Winter Dance

Beth smiled warmly. "I can't stand Algebra and you're talking Quantum Physics? You're nuts."

"I've been called worse things."

"I'll bet." A short silence followed. "What about you?"

"Me? What about me?"

"Any college plans?"

"Yeah, but nothing solid."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know where I want to go to school yet?"

"You'd better figure it out soon. Have you at least applied anywhere?"

Ev laughed, "Oh yeah, I've applied and been accepted to different schools."

"So…?"

"What?"

"So, what's the problem?"

Ev shrugged.

"Where have you been accepted?" she asked.

"Let's see," Ev began, "there's Ohio State, Bowling Green, Baldwin-Wallace,…." His right fore finger touched the fingers on his left hand as he counted them. "…Cincinnati, Miami, Wright State…"

Beth listened intently and found herself a little disappointed to find he hadn't mentioned Louisville yet.

"…Dayton, Evansville, Richmond…" He then stopped and tried to think of others, but came up with a blank. "There are some others, but I can't think of them all."

"Are you going to narrow them down soon? I mean, you don't have a whole lot of time before you'll get shut out of some schools."

Ev nodded, "I know. I've been thinking of that lately. My sister's already decided to go to Arizona State."

"Wow! Why so far away?"

Ev laughed. "To get away from my mom."

Beth laughed too. "Have you decided on a major?"

"Sort of, but nothing concrete." The music had turned softer and without thinking Ev glanced to the dance floor, but quickly came back to Beth. Why do I keep doing that? He hoped she didn't notice. Movement in his peripheral vision alerted him that Will and Connie were leaving the table. "I have a couple of majors in mind."

"Such as?"

"Probably business or sports management."

Beth made a face. "Ugh, math and numbers." Ev found that amusing and laughed.

It became quiet between them for a few seconds, but it was neither awkward nor tense. Ev made sure he was looking at Beth or away from the dance floor. He didn't want Amanda to ruin the night he was having because he was feeling pretty good about himself now and was glad to be talking to Beth. Ev could honestly say he was having a really good time.

The song changed and Ev looked at Beth again. She was looking off into the distance, but her eyes weren't searching for anyone in particular, just scanning the crowd. Ev liked her profile. In fact, he was liking a lot about her. It seemed as if they were good friends already instead of just acquaintances from one class together. Ev scanned his mind to find a time where they had really talked before. Even when he had helped her with Algebra, the conversation was minimal; just Ev explaining how to solve a particular problem. She always thanked him for his help, but they never sought to start a conversation or go any deeper than that. Ev could only chalk it up to the fact that he and Amanda had been an item most of the school year and he didn't think of Beth as anything more than a classmate. But now, things were changing rapidly in his head and he was more than just a little interested in Beth.

Ev blinked his thoughts away and found Beth looking at him with a bemused smile on her face. "Well, you came back," she remarked.

Ev blushed bright red and was thankful for the dimness of the lighting. "Sorry about that. I was thinking about something."

"Or someone," Beth corrected, her smile disappearing.

"Huh? What? No, it's not what you're thinking," Ev said quickly. "I was just trying to think if there was any other time we talked to each other besides tonight."

"In class…" Beth began.

"I know that," Ev interrupted, "but was there any other time? I mean really talked besides saying 'hey' or 'shut up and let me study'. I can't think of any."

Beth giggled. "I can't, either."

"Would you like to dance?" he blurted without thinking.

"What?" she asked, not sure of what she heard.

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to dance."

Beth thought for a second, thinking about the good time she was having with him that evening, but also thinking about his hurt and anger towards Amanda, seeing him watch her every move. Reluctantly, Beth shook her head.

"Why not?" he asked, his voice sounding hurt.

"Because you're just trying to make Amanda jealous. That's not a good reason for me to dance with you."

Ev was surprised, yet he wasn't. He could tell that Beth was different than other girls he knew from school, different in a good way. She had a mind of her own and wouldn't be treated like a puppet. But, Ev could honestly say he asked her because he wanted to dance with her, hold her close, and get to know her better. It had nothing to do with Amanda, Greg, or any other person at the dance that evening.

"That's not the reason I'm asking," he said.

"It isn't?"

