• This section is for roleplays only.
    ALL interest checks/recruiting threads must go in the Recruit Here section.

    Please remember to credit artists when using works not your own.

Realistic or Modern ♥︎ | ᴋɪᴄᴋꜱᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ | ♥︎

"Yeah, well, I just came from a job interview. Had to get one at McDonald's." He said with an eye roll as he got his change, thanking Susanne and taking his ticket. He moved on to get a snack and a drink. He heard the girl tell the guys about Slurpees and thought that it sounded like a great idea. He'd get a cherry slurpee along with some nachos. As he stood at the counter, awaiting his snacks Vance came up from behind to ruffle his hair and steal a chip from his nachos which garnered another eye roll from Nick who was paying and collecting his change before taking his food.

Nick couldn't help but look over at Susanne as she worked, thinking about how attractive she was, but she seemed so out of reach. She was an athlete, and the thought of him even considering asking her out was asinine. She would never date someone like him, but it was fun to imagine. Damn the social circles. Why did high school have to be cliquey? Why couldn't they just date whoever they wanted? Those and several other questions were on Nick's mind as he turned to see the guys coming after getting their snacks, so he left with them to go into the theater.

The movie was exactly what everyone had been saying it was. It was hilarious and had plenty of women in it for eye candy. It starred Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, and Timothy Busfield, and the guys loved it. They had made plans on seeing Ghostbusters again around Halloween, so this would not be their only trip to the theaters. That was for sure.

When the movie ended the group came out, leaving their discarded buckets, cups and trays at their seats or on the floor for the clean up to take care of while walking down the hall to leave and go to the arcade for a bit. Each of them had money leftover and thought that it was a good idea. The mall was still filled with teens and would stay open until 9 pm. After which, the guys would go to Walter's place to play games. Walter had an Atari VCS, and they could drop by Nick's to grab his games before going over.
 
Susanne Malkovich
October, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────❥
‘Cause this is Thriller, thriller night! And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike…” The sound of Thriller playing from her Thriller cassette tape filled the entirety of her bedroom as Suzanne got ready for the night ahead. It was October 26th, the Saturday before Halloween. The holiday itself fell on a Thursday that year, which wasn’t ideal for teenage partying. It was the night of the big Halloween party, and it was being held at Sally Fields house, another popular girl whose parents had money. Halloween parties were a huge deal, and they often had a gargantuan turnout. Anyone from any year could show, and sometimes even high school alumni would make an appearance.

Suzanne’s costume of choice was a replica outfit from the movie Flashdance. She wanted to be Alex Owens for the night. She had found a gray, off-the-shoulders sweatshirt very similar to the one she wore in the film. To add more of a sexy factor, she took some scissors and cut the front part down to include the top part of her cleavage. She then put on some baggy jeans, with large holes cut out of the knees. She had decided against the leotard because she didn’t want to be associated with the gymnastics group on accident. The look also included styling her hair to look as similar to the actress’s as she could. It was a voluminous, tightly curled style, and it took her almost two hours just to get it perfect.

Once she was done, she headed outside, noticing that Sofia was already waiting for her. Carol was also in the car, as this was an event that even she wouldn’t miss. When she got into the car, she took a moment to observe their looks. Carol never dressed up for Halloween, mostly because her look was often associated with a costume already. But she did color in a couple bats on her face with some black eyeliner. Sofie was dressed in a Smurfette costume. She always had the perfect hair for it, but the costume itself was like a cherry on top of a sundae. Her bottom layer consisted of blue leggings and a blue top and her top layer was a small, white dress similar to the one smurfette wore. She even had the little white hat strapped onto her head. “Wow, you don’t even need a wig! Your hair looks schweet!” Susanne remarked.
Thanks! And you look like you’re going to be attracting a lot of attention tonight.” Sofia said flirtatiously.
Susanne blushed and chuckled. She never did like that kind of attention, but Halloween was the holiday for girls to flaunt what they had. She was no exception.

Carol had headphones in, head banging to a metal song as usual. She didn’t say a word until they pulled up on Sally’s block. “Ugh, we’re going to have to walk five blocks just to get to the house!” She complained. People that had already arrived had taken the closer street parking, leaving everyone else to find a spot wherever they could.
Yeah, I wore heels!” Sofia groaned.
You should’ve known better.” Suzanne chided. The Halloween party had one of the biggest turnouts every year, and unless you wanted to be early to the party, you had to deal with the extra exercise. At these events, people didn’t normally make it back to their cars until the next morning anyway.
 
Nicholas walked downstairs after getting dressed up in his costume, and his Mom was watching TV turned from her seat upon hearing him hit the landing and smiled. "Oh, that is cool!! You boys both have such gnarly costumes this year!" She said as Nick checked his look in the mirror that hung in the hallway. He was going as Bill Murray's character, Dr. Peter Venkman which consisted of tan Dickies overall with the Ghostbusters patch on one arm and the Venkman name tag on the front. He wanted to dress up as Scott Howard from Teen Wolf but Jeremy talked him out of it. Telling him that he'd look like one of the jocks and that was reason enough not to wear it. Plus Jeremy wanted them to go as the Ghostbusters.

Derek soon ran down the steps next, dressed as He-Man, complete with the sword, which he loved. Halloween wasn't till the next day, but he wanted to dress up too since his big brother was. He wanted to have fun. He swung the plastic sword around, claiming that he was battling Skeletor and his forces of evil, which made Nick chuckle. The kid had such an imagination and loved Masters of the Universe. He played with the action figures with his friends often and even had Castle Grayskull.

"Alright, you two! I need pictures right this instant! Nicholas, stand with your brother." She said as she went to grab her camera. Nick stood next to Derek, who was impatient. He wanted to play with his sword and be He-Man, but Stephanie needed a picture. She soon returned and took a few pictures just as Vance pulled up in his Ford Mustang and honked the horn. He was dressed up as Dr. Raymond Stance, Jeremy was dressed as Dr. Egon Spangler and Bo were Winston Zeddmore. They were pumped for the party and wanted to meet girls. They had no intentions of fighting since the last party was ruined by the brawl, and this was the biggest party of the year.

Once the pictures were taken, Stephanie hugged her sons before letting them go to have fun and kissed Nick on the cheek. "Have fun, honey! Please don't get into any more fights." She said before as Nick raced out the door and into Vance's car. They all looked the part and couldn't wait to pull up to the party, unaware that they would have to walk a few blocks just to get to the house. Vance left the house, and they were on their way. "This is going to be gnarly, Bros! I guarantee that Sally has outdone herself this year." Walter said, and Nick nodded in agreement. "Oh no doubt, Walt. Plus, there's going to be babes galore! It's going to be a smorgasbord of girls!!" He said, and the guys all agreed.

