Defying Gravity

Gabe stepped off the party bus his friends had rented, and proceeded to walk through the intricate wooden doors that towered over the drop-off area. The building was made out of marble and stone, and the doors helped to complement the resources used. 

It was prom, so it made sense why they were going all out, but Gabe didn’t really understand. For years this night has been promised to be the most fun and eventful of your entire schooling career thus far. And when Gabe walked into the main room, and no one was dancing or looked like they were having a whole lot of fun, he couldn’t help but wonder: Is this all it is? Am I somehow living my prom night incorrectly?

Gabe realized the answer to his own question as he watched all the couples from his friend group lock hands or arms, and proceed to walk into the main room ahead of him. Grabbing their own food or drinks, they sat separate from each other, keen on spending tonight as a couple, not a group.

He couldn’t blame his friends for this however, as he understands that they deserve their time alone as a couple rather than a group of friends. Gabe could third wheel, but he felt like that would be equally awful for both himself and the unlucky couple. He decided to do his own thing tonight, and they could meet up back on the bus as a group.

As Gabe leaned against the wall, trying to make himself watch for someone so as to not seem as if he was alone on prom night, he remembered one other person he might be able to actually look for.

Leanne.

She was somewhere in here, Gabe remembered their conversation a week ago where they both lamented over the fact that neither of them had dates. It took him three days to realize how perfect of a moment that would have been. Simple question, yes or no, that’s all it was.

But in truth, it was so much more than that. Gabe had known Leanne for a couple years now, and had developed a crush on her. She was sweet, but not to the extent that it could be a facade, and she was funny but also knew when to not talk and just listen. They believed in the same things and had similar hopes and dreams, she was perfect for him and he hoped he would be perfect for her.

If only they could have a little bit longer together until they must leave for two different ends of the country, college and the real world pulling them apart from each other.

            Gabe made the decision that tonight, he’d ask her for a dance. His last chance. But the dance floor was packed now. As the night grew on more people became comfortable with getting up and dancing, so it was harder to maneuver between the shifting crowds. And Leanne was nowhere to be seen. 

            The balcony lining the walls of the main hall was mostly empty, and Gabe figured getting a bird's eye view would hopefully let him see Leanne. He moved from the side of the wall he was against and threw himself into the crowd in an attempt to reach the stairs on the opposite wall. 

            He ducked and weaved his way through the expanding crowd, tripping on shoes with his sorry’s and excuse me’s being drowned beneath the music that controlled the crowd. 

Eventually, Gabe reached the stairs and ran up them, eager to be released from the clutches of his peers. He reached the top and braced himself on the bannister lining the balcony to watch for Leanne. Searching for her in this crowd of people would be almost impossible, but luckily, she had mentioned something earlier in the month about a dress she was looking at. She said nothing more than it was blue, and though it’s a popular color, it was better than nothing.

After about a minute of searching, he found her. She was away from the crowd, with a drink in hand, slowly sipping it as if to appear busy, while her eyes shifted from person to person, as if looking for someone herself. 

But her dress. Lord, was she beautiful. She always was in his mind, but right now, he was left with nothing but astonishment at the fact people were dancing around her, and not with her. How could they not be admiring this woman taken straight from God’s fingertips and placed directly into their lives this night, on the sleek marble floors of the main hall. 

Her dress was a deep ocean blue being held up by black lace at her shoulders, with black flowers embroidered all over the dress, almost as if they were growing around her body, her smile being the only light they needed. But she wasn’t smiling now, in fact, she looked like she wasn’t having any fun at all.

Gabe’s guess was right, as she set her drink down at a table and thanked the staff, she then began walking towards the door. 

Gabe immediately began to panic. The only stairwell down was the exact same one he climbed to get here, and he would never make it time before Leanne got through the crowd herself. He began to look around frantically, trying to come up with a solution that wasn’t jumping or giving up.

“Hey!” A voice called. It was the DJ, who sat at his table controlling the music for the crowd below. 

It was also his older brother, Hunter.

Gabe ran to him and Hunter continued by saying “What’s up Little Bro, you look panicked? What’s goin' on?”

They did a secret handshake and Gabe began to explain, but then realized, “There’s a girl- wait why are you here?” He asked.

