While the houses on the side of the road flashed by and the school came in sight, Molly realized that riding a motorcycle wasn’t the only thing she hadn’t done before tonight. It was also the first time she had forgotten to think something trough. Only when Sherlock pulled up in front of the school’s fence did it hit her that beside the fact she would get strange looks from the entire school, she had no idea how to actually have fun with Sherlock Holmes.
“Nervous?” Sherlock asked as if he had read her mind. He started to reach for Molly’s helmet, but she was adamant to take it off herself this time.
“A little. It’s all just very…uhm… unexpected, you know.” She answered, mustering up a smile.
“I like the unexpected. So, let’s go,” he replied confidently, while he started to lead her towards the front door.
The moment they entered the school’s gymnasium, they were swallowed in a sea loud music and moving bodies. When they started to move towards the dance floor Sherlock grabbed her hand. Molly could feel the stares on her back and swallowed hard. She was nervous alright.
They were still moving when Molly heard a voice coming from behind her.
“Molly! Molly!” Molly turned around and saw Meena standing near the table with drinks, trying to get her attention. She tugged Sherlock’s hand a little to let him know he should stop moving.
“Molly! You came!” Meena tried to make herself heard above the music, when Molly had finally reached her. Only now did Molly see Sally and Sam standing beside her. “I thought you wouldn’t come anymore.”
Molly was about to reply when suddenly all her friends looked as if they had seen a ghost appear. Off course they hadn’t seen a real ghost, it was Sherlock. He was standing beside Molly, still holding her hand tightly in his.
Eventually Sally decided to break the awkward silence.
“Molly, I thought you were going with David, but I haven’t seen him yet. So, where is he?”
In that moment Molly had the desire to fall through the floor and disappear, as well as the longing to smash in Sally’s head. She just really didn’t want to relive the humiliation of being stood-up.
“He isn’t here. When it turned out he wasn’t quite ‘the perfect gentleman’ everyone thought he was, Molly was kind enough to let me bring her to the dance. Oh, and try to stop looking so constipated, it doesn’t go well with your dress.” Sherlock replied without hesitation.
Molly squeezed his hand a little. In other circumstances she would have found it annoying that he had spoken for her, but right now she was just very grateful he didn’t mention her being stood-up. He didn’t even claim her as his date.
Ignoring Sherlock’s insult, Sally continued her interrogation.
“So, is he your date?”
Molly realized the choice was up to her. For a moment she hesitated, but then she felt Sherlock’s cool hand in her sweaty one. Without any further doubt, she answered; “Yes. Sherlock is my date.”
While she saw Sally’s face turn sour, her hand received a little squeeze.
“And as her date I have the obligation to dance with her – if she wants to – so if you’d please excuse us,” Sherlock cut in.
Molly could feel her nervousness return. Dancing? With Sherlock? An image that was both horrifying and hilarious came to her mind.
Yet, when she looked up Sherlock’s green eyes (hadn’t they been blue before?) were looking in hers expectantly.
So, she said; “Yes, let’s dance.”
Before the moment the words were out of her mouth, Sherlock was pulling her onto the dance floor. Molly only just caught a glimpse of a nearly-fainting Meena, a clearly pissed-off Sally and a very confused Sam staring at them.
It didn’t take Molly long to figure out Sherlock was surprisingly a pretty good dancer. An excellent one, actually. While she swayed to the beat of the music awkwardly, he moved smoothly behind her. While the lights flashed and the music beat on, his hands never left her waist. Molly’s heart beat wildly as she felt his hard chest press to her back, his gentle touch sending tingles through her spine. Suddenly, in one swift movement, he turned her around so she was facing him. She barely had time to catch her breath, before he put his hand on her back to pull her closer.
After a few more songs Molly felt her feet get sore, but she was too afraid to break the spell between them to pull away. As if the universe (or the DJ) had read her mind, suddenly a slow song came on. Molly looked up at Sherlock, unsure if he considered slow-dancing as part of his obligations as a date. Catching her staring, he flashed her his famous crooked smile. Before she realized it, his hands were sliding down towards her waist. Understanding that as a ‘yes’, Molly softly placed her shaking hands on his shoulders.
