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Show 101, "Well, don't put it off," Garth warned. The music started. Couples were moving out on the floor. "Go on, let's see you dance," Garth backed away from them. "You two have a good time, you hear? I've got to police outside until everything gets underway." JD searched Gayle's face as they began dancing, but she looked past him, without expression. He wondered what she was thinking, what she and Garth had said, "Unstable." He rolled the word over and over in his mind, stood it on end, then let it collapse into a child's heap of block letters that he couldn't read meaning into anymore. So that's what she thinks. Does she mean neurotic? He hated himself for reacting to the lights the way he had, but he couldn't help it. Maybe he was losing ground, changing, like Gayle had said, so nobody knew him anymore. It wasn't hard to imagine people talking about him behind his back, clucking their tongues and shaking their heads. He knew he was living with enormous frustrations, but he hoped he wasn't getting paranoid. If only Gayle wasn't so distant tonight, so withdrawn. He needed her sparkle, her happy laugh. Dancing, at first, they moved mechanically with the music, going through the motions of having a good time. But she was somewhere else. Where are you, Gayle? he thought. Where are you tonight, our last time together? Finally, with the mellow strains of "White Christmas," she snuggled into his neck and he felt secure again in having her in his arms. If only he could keep her there - in a slow, uncomplicated dance where everything felt good and right and natural. He didn't want the music to end. When they stopped later for refreshments, served at tables set up under the balconies, JD again caught a signal he wasn't sure she'd meant to send. "Do you want to leave early?" he said. "We can get a pizza . . . or talk." Gayle helped herself to a pink frