Chapter Text
Laurie wasn’t exactly alarmed when Jimmy called. After all, ever since Michael Myers’ killing spree in 1978 (just last year, Laurie thought. She still couldn’t believe it. There wasn’t a day that went by where she didn’t miss Lynda, Bob and Annie), they had been in touch. It wasn’t often that a boy got your number after a killing spree, but maybe Laurie was never meant to be normal.
She knew that Pamela had said that she wasn’t Laurie’s mother, but that being said, that hadn’t answered her question about how she and Michael knew each other. Not really. Had she and Michael been childhood friends? Somehow, that was a terrifying thought.
But Laurie wasn’t alarmed when Jimmy called. In some ways, she needed him. She blocked out the loss of Lynda, Annie, Bob and Alice with, simply, I-need-you-right-now, and she still had someone to hold onto — but also someone to lose. It frightened her, really.
”Hey, Jimmy.” She tried not to let that fear show too much in her voice. She couldn’t afford to.
”Hi, Laurie. Um…what color should I wear to prom?”
“You’re asking me? Um…you could go with black. Simple but still a classic. I don’t know anybody who would turn down a black suit. Including me.”
Jimmy did laugh. “True. Very true. I mean…we have to match, though. That’s the problem.”
”Match?”
”Oh.” Then, “What color is your dress?”
”Pink. Glittery. I guess I always had a little bit of a soft spot. I mean, I might be a bit tomboyish, but well, I can still like my girly things. Skirts. Cardigans. Pink dresses.”
”I’m sure you look beautiful.”
”I hope so. And honestly, if you want to wear pink, I won’t judge you, Jimmy. I’m sure you’d look nice in it. You wear what you want, really. It’s just…are we going to prom?”
Silence.
”I forgot to ask you. I guess I just thought I did, but I was stupid. And I hope it doesn’t come off as weird…”
”Jimmy,” Laurie said. “It’s not weird. I mean, I’d love to go to prom with you. I’m just still amazed that anyone would want to. Guys don’t usually ask me to dances.”
“Most guys are idiots.”
Laurie did laugh despite herself.
Jimmy continued. “Take it from someone unfortunate enough to work with Bud. I…well, I’d never ever say he deserved what Michael did to him. But for all the good times, I also remember the crass jokes he made that really got under my skin. And that’s putting it mildly.”
”It’s okay. I mean…who’s to say there’s a thing as a perfect victim?”
”Yeah.” Jimmy sighed. “Bud actually requested that somebody sing his ‘Amazing Grace, come sit on my face’ song at his funeral. In his will.”
”Classy,” Laurie said sarcastically.
”Yeah. Bud never really took anything seriously. Even death, it seems.” Then, “I guess it means that we just mourn the dead in our own way.”
Laurie nodded. She just wished that Lynda, Annie and Bob were here. Maybe Annie, despite her teasing, would be cheering on the fact Laurie scored a cute date for the prom. “And he’s a nurse too!” she would say. “Ooh, you are a lucky girl, Laurie…”
After all, Annie wasn’t a bad person. Flawed, but not bad. And Laurie still missed her. Tonight, she and Jimmy would dance for all not only the dead went through, but she and Jimmy, the living. It seemed right.
”I’ll go to prom with you, Jimmy,” she said. "And don’t worry about matching. You can wear whatever you want. And if you want to wear pink, then you do.”
Jimmy chuckled fondly. “I’ll see you then.”
”See ya.”
The call ended. Laurie changed into her pink, sparkly dress, curled her hair as best she could, and she wished Lynda were there to curl her hair. Lynda would be better at it than Laurie. But still, even with flawed curls that didn’t exactly look sixties queen perfect, Laurie still thought she looked…nice. Like a seventeen to eighteen year old going to her senior prom.
"I can do this,” Laurie said. “I can do this.”
After all, it could be worse, right? At least she was dancing with a man she loved, Jimmy Lloyd. It could be much worse.