On the way, Nick wondered if Susanne was going to be at the party. He'd only seen her a handful of times outside of school and wanted to get to know her. Possibly get her number. He was really starting to like her and thought that she was a pretty rad chick despite being an athlete.

As they neared the neighborhood where the party was being held, Vance slowed down to a stop, which confused the others until Jeremy saw the tape that he was putting in and smiled. He turned the volume all the way up just as the Ghostbusters theme started and then continued on. If only they had the Ecto 1 as their vehicle. They pulled up behind another car, seeing the lines of people who were walking towards the house. Some turned when they heard the song and cheered. This was going to be a blast!

The guys got out, and Bo took the keys from Vance after the song ended and unlocked the trunk. "Gentlemen, we not only have the costumes, but we also have.... these!" He said, pulling out proton packs that he and Vance had bought. They weren't exact movie replicas, but they looked close enough. Each one got a pack and followed the others to the house. They had a long way to walk, but it was okay.

The costumes on the party goers were a sight to see. Everything from Freddy to Jason and even some WWF wrestlers. There were costumes of all kinds, and it made the guys even more excited to see what the girls would be wearing.
 
Susanne Malkovich
October, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────❥
Suzanne and her group finally made it up to the house, and it was packed with people. The house was two stories high, and made of red brick. It wasn’t quite as magnificent as Pam’s, but the backyard had a bonfire area with a lot of room for games and dancing. The inside of the house held all of the snacks and drinks, as well as some bedrooms on the upper floor for nighttime activities.
Suzanne! Oh my gosh, I’ve missed you!” Her best friend, Patricia, came running down from the front steps to greet her. She had been in opposite classes for the whole semester thus far, and they had only been able to see each other at lunch every so often. She had been hot and heavy lately with the college guy that she’d been dating, and when that happened, no one saw much of her.

Hey Patricia! You look so glam!” Suzanne responded enthusiastically. She was dressed in Kate Capshaw’s feathery show costume from the movie Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. It was truly magnificent.
God, you look like an overgrown chicken.” Carol said in disgust, walking past her and into the party.
Suzanne laughed. “Don't pay attention to her, it’s a very well-made costume.
Can you believe that my mom was able to make me this?” Patricia asked, twirling around once. Her mom was a fashion designer, and well known in their town. She had her own studio and employees.
I can believe it.” Sofia responded. She also walked past her and into the party, no doubt to look for Sullivan.

Once they made it inside, it looked as though a costume shop had thrown up all over everyone. Several guys were dressed as Daniel or Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid, and there were a large handful of Indiana Jones impersonators as well. “If you want an Indiana Jones tonight, you have your pick of the litter.” Suzanne joked. “Is Henry gonna show?
Patricia shrugged her shoulders. “He said he might come. But he’s not a big ‘costume’ sort of guy.
Lame.” Suzanne responded. “It’s Halloween.
A group of girls dressed as The Go-Go’s walked by them, and directly behind them were a group of metalheads impersonating the band Megadeth.

Patricia and Suzanne stayed together until they got to the alcohol. “I’m gonna go check out the backyard scene.” Patricia said, grabbing a shot and taking it with her.
I guess I’ll find you later!” Suzanne shouted afterwards. She decided to take a cup of the alcoholic punch that was available. It was dark red, as if to simulate blood, and there was a skeletal hand sticking out of the middle of the bowl. She took a sip, tasting a very strong vodka flavor mixed with fruity undertones. She looked across the room and spotted Sofia chatting it up with Chrissy, one of her other friends. Chrissy was dressed as a sexy robot. She was always a bit weird.

Suzanne took her cup and a couple of pretzels to snack on outside to survey the scene. There were two keg stands, and a giant dance area behind the bonfire. I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow was playing. There was a large group of people around the bonfire playing a game of truth or dare. Patricia was involved, as usual. Suzanne headed over to the bonfire, being sure to stick to the background. She didn’t want to get sucked into it like she had in the past, but she loved to spectate. The current dare was for cheerleader, Debra Hall, to allow football player, Bruce Shaw, to take a shot directly off of her boobs. Her boobs were pretty well known among the guys at school for being ‘bodacious’ and ‘fly.’ She seemed to have accepted the dare. If you don’t accept a dare when it’s given, you either get written off as a loser or you get kicked from the game. No one wanted to be that person.
 
Nicholas and the guys walked into the house once they reached it and saw that others were wearing. There was one couple dressed as Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth which Nick thought was cool and one guy dressed as He-Man. He even had the build for it but not the hair so he wore a wig. Walter surveyed the attendees and shook his head. "Wow. It's like someone brought a TV into the middle of the room and shook it, making all of these characters fall out.." He said and the guys laughed as they watched a girl walk by, dressed in a leopard spotted one piece with fishnet leggings, cat ears and a tail. She was obviously the obligatory sexy kitty.

"Whoa..........." All four guys said in unison while watching the girl until a voice cut through their staring, snapping them back to reality. "Dr. Peter Venkman!!!" It was Megan who was dressed as Madonna and carrying a little cup of green slime while looking right at Nick. "Your costume is not complete until you've been slimed! Now hold still!" She said and was about to pour the slime onto Nick's head, face and overall but Bo stopped her. "Hey hey, Meg.. Not the hair or the face. Nick's got girls to talk to." He said and stood in front of Nick which made Megan frown with furrowed eyebrows. "But...... You gotta have the authenticity..." She said and Nick chuckled. "You can pour some on my costume but your brother's right, Meg. No girl wants to kiss a dude with slimey lips." He said and Megan sighed but conceded as Bo moved and the slime was poured onto his overall, rubbed in to make sure it stays.

After that the guys decided to grab some punch and make their ways to the back where the fire was. They each got a cup of it, walking out to see what was going on only to spot one of the football players taking a shot off of Debra Hall's boobs which might as well have been a full cup's worth of a drink given her chest size. A man could get very drunk taking shots off of her.

As he surveyed the scene, hearing Duran Duran's The Reflex come on the speakers and spotted Susanne sitting alone. Slipping away from the others who were watching a group of girls Nick walked over to talk to Susanne, hoping that it didn't cause any problems just by him simply talking to her. "Hey! Pretty rad party, huh?" He asked as he stood beside of her, taking a drink of his punch which was strong.
 
Last edited:
Susanne Malkovich
October, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────❥
As Suzanne continued to watch the truth or dare game, she heard Duran Duran’s The Reflex start to play. It was a good song, and she began to sing along to the lyrics under her breath. The night was cool, but not cold, and the sky was clear. Stars couldn’t be seen, but the moon was bright and just over halfway full in a cloudless sky. She could feel the heat of the bonfire on her skin, and she made a mental note to roast a marshmallow later when it was less crowded. She took another sip of her drink as the next round of the game started, some people leaving and others joining in. Other parties could also be heard from afar, and someone had started setting off firecrackers. No doubt that would attract unwanted attention.