"No. I just want to dance with you that's all. We could dance in the lobby or dance outside for all I care. Heck, we could even go back and dance in the lounge if you want."

Beth's resolve not to dance quickly evaporated at his words. Somehow he had said the perfect thing to convince her of his sincerity. "It's a little too cold to dance outside and the lounge is too far away."

"True."

"How about right here?"

"Sounds great to me," Ev grinned.

He quickly pushed back his chair and took her hand to help her out of her own. They moved to the edge of the dance floor and Ev placed his arms loosely around her waist, while Beth put her hands on his shoulders. Slowly, but not too awkwardly, they swayed to the music and enjoyed the dance. Ev kept his eyes riveted to Beth's and refused to let himself be distracted.

Beth liked the way Ev was looking at her and appreciated the attention. His mind seemed to be totally on her now. She was really enjoying his company and she was glad to be with him. She might never know what made her go after him in the lobby just a little while before, but she didn't think she'd regret it. At least not at this moment. Her inward smile began to show on her face and Ev smiled back at her. Within a couple of seconds, Beth inched closer, letting her hands move around his neck. Taking the hint, Ev tightened his arms around her waist and held her closer.

"This is better, don't you think?" Beth whispered before placing her cheek against his shoulder. Ev nodded an affirmative.

From a distance, Mary nudged Everett to take his attention away from the punch bowl. Annoyed at almost spilling his drink, Everett turned to his wife. "What?" he asked sharply, obviously peeved.

"Who's Ev dancing with?"

"Where?" he asked, straining his near-sighted eyes to see in the dimness.

Mary pointed over his shoulder. "Over there on the other side by the drinks."

Everett looked again and saw his son dancing closely with a small girl. Surely that isn't Amanda. No, she's too short. "Looks like he's having a good time," he remarked.

"I wonder who she is."

"It doesn't matter," Everett replied, turning back to the punch, "as long as he's having fun."

"She doesn't seem to be as tall or as pretty as Amanda ," Mary said as she continued to observe.

Everett sighed at the last statement. "I'm sure you'll get all the particulars later, Mary."

Ev enjoyed holding Beth as close as they were. She was much smaller than Amanda (stop making comparisons, you idiot), but her hair smelled sweet and he liked having her arms around his neck. She had surprised him, pulling him close like she did, something he never suspected she'd do this soon, this dance. He had forgotten to listen to the music, his attention drawn fully on her as if he were in a zone and they were the only ones allowed to be alive and in motion at that moment.

Ev resisted the temptation to move a hand up Beth's back to feel the contours of her muscles, her spine and perhaps the softness of her hair. Surely, her hair would feel as wonderful as it smelled. He could only guess. The soft lighting only blurred his vision of everything around him, making him slightly uneasy as he continued to sway with her in time with the music. They were in rhythm now and unbeknownst to them, their breathing was almost synchronized as well. The slowness of the music, however, was vastly different than the beating of their hearts.

Just before the song ended, Beth raised her head from Ev's shoulder and smiled. Ev couldn't help but smile back. "Is this better than Algebra?" he asked mischievously.

"Just a little," she nodded, her smile growing bigger.

The song ended all too quickly at that moment and they noticed they had drifted a little bit away from their table during their time together on the dance floor. Ev led her back to the table, but before they sat down, Beth said, "I could go for that soda now." They walked to the refreshments and Beth picked out a soft drink while Ev took a bottled water.

They headed back to the table again where Ev friends were also sitting and chatting. After they were seated for a while, Will leaned over to Ev and said, "I didn't know you were dating her."

"I'm not."

"Sure looks like it to me," Will grinned.

Ev smiled to himself and looked at Beth. She had a puzzled look on her face, knowing she was the subject of the conversation, but not knowing the contents. Ev leaned over to her and explained, "He just wanted to know if we were dating."

"Are we?" she asked.

"Not yet," he smiled.

Beth laughed. "So, I assume those plans are in our future."

Ev stroked his chin with his fingers and winked. "Could be."

"Well, give me a hint when it happens so I'll know too."

"Of course."

Not being able to contain themselves any longer, they burst out laughing. Will eyed them curiously and shrugged when Connie gave him a questioning look.

"Want to take another walk?" Ev asked. The band was playing nothing but fast dances at that point.

