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Jenna was nervous.
Prom was a week away. Everyone at school was talking about it, and everywhere she turned, flyers hung - promoting the event and promising a magical night. Only Jenna wasn’t so sure it would be a magical night after all.
She didn’t have a date yet.
She knew who she wanted to go with. But gathering the courage to ask them to such an event was another thing entirely. Especially when that someone was Eddie Munson - who seemed to hate prom, and everything it stood for. But prom was fast rolling up, and the idea that someone else might ask her curly-haired friend before she could was painful. Jenna could not imagine having to miserably watch as Eddie cosied up with another girl, at what was the most anticipated event of the year.
Jenna had been pining for Eddie for a long time. She was lucky enough to class him as one of her closest friends, but she wanted more. So much more. Only she couldn’t be certain if he felt the same, and the idea of ruining their friendship devastated her. So she kept her feelings hidden…or as hidden as she possibly could, but some days she feared the longing looks, the flushed cheeks, and the trembling hands would give her away eventually. But she knew now she had to make her move sooner rather than later. It felt as though prom was the time for action.
So that’s why, during lunch one day, when the Hellfire Club were split in to their own individual conversations at their usual table in the cafeteria, Jenna decided to finally broach the subject.
“So…prom is next week, huh?” She started. Her throat felt dry, and she hated how her voice had the slightest shake to it. She’d wanted to appear as nonchalant as possible, but of course, her nerves would never allow that.
“A-are you going Eddie?” She asked, drumming her fingers on the table in an attempt to seem casual. She eyed him apprehensively, her heart beat rapid.
Eddie almost immediately scoffed, his nose wrinkling in disgust, “Me? Go to prom? Hell no - who would wanna spend an evening stuck in a sweaty school gym with these assholes?” He gestured around the cafeteria, his glowering gaze hovering a few seconds longer over the Jocks table. Jenna felt her stomach drop disappointingly at his reply, but she plundered on - one last desperate attempt.
“You don’t think it could be fun?” She asked, her voice rather small.
“Please, listening to Madonna on repeat, while the rest of the year get drunk and horny on spiked fruit punch? Nope. No thanks,” Eddie snorted, rolling his eyes at the notion, and Jenna’s heart sank. No way she could ask him to prom now, and she’d really wanted to go too. It was every girls dream.
“Y-yeah, maybe you’re right,” Jenna responded, her tone quiet. She hated how Eddie’s gaze shot up in surprise, umber eyes staring at her curiously, having clearly noted her shift in mood. He really was clueless.
Suddenly, the thought of sitting in the loud cafeteria whilst the rest of the school chattered on incessantly, of course completely oblivious to Jenna’s predicament, felt unbearable. It wasn’t as though Eddie had rejected her or anything, but she really had hoped they would attend prom together. She’d had her heart set on it, imagining how she might finally confess her feelings to the handsome dork, and her hopes had only risen from there. Only it didn’t seem feasible now.
She stood abruptly, cringing as the entire table turned to gaze at her, apparently startled by her sudden movements.
“Sorry, just remembered I need to grab something from my locker,” She stumbled over her words, before quickly moving to make her escape. She heard Eddie attempt to call her back, probably offering to walk with her, as he usually did, but she’d already began to hurry away. She didn’t want to speak to him right now, she felt too silly. She’d gotten her hopes up for nought. It wasn’t fair to be upset with Eddie about it, of course. He didn’t owe her anything. But she still felt hurt. It was hard, having a crush on your friend. If it all went wrong, a precious friendship would be over in moments.
Jenna had only just exited the cafeteria doors, when she heard footsteps hurrying behind her. For a wild moment, she hoped it would be Eddie, but upon hearing her name and turning around, she found herself face-to-face with sweet Dustin, who wore an expression of sympathy on his face. She had a feeling he had guessed about her crush on Eddie a long time ago, but thankfully, either out of awkwardness or tact, he never said anything.
“Hey - listen, about prom, why don’t we go together?” Dustin asked breathlessly, his eyes glinting almost mischievously as Jenna stared at him with suspicion. Younger students could attend, if invited by one of the original prom attendees. But…
“Um…am I not a bit too old for you? And what about your girlfriend?” Jenna stared at her friend in confusion, her brow furrowed, as she tried to figure out what was going on. It seemed very out of the blue.
