✅ The Last New Start [NaNoWriMo2021]

143. An Emotional Evening

"You look amazing," Gabby said, as Tess hurried down the stairs. "My little girl's all grown up." And Tess couldn't help laughing at that; she was just as grown up as she had been since she moved in here, but Gabby had only been able to see her as a child all that time. Maybe the bedwetting problem had something to do with that; it could well make her seem more childish. And she was glad that Gabby had never found out about the daytime accidents, but she would be a lot more confident when she could get cured and put all that behind her.

But that didn't matter. For tonight, she was almost an adult, and she was sure that everybody would recognise that. She was wearing probably the most mature outfit she had ever owned; not particularly revealing, but incredibly sophisticated. And when she opened the door, she couldn't believe how smart Spike looked either. He looked even more athletic than usual, and it seemed that somebody had convinced him to trim the straggly first attempts at a beard that he normally wore. In a way it made him seem a little younger, but somehow also more responsible. She ran closer and hugged him, but resisted the temptation to kiss right there on the doorstep.

"You all ready?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye. "I think this is the point where I'm supposed to promise your parents that I'll have you back by a reasonable time. But I think in the situation, we can probably skip that part of the normal protocol." Tess giggled, and felt her heart racing just from being so close to the boy she loved. She didn't know what she was supposed to be saying now, but she was certain that this would be one of the happiest days of her life.

Gabby and Ffrances waved them off and wished them good luck; and much to Gabby's credit, she managed not to say anything about her distrust of Spike. She didn't even whisper a warning to Tess, or advice about what she should do when her boyfriend inevitably proved that no man can ever be trusted. She only said good luck, and then the young couple were rushing out to travel to the ball.

Adam was driving them; he was acting almost like a substitute father figure for Spike, and the closest thing they had to a chaperone. He didn't talk as he drove them into Raybridge; just let them enjoy each other's company and imagine there was nobody else there. And then he was dropping them off outside the school, with a clear instruction that he would be there at eleven to chauffeur them home again. These rebellious teens weren't going to go anywhere on their own.

The ball was in the school's presentation hall this time. Tess had heard that in some years, they rented out a venue elsewhere, like a local hotel. But the hall was fancy enough to let everyone enjoy the dance, and there were a selection of bands who would be playing throughout the evening. Everything had been planned in detail, to make it a special night for the graduating students; and for those who wanted to make special memories before they were buried under the pressure of exams.

They danced. They talked to their friends. They saw other people making fools of themselves; especially those who thought they were old enough to drink before coming out. They danced some more, cautiously and nervously as the band started playing the slower songs. Several times, there was an opportunity to kiss that both Spike and Tess were just too nervous to take. They saw Rachel and Mindy dance as well; and those two both seemed like they were teasing each other, daring their partner to be the one to take the next step closer. And Chloe introduced them to Sascha, her new neighbour. All in all, it seemed that everybody had a great time, and they all made important memories.

There were some slightly less positive moments as well; like seeing how many of Mindy's former friends seemed to hate her for stepping outside of their little clique. But they couldn't say too much here without getting in trouble, and nobody else cared what they had to say.

After a long evening, which for Tess had included few drinks and only one bathroom break, time for the party to end came too soon. Spike took her hand and led her out of the hall, and the air around them was still buzzing with excitement as everyone wanted to say goodbye to their friends before heading home. And they knew that at least a few of their friends would be going somewhere else before home; finding an opportunity to spend a little more time with their date in private before returning to their families.