Just then, she felt the presence of another person next to her, pulling her focus from the game. It was the same skater guy that kept disappearing and reappearing into her life. She had figured out that he was a skater by watching him walk by in the halls, with a skateboard under arm. Since first meeting him, she had started paying attention whenever he’d make an appearance around her. Perhaps she could finally learn his name. “Yeah, it’s great! My friends and I just got here.” Suzanne responded. She took note of his costume. Ghostbusters had been the biggest movie of the year by far, and he was one of many with that costume on that night. She even saw a couple of people dressed as the marshmallow man and the ghosts in the film. “Your costume’s awesome!” She complimented. She briefly wondered if he’d even recognize her costume, as most guys had never payed any mind to Flashdance. She didn’t mind either way.
 
Nicholas chuckled at the sound of the fireworks going off at one of the other many parties that were being held. People went crazy on Halloween and had some of the best times and the biggest parties. Hopefully the police would be lenient and not make an appearance tonight to shut down anyone's parties.

took a moment to admire Susanne's costume though he didn't quite know what it was from. He had never seen Flashdance because it just wasn't his kind of film. He was more into horror and action movies but he had to admit that she looked incredible in it and pulled off the Jennifer Beals look very well. He couldn't help but take a peek at her cleavage which was accentuated very nicely by the cut of her shirt but, when she replied to him, he snapped back to her eyes as she looked at him.

"Oh...S...Same here. We just got here. My friends are...... somewhere.." Nick said as he tried to shake the cobwebs loose after having been brought back to Earth after admiring the beauty of the girl that he still didn't know the name of. Hopefully she didn't notice him looking at her chest because being called out for such a thing, with other people around, would be embarrassing and would paint him as a weirdo and a pervert. It would make him want to crawl into a hole and die.

"So does yours. You look fantastic!" He said when Susanne complimented his costume. "The other guys are dressed up as well. It was Jeremy's idea." He said with a light chuckle before taking a drink of punch. Boy, whoever made the punch must have gotten distracted when pouring the alcohol in because it was certainly present and wouldn't take much to get one drunk. Especially if they were a tetotaler.

"By the way, my name is Nicholas. Nicholas Ross. We're in English Lit together." He said, deciding to introduce himself and get on name basis with the girl. After all, it was better to know each other's name to communicate better instead of awkwardly saying "Heeyyyyyyyyy......... You..." whenever they saw each other in the future.
 
Susanne Malkovich
October, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────❥
Suzanne was getting ready to respond when a flaming marshmallow wizzed directly in between the pair from the direction of the bonfire. She turned her head to look over, hearing whoops and hollers from the group. One person had dared another to throw the marshmallow at someone else in the group, but they had dodged it, causing it to land outside of the circle. Briefly, she felt a little self conscious, knowing that everyone’s eyes had turned towards them in that moment, watching the pair chat together. But it was in her head, as everyone had moved on to the next part of the game.

I actually think I saw one of your friends somewhere close by.” Suzanne said, recollecting one of the many guys in Ghostbusters costumes. “I can’t be sure though, there’s a lot of people dressed up like them tonight.” She chuckled lightly. At that time, she had only seen one other person dressed as Alex Owens, but she was dressed as the leotard version. It wasn’t nearly as sexy. She glanced down at her own breasts, admiring them for a split second before looking back up. They really did look stellar in that costume.

Suzanne finished up her punch, deciding that she’d get a different drink instead. The punch was okay, but she didn’t like the strength of the alcohol. Over in a separate area of the yard, a few people were taking hits of marijuana, which peaked her interest. “It’s totally great to officially meet you, Nicholas. It’s nice to be on a first name basis.” She responded. “I’m Suzanne.” It’s quite possible he already knew who she was, but she wanted to be polite. “You can call me Susie, if you want.
She pointed in the direction of the burnouts, with a raised brow. “I’m going to take a hit from one of those. Do you want to come?
 
The flaming marshmallow that came their way made Nicholas a bit annoyed as he looked in the direction that it came from, seeing a group of others laughing as they moved on to another dare. It was clearly not done out of malice but it did make him wonder how many eyes were on he and Susanne and what they were thinking. After all, a skater talking to someone of Susanne's status was taboo.

When Susanne introduced herself, giving her first name and nickname Nicholas smiled, giving a nod. "Susie. I like that. You can call me Nick." He said as he caught whiff of the all too familiar scent of Marijuana. The plant that he loved and partook of often instead of drinking though he did like beer and mixed drinks. What Susie said next took him by surprise. He didn't expect the girl to be a smoker. Let alone a weed smoker but he gave another nod, finishing his drink and holding onto the cup.

"Heck yeah, Susie! Let's go!" He said happily, anxious to smoke with the girl. What luck! He started walking towards the burnouts, knowing who they were since he and Walter spent a lot of time with them since they were skaters as well as stoners. One of them, Joe, looked up after exhaling his hit and slapped five with Nick who smiled. "Heeyyyyyyyyy Nick! Que pasa, my brotha?!" He asked and Nick chuckled. "Not much, bro. Just coming over to sample your wares. This is Susie. She wanted a hit as well." He said and Joe examined the girl, knowing that she didn't belong within their group and struck out like a sore thumb within their ranks. "Is she cool, Nick?" He asked and Nick shrugged with a nod. "Yeah, she is. She just said that she wanted to come hit that." He said and Joe nodded. The girl was very attractive so the guys didn't think anymore of it.

"Tubular, dude. We've got the good stuff tonight. We busted it out just for the party." He said handing the joint over once one of the others was done with it and Nicholas hit it, handing it back while inhaling. After a few seconds he exhaled, coughing quite a bit as the others laughed. "You gotta cough to get off, Nick! Someone give him a drink!" Joe said and a cup was handed to him but Nick passed on it as he soon regained his composure. "Damn..... You weren't lying...." Nick said as he watched Susie.
 
Susanne Malkovich
October, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────❥
Upon his enthusiastic reaction, Suzanne smiled and followed him over. He seemed very familiar and cool with the group, and she wondered how often he smoked with them. Skaters and burnouts often stuck together, and dope was a common interest. The group gave her a wary eye at first, making sure to assess her intentions. There were several occasions where outsiders would smoke their weed at a party and seem cool with them, and then they’d continue to direct trouble at them in school environments. Overall, the group was naturally distrusting, unless they were high. To show that she could be trusted, she knelt down and pounded Joe’s hand, nodding to him in a quiet and respectful way. Most of the time, she was with Patricia when they’d go for a smoke. She was accepted as one of them, and it was easy to get hits.