“We can go as friends - Suzy won’t mind.” Dustin shrugged, as it if was no big deal at all, “Look, I overheard your conversation with Eddie. Trust me on this one, we should go. Just don’t tell Eddie yet.”
Jenna considered his words for a moment, feeling more baffled than ever. None of what he was saying particularly made sense, and she doubted Eddie would care if Dustin and she attended prom together as friends. He’d probably tease them, if anything.
“Okay,” Jenna started slowly, agreeing to his invite, “But why can’t we tell Eddie?”
Dustin merely grinned cheekily, his entire face lighting up. He was up to something, Jenna knew it.
“You’ll see,” Was all Dustin said, before he hurried back in to the cafeteria, leaving a slightly-concerned Jenna to stare after his retreating figure.
The next couple of days carried on as normal, with no further mention of prom. Jenna still had no idea what to expect, but she stayed true to her word. She kept their plans secret, not even letting her closest girlfriends know, in case word got out.
It was not until Eddie approached her the day before prom, did Jenna almost ruin Dustin’s mystery plan.
“Hey, you,” Eddie greeted, nudging her playfully as he fell is step beside her on the way to their next class. His usual smell of cologne and cigarettes washed over Jenna, and she felt a small pang of longing and comfort hit her. God, how she would just love to bury her face in to his chest and embrace him tightly, inhaling his delicious scent. Instead, she opted to smile up at her friend, feeling hot under his warm brown-eyed gaze.
“What’s up?”
“We’re having a movie night at Gareth’s tomorrow - you in?” Eddie asked, although Jenna knew it wasn’t really a question. She always tagged along to their movie nights. It was a given that she would be there usually, except…
“Sorry, I can’t. I’m going to prom,” Jenna stated, her mind straying back to the pretty dress that sat back at home waiting for her.
Eddie stopped in his tracks, Jenna following suit as she turned to face her friend, who had dramatically splayed a hand across his chest in mock offence.
“You’re really gonna blow us off to mope around at prom alone?” Eddie asked, full of jest, except it didn’t quite land. Jenna felt stung at his words. Was she really so undesirable in his eyes, that he thought no one would have asked her? Her face must have shown offence, as his own grin faltered, only to be slowly replaced by a look of uncertain panic.
“I’m not going alone!” Jenna snapped out, before she could quite stop herself. Her face felt flushed, as humiliation crept over her.
Eddie reeled back, his brow furrowing, as the look of panic was quickly replaced with a frown. He stared at Jenna, his dark eyes glinting with something that looked akin to disappointment.
“You’re not going alone?” He repeated, his voice deadpan.
“No. I have a date,” Jenna, though still deeply insulted at his apparent surprise that anyone would want to go to prom with her, felt a hint of smugness as Eddie’s frown deepened. How she loved proving people wrong. Of course, she wasn’t going to tell him her prom date was Dustin. He didn’t need to know that, and she revelled in the thought of Eddie thinking some Prince Charming was taking her. It’s not like he would ever find out either, he wasn’t going to prom.
Eddie gaped at her for a moment, looking rather idiotic as his mouth opened and closed soundlessly, “W-who?” He managed to splutter out, his voice somewhat strained. Jenna’s embarrassment only increased, as his ongoing surprise at her having a date became more obvious. Was she really that bad?
“I’m not telling you,” She stated, eyeing him coldly, before turning abruptly, continuing on her way to class.
“W-wait!” Eddie hurried after her, grasping her wrist in an attempt to stop her once more. Jenna complied.
“You can’t just drop a bomb like that!” Eddie protested, his voice rather loud and shrill, as though panicked, “Who’s taking you to prom!?” He looked horrified, and Jenna’s offence gradually turned to confusion.
“I’m not telling…why do you care, anyways?” She asked, her voice sounding bitter. They had never argued before, and whilst they weren’t exactly in the midst of a disagreement now, the encounter felt intense and uncomfortable. Her face burned, and she felt as though every nerve inside her was tingling.
Eddie stared at her, his gaze nervous now, “I…uh…” He stuttered a few times, before words seemed to fail him entirely. He fell silent.
“Whatever, Eddie. I’ve gotta get to class,” Jenna sighed heavily as she began on her way once more, feeling as though an incredibly heavy weight had settled on her shoulders. Her crush believed her to be so undesirable, that her having a prom date had rendered him speechless. Not only that, but the entire interaction had been weird. Things were never usually odd between them. It felt as though this was some sort of turning point.