The last time she had slow danced had been at the freshman dance of her high school. It had been awkward, stiff and uncomfortable – the exact opposite of dancing with Sherlock. His confident hands lead her so they were perfectly in synch with each other, their bodies unconsciously moving closer. As the song played on Molly started to forget her nerves, growing accustomed to the pleasant warmth that spread where Sherlock’s hands touched her. Slightly intoxicated by the moment, she felt comfortable enough to slowly slide her hands on his back so she could rest her spinning head on his shoulder. She knew she was completely lost, but for the first time ever she reveled in the sensation. All she needed was this moment to last.
Unfortunately, all things end and so did this song. When the soft music was replaced by a loud beat, Sherlock pulled away a little. Molly lifted her head and her heart almost jumped out of her chest when she caught his expression. A smile that was so un-Sherlock it could have lit up the whole town was plastered on his face. Instead of dancing he stood completely still, only his right hand moved from Molly’s hip towards her chin. With one finger he lifted her chin to make her look up. Suddenly he paused, his eyes asking a question that only she could understand. In response, a faint smile appeared on her slips and her cheeks turned pink. ‘Yes.’
As he started to move towards her lips, the fuzziness in her brain turned into pure excitement. She was certain she going to have a heart attack. And then his soft lips met hers. She caught a faint taste of nicotine and peppermint, as her head spun wildly. Before she could open her mouth he already pulled away, triumph and excitement playing around in his eyes. Molly had often wondered about being kissed like this. She had always thought of these kisses as a grand finale, a conclusion. Only now did she believe that it was actually just the beginning. She needed it to be a beginning.
Later that night a melody was playing in Molly’s head, synchronizing with the tiny raindrops that fell on the grey concrete of the schoolyard. The nonsensical symphony somehow captured perfectly how she felt while sitting on the stairs that lead up to the school’s front door, with a jacket hanging from her shoulders and the boy who it belonged to sitting beside her.
She glanced sideways, catching Sherlock looking out into the dark. Seeing his curls shimmer with tiny raindrops and his cheeks slightly pink from the cold, made her realize what the feeling of ‘tenderness’ truly meant.
“Thank you,” She said to him, softly brushing his shoulder with hers. He looked up, his bright eyes focusing on her.
“For what?” He asked in a tranquil voice. Since they had left the crowded gymnasium, an unusual calm had settled over both of them.
“For tonight. I had a lot of fun,” she answered, a soft smile playing on her lips.
“I’m glad you did,” he replied. His hands had somehow found hers. Slowly, his thumb circled across her palm. Molly suddenly realized how many nerves she had in her palm.
“There is something I was wondering, though. How did you know?” She began, feeling confident that Sherlock would answer honestly. “I mean, when David didn’t show and I didn’t hear from him….”
“Wait. You didn’t hear from him?” He interrupted her, suddenly his face was all hard lines and angles again.
“No. He just didn’t show and then I tried to call him, but he didn’t answer his phone. Sherlock, why…”
“He didn’t call you or contact you in any other way to tell you how to deal with him not coming?” Sherlock asked, urgency in his voice.
“No… Why would he do that?” The melody stopped playing. She couldn’t – did not want to – believe that Sherlock would manage suddenly ruin all the trust she had finally placed in him.
“Well, he and his friends were planning to…” Suddenly he fell silent mid-sentence, stopping himself. A realization dawned upon him. “Never mind.”
He had managed to leave Molly completely confused once more. She raked her mind for some reason why Sherlock was so interested in David’s actions. And what were he and his friends planning….. Suddenly it hit her.
“Bonfire night.” Unconsciously the words slipped from her lips. She had overheard David and his friends talk, when she went up to ask him what color dress she should buy. He and his friends were planning to make a fire just behind the old sawmill on the outskirts of town, David had even agreed to work on it right before he would pick her up. Molly just hadn’t realized that it might be tonight.
“What did you say?” Sherlock asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
“Uhm…Bonfire night. It’s a tradition. And this year David and some of his friends were doing it. I just realized it might be tonight.” She replied, hoping that an answer would soothe him somewhat.
“Do you know where they’re doing it?” There was an acuteness in his voice she didn’t understand.
“Yeah, I think so.” Before she could say anything else, Sherlock pulled her up by her hand and started running towards his bike.
“Sherlock! Where are we going?!”
“To see the bonfire. You need to show me the way,” he replied as he started to put a helmet on her head.
“Why?!” Molly asked in desperation, as Sherlock got on the motorbike. Why couldn't things just be normal with him?!
“Because David is in a lot of trouble.”