"Sure, as long as you don't run me over again."

"Uh huh," he nodded.

There were only a few people in the lobby of the gym when Ev and Beth entered it. They began to walk toward the cafeteria, mindful of the fact that they weren't supposed to go far from the gym, rules of the dance. The forbidden area wasn't clearly defined but the cafeteria wasn't far away; perhaps equidistant from the student lounge. They were unusually quiet as they entered a hallway, strange in that they had been talking quite a bit before they began their stroll.

Breaking the silence, Beth said softly, "I don't date much, you know."

"I didn't know," Ev replied. "I didn't know one way or the other."

"I like you, Ev. I've really liked talking to you tonight. Dancing with you was really nice, too."

"Same here."

Beth stopped walking and looked at him. She liked his dark hair and his deep brown eyes. His lips were on the thin side as was the rest of his body, lean and lanky. He wasn't skinny, but he could always use a few extra pounds. "It's kind of funny when you think of it," she continued.

"What is?"

"Us."

Perplexed, Ev said, "I'm not following."

"I don't know," Beth shrugged, "it's just that we've sat side by side in Mrs. Blackmore's class all year and haven't really talked to each other much. You come to a dance that you were hoping you wouldn't have to go to and I come with a friend I've barely seen tonight. Now, we're talking about maybe dating."

"I've always thought you were nice," Ev said. "I mean, I really liked helping you with Algebra and all."

"I thought you were nice for helping me."

Ev shrugged. "I guess, in a roundabout way, things happen for a reason." He looked down at his shoes for a moment. "I still like Amanda a lot." Beth gave a disapproving look. "I don't know why," he added quickly. "She was such a bitch to me when she wanted to break up. Maybe she thought she was letting me down easy. Maybe she thought she was doing me a favor. I don't know. I really do want to get over her, though. I want you to know that."

He touched the sleeve of her dress, keeping his hand there for an instant before moving it down and touching her hand. Beth glanced down and let her hand slip into his. "You talked to me when you didn't have to," he continued, "especially since I almost knocked you down. " He shook his head. "I still don't remember you being there."

"It's okay, I told you that," Beth replied.

"Yeah, you did. It doesn't mean it was right, though. I was so mad." He hung his head. "Anyway…." Ev didn't continue.

Beth pulled his hand lightly and they began to walk again. "I've never had a steady boyfriend."

"Okay."

"I'm not sure if I want one now." Ev stopped in his tracks. "It has nothing to do with you, Ev," she said sincerely. "It's just that it's so soon before graduation. What if we got serious? I mean if we got serious I don't think I could handle it, you know, being apart from each other, going to different schools." Ev laughed and Beth cocked an eyebrow at him. "What's so funny," she demanded.

"You," he said, grinning. "We're not even dating yet and you're already missing me!"

Beth looked down and shook her head back and forth slowly. "I hate to admit this, but you're right." She laughed too.

"How's this?" Ev countered. "Why don't we have a good time tonight and handle tomorrow when it comes. Deal?

Beth looked up at him and smiled. "How'd you get to be so smart?"

Ev shrugged. "Beats me." He squeezed her hand and pulled her along to continue their walk.

When they were a corridor away from the cafeteria, they turned around and began their trek back to the dance. The music was muted almost to the point of silence as the only clear audible sound was the clicking of their shoes against the white tiled hallway. They were holding hands at this point having discarded their empty drink containers a few minutes prior. Ev secretly hoped a slow dance would be playing upon their arrival or that one would play soon thereafter. He wanted to feel Beth in his arms once again, her head against his shoulder. What if they did get serious? What would happen then? Maybe he should just take his own advice and shut the hell up.

Just before the lobby came into view, Ev stopped and looked at Beth. "So," he began, "do you think you could stand to go out with me?"

Beth nodded. "I think so as long as you help me with Algebra."

"Seems a little one sided to me."

"I know. It's so totally in your favor," she replied sweetly. "How will you ever adjust it so the scales tip my way once in a while?"

"I actually see no reason for that," Ev replied smugly.

"I may have to rethink this."

"For not going steady with anyone, you sure have a lot of rules."

"Who says I'm going steady with you? I thought we were only going to date," She squeezed his hand lightly.

