Lunatic Lovers

         “And I would rather be ravaged by lions rather than be your date for the Costume Party at Burgling Burgers!” Shana turned one slim shoulder away from Alan, but her long black curls made a curtain through which she could peep at his reaction to such heresy.

         The sun was making a sleepy pink exit over the horizon; the ruddiness seemed to have crept into Alan’s cheeks. Sheesh - it was only polite conversation, if the Cheerleading Squad's Captain is your Mom’s best friend’s daughter, you can’t look through her.

         “Hah! That is a safe bet, considering there are no lions outside Asia.”

         Shana might have been doubly slighted, at this uncalled for slur upon her intelligence. Her voice made the evening temperature drop at least five degrees. “I’d row all the way over and enjoy it more than going down this street with you.”

         There was a stamping of sandal clad feet, a swivel of hips and Alan could only watch in abject misery as the girl enshrined in his heart diminished down the driveway. He raised his voice to reach the receding figure.

         “Fine by me. Give my regards to Gandhi.” He wasn’t sure a derogatory epithet wasn’t thrown back at him, but he flung himself onto his bike and gunned the engine all the way; the resultant roar would be answer enough to the minx, if any had been made.

         The ride home was a blur and he went straight to the backshed, his preparations for the party were not yet over. He had put in so much work too, he was not going to let anything stop him enjoying himself. There would be other girls there – Cindi or Bianca, or maybe the Kramer twins.

         There was never a dearth of girls flirting at Alan. He was just borderline cute but had good joshing skills, was second string for football and the school champ at sprints.

         Alan had thought he was in luck today, he finally got his Dad’s old bike working again, she’s goes like a dream, although she sounds like a nightmare.

         He’d even managed to screech to a oh-so-casual halt just as Shana left her aerobics class and offered her a lift home. He’d made the perfect putter-putter slow, negligent, one-foot-on-pavement stop at her place. They had lingered by the stone bench on her vast front lawn, it was picture perfect.

         Then She flounced past, turning in an elaborate double-take to pretend to have just seen Alan. Head tilted and caroling a greeting. 

Common courtesy isn’t a crime. Oh, Shana couldn’t you see that?

         Today also happened to be the one day his shadow, kid brother Buzz stopped living up to his name and left him alone. He hadn’t missed him before, but he hadn’t as much glimpsed the kid on the playground or even in any of the front yards.

         Where is that brat? I hope he’s asleep in his room, or somehow I’ll get the blame for whatever shenanigans he’s upto.

         One hand flipped through already disordered hair in despair. He pushed away the dissection of past events and concentrated on his costume, hidden till now in the backyard shed. He was soon oblivious to all except the intricacy putting on the components. Join this tube to that one, clip the panel to the front, pull out those rods.

         The moon was high in the sky before Alan was ready to set out for the party. Pearly moonlight cast long shadows, but what use was that fat silver slice in the sky if no Shana was there to share it? His heart fettered feet that felt clumsy and difficult to move. He took great care not to disturb a precarious balance.

         Ah, that celestial body had long had a soft spot for lovers. It could see the conveniently absent Buzz as he sidled up to the deserted Emerson house on a dare, his cohort making sibilant whispers of alternate derision or encouragement to move him further along.

         It could see Shana as she pirouetted before her mirror admiring the deep cerulean hues of her clinging costume, a gauzy train slithering over her lawn as she scurried to the road. Shana’s hair was tucked under what looked like a turban, no a helmet, or a globe of the same material. Was that a veil across her face?

         The three converged, all intent on tangled thoughts; it was the collision of the millennium. Well, of the decade, but of the Millennium too, stands to reason.

         Pain in varying degrees incapacitated them all; Buzz was the first to recover. He took one look at the heap at his feet, another at what loomed over them both, and fled into the night with one long wail of “Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” The gang dispersed like the mercury from a shattered thermometer.

         Buzz was soothed by his mother and eventually believed her when she said there had been no sightings of UFOs or blue aliens or robots. He fell asleep and neither he nor his friends ever went near that deserted house. But this story isn’t about him. What of Alan? Or Shana?

         Well, Alan did not quite know how, but it seemed he was forgiven, at any rate two soft arms were wound around his neck and it seemed his charms were far superior to those of Asiatic lions. Their progress to the venue was slow and delightful.

         The crashed robot costume was a smash (pun unintended) hit at the party and even a gaggle of concerned cheerleaders left Shana unfazed. Possession was nine points of the law and Alan hadn’t let go of her hand once.

         And the moon? Well he had other lovers to unite; he winked down at the entwined gazes of Alan and Shana and ducked behind a cloud.

(Word count: 977)

(Prompt was to use the words in bold font. Word count 1000 words or less. Time 24 hrs from posting of prompt. Result:Tied for first place!)