Chapter 9 - Clara
2135 Words
The thump of the music greeted us. People stood outside, waiting to get through the doors. Marsha Jenkins and her pack of followers were near the front. Her cackle was like fingernails on a chalkboard. I clenched my fists.
“Hey,” Megan said, nudging me. “Don’t let her bother you. We’re here to have fun, remember?”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
Once we made it inside, I looked around. The hall looked great. What a transformation from the dull gymnasium that held our PE classes. Tables and chairs lined one wall, a DJ positioned himself on the stage, and the bar stood along the left-hand side. The room had been darkened, blackout material covered the skylights, and strobe lights and disco balls cast shadows creating the perfect atmosphere.
“You get us a seat and I’ll get drinks,” Megan said as we eased our way through the throng of bodies. Finding a seat wasn’t that hard, considering most people were squashed together on the dance floor. The bass thumped and reverberated through my head.
You’re supposed to be having fun. Just forget about everything and enjoy it.
Cheers rang out as the song changed and the familiar “Go, Scotty” chant filled the air. There he was. Scott Campbell danced in the middle of the floor, shirt undone, sandy blonde hair hanging in his face. The way he moved, his smirk… He knew he was the center of attention. I felt my face flush just from watching him.
“You found him then?” Megan shouted over the music. I looked over at her and smiled. “Here.” She held out a Coke. I grabbed it, nodding my thanks, then looked back at Scott. As the song wound down, he took a bow and walked over to George and Cooper, his best friends. They clapped him on the back as they all started laughing. How I wished I were standing there with them.
“Earth to Clara.” I turned to Megan. “Welcome back.” She grinned and raised her glass. “To having the best night ever.”
I clinked my glass against hers. “The best night ever.”
“So, we going to dance or what? No point in just sitting here. Scott will never notice you, and that top is so cute.”
I had made an effort to dress better, like Megan suggested. I wore my black skinny jeans and boots, paired with a black, low-cut, tight-fitting top. Against my bright red hair, it actually looked good. Megan did my makeup, accentuating my blue eyes so they really stood out. She wanted to finish the look with a choker, but because I couldn’t take off my locket, she didn’t bother. In fact, the locket drew attention to my chest…or so Megan informed me.
We pushed our way through the gyrating bodies until we reached the middle of the dance floor. I loved music. It calmed and soothed me. Within minutes, I was lost to the beat, letting it take over my body.
I stumbled as someone ran into me. When I turned, Marsha stood there, sneering. “Who let the riff-raff in?” Her cronies laughed, and I glared at them.
Megan grabbed my arm to pull me away. “Not now, Clara,” she shouted. “Everyone’s watching.”
I pulled my arm away and walked up to within an inch of Marsha. “Watch it,” I growled and turned to leave. I heard them all laughing. I wanted to turn back, lash out, but I knew it wouldn’t work. I’d be the one who’d get the blame. She had been doing this for years, winding me up, goading me, then when I’d lash out, she’d pretend to be the victim. It always worked, too. I’d be the one to get into trouble.
Not this time.
The party continued as Megan and I sat at the table and watched.
“Don’t let her get to you, Clara.”
“It’s hard not to. She does it every time. I’m so sick of her. I swear, if I could—”
“Forget about her. Look who’s coming our way.”
I turned, seeing Scott and George walking toward us. My heart leapt.
“Hey, Megan, Clara,” George said, stopping at the table. “You not dancing?”
“Taking a break,” Megan answered as she kicked me under the table. Unbeknownst to me, my mouth hung open as I stared at Scott.
“Um… Hi, George, Scott,” I said. George nodded. Scott looked at me and smiled.
“Scotty, come dance with me.” Marsha's sickly-sweet voice smothered me and I clenched my teeth. When Scott turned, she grabbed his hand. “They’re playing our song. Come on.”
Scott shrugged and looked at George before he was dragged away.
“Unlucky,” George laughed.
Awkward silence followed. I picked up my drink and took a sip.
“So, um… Megan, would you like to dance?”
She looked at me and I nodded. “Go. Have fun. I’ll be here when you get back.”
Thank you, she mouthed and turned back to George, taking his hand. “I’d love to.”
As she walked away, she turned back to me, a huge grin spread across her face.
I sat and watched couples swaying to the music. Megan and George stopped on the far side of the floor, and I couldn’t see Scott from where I sat.
They’re probably kissing right about now.
I stopped my thoughts. No point in even going there. Scott never noticed me no matter how hard I tried anyway.
When the song ended, Megan made her way back to our table. She was still smiling, so that was good.
I raised my brows. “Just one dance?”
“One’s enough,” she said, picking up her drink. “Don’t give me that look.”
“What look?” I feigned innocence.
“That look. The one where you think I’ve been up to no good. It was one dance. You know I’m not into George.”
A smile spread across my lips. “So… No kissing then?”
She gasped. “Hell no. Eli, yeah, but George…” Megan made a disgusted face, causing us both to laugh.