Ev grinned. "Okay, I give. You win."

"Of course I win. I always win."

"Geez, no wonder you never go steady!"

"Hey! That's not fair," Beth complained in a hurt voice, her hand dropping from his. "I could have gone steady if I wanted to. I just didn't want to."

"Okay," Ev replied calmly holding his hands upright in defense. "I'm sure you could've. I'm sorry if I made you mad. I didn't mean to. I guess I should've warned you, but I like to joke and mess with people I like. I was only kidding."

She looked back at him, her eyes denoting sadness. "Maybe I'm too sensitive."

Ev placed his hands on her shoulders. "Well, maybe we just don't know each other very well."

"I guess."

Ev held out his hand and Beth took it once more. "Let's have some fun, okay?"

Beth smiled gratefully. "Yeah."

They walked back to the dance slowly, neither in any hurry to return. As the music became clearer, more distinct, Ev thought immediately of Amanda, recognizing the slow, sweet melody as "their song". His stomach gave a turn and knotted up and he was no longer interested in returning to the dance at that moment. Beth felt the hesitation in his stride and she glanced at him. Although he said nothing, she could see the sadness emanating from his face. Ev gradually slowed his pace until they were almost stopped.

Sensing something was wrong, Beth said, "I think I'd like to walk a little more if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," Ev replied, hoping to get away from the music.

They turned to the right and strolled down the hall leading to the student lounge once again. As the music faded with their distance, Ev's consternation faded as well, but he wondered how long these types of things would affect him. He had no one to ask, no one who he knew who had gone through the same thing as he had. He wanted Amanda out of his mind, out of his heart and out of his life.

Beth eyed him thoughtfully and wondered what the problem was, although she surmised Amanda was probably at the root of it. She squeezed his hand lightly to let him know she was still there. He squeezed back and gave her a faint smile.

Ev shrugged and said, "I'm sorry…the music reminded me.." He stopped himself from going further. "It just reminded me of some stuff."

"Okay," Beth replied softly.

They had stopped walking by then and the student lounge loomed in the near distance. "Can I ask you something?" Ev asked unexpectedly.

"Sure."

Ev looked ahead and said, "Maybe we should sit down first."

"Okay," Beth replied, quite puzzled by this turn of events.

They walked to the lounge and sat down in the same chairs as before. Ev looked nervous as he rubbed his hands over his knees before leaning forward and folding them between his legs. He looked at Beth, who was patiently waiting for him to say something.

Ev cleared his throat. "Would it be such a bad thing if we did get serious before school started again?"

"Ev, we haven't even had a date yet…"

"I know, I know, but besides that, would it be such a bad thing?"

"I'm really not following, Ev." Beth shook her head as she leaned back in the chair. "What are you talking about?"

"Okay, say we started to date and things are going really well between us by the time college rolls around. Would that be such a terrible thing to happen?"

"No, but…"

"I mean, what's wrong with having fun this summer?"

"There's nothing wrong with us having fun this summer, but I told you if that did happen I would hate to be separated and try to hold our relationship together long distance." Beth sighed and looked at Ev closely. "I thought we settled this awhile ago. Why are we going over this again?"

"I was just thinking about things, that's all," he replied.

"What things?"

"I'm just hoping things go well between us."

"Same here, but you're confusing the hell out of me right now!"

Ev chuckled and said, "Sorry about that, but I think I'm confusing myself as well."

"Well, at least both of us are confused," Beth said dryly. Ev laughed. Beth patted his leg and continued, "I think we're talking about this too seriously right now. Didn't you say, 'Have a good time tonight and handle tomorrow when it comes.'?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then, let's have a good time instead of thinking about what might or could happen before college starts."

Ev smiled sheepishly. "Okay. I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"You'd better be."

They went back to the dance without hesitation and sat down to a full table with Ev's friends. The faster music was playing again and there were just a few couples on the dance floor.

"You guys have been gone a long time," Brian observed as they sat down.

"We were just talking," Ev explained.

"Sure was a long time to just be talking," he teased.

"Well, we were bored to be with you guys, but that's another story altogether," Ev replied.

"Bored, eh?" Brian asked, his eyebrow cocked. "You seem to be having a better time now."

"Of course he's having a better time," Beth said, "I'm here."