Jenna glanced back at Eddie once more, surprised to see he was still rooted to the spot, staring after her in a shell-shocked manner. She would need to interrogate Dustin about this - he would probably know what was up.
“Oh yeah, Eddie was moping about you all yesterday,” Dustin snorted the next evening, after Jenna had informed him of her and Eddie’s odd interaction.
She and Dustin made their way up to the school for prom, dressed in their very best. The air around them seemed to ripple with electricity, as students flocked by, full of excitement and giddiness for the evening ahead.
“Did you tell him you’re taking me?” Jenna asked, her stomach a bundle of nerves. She was looking forward to dancing the night away, but she felt sad still. As lovely as Dustin was as a friend, she longed for Eddie. She had really thought they would go together. Instead, they had near-enough fallen out.
“No - are you insane? He’d freak!” Dustin replied.
“But why?” Jenna pressed, fully aware that Dustin seemed to know something she didn’t. Her frustration only continued to grow as Dustin smiled in a secretive manner.
“You’ll see,” He said, as the two made their way in to the school gym, only it didn’t look like the school gym anymore. Every wall had been covered with glittering banners and streamers, and a stage had been set up against one wall, where a live band played covers of well-known songs. Tables lined the walls with food and drink, and smaller tables and seating were set near the bleachers. Students gathered in large groups all around the gym, everyone decked out in their best dresses and suits. It was beautiful.
“I’ll go get us some drinks,” Dustin suddenly piped up hastily, and Jenna was sure he was trying to escape her on purpose. She frowned as she watched him hurry away across the gym, leaving her to wander further inside alone.
Only she wasn’t alone for very long.
Jenna squeaked as a hand wrapped itself around her wrist firmly, and someone began to pull her to a more secluded corner of the hall. She stumbled, turning blindly, her breath catching in her throat as she caught sight of familiar brown curls, and the scent of cologne and cigarettes immediately engulfed her.
“Eddie?”
She asked, her confusion rendering her breathless. He looked good, donning a black suit that she was surprised he even owned. It wasn’t his familiar grungy style at all. That wasn’t the only difference either. His usual dorky self was seemingly gone, as he practically cornered her, his dark gaze intense and annoyed.
“Henderson? Your prom date is Henderson?” He asked Jenna in complete disbelief. His face hovered close to hers, and Jenna felt her cheeks heat up, but whether that was from embarrassed defensiveness or the close proximity, she was not sure.
“What’s wrong with that?” Jenna asked, her brow furrowing, as she stared up at her friend. Eddie scoffed, running a hand through his hair, messing the curls even further.
“What’s wrong?” He repeated, almost sarcastically, “I mean, one, he has a girlfriend. And B, he’s too young for you!”
Jenna faltered, trying hard not to smile, “…One and B?”
Eddie was not amused.
“You know what I mean!” He cried out, his voice cracking. His loud tone had garnered the attention of some nearby students, and Jenna tried not to laugh.
“We’re here as friends.”
Eddie huffed, looking offended, “But why didn’t you ask me? I would have come with you,” His voice had a whiny tone to it now, and the reality of the situation slowly began to dawn on Jenna. Was he…jealous? Of Dustin?
“You hate prom! I tried to ask you, you said you weren’t coming, remember?” Jenna countered, feeling more and more amused as she came to understand what was going on finally. It wasn’t that he thought she couldn’t get a prom date, he was annoyed that she had agreed to go with someone! But then…why had he never shown explicit interest in her before?
“I would have gone if I’d known you wanted to go!” Eddie pressed, and Jenna realised that maybe her subtle attempts at asking him hadn’t been quite enough, “Do you know how crazy I’ve been going, thinking someone beat me to it?”
“Beat you to what?”
“Asking you out!” Eddie emphasised, as though Jenna was being exceptionally stupid. Jenna merely smiled at the admission, a warm, fuzzy feeling now encasing her body. So he did like her back, after all.
“You wanted to ask me out?” She clarified, her cheeks heating rapidly, as she stared up at her friend. Eddie paused, apparently having said more than intended. His face flushed slightly, as he finally broke his gaze away, opting to stare rather sheepishly at the floor below.
“W-well yeah. I was just, y’know…building up to it, I guess?” He tried to act nonchalant, but the facade failed. It was rather endearing actually, to see the wild and confident Eddie suddenly seem so bashful.