I didn’t want to ask the question, but I had to. “Did you see Scott out there?”
“Yep.”
“And?”
She shrugged. “What do you want me to say? Marsha’s all over him and he’s loving every minute.”
“Oh.” I gripped my hands under the table.
“I’m sorry, Clara.”
“It’s not your fault. For once, I just wish he’d notice me, see me, but you know what? After five years, I think it’s time to move on.”
The music skipped, an awful scratching sound, and I clenched my teeth. The sound went right through me. The crowd booed.
“Poor Carl,” Megan said.
“Who’s Carl?”
“The DJ. He’s not going to like that.”
“Shouldn’t have put on a scratched record then.”
“Suppose not.” Megan picked up her glass and finished the last of her Coke. “You want another?”
“Yeah. I’ll go.”
“Nah. I fancy a mingle.”
“Looking for Eli?” I teased.
She huffed. “I wish. He never comes to any of these things.” Megan stood and froze. “Three o’clock.”
I frowned. “Huh?”
She nodded her head. I looked and saw Scott pushing his way through the crowd. Marsha followed behind, calling to him. He didn’t seem to notice.
“He’s heading right for us,” Megan said and sat back down.
I watched as he came closer. When his eyes met mine, a smile spread across his face. He stopped right in front of me. All I could do was stare. “Hey, Clara. You look great.”
I looked at him, then at Megan, while I tried to find my voice. She just shrugged. “Um, thanks,” I spluttered.
“I never noticed how…” He stopped. Marsha stood behind him, tugging on his arm. Frowning, he turned. “What?”
Her face blanched at the sharpness of his voice. “I thought we were dancing, Scotty.”
“Well, we’re not. I’m talking to Clara.”
Marsha folded her arms and huffed before storming off. I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face.
Scott turned back to me. “Now, where was I? Ah yes. I was going to tell you how I haven’t noticed how beautiful you are.”
I felt my cheeks burn and I lowered my gaze. What…
“I’ll get us those drinks,” Megan said, excusing herself.
Scott took her seat. His eyes roamed over what he could see of my body. “How come I’ve never noticed you before?”
There’s that word again. Noticed.
When the lights flicked, a shiver ran down my spine.
“Are you all right?” Scott reached across the table to grasp my hand.
This is too weird. I wished he would notice me, and here he is. How come he didn’t say any of this when he stood here with George earlier? Something’s not right.
“Clara?”
“Huh?” I looked up at him. The smile I’d longed to see all these years spread across his face.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh… Yeah.” I didn’t know what else to say. What do you say to the person you’ve had a crush on for years?
“So, how come I’ve never seen you at one of these before?”
My gaze shot to his. Never seen me before? What’s going on? He’s acting like we’ve never met. I’ve been to every disco for the past two years. He’s seen me at every one.
“I don’t know,” I muttered.
He leaned toward me. “What? Music’s too loud!” he shouted.
“I said I don’t know.”
“Well, it’s my lucky night.” He grinned.
“I thought you were with Marsha.” I didn’t know where that came from. It just slipped out.
He shook his head. “No way. She just likes me to flirt with her, make her look good, you know?”
No, I don’t know. Did he honestly think he made her popular?
“I don’t mind too much. She’s not that bad. Besides, it’s nice to know I can pick and choose.”
My god, is he for real. What an arsehole.
The rose-tinted glasses that had covered my eyes for the past five years suddenly fell off. I admit, I’d never really spoken to Scott before and my crush was purely physical, but this…
I nodded to him and smiled. What else could I do?
“I still can’t believe I haven’t noticed you before, Clara.” He shook his head, as if confused.
He wasn’t the only one. I couldn’t wrap my head around this, either.
“Everything all right?” Megan asked, placing a Coke in front of me.
“I was just telling Clara that I couldn’t believe I’ve never noticed her before,” Scott said, getting up to let Megan have her seat back.
Megan looked at me, eyes bulging. I gave her a slight shrug. Needing to get out of there, I cleared my throat. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
“I’ll come with you,” Megan said.
We excused ourselves and pushed through the crowd. I shoved open the bathroom door.
“Holy crap. What the hell was that?” Megan asked as we walked up to the sinks.
“I’ve no idea, but it’s weird, right?”
“Hell yeah. He’s acting like he’s never met you before.”
“I know. You should have heard the way he talked about himself.” I told her what Scott said.
She held up her hands. “I tried to warn you.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Megan gasped. “You don’t think…” She shook her head.
“What?”
“Well, you did say you wished Scott would notice you.”
“No. That’s just—”
“And all the other stuff that’s been going on with you isn’t weird?”
Megan was right. There was too much going on for this to be a coincidence. “I think it’s time I get the truth. I’m sorry, Meg, but I’m gonna go.”
She smiled. “Now you’re making sense. I’ll go with you. I’ve had enough for one night anyway.”
- Writer