The gesture, along with the good looks that came with her costume, prompted one of the other burnouts to pass her a joint. She took a hit, inhaling and exhaling rhythmically. Wow, that’s a strong one. She thought to herself, coughing twice after exhaling. She took five minutes before taking a second hit, knowing that a blunt that strong wouldn’t take long to settle in. She noticed that most of the group had their eyes on her, some eyes filled with respect, and others filled with just lust. She passed the blunt back after two hits, looking over at Nick to see how he was doing. His composure was starting to falter as the high kicked in, and she couldn’t help but chuckle at him.

I need another drink!” Suzanne announced to the group, beginning to feel the effects of the high. A different burnout passed her a beer from a stash that he had stocked up next to him. She cracked it open and started drinking it, drinking about half before taking a break. She felt her environment start to melt away, and as she looked back at the bonfire, she noticed that the actions of the people around her began to slow down. She sat down on the ground a few paces away from the group, looking up at Nick with an expectation for him to join. “Now I’m having an even better time.” She murmured happily, swinging her beer back and forth.
 
Joe watched Susanne kneel down and pound his hand, which was a sign of trust. The eye contact helped as well as the stoner gave a nod to her. If she was cool with Nick, then Joe and the gang didn't mind her being there and smoking. Nick would never bring someone who was a jerk. He had too much respect for them. When Susie took the blunt to take a couple of hits, the gang watched her intently, waiting to see what her reaction would be to the strong strain of Marijuana.

"Your chick can smoke, Nick! I'm impressed." Joe said with a nod as he took back the blunt once Susie was done with it and handed it to one of the others while they handed Susie a beer. Nick smiled at the compliment given to Susie, thinking that it would be cool if she were his 'chick', but it was way too early for that. They literally just got on a first name basis with her.

Nick took another hit when the blunt was passed to him, then handed it back to the group, sitting down next to Susie and asking for a beer, which one of the guys gladly handed to him. Cracking it open, he took a drink, relaxing as he took in the buzz that was coming along from the smoking. It seemed to be hitting a little harder than usual. Joe was right. It was a special occasion weed. One of the guys provided it, and it would hit you hard.

As he sat there with Susie and the guys Nick looked at the girl with a smile, finding her very pretty and cool for hanging out with them despite the obvious social ramifications that would come from doing so. What would the others think? To not only hang out with skaters and burnouts but to smoke with them. "You doing okay, Susie?" Nick asked as he took another drink of beer while the song Say Say Say my Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson came on. Nick liked this song, and it was also one of his Mom's favorite songs as well.

Suddenly, Nick got an idea, taking a long drink from his beer before turning to Susie. "Wanna dance? This is an awesome song!" He asked rather boldly. He was starting to have a great time. There was an upbeat song playing, and he had a hot babe beside him.
 
Susanne Malkovich
October, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────❥
Susie stared up at the sky for a few moments, lost in thought. What do I want to do with my life? Should I even be here right now? I should be at home, looking at colleges or doing extra credit work. She didn’t want to be good, she wanted to be great. She wanted to be the first in her family to go to school and get a degree. She was a good tennis player, but she wasn’t a great one, and knew she couldn’t rely on a sports scholarship to get her there. She had juggled a few career choices in the back of her mind over the past couple of years, but only one really stuck. It’d be rad to be a chef. She’d always been passionate about cooking, and it had always filled her with such joy. But what if I don’t succeed? She shifted her gaze down to look at the grass, rubbing the blades with fingers. What a sensational feeling.

Suzanne looked up at Nick, blinking her eyes slowly and tilting her head. He’s cute. She wasn’t sure in that moment whether she meant that thought, or whether it was the dope talking. I like his hair. For just a little while, she didn’t have a concern in the world over what others might think. She was certain her friends were around somewhere, and that they’d have things to say, but she doubted they were having as much fun as she was. “I’m just great.” She responded in a murmur, squinting up at him and grinning widely. “Are you great?” She asked him in return.

Just then, the sound of a well known Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson song rang out, but in her state she didn’t fully recognize it. She heard the melodies, but the worlds all blurred together in one mumbled harmony. At his dance proposal, she stood right up, a little unsteady on her feet for a few seconds. “I love to dance!” She said happily, taking his hand and pulling him towards the dance area. There was a moderate amount of people dancing as well; couples, groups, and friends. As Alex Owens for the night, she had to show that she had some moves.

Once they got to the dance floor, she started swaying back and forth rhythmically, allowing her arms to move in their own natural way. Her friends had always told her that she was a better dancer when she was inebriated, but she always disagreed. She poured out the remainder of her beer while she danced, throwing the bottle off to the side. After a few moments of solo dancing, she took both of his arms and started dancing with him, smiling in happy, ignorant bliss.
 
Nick and the guys watched Susie quietly as she stared at the sky for a few moments while she stared up at the sky, in deep thought. They wondered what was going through her mind, hoping that whatever it was was positive. When she looked at Nick with the same quietness, the guy lifted an eyebrow, smiling back since he didn't sense any malicious intent from her and started to take in the girl's features. Dang, she's hot. He thought to himself. I wonder if I'd have a chance with her? He couldn't help but wonder that. Even in his current state, he wondered if she would like him and be his girl.

"I'm totally awesome, Susie!" Nick responded with a big smile as he finished his beer, setting the can aside for now and sitting back while waiting on Susie to confirm if she wanted to dance and he didn't have to wait long. Her answer came with a yes as she stood up. Nick stood up right after she did, feeling a bit lightheaded as he stepped back to catch himself before being pulled to the dancing area, which made him chuckle lightly.

Once there, he started to dance with the same smile, watching the beautiful girl in front of him show off her moves. She had a killer body and a beautiful face. To him, she was the total package and was really starting to like her. For the moment, Nick did not care what his friends thought. He was having the time of his life dancing with such an attractive girl.

Nick felt like no one else was around them, and nothing else mattered at he danced on the floor, stopping momentarily to take off his Proton Pack, setting it aside before continuing. Now he was able to move more freely as he took Susie's hands when she took his, giving a smile while looking into her eyes.
 
Last edited:
Susanne Malkovich
October, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────❥
The songs kept playing as the pair of teenagers danced, neither of them with a worry in the world. Suzanne felt so carefree and spontaneous in that moment, dancing with almost a total stranger. She danced like no one was watching, without a care of what others might have been thinking. Just then, the Ghostbusters Theme started playing, and it drew loads of people out to the dance floor from wherever they were. She felt her shoulders brush into other people, as the dancing became very close in contact. Naturally, she moved closer to her dance partner, feeling more comfortable with him than without him in that moment.

Just then, she felt as if time had stopped. People were dancing and enjoying themselves around her, but she found herself locking eyes with Nick. She stopped dancing, taking some time to make intense, soulful eye contact. In that moment, she wanted him to kiss her. She really wanted that. She took one of his hands in hers, moving closer until they were almost chest-to-chest. But just before anything more could happen, she was abruptly interrupted.

