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Cheer up, Sleepy Jean
Oh, what can it mean?
To a daydream believer
And a homecoming queen
He looked again at the mirror.
Something was wrong. His tie kept falling out of place, his hair looked all wrong. His stubble was growing slow and asymmetrical and the rusty razors he kept finding along the way had left some red scratches that one day might as well become scars. The old man had never given him any preparation on this.
On nothing of this he felt prepared at all.
But it was time now. Ready or not. You should never make a lady wait, this much he knew.
He glared one last time at the mirror and dashed out.
Each of his steps creaked in his brand new shoes, as he paced through the idle crowd. Garlands with the colours of the school decorated every corner and the music was booming loud from the crackling speakers. It had already started, and he was already late, as always.
She would be pissed again.
Five hurried along, stumbling and murmuring unhearted 'sorry's to the disturbing number of human bodies crammed in the corridors and slowing him down.
He managed to reach for the door and then... there she was.
Sequins shining in the shimmering lights of the party, her hair all done for the occasion, she looked at him with a smile and he felt out of breath and lost for words.
<< I’m sorry I was late! >> he managed to shout above the blare of the loudspeakers. << You look stunning, by the way. >>
She smiled cheekily. Said nothing and grabbed his hand.
The old man had never taught him how to dance, but suddenly he knew how.
Dolores was with him, leading and following his every move, the music flowing around them in perfect sync.
He looked at her in her perfect blue eyes and smiled.
And the rest of the world around them faded in the dark spots between the shimmering lights.
They barely noticed when they bumped into someone else, they barely noticed anything at all.
They were in love.
They had each other and that was their night.
For once, everything else could wait.
After all, he had done his best to clear the ballroom from most of the decaying corpses littered around. To find some music Dolores might like, and get the loudspeaker to play it.
It hadn’t been easy, but it was worth it.
She looked at him smiling and he lost himself in her eyes as they kept dancing.
Each of his steps creaked on the floor covered in rubble and ashes.
For once, everything else could wait.