“I was hired as a DJ! The side gig’s working out,” His brother said enthusiastically and gesturing towards his equipment. “I was gonna surprise you but that doesn’t matter now, what’s this about a girl?”

Gabe snapped back into his pursuit of Leanne. “Right! I need to catch up with a girl, but she’s leaving right now and-”

Hunter cut him off with a raised hand and said, “Say no more, little bro.” He then gestured to a door behind the DJ station on a wall. “The venue gave me a secret passageway so that way I could carry my equipment up here a little easier, and it leads directly to the entrance. So go catch your girl.”

Hunter rushed to the door and unlocked it for him, and Gabe gave him one last handshake. “See you later, thanks for the help,” Gabe said, then rushed down the stairs and burst out the other door.

As soon as he skidded to a stop, his dress shoes scraping across the marble, he saw Leanne. There she was, even more beautiful this close. Gabe began freaking out again, he hadn’t planned what he was gonna say.

Leanne immediately smiled and changed her direction from the giant wooden doors that people still entered from, to the unimpressive regular door Gabe had just run out of. 

He didn’t have long before she reached where he was standing, so in a moment of panic, Gabe led off with, “Heylo,“ a combination of all the words he was thinking of using to begin his introduction. But in the sudden moment his brain jumped to the conclusion that it would be best to use all of them. At the same time. As soon as she walked up.

Thankfully, she just laughed. “Glad to see a suit doesn’t change you,” She said, then looked back towards the ballroom. “I didn’t see you in there.” 

“Oh uh,” Gabe began to stutter but let his words find their footing, “I uh, just arrived. I was walking in now.” He lied, but Leanne saw through it as her eyes gave only a quick glance to the door that was still ajar behind him. 

She shrugged and looked back towards Gabe. “They have some pretty good punch in there, spiked or not, it's kept me going throughout the night, wanna go try it out?”

He smiled and nodded, “Sure, I’ll trust your opinion,” He responded, and they walked back into the room together, passing the dancers as they reached the table where all the drinks had been set.

They both stood there for a while and talked. There was never a pause as their conversations blossomed and spiraled like out-of-control weeds. They began to discuss and observe certain people on the dance floor, the ones who had obviously not come here sober, the ones who had to bear the brunt of that decision, the people who they had known since their elementary days, the people they had just now noticed for the first time despite the countless days spent at the school. Gabe realized he might never see some of these people again after graduation. The world was big, and they all had a place that was waiting for them after the cross of that tassel. 

Then Gabe looked to Leanne. For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. The only thing left moving was Gabe’s heart, beating ever so faster as his eyes met Leanne’s. He might never see her again. Of course, he could make the effort to try, they both could, but sometimes that won’t work. The world had a gravitational pull of its own and you often could not fight it. Instead, you could only hope and pray it did not pull you too far from the person you wanted to hold close. 

Gabe decided that even if the world declared he would lose the war, tonight, he would win the battle. He stood up - interrupting the statement Leanne was currently making - and looked at her, offering his left hand for her to take. “Let’s dance.”

She didn’t even try to finish what she was saying. Leanne looked towards his hand, set down her drink, then took his hand in her own, standing with him. “It is Prom, after all.” She told him, smiling a little bit, as if to hide the true excitement she felt at the offer.

Gabe led her to the dance floor, and though the music was loud and fast, like the feel of a highway the first time you enter its ramp, Gabe did not let that scare him. Instead, he put the pedal to the floor and let his body move with the music, holding both of Leanne’s hands so they moved together. 

He usually did not have this much confidence. Even Gabe found himself confused by its sudden appearance. He wasn’t sure if it was the realization of the end, the simple desire to move to the music with someone he thought spoke with the most beautiful of notes herself, or maybe that fruit punch was really more than what its label said. But no matter what it was, Gabe would take the boost, he would have taken anything that led to this moment. 

Eventually, the music changed to something else entirely. This is due in part to Hunter noticing his brother finally step on to the dance floor. And after giving them a couple songs to warm up to, it was now time for the real show. Hunter switched the track to one of his personal favorites. A slow song, one with light rhythms and smooth progression, perfect as a song to relax to, and even better as a song to dance to with the person you love.