What the hell are you doing?” Her focus was broken as she felt an arm tug on hers roughly.
She furrowed her brows in frustration as she turned to see who had interrupted. “Patricia!” She whined. What do you want?” She was still high and handling a buzz from a previous drink. She was in no state to have a heated conversation.
Come with me.” Patricia said sternly, pulling her away from the dance floor. Suzanne made an attempt to grab Nick and bring him with her, but she wasn’t able to as she was swept away.
Once they had stepped a good distance away, she glared at her friend with her piercing brown eyes. “What?
Patricia began to laugh. “Everything’s fine, I was just saving you from making dumb decisions with that dude.
Slightly offended by her words, she turned her head to look back at the dance area before focusing in on her friend again. “We’re having a great night! It’s been amazing in fact.
Patricia’s face turned from joking to serious. “Oh? You mean you were with him willingly?” She shook her head. “We have a problem then. You wouldn’t normally look twice at someone like him. What is the matter with you? Burnouts, skaters, or whatever you want to call them, are not dating material. They’re not serious about you, all they want is sex and to tell their friends about it.
What had been slightly offensive before, had made Suzanne very angry now. “Because you dated one of them, you think you know everything? You cheated on him! Who’s to say he wasn’t serious about you?” Her speech seemed educated, but she was still slurring her words.
Patricia scoffed, turning the other way. “Fine, I was just trying to help you. Don’t say I didn’t tell you so.” With that, she walked inside, leaving Suzanne alone again.

After she left, Suzanne headed back in the direction of the burnouts, but decided to sit alone for a bit. She couldn’t believe the audacity of her friend. She might be inebriated, but she wasn’t an idiot. After all, Patricia has slept with at least one person from every clique, and that gives her the right to have an opinion apparently. She thought begrudgingly. After a few minutes of stewing angrily, she looked back towards the dance floor, wondering if Nick was still there or if he had gone to find some other girl to hang with.
 
Nicholas was so happy dancing with Susie on the dance floor, feeling so careless and free. Free from worry, free from scrutiny and free of any doubt. It was official. He really liked Susie and wanted to be with her. Dancing with her just felt right. Like they were meant to be on the dance floor at that precise moment in time. Like fate had put them at the same places and first class to have them date.

The Ghostbusters theme was next on the playlist and everyone cheered while flocking to the dance floor which got crowded and quickly. Soon Nicholas was shoulder to shoulder with other students and alumni alike who were pushing he and Susie closer to each other. Was this another hint? If it was it was a very blatant one because soon he was chest to chest with the beautiful girl and it seemed, in that moment, that a kiss could occur. Nick stared into Susie's gorgeous brown eyes and would have kissed attempted to kiss her if it hadn't been for Patricia pulling the girl away from that she thought was harm's way. Leaving Nick alone with the others to contemplate what could have been.

It wasn't long after Susie was pulled away that Walter came looking for Nick who felt like he had just been rudely awakened from a blissful dream. One that could have ended with the sweetest kiss. "Dude!! I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been?!" He asked as Nick who looked at his best friend with a blank stare. Almost as if he didn't see his friend of nearly ten years. Walter furrows his brow white examining Nick, noticing the familiar look of being stoned.

"Bro, you're messed up! Let's get you some water or something. Come on." He said as he pulled Nicholas away from the dance floor just as the Ghostbusters theme ended and Against All Odds by Phil Collins came on. A slow song with the most ironic opening line. 'How could I just let you walk away? Just let you leave without a trace?' Life was cruel sometimes. Nick felt his heart sink to his stomach when he heard those lyrics while walking with Walter who was clueless as to what could have happened.

They walked to the drink counter and Walter poured a cup of ice water for Nick who just kept walking, aimlessly while thinking about Susie. "Dude!! Come here!" Walter said and raced to grab his friend to bring him back and give him water. He needed to come down and come back to reality but it would take a lot more than that.
 
Susanne Malkovich
October, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────❥
After a few more moments of contemplation, Suzanne stood up and headed inside to get a drink. The feelings of anger and frustration still plagued her, but her hope was that more alcohol would help her relax. As she walked shakily towards the table, Sofia was the next one to find her. “Woah Suzanne, you look like you need to sit down.” That was her nice way of saying, ‘you’ve overindulged and it’s time to get you home.’
Hang on, I need to get another drink.” Suzanne responded, continuing in the direction of the bar.
Sofia gently grabbed her hand, pulling her in the other direction. “Not right now. Let’s come sit over here.

She led Susie to a couch that three others shared, but it was big enough to fit them all comfortably. They both sat down and she stared off blankly for a minute. The whole night felt like a blur, but she didn’t want it to end. She wondered more about Nick, and whether he’d come to find her again. She felt disappointed knowing that such an intimate moment got stolen from them. “Are you okay?” Sofia asked, interrupting her state.
Suzanne shrugged. “Patricia pulled me away from a guy that I was hanging with. He seemed really cool. I was gonna kiss him.
Sofia’s eyes widened. “Really? What was Patricia’s deal?
He’s a skater.” Suzanne responded. “She told me that I shouldn’t get with them. That they were basically sex-crazed and immature.
Sofia laughed. “She really said all that? Well, there’s an element of truth to it, but I don’t think she should’ve pulled you away.” She took a piece of Suzanne’s hair that was out of place and fixed it.
He seems like a really cool guy.” She repeated, laying her head back against the couch cushion. “Now I’ll probably never see him again.
You’re so dramatic.” Sofia rolled her eyes. “Of course you’ll see him, we all go to school together.
Yeah.” Suzanne said before getting quiet. She had hit the peak of her high, and she started to feel the exhaustion. “Can I have that drink now?

Sofia got two drinks, one for her and one for Suzanne, before returning to the couch. They both sat in silence for awhile, taking sips of their alcohol to rebound their energy. “How’s your night going?” Suzanne eventually asked.
It’s been awesome actually.” Sofia said. “I got involved in a mad game of truth or dare and it’s been fun.” She didn’t say anymore in that moment, but Susie knew that she was withholding something. She decided not to press further.
Good, I’m glad. You seen Carol around?” She inquired.
Last time I saw her, she was getting high with some other headbangers.” Sofia responded. “She’s probably doing something illegal now.
What makes you say that?
They were doing more than just dope.
Oh.” Suzanne said sharply. “Well, you know Carol, we’ll see her again on Monday.” She giggled a little.

After some more chatter, Suzanne decided to leave Sofia on the couch to head back outside. She looked at one of the clocks on the wall. 1 AM. Plenty more time to dance. She chugged the rest of her drink before grabbing a shot and taking that. She needed some liquid courage before going back outside, in case Patricia resurfaced to yell at her again. Footloose had just started playing, and she knew that she had to dance. Without caring that she was alone, she joined the rest of the group, dancing to the upbeat song.
 
