Spring Dance With Ryder West

'Write a story that takes place at a spring dance. Write your story below or copy/paste from your favourite editor. Please keep your submission between 1k-3k words.' I had stumbled upon this article while going threw my schools current spring dance feed as I walked from the parking lot to the field where the dance was in full swing already under the stars, I had ignored it at first but by the time the dance was over I had to relive it and so I did, I wrote down everything I possibly could just to experience it again.

I remember it like it was a few hours ago which it was, soft lighting, random music, punch spiked with alcohol, pretty expensive dresses and faces caked with makeup. The theme was 'Starry Night' but I would have preferred 'Exotic Locale' or 'Awkwardness Galore'. Most of my fellow school mates were here because it was an annual thing but I didn't care that this was my first ever attendance to the annual spring dance nor that it was going to be my last one here before I moved away, I just wanted to see Ryder West one last time. I fumbled with my nails nervously which were done to perfection for this occasion as I looked around trying to spot him. Sure my plan was a bit messed up, I was going to be straight with him 'I'm leaving in the next two days and I just wanted you to know that I like you Ryder West I do I'm sorry I hadn't said it back the first time you told me but I'm saying it now' at least that's what I had planned on saying, I went over it so many times in my head that I thought it would have turned out exactly that way. I even watched a few romance movies in preparation for the moment that was to come and those had boosted my confidence a whole lot.

Ever since he had told me how he truly felt about me we haven't exactly been the normal, carefree friends we were before but then again maybe I was to be blamed for that. Ok, I was to be completely blamed, looking back at it now saying 'that's nice' then basically running away hadn't been the best thing to do but to be fair I was caught off guard.

I've been friends with Ryder for as long as I can remember and with his parents being highly religious and stuff he was always welcomed in my house, he was referred to as one of the girls in their eyes but that's the problem he wasn't a girl, I mean think about it I was destined to catch feelings for him someday, anyways back to the main subject.

"you wanna dance babe?, please, please, please tell me you're not going to spend the rest of the night just standing there," Mel asked, she was the closest friend I had after Ryder of course and since I'm being honest about basically everything I've always been a bit jealous of her. I've always been jealous of her constant body weight, the way she was confident about her five-ten height while I have always felt awkward with my five-eight self, her willingness to be free, her cool Indian complexion, natural smoky looking eyes and so much more and don't get me wrong I'm all about self-love and acceptance but I was and I still am jealous of how perfect she is in my eyes.

Even as she stood in front of me I couldn't help but think about how the lighting and her dress was complimenting her naturally done makeup while I had to use a lot before I came here to cover up my flaws, how her dress complimented her and how she wore heels even though she was already a tower while I went with flats just to be safe.

"I'm good for now but ill join you later," I told her with a smile which she returned effortlessly "keep that face don't lose it, show your dimples and perfect teeth, be effortless in being flawless and lose the straight face will you?" she told me before she was lost in the crowd. I might have been jealous of her but I loved her unconditionally, she was like my older sister who got all the privilege's so it was completely normal for me to be jealous.

 I was starting to feel as if my plan was flawed, a bit too imagined, too unreal as I watched everyone interacting and having a truly good time but I still couldn't seem to spot Ryder. After walking around a bit and still no luck I started to panic, what if I never see him, what if I leave without confessing, what if he's not here and isn't coming?.

It was getting way too hot where suddenly so I decided to go to the bathroom, to get my thoughts together. I was a few steps away from the bathroom when I spotted him, he was standing with his friends as they all took swings of what I assumed was alcohol. For a moment, only a few seconds our eyes met and I saw him hand back the bottle that was in his hand and moved as if coming in my direction but I didn't get to see if he was coming after me because I ran off and thank goodness I had worn flats, suddenly everything seemed impossible. What was I thinking before?, I wasn't brave enough to look him in the eyes and tell him those things.

I thought I heard footsteps coming behind me but I didn't stop to look, my heart was beating so fast in my ears and I felt so stupid for thinking about saying those words to him. What a spring dance this was, weren't spring dances suppose to be magical?.

As soon as I entered the bathroom door and It swung shut behind me I went up to the mirror and looked at myself as I tried to calm myself as much as I [possibly could. I noticed that all the bathroom stall doors were open, of course, I was the only one in there everyone else was too busy having the time of their life's.

The sound of the door reopened caused me to jump a bit but the sound of a click on the door caused me to turn around quickly, as soon as I turned around I was face to face with the only person I've been wanting to see all night.

"are you ready?" he asked causing a lot of things to run threw my head as er stepped closer but somehow I had found my voice and asked "ready?"

"yes, ready to reply, I've given you time and space Clair" he continued to step closer causing me to step back until I was stopped by the bathroom counter.

"I can't move on until you give me a reason to, not until you reject me"

"your drunk," I told him when the sent of faint alcohol mixed with the school punch from his breath hit my nose along with the scent of his cologne and aftershave, it was strong and raw mixed with the scent of strawberries, it made me wonder if his lips would taste similar to how he smelled, so sweet and alluring.

"you know I've never consumed more than two sips of anything alcohol-related it is out of my morals to drink until you are senseless" he stated and he was right I did know that.

"Tell me you don't feel the same way, tell me you like someone else, tell me to move away" he continued but I was speechless I didn't want him to move away and I just stared as him as he came closer until he slid me on the counter then rested both hands on the counter at both my sides, he was now standing between my legs, my floor-length dress now flowed all over the place.

"I thought it was out of your morals to seduce or to make a friend stumble" I could see the slight shine of hope in his eyes after I said those words.

"yes intentionally but this is unintentional, last chance Clair Willose, push me away" at that moment I knew I should of I honestly should have pushed him away but I wanted him closer to me even though it was so wrong but looking over at his handsome face, sleek brown hair, sparkling eyes, neat black and white tux that his chest and arms filled out perfectly I honestly couldn't help but to run my hands down his chest a bit and my eyes to travel down a bit to his abdomen which contained abs I've seen a thousand times before. I also wanted to mess up his neatly combed hair so badly but I refrained.

My eyes wandered back up to his where he just looked at me. For a moment I thought that he wasn't going to move at all but the next thing I knew he had his lips on mine, lips that I had imagined kissing so many time and honestly reality was way better than all my fantasies combined. The faint sound of the music playing out on the field and having Ryder this close to being was a dream come true but to be honest I had expected more like in the movies I had watched. He didn't bite my lip or kiss my neck nor did he grip my thighs but he did kiss me on the lips and he did hold me tightly to him by my waist and that was enough but all too soon he moved away and asked "so.....wanna dance?"

We ended up on the dance floor all night, I had completely forgotten about the fact that I was going to be moving away two days after this stupid spring dance and yet still here I was. I won't even go threw the details of how Ryder found out that I would be moving away because Id rather not relieve that part of the night, just know that I wasn't the one who told him, he had yelled at me about how unfair and selfish I have then walked away angrily, I cried, ran after him and now he was fast asleep on my shoulder with his hands around my waist in his brothers' car who was driving us home as I relived my night in words. How tomorrow and the day after that goes will be a mystery but I guess this was a summary of my spring dance, my spring dance with Ryder West.