As soon as the first few notes of Hunter’s newest pick began to play, most people took this as a sign to go sit back down. The crowd began pushing its way to the sides of the room once again, with Gabe and Leanne being caught directly in the middle of it. But he couldn’t let this chance slip away, this was his only shot, and he would be damned if he didn’t take it. 

So Gabe held on to Leanne’s hand with a firm grip and began pushing his own way through the crowd. Eventually, people began to move out of his way, and Gabe found himself in the center of the dance floor, with nobody else but Leanne. 

There were a couple people dancing with their partners, but they had moved off to the side or into the dark corners of the main hall. Leaving Gabe and Leanne alone in the center of the room. He began to grow nervous, and unsure of what to do next, he hesitated.

But even though it was only for a second, Leanne noticed, so she took the other hand Gabe left dangling and put it on her waist and took the hand she was already holding and entrapped her fingers into his. She didn’t know how to dance, but she wasn’t letting this chance slip away either. 

Gabe began to move his feet and Leanne followed, both now moving in sync. Gabe couldn’t tell if people were watching, but he didn’t care, the only thing he wanted to look at was the eyes of the person in front of him. He let the music move them, and eventually, after they grew more comfortable, he lifted her arm and twirled her. He heard some people muttering and expressing their amazement as he did this, and for good reason, because the way her dress moved, well, there was no other way to describe it other than enchanting. 

The ocean blue dress lifted off the floor as her heels did the same and it followed her body in the counterclockwise motion she spun in. It was like watching waves follow the queen of the sea as she waltzed beneath the sky, her blonde hair rippling like the sun's reflection in a coursing river. Gabe then moved to catch her in his hands as she set back down, and he will never forget the smile she had on her face. So pure and bright, there was no question as to what became the inspiration for the stars in the sky. 

Gabe began dancing with her again, this time with Leanne’s head pressed against his chest. He looked to his brother on the balcony and gave him a silent nod, with which Hunter responded by pounding his chest twice and then giving him a peace sign in the air. He truly was blessed to have such wonderful people in his life. 

The song was a long one, so there was plenty of time for people to eventually find the same courage Gabe had and join him on the dance floor with their own partners. Most found their way back, but Gabe maintained his eyes on Leanne, scared that if he were to look away then there would be nothing to look back to. 

The music once again returned to its original state, and the atmosphere once again grew to something akin to a nightclub. But people soon began to leave, as it was now growing late into the night. And Gabe’s group was one of the last to leave. They noticed his dance with Leanne and wanted to give him as much time as he needed. 

But eventually, they did have to go, so the group moved to leave, and Gabe - who was now sitting down on a pair of chairs with Leanne - noticed their departure and knew it was time to go. Leanne had her own destination, and could not join him to spend any more time with Gabe on this night. They both knew their time, as ever pleasant as it was, was now over.

Gabe stood, and Leanne stood with him. They began walking in silence to the wooden doors that they entered through at the beginning of the night, which seemed like so long ago. Neither person had any clue as to what to say to the other, both scared of leaving this perfect night on such a bad note that neither one wished to look back on it. 

But Gabe knew he did not wish to leave her without saying something, so he turned to face the girl he longed for and said the first thing that came to his brain, trusting his words now.

“Thank you,” He said, “for letting me live my dream tonight.”

He was unsure if he should say what he really wanted to. He wanted to be with her, to go on dates with her, he wanted to kiss her beneath the moonlight. He wanted to see her every day because he was sure that was the only way he could ever smile with genuineness again. And he might lose that chance, the gravitational pull of the world leaving words unspoken, waiting to be forgotten like the last breath of an aging animal. But he decided he would not let gravity win. 

Before Leanne could speak, Gabe spoke again, this time saying, “And when we see each other again, at some point in our lives, remind me that I have something important to tell you.”

Leanne simply nodded and smiled, “I’ll be sure to remember.” She said to him, sure of the idea that they would see each other again.

Gabe’s group was now calling for him, and he had to rush off to join them. But before he did, he hugged Leanne goodbye and kissed her cheek softly. “See you when I see you.” And then left quickly so as to not grow embarrassed and lose what he had just gained. 

Leanne watched him enter the bus and pulled away, back onto the highway and into the night, celebrating their coming of age. She decided to do the same by looking towards the stars, and dreaming about when she’d see him next.