Walter took Nick outside to the front porch to sit and get some fresh air and also so Nick could put himself back together, having just been robbed of a possible kiss. Walter sat next to his friend, having a cigarette while Nicholas sipped on his water. "So, having a good time, bro? Our costumes were a big hit." Walter said with a smile. He and the others had received several compliments from fellow skaters, the burnouts, and the nerds that surprised him. "We should have gotten a picture together before you split from us." He said, but Nick still didn't answer.

Walter sighed. He was getting a little frustrated with Nick's quiet treatment. Any other time, Nick would have relished in getting his picture taken with his friends. Especially when they were wearing such awesome costumes but not now. Nothing mattered anymore because, to him anyway, his night was ruined, and there was no salvaging it.

"Say something, Nick! Anything!" Walter said in a slightly loud tone but not yelling. He rarely yelled. Nick sighed, looking down at the ground before finally speaking. "You know that girl that we got the movie tickets from when we went to see Revenge of the Nerds?" He asked, and Walter nodded. "Yeah? The tennis player?" He asked, and Nick nodded, continuing. "I was hanging out with her and the burnouts. We smoked weed and danced together." He said. "Then the dance floor got crowded, and we were pushed closer.... We could have kissed if it hadn't been for one of her friends pulling her away. We were this close, Walt!" He said, showing Walter with his thumb and index finger.

Walter watched him and sighed. "Bummer, dude.... You were really that close to her? And she dug you?! Bogus...." He said with a head shake. Just then, Vance came outside after being told by others there the two were. He had an angry look on his face as he sat down on the other side of Nick. He had eyes around the area who told him that they had seen Nick and Susie hanging out and dancing together.

"What the hell are you doing, Nicholas?!" He shouted while pushing Nick, who furrowed his brow with confusion. "What do you mean?! I didn't do anything. I was simply having fun with her!" He said, and Vance scowled. "You don't dance with anyone outside of the crowd, Nick! She's setting you up!" He said, and Nick rolled his eyes while gritting his teeth. "She's not setting me up, Vance! She's a cool chick, and I like her. We smoked weed with the burnouts." He said and got up to go back inside and talk to the burnouts and maybe smoke some more while Vance stewed on the porch, disappointed with Nick.

As he got inside, he made a beeline back out to the backyard to find the weed. He didn't care what any of his friends thought about him breaking the social rules and dancing with Susie. She was different, and he had some real feelings for her. Suddenly, someone ran out to the backyard and screamed that the cops were there just as they were tackled to the ground.

Everyone started screaming and running in every direction to avoid getting arrested. Nick ran for the large brick wall that lined the back and climbed it. Walter and Vance already booked it to the car and were waiting for him as he struggled to climb the wall only to fall the rest of the way but he got away at he got up and raced up the blocks to the car. He hoped that Jeremy would get away so that they could leave.

Jeremy got caught and struggled but to no avail as he was taken down. The sidewalks were filled with drunken, costumed teens running for their lives. It was a sight to see as the guys couldn't wait any longer and sped off without one of their friends who they were mourning, but they couldn't stay.
 
Susanne Malkovich
October, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────❥
Suzanne continued dancing, getting back into that carefree headspace once more. Despite not having a guy there to share it with, she was happy. Finally, the song Thriller came on for the first time of the night. Lots of people lined up to do the choreography, which Suzanne hadn’t learned, so she stepped back to watch everyone show off their moves. She nodded her head and swung her hips to the beat as she watched. The high was slowly wearing off, and her buzz was becoming less apparent. Another drink. She thought to herself.

She stepped out of the dance circle, heading back inside towards the bar. On the way, she realized how hungry she was. She took the chip bowl in hand, eating at least half of it before she was satisfied. She put the bowl back, grabbing a Seagram’s. But just before she could put it to her lips, the sight of cops entering the property caused her to drop the bottle in spot and run like hell towards the backyard. The whole front yard was swarmed, anyone left there would be caught for sure. By the time she got to the backyard, cops had started tackling some of her peers. Quickly changing tactics, she hid in the shadows along the wall of the house, slowly making ground as she inched along the side.

A couple of cops with angry teenagers in handcuffs passed her, but didn’t notice. She noticed a weak spot in the fence, leading into a neighbors yard. She quickly took that opportunity, hopping through and hiding in a bush on the other side. She hid there for awhile, until the coast seemed clear and the screaming had subsided. She came out slowly, looking around to see if she could spot Sofia. They had a protocol in place. If the cops captured the driver, the drivers door was always kept unlocked, so that the escapees could use it to drive home. It had only failed once, when Patricia had been captured and she forgot to leave her car unlocked. They all had to go back inside the house and sleep for the night. Their parents came the next day to get them, and they had all been barred from leaving the house for a month.

After some searching, she found Sofia hiding across the street, near her car but in a neighbors bushes. “Oh thank god.” Suzanne said with a relieved sigh. “We need to get out of here. Have you seen anyone else?
Sofia shook her head. “I saw Patricia out front right before the cops invaded the place, and she was in a tough spot. But she’s like a magician, I’m sure she got away.
Yeah. Come on, let’s go.” Suzanne responded, disinterested in going back inside to look for her. She was still upset about their conversation prior.
Sofia stood up, entering her car and unlocking the passenger side door. Susie got inside, leaning the seat as far back as it would go, closing her eyes. “Tonight was pretty great.” She murmured.
 
The car ride home was a somber one. One of dead silence as the guys were mourning the arrest of one of their cohorts. Why did it have to be Jeremy? Who called the cops? How long would they be grounded this time? Those and many more questions were running through the minds of the three guys as they drove down the streets towards a place to hideout until the heat was off. Walter and Nick stayed down while Vance drove due to him deciding to be the designated driver. That and he was more concerned with getting tail than drinking or smoking.

After a bit of driving Vance got an idea and drove to Leon's house in hopes that his parents had left the garage door up so that they could use it as a temporary hideout since his parents only had one car at the moment and Leon always parked out in front of the house for easy leaving. When they made it to his house Vance smirked, seeing that the door was indeed open so he turned his lights off and pulled in slowly, turning the car off afterwards.

"This is all your fault, Nick!" Vance whispered as they hid. They couldn't yell at each other because, despite them being on a friend's property they were still trespassing so they would have to save the yelling for later. Nick sighed with an eye roll at Vance's absurd statement. "How the hell is it my fault?! Because I danced with a girl that you didn't approve of? One that you didn't pre-screen?! She made the choice to hang out with us, Vance!!" He said as the two glared at each other.

"Just drop it, dudes. We've got a lot more on our plates than girls. We're basically fugitives. We're on the lamb." Walter whispered, trying to to keep the peace and show them the real situation at hand but Vance was adamant that it was Nick's fault and Nick argued that it wasn't. That it was impossible for him to have had any fault in the crashing of the party. The two argued back and forth until they all fell asleep in the car.
 
