Prom Night

Rick just laughed when he saw the yellow carnations in the garden.  Not a joyous laugh, rather a smug sort of chuckle.  Thirteen years later his heart still sank and his face flushed with anger and embarrassment, but at least now he could laugh it off. 

Katie was so indignant that his cummerbund and tie must match her corsage because he wasn’t allowed to see her dress before prom night.  He was a year younger and just happy to be going to the prom, not to mention pumped up on pride, dating one of the hotter seniors at his school.  He thought the yellow looked ridiculous, but who cared?  If he made her happy he wouldn’t be wearing it all night anyway. 

Once he saw her dressed up, he couldn’t care less what he was wearing.  A dark blue strapless gown flowed all the way down to sparkly, high-heeled shoes.  Her dress flattered every part of her body, not that her figure needed the help.  Her makeup was modest and her hair was spectacular.  As they posed for pictures with their friends his imagination raced with possible endings to the night.  They coyly flirted and whispered in each other’s ears what they would do after the dance, once they finally escaped the watchful eyes of parents and chaperones.

When the band belted out party songs they awkwardly grinded against each other and stepped on each other’s feet, trying to channel their teenage hormones without much of a clue about how to dance.  They took turns laughing at each other and poking fun at the rest of their clumsy classmates.  He pulled her body close and snuck a kiss of her cheek.  She held his head close and gently kissed his ear, then whispered, “When we get to the hotel room I’ll leave for ice.  Meet me at the hot tub 10 minutes later.”

The third floor of the Holiday Inn was overrun with prom goers.  Ipods hooked up to mini speakers blasted Kesha, Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, and Eminem into the hallway.  Drunk, screaming teenagers bounced from room to room singing, playing drinking games, and looking for secluded corners.  When Katie left, Rick joined a group of buddies playing quarters in his room.  He soon excused himself to find a bathroom, the closest one being presently occupied. 

He took the elevator down to the ground level with anticipation growing in his mind and, not too noticeably he hoped, in his pants.  Once off the elevator his followed a path through a courtyard to the pool area.  He heard the jets first as the hot tub was partially secluded by an eight-foot stonewall.  As he drew closer he saw the blue dress folded neatly on top of a white towel.  But then, beside it, carelessly discarded, he noticed a pair of tuxedo pants and a white shirt.  Walking closer yet, he heard a cacophony of giggling, whispering, kissing and moaning coming from behind the wall. 

Adrenaline, now of contradicting varieties, coursed through his veins.  Could there be a couple already in the hot tub with Katie?  Had revelers deserted the scene without grabbing their clothes?  He hid in the shadows, barely out of sight of the two people going at it in the hot tub:  Katie and her ex-boyfriend, Jake. 

Desperate to escape but thirsting for revenge, Rick grabbed the two sets of dress clothes and the white towels with them.  He ditched the garb in a garbage can before racing up the stairs to get back to his room.  He quickly grabbed a beer and rejoined the quarters game, hoping to drown the horrific images in his head.  Getting up for another beer he passed by the window overlooking the pool and hot tub area.  Painful though it was, he stopped to observe the scene below.  The wall blocked his view of the couple, but splashes of water caught the illumination of the lights above and told him all he needed to know. 

Just then a jagged bolt of lightning momentarily lit up the sky, followed by an ear-splitting clap of thunder.  Seconds later the skies opened up and a downpour flooded the courtyard.  Katie and her mate came out from behind the wall and frantically searched for their towels and clothes.  Giving up their search, and totally naked, they ran for the elevators under incessant pelting from large, wet raindrops. 

Rick wasted no time coming up with a suitable ruse.  He raced to the elevators and spied the light above indicating the location of the car carrying the naked, unfaithful teenagers.  Once certain they were past the second floor and about to arrive, Rick ran down the hall banging on closed doors, ducking his head into open party rooms and screaming, “FIRE-FIRE-FIRE!”  A chaotic scene ensued as dozens of post-prom revelers gushed into the hallway, doubting the validity of the fire warning, but eager to see what the commotion was all about.  They were greeted by Katie and Jake stepping off the elevator, wearing nothing by faces full of humiliation.  Horrified, they sprinted down the hall, through a gauntlet of laughter, catcalls, cell phone camera flashes, and angry insults from Rick and his friends.  Katie, tears of shame and embarrassment streaking down her face, tumbled into the room at the end of the hall behind Jake.  The hallway was abuzz with the aftermath of a scene that would not be soon forgotten.  A wicked thunderstorm had destroyed prom for Katie and Jake.