“I literally had no idea,” Jenna responded, fiddling with the material on her dress, as she began to feel equally shy. What would happen now?
“So…will you?” Eddie asked, after a rather awkward pause.
Jenna raised her eyebrows, suddenly feeling lost once more, “Will I what?”
Eddie scuffed his shoes against the gym floor awkwardly, as he finally glanced back up at Jenna, his brown eyes nervous yet earnest, “…Go on a date with me?”
Jenna grinned widely at his question, and Eddie’s shoulders seemed to sag with relief at her positive reaction. He wasn’t getting her that easy, though.
As though perfectly timed, a slow, romantic song began to sound across the hall, and Jenna held her hand out to Eddie, “Dance with me and I will,”
Eddie rolled his eyes, “Fuuuck…fine,” He groaned, but the wide grin on his face betrayed his false reluctance. The two made their way to the dance floor, hand-in-hand, where they stepped amongst the other students. Jenna placed her hands on Eddie’s broad shoulders, butterflies erupting in her stomach as he stepped close, his large hands resting upon her waist. They stood close, their faces only inches away from each other, as they began to sway in time to the music.
Jenna bit her lip, trying to contain both her smile and her nervousness, as she glanced around the room, noticing Dustin stood near the drinks table with the rest of Hellfire, who definitely did not look dressed for prom.
“You dragged the guys along? What happened to movie night?” Jenna teased, turning back to Eddie. He glanced at their friends, before staring down at Jenna sheepishly.
“Cancelled. I made them come with me. We were gonna stage some dramatic intervention and save you from your awful date.”
“You were gonna sabotage prom, you mean?” Jenna countered, laughing lightly.
“Well, duh. You’re lucky you turned up when you did. I was planning on pulling the fire alarm actually,” Eddie admitted, and Jenna snorted at the very idea.
“So mature,” She mocked, “Suppose that explains why Dustin was afraid to tell you,”
Eddie shook his head, casting a dark look over a Dustin, “Nope. That little shit had this whole thing planned out, I’m sure of it,”
Jenna laughed, although she couldn’t help but feel disappointed as the song slowly came to an end. She didn’t want to step away. She wanted to remain in Eddie’s embrace for the rest of the night. It felt like a dream.
Eddie seemed to be of the same sentiment. As a new, energetic song blasted through the hall, the two stood in their little embrace, their gazes locked. Jenna felt as though her heart was about to pound right out of her chest, and she stared up at her long-time crush, taking in his sweet face, his warm chocolate gaze…his pretty, plush lips.
Before she could lose the tiny bit of courage that resided inside of her, Jenna leaned up, her eyes fluttering shut as she captured Eddie’s lips with her own. His lips were soft and gentle, and they immediately began to move against her own, his hands gripping at her waist, pulling her closer to him in an almost desperate manner. Had he been waiting for this moment just as long as Jenna had?
Her hands moved to the back of Eddie’s neck, her fingers tangling with his messy locks. Her lips continued to dance against his, and she gasped as she felt his tongue slip past them, moving to caress her own. She could feel him smirking in to the kiss. It was everything she had imagined and more, and she remained pressed up against Eddie, his large hands gripped on to her hips tightly, heat encasing her entire being.
“Get a room!”
Came a nearby voice, and just like that, the kiss was over as quickly as it had begun. Jenna pulled away, embarrassment washing over her as the smug-looking Hellfire Club brushed past the two. Clearly they had all guessed that Eddie and Jenna harboured feelings for each other. It appeared it was only the couple themselves who had been clueless.
“You two are welcome, by the way,” Dustin added, as he brushed by, looking extremely delighted with himself.
“I’m gonna kill that kid,” Eddie muttered out, but his eyes shone with amusement. Hell, Jenna was prepared to purchase every geeky gadget Dustin dreamed of owning, just as a thank you for somehow managing to pull this entire thing off.
“Please don’t kill my prom date,” Jenna smiled, allowing Eddie to pull her away from the dance floor, heading towards the drinks table, one of his hands engulfing hers as he guided her out of the crowd.
“Yeah, I’ll be taking you down with him, just so you know,” He threatened, nudging her playfully. Jenna merely smiled, not quite able to believe how perfect things had turned out.
Prom had barely even begun, and yet, one thing was for certain. The flyers had been right. It was a magical night.