Chimney Swift
i am confusion
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tl;dr
Leigh Fallon
Leighve, laugh, love
Public school dances were never quite the life-changing romantic daydreamy spectacle that a young impressionable teen might expect they would be, having grown up on library DVDs of High School Musical 3 and Pretty In Pink.
They took place in the same old worn-down, sweat-scented gym that all other school functions took place in, only this time there were some colored construction paper streamers and a few tables dragged out and some fruit punch and candy, as well as cacophonous EDM music blasting from the old speakers.
At the last Palisades High School dance, the winter formal, someone set off the fire alarm by smoking in the bathroom and they had to end the whole thing early. Leigh Fallon remembered; he was there (not the one smoking in the bathroom, though. That was someone else.)
He swore that this time would be different. No one, not even God or the bubonic plague, could cancel the Valentine's Day Dance on Leigh's watch. If there was one person at PHS who took school spirit seriously, it was him... and let's be real, he was probably the only one who took it seriously. He had no date, no reputation to uphold, not even a solid friend group, but he treated every event like it was the pinnacle of his entire life.
"Mom, I'm heading out!" He yelled back at the nearly comatose woman on the old couch, who didn't look up from the reruns of Grey's Anatomy playing on the small dusty television set.
"...I love you!"
She groaned loudly, put out the remains of her cigarette on the coffee table, and gave her youngest son a dismissive wave. He pondered the singed mark on the table, looking to the dwindling pack of smokes that still had about 3 left.
"Can I have one?"
"No."
Leigh shrugged, trying not to be offended, eventually forcing a smile and a wave before hobbling out the front door of the trailer, not wanting to be late for the dance.
When he arrived, it was pretty clear that he was the only one giddy with excitement... not that he seemed to notice. He was far too busy grinning ear-to-ear and looking forward to fruit punch and sparkly streamers to even perceive the bored, underpaid teacher chaperones and the small scattered crowd of other teens who were mostly off chatting in their own little friend circles or looking for an empty corner to make out in.
This was it: a real school dance that no one was going to cancel. This was so cool, so sophisticated, so mature. He felt just like Carter, his older brother, only way cooler and totally more handsome.
"WHO'S READY TO PARTY?" He shouted at no one in particular, prompting some awkward glances from the other kids. Maybe they weren't ready to party.
Well, maybe they just needed a little time. Things would get going eventually, for sure. It probably just needed a good spark to get people's attention.
"HEY DJ, GET THE CHA-CHA SLIDE GOING!"
code by valen t.