Adolescent| Devanté Swing

chapter ten

October 15, 1983 ~ Homecoming night

Patricia Rueben's "Forget Me Nots" flooded the school's gymnasium as the busy bodies of the high schoolers attending Baldwin high occupied the dance floor, dancing and prancing to the music. Here was Donald, sitting at one of the round tables covered in a royal blue colored table cloth. He sat slouched in the chair as he watched his schoolmates have a good time while he just sat there by himself, a plastic cup of cold cheap fruit punch occupying his left hand.

He fixed up his hot pink tie around his neck as he nodded his head along to the song he was fond of, his eyes bounced around the building, surveying the scene to see if he could find his date in her hot pink sequin dress, but she was no where to be found. They had been attending the dance for only an hour and she had yet to check on his wellbeing— he figured that she would be trying to help out the upperclassmen since they were the hosts of tonight's event.

Hearing a chair near him scoot against the polished wooden floors, he looked to his right and he had seen Michael, dressed in his baby blue tuxedo, taking a seat next to his bestfriend, he was a red as a tomato. He was so close to bursting out of the tight tuxedo his mother picked out for him. Seeing someone he knew brightened Donald's mood.

"Where you been all night?" Donald inquired over the loud music.

Michael sucks his teeth, releasing a sigh, "Man... Maureen got me waltzing 'round here talking to all her prissy lil' girlfriends that's where I been! I mean— it's like it's a competition with these girls in 'who's got the best boyfriend' and it's tickin' me off."

Donald laughs, "I told you not to take that spoiled brat to the dance— I even told you not to entertain her at all! But nooooo, you just had to be with her."

"Nigga shut up, I ain't said shit about you and Kandy." Michael retorts.

"That's 'cause there's nothin' to talk about, Hayes." Donald says confidently. Michael scoffs, sitting up in his seat and moving his head around, observing his surroundings.

"So where she at now?"

"She's helping around with the tickets and stuff, I think the upperclassmen are hosting this tonight." Donald responds, Michael sucks his teeth undefeated.

"You talk to JoJo? I'm surprised I don't see Ced's narrow behind up in here mackin' on some girl?" Michael inquires, taking a sip from the sweet punch in his cup.

Donald shakes his head, "Nope. Cedric should be 'round here somewhere— you know how he is, I ain't seen Monica yet, though."

"She's here— last time I saw her and Travis, Shannon's crazy behind pulled her into the bathroom for some girl emergency." Michael chuckled into his cup, going for another sip.

Donald took it upon himself to bring up the elephant in the room with him and Monica, "Hey— what's up with that Travis dude anyway? He just came up out of nowhere and swept Mo up off her feet."

Michael shrugs, twisting his lips to the right, "I dunno. I don't see no problem with the dude. I find it weird he's a junior going after a freshman, but— it's pumpkin we talkin' about. She really likes him so, oh well.

"Hmph." Donald hums quietly to himself, chugging down the rest of the fruity beverage as he drowns in his own thoughts.

He was now caught in a dilemma. He cared for Monica, and all he wanted was to see her happy and in a good mood. He didn't want to be that kind of guy to 'ruin her life', he's heard her complaining about Michael doing it ever since they first became friends, and the last thing he wanted to do was make her hate him because the big brother intuition he had was telling him that Travis was up to no good, and Monica was a victim of it.