Susanne Malkovich
December, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────❥
Last Christmas by Wham played softly, a cold wind brushing leafless branches against the wall of the house. Her mom was watching A Christmas Carol downstairs, no doubt with a cup of hot chocolate in her lap. Christmas was a special time of year, and Suzanne had been raised to feel the joy associated with the month of December. She looked up at her clock, that she had recently adorned with decorative tinsel. 6 PM. The winter dance started at 8 PM, and it was the most popular school function held around the holidays. There was usually a good turnout, and a lot of new couples would broadcast their relationship by showing up at the dance together.

Since October, Suzanne had found herself stealing extra glances at Nick in their shared class. She hadn’t forgotten about the night of the Halloween party, and she still possessed some of those feelings. Although she never took any chances, and her and Patricia’s relationship was still strained. She didn’t want to lose her best friend over something as simple as a friendship. But she had observed the way he looked at her too, and wondered if she should take a chance. That night, she was getting dressed into a knee-length silver gown. She wore neutral-colored pantyhose on her legs, and silver flats to match. She adorned the dress with red accents, including a small red belt and red stud earrings. She wore her hair in a tight updo, leaving her natural waves in place. Feeling a little more bold, she applied a light shade of red eyeshadow along with her regular makeup look.

Heading downstairs, she went in the TV room to see her mother. She was expecting Sofia to pick her up, as usual. Carol wasn’t going to attend, and Patricia was riding with Henry. “Oh honey, you look gorgeous!” She said enthusiastically, reaching her hand up to fix the position of a clip that Susie had placed in her hair. “If you went home with a boy tonight, I wouldn’t be too disappointed.” Her mother said with a wink.
Suzanne rolled her eyes and chuckled. Her mother had always been lenient with her when it came to relationships, and she had never minded the late nights as long as she had a date with her. “Okay mom, I gotta go!
Have fun!” She responded, waving her mug of hot chocolate in the air.

Suzanne ran out to meet Sofia, who was dressed in a floor-length green gown with silver sleeves and shoes. She wore her hair down, with a couple of clips to push back her bangs. She also had on some beautiful, red and green jewelry. “You look so glam!” Suzanne said as she reached her.
You too!” Sofia said, hugging her. But once she got in the car, Sofia turned and looked at her seriously. “You know, I’m sure Nick will be there tonight.
Sofia had been closest to her during her time of pining, watching her gaze at him and make comments from time to time. She wanted to see her friend happy.
So?” Suzanne responded, with a soft smile.
So, I think it’s time you two did something with all of that sexual tension.” Sofia responded with a laugh.
Suzanne instinctively scrunched her face. “What makes you think I want that?
Sofia hit her shoulder with one of her hands. “Don’t be so scared. Just go for it already.

The two arrived at the dance, parking the car in the school lot as close to the entrance as they could. Several others were making their way inside, dressed in their finest gowns and dress shirts. Once the pair made their way inside, their eyes glinted at the beauty of the decorated gymnasium. There were snowflake decorations hanging from the ceiling and a disco ball right in the middle. There were photo opportunities, a snack table, and a huge dance floor. There were also bleachers on each side of the gym, where the dateless and afraid or the couples making out sat. She looked around, admiring everyone around her and how great everyone looked. “Come on, let’s dance!” Sofia said, pulling her towards the floor. Beat It by Michael Jackson was playing in that moment, as the two started dancing wildly next to one another.
 
Christmas had always been such a festive time in Nick's household. His Mom baked cookies, played Christmas music, and relatives like Aunts and Uncles came to visit along with cousins to play and talk to he and Derek. It was a very good time overall leading up to the day, and it was something that Nick enjoyed.

Since the Halloween party, Nick had only spoken to Jeremy a few times, mostly at school, as he had gotten in a lot of trouble for his arrest. Luckily, the judge was lenient and let him off with a fine but not without the warning that he'd give him worse next time. Nick also thought about Susie and their dance. The way she smelled, the way she looked, and, most importantly, how close they were when the dance floor filled up. Inches and seconds away from kissing.

He had glanced at her in class and in the hallway, taking in her beauty and wishing that they could just ignore everyone and become a couple. Defy the social norms and be happy, walking into school hand in hand and making out in the halls by their lockers. One day, they would, and it would be totally rad.

On the day of the dance Nick was a upset that he had to dress up in slacks and a dress shirt but his Mom insisted that he would look so handsome and that the girls at school would want to dance with him. That was reason enough to dress up. If he could get a dance with Susie, then it was worth it. His Dad even lent him a tie to wear, so Nick got dressed in black dress slacks, a red long sleeve button-up shirt, and a black tie. His hair was done the same way that he did it for the interview, but it was getting longer, and he would need it cut for work.

When he was done, he put on a couple sprays of cologne and then made his way downstairs where his Mom and Derek were in the kitchen, making cookies. She had Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses playing. It was her favorite pop Christmas song to play. Upon walking into the kitchen, his Mom stopped what she was doing to observe him and gasped, putting a hand on her chest as she smiled. "Ooohhh... You look so handsome, Nicholas! Donald, come see Nicholas!" She said just as Walter pulled up and honked the horn.

Donald got up from his chair and walked into the kitchen, smiling and walking over to straighten Nick's tie proudly. "Look at his handsome young man. You clean up very well, son. That tie looks good on you." He said and patted Nick's shoulder. "Have a great time, son. You're gonna knock those girls out!" He said, and Nick smiled. "Thanks, Dad." He said as he put on his black dress shoes before leaving after his Mom took a picture and grabbed a coat.

Upon coming out to get in the car, he saw the other guys and smiled. They were all dressed nice and would be catching the eye of many girls at the dance. Hopefully, Susie was one of them. Leon was even there, dressed up with his hair in a ponytail, but he sat quietly, staring out the window. He never said much. "Let's go, Bros! There's a bunch of girls just waiting for our arrival! This is gonna be so bitchin'!" Walter said, and the guys all agreed as they left.

When they arrived, they parked in a close enough spot and got out, hurrying inside to get out of the cold. The gym was done up spectacularly, and the music was great. The guys stopped to stare for a moment, looking around at the girls. Nick was looking for Susie, wanting to dance with her.
 
Susanne Malkovich
December, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────
Once the song stopped, the pair of friends stepped off of the dance floor to grab a drink. Since it was a school function, there were only sodas and waters available. She grabbed a bottle of water, drinking about a quarter of it before setting it down at a table. “This table can be our spot.” Suzanne said, claiming it.
Sofia nodded in agreement. “I’m going to go say hello to a few other people, will you be okay on your own?
Suzanne nodded. “Of course. Have fun, I’ll see you later!” They had to make it a point to get some photos taken later on.

