when everybody seemed to do some step we haven't understand and we did our best to hold back our laughs when one of the couples dancing around us hushed us because we were too loud.
Everybody was too serious about the fucking royal dance.
The class ended after three intense hours, by its end both, Iria and me, knew the dance by heart. Seriously, I could dance it with my eyes closed.
We were exhausted when they let us go, I went straight to the table with water bottles and grabbed one -they were free -, I almost moan of pleasure when the water filled me, I drank more than half of the 500mL bottle. After I stopped my body from the dehydration I took some seconds to look at the people in the gym for first time since I entered.
I have been so focused on Iria since the moment I stepped on this room that I didn't realize around us there weren't only students from our school but also from Saley High, they happened to have the same prom program as us. My brain wasn't fast enough to deduce who were in the room too until they approached me.
"Rekindling old rumors, Jones? Iria Quinn and Ethan Jones seen dancing together... There always was a strange complicity between you two. If I'm honest, when I started talking with Iria I could just wonder how much her best friend had screwed her before me."
I glared at Jackson's smirk, clenching my jaw and fist. I have always hated the tone of that dude, no matter what he spitted out of his mouth, it would always sound haughty. He would always sound like he was above you.
I forced myself to stop clenching my fist, feeling my nails digging into my skin won't help the situation. Instead I put on my best fake smile, I knew for a fact my opposite reactions to what Jackson intended confused him.
"I see your desire of a broken arm hasn't changed a bit. Tell me, with which arm do you jerk off? Knowing you are right-handed I suppose it's the right arm, I told Iria to have it into account that day." I talked calmly, without visible anger but with evilness, one hidden at first glance in each of my words.
I enjoyed the smile on my face when the poisoned words left my mouth. I enjoyed smirking at Jackson when his expression changed, that snooty look fading. He lost many things in the past and in moments like these it's essential that he remembers how it ended the last time.
He mustn't forget who is he talking to.
Jackson got himself together some seconds later, copying the fake smile on my face and the poisoned tone that had left my mouth.
"If I remember correctly, you were less about attacking people and more about attacking cars."
I was and I smiled for that, what didn't mean I wouldn't break his other arm here and now if the situation showed up.
"And if I remember correctly you were more about switching partners..." This time I gave my attention and smirk to Sabine, who had been standing rarely quiet next to Jackson the whole time. "Oh wait, that was the unfaithful your girlfriend."
I winked at Sabine, who gulped, but that was the thing about Sabine Cloutier, she was evil, more than Jackson, I actually believe he learned his manners from her. That's why it took her a second to stop the shrug and look at me as she has been looking at everybody her whole life, above her shoulder.
She believed she was powerful after all.... Until I showed her two years ago she wasn't, not more than me at least.
"If I were you I would stop with the childish behavior and worry more about the purple haired nerd you have left alone... She has always been pretty helpless after all."
Sabine searched for my gaze, she was one of those people who challenged you when they stared into your eyes. This time the challenge was me to turn around looking for Iria to check she was okay but I didn't move. Iria was fine and I wouldn't give her the pleasure to think her words got to me.
I have never been childish but I won't deny I have always been a child doing adult stuffs.
"Childish?" I raised an eyebrow pretending to be surprised. "That wasn't what you screamed in my ear..." I used a whispering tone, not low enough for Sabine to don't ear it. "By the way, I have always wondered what was the deal in your relationship, you have been dating since always, are you already bored of each other? It has to be exhausting to have to be looking for new entertainments being so young..."
Jackson took a step forward, there I hit a soft spot. The deal between them is something everybody wonders, I guess Jackson doesn't want to explain something that he himself doesn't understand.
"You don't know shit, Jones." His voice was threating, his eyes glared at mine and his index finger pointed at me. That finger was too close... so close that he touched me. You could say he pushed me with that only finger.
I let out an involuntary grunt. Grabbing his wrist in an abrupt movement in order to stop his touch. I was looking down at his wrist, hostage of my grip, with a furious glare that piercing through his skin, then I looked up, meting his gaze and bumping into something I didn't think I would find, fear.
The big an unbeatable Jackson Boucher, afraid of the pain of a broken bone.
I noticed looking over Jackson's shoulder how the people had started to leave the room, half of the candidates had left already as right now a group of six walked out of the place. I let go of his wrist, not needing to add anything more but turning on my heels and starting to walk away from them, I don't consider that I allowed them more words.
Instead with every step I got closer to Iria, I found her sat on the bleachers, lost in the phone that she had between her knees, unaware of the little scene that had taken place some feet away from where she stood. I sat next to her, it took her a minute to notice me and look up from her phone.
"It's J.D." She let me know when she turned to me, she had taken some seconds to analyze my expression and now a tired tone left her mouth, she rested her head on her hand. "He texted me wondering if I'm still at Saley High, I think he wants to talk but I have spent ten minuted re-reading the notification of his message and haven't had the courage to open his chat."
In her eyes I could see she valued the advice I would give her, I sighed, I don't know why I sighed as if speaking was hard for me.
"He's your boyfriend, I think partners have that weird right to demand talks."
The irony in my words made her chuckle, she averted her gaze from mine still chucking.
"Yeah, partners have weird right..." Her expression turned a little more serious afterwards, however her eyes didn't lose that shine provoked by the chuckle. "Thanks for the attempt of advice, it's a good one I will follow."
I wanted to mock. Yes, well, you might have to tell me again.