Page 20 of Footlights and Forever

Right away you noticed the tall marble sculpture of Venus and Mars standing in the mezzanine of the large sprawling split-level ballroom. The statue showed Mars in his armored helmet and clutching a spear, but oddly nothing else. His cock and balls dangled in the breeze, unguarded from enemy invaders. In his arms was a swooning Venus who looked up adoringly at her lover. While I didn’t think the prom committee had commissioned a statue, I wouldn’t have put it past them to get the hotel to move the statue to its present location for the picture-perfect appeal. On either side of the giant statue was a wide imperial staircase, handrails festooned with gold ribbonand hunter green vine leaves, interspersed with soft yellow lights giving the descent an almost ethereal feel. Heavy gold and eggshell blue drapes hung along the wall across the expanse of the room, bright golden wall sconces peeking out every thirty feet or so to light up the detailed jacquard pattern in the fabric. I looked up to see the ceiling covered with white, gold and yellow balloons that crowded each other to cover every available surface.

Downstairs, large round tables were set up with tall silver and gold candelabras in their centers with blue, red and purple bougainvillea hanging from each of its arms, trailing down to the surface of the table below. Small tealights with electronic flicker flames were placed here and there on the table surfaces. I held back a shocked laugh as in the crowds of people below I spotted circus performers and magicians moving amongst my classmates, contorting themselves into odd shapes, swallowing fire and dazzling with close-up magic. On the stage, a local band which I had heard playing at a number of the better house parties played covers of songs that would get my dad’s feet tapping. Currently they sang a toned-down version of Alice Cooper’sPoison.

“Son, do you want your picture taken?” I craned my neck to see a photographer standing off to the side of the top of the stairway.

“Oh no I don’t think…” I tried.

“Yes he bloody well will.” My face split into a smile as Hailey’s sharp voice pierced the calm. “He will be having a picture taken with me.”

“Is this your date son?” The photographer grinned. “Well done.”

Hailey came to stand next to me and blushed before punching me lightly in the arm. “Unfortunately I don’t have the correct equipment for this one and I’m not really into pegging.”

The lights from the chandeliers hanging from the tall ceilings and the candles flickering inside the small tealight holders on the table cast a cool warm glow on Hailey’s tan skin and somehow made her dress seem to glow from within. “You look unreal,” I whispered in her ear and gave her cheek a small peck.

We stood underneath the golden balloon arch set up off to the side of the staircase, the expanse of prom laid out beneath us. Hailey lifted my arm over her shoulder and wrapped her own around my waist. “Smile for god’s sake,” she laughed, digging her fingers into my side, the photographer snapping the picture as my face creased into laughter.

We moved along for the next happy couple, Hailey dragging me towards the stairway. “Don’t you want to get your picture taken with Todd?”

“Oh sweetie we did that a while ago.” She waved her hand at me. “I saw you standing up here looking all vulnerable like a gazelle that wandered away from the herd, and I wanted to get a picture with you.”

I frowned as I saw the fleeting look of sadness crossing her face.

“What’s wrong?” I tugged her hand.

“It’s nothing.”

“Hailey.” I tugged gently once more.

“Oh fine,” she sniffed, “I’m just sad that this time next year you will have forgotten me and there will be another Hailey in your life, and I will be god-knows-where While you’re off in New York with a cooler more stylish Hailey.” I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing, which she immediately picked up on and narrowed her gaze at me in a sort ofI dare you to make fun of me right now fuckerkind of way.

“Hailey, firstly there will only ever be one Hailey for me. You know that. You’re my person.” I pulled her towards me, wrapping an arm over her shoulder. “Second, you won’t be god-knows-where, you will be in Harvard for fuck’s sake and lastly I will never ever forget what you have done for me. You saved me Hailey.”

“Dylan… I…” she stammered.

“No, I’m being serious. I think without you and your friendship I wouldn’t have been able to go on. I think having you in my corner honestly kept me alive.” I clucked against the inside of my cheek. “Now if you have stopped imagining future New York-based Haileys, I would like to get down there and drink some of that obviously spiked punch.” I gestured towards the giant glass bowl in the center of a row of trestle tables set up with trays of food that the PTA imagined that a high school student might crave.

“I know, right,” she smirked. “It’s supposed to be Hawaiian punch but there is so much vodka and rum in that thing that its almost clear again.”

“See no evil.” I shrugged, nodding towards a group of chaperones and teachers standing in a tight huddle off to the side of the dance floor at the top of the room.

I stared in awe at the absolute decadence and potential hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on prom dresses and tux hire, decorations, food, DJs, entertainers and photographers. We moved between the tables to the center of the room. I saw, out the corner of my eye, a shy-looking Todd, waiting for Hailey to finally notice him again. He stood at the edge of the dance floor, bouncing on his toes.

“I think Todd wants to dance.” I nudged her, pointing to her date.

“Todd can wait,” she winked. “I’m here with my best friend and I want to dance with you.”

I pulled away from her slightly. “No Hailey,” I smiled. “We can dance anytime, and I will be stealing a dance from you at some point tonight. Right now however you are going to dance withthat muscle bound puppy who has such sad dog eyes that I think I might cry.”

“Are you sure?” she winced as she was already moving away.

“Go,” I laughed, swiping playfully at her with my foot. Hailey squeaked before turning on her heel and making her way towards her date. I smiled wistfully as he held out his hand to her, taking it gently and moving out into the sea of students trying to make this night one that they would never forget. I truly hoped that this night was something Hailey would treasure forever.

I found an empty spot at a table just off the dance floor. I swiped a glass of ‘punch’ from the table on my way there, hoping that within the next half hour I could get at least a little buzz going. I slid into my seat and took a large gulp of what should have been school-friendly punch, as the alcohol seared its way down my throat leaving a pleasant warm feeling.

I watched happily as my mind took on a kind of smooth honey glow as I watched my friend twirl around the floor to the sound of some sixties retro crooner singing about the way someone looked tonight. It surprised me that I was somewhat enjoying myself, and I hadn’t even tried to look around to see where Austin was. The room was so crowded that I wouldn’t have been able to spot him on ground level even if I wanted to, and by god did I want to.

Why was I dreading coming here tonight again?

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