Suzanne headed back to the snack table, grabbing a cute little Christmas cookie. It was shaped like a candy cane, and it had the white and red frosting. She took a bite, setting it on a plate next to her water. Just then, she felt like she wasn’t alone. A tall guy with medium-length blonde hair had walked up to her, dressed in a white dress shirt and a blue tuxedo top and pants. “Hey, cutie.” He said with a sly smile, slurring his words. He had clearly had a drink or two before arriving at the dance. She didn’t recognize him from school, and his demeanor made him seem so much older. “Wanna dance?” He held a hand out to her, smiling confidently.

Suzanne hesitated at first, getting a bad feeling just from being around him. “Actually, I’m waiting for someone.” She lied, glancing around nervously for Sofia or anyone that could be around.
He stopped being polite, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the dance floor. “Come on, it’ll be fun.
Suzanne tried to tear her arm away, frantically looking around for anyone she might know. “I told you, I’m waiting for someone, please let me go.
 
Nicholas and the guys decided to check out the snacks while everyone was dancing, wanting to get a soda since it was a school function but that didn't stop some students from having a couple of drinks before coming in. They walked to the table, taking a can each and standing around, still surveying the other students that were either dancing or sitting on the bleachers, being a wallflower. A handful of teachers were chaperones, watching to make sure that there wasn't a fight or any other misbehavior.

As he sipped his soda, Nick looked around for Susie but didn't see her, which was starting to make him wonder if she had gotten sick and couldn't come. It was that time of year after all, and the flu had already kept a few students home sick, so it would not be a surprise. "Hey Nick, Jeremy and I are going to go find Jayne and Judy. We'll catch you later!" Vance said before the two left the group then Leon simply walked off to go talk to his other skater friends that had decided to show up which left just Nick and Walter who went to sit down at a table. This night was already turning out to be a bummer.

That is, until they heard a girl tell a guy to let her go. Nick's ears perked up, listening to the voice while looking around, and he spotted a guy with Susie. This made Nick scowl as he got up. "Walt, that guy's got Susie, and she doesn't look happy! Come on!" He said and stormed over towards the two. He wasn't about to let the guy harass her. The guy looked like he was some weirdo whose best years were in high school, and he wasn't ready to let them go.

"Hey!" Nick shouted at the guy and grabbed him by the back of his coat to spin him around and punch him in the face. Walter moved to help him. The guy just looked like a creep as he took the hit and punched Nick back, knocking him to the floor, which caused Walter to hit him next. Jeremy and Vance came running over to help out, but the teachers broke it up in a hurry, grabbing the guy and tackling him to the ground. It was clear that he didn't go to school. Nor was he an alum.

Two teachers, including Mr. Klein the Phys. Ed teacher and Mr. Reynolds, the shop teacher, escorted the guy out and called the police while Mr. Harrison and Mrs. Valentine helped Nick up, checking his face. "Are you okay, Nick?" Jeremy asked, and Nick nodded before looking to Susie. "I'm fine... Are you okay?" He asked with genuine concern as he walked over to her while Vance rolled his eyes. He still hated how Nick was with her.
 
Susanne Malkovich
December, 1984 / Senior Year

➽──────────────

Susanne continued to try freeing her arm in an attempt to get away, but his grip only got tighter. Just then, she felt his arm release. She instinctively ran in the opposite direction before turning around to see what really happened. The guy was on the ground, being punched out by two guys. She immediately recognized Nick and his friend, and she couldn’t help but allow her heart to flutter. Two of his other friends started to head over, but teachers had intervened before they could. They pulled the stranger out of the cafeteria, and after a few minutes, she realized he wasn’t coming back. She breathed out a sigh of relief, deciding to head over and make sure the group was okay.

I’m okay.” Suzanne responded breathlessly to his question. “Are you..
Suddenly, she felt another hand grab her shoulder and pull her back, triggering her to pull away violently and turn around. Patricia. Uh oh. There was a mixture of concern and fury present in her eyes and she knew that trouble was ahead.
See? I told you they were trouble.” Patricia said, glaring at the group fearlessly. “You should’ve listened to me and stayed away from him.
You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Suzanne responded firmly. “Do you even know what happened?
I saw everything.” Patricia responded coldly. “That guy was just trying to dance with you, and this dude walks up and punches him out. It wasn’t necessary and it disrupted the whole dance!
Suzanne turned to face her, her mouth agape. “He was trying to help me. That guy was pulling me against my will, I was trying to get away!
But Patricia wasn’t listening as she grabbed her friend and tried to pull her away from the group again.

Patricia!” Sofia shouted, joining in the argument. “You need to let this go. Suzanne can make her own decisions, and she’s deciding to be happy. You’re blowing this thing up for no reason, and causing a scene that isn’t necessary.
Stay out of it, Sofia! You wouldn’t know the first thing about it.” Patricia said, raising her voice.
Sofia shrunk back for a moment, clearly unsure of whether she should retaliate.
You know what?” Suzanne chimed in. “Neither of you have any control over my actions or my feelings. Thank you, Patricia, for ruining what could have been an amazing dance.” With that, she stormed towards the entrance, leaving the two alone.
Sofia glanced over at Nick expectantly, gesturing for him to go after her. Patricia started to walk in the other direction with her fists clenched, clearly not finished with the fight.
 
Once again, one of Susie's friends pulled her away right when Nick was about to be with her and possibly ask her to dance. Why did it always have to end that way? It's been twice now, and Nick was starting to get discouraged. Maybe it wasn't fate that was bringing them together. Maybe it was just a lost cause. Whatever it was, it was disheartening. Nick sighed, watching Susie get yelled by her best friend for associating with him. It sounded exactly like when he got yelled at by Vance. The same exact thing.

Soon, another girl joined in but to defend Susie, who didn't sit well with the other or with Susie, who stormed off after giving them both a piece of her mind. After that one of the girls shot a look to Nick, telling him to follow her and he was about to but Vance grabbed his arm which made him turn to see the look that Vance had given him. "Don't go af......." Vance was about to admonish Nick and take him with him, but Walter made him let go, getting in his face. "Let him go, dude. You're not his parent." He said, which made Vance very angry as Walter turned to Nick. "Go, bro. Go now, or you'll regret it forever." He said, and Nick did just that, chasing after Susie.

"Susie!!! Wait up!" Nick said as he chased after the girl, not caring anything about the dance or his friends. He just wanted to be with her. He felt something with her, and he wanted to be with her or try to be. Could it work? Could opposites attract and form a love that was true? There was only one way to find out. He soon caught up with her and stopped to catch his breath. "You.... Do you want to go someplace and talk? Someplace away from our friends?" He asked as he stared into Susie's eyes once more. He could get lost in them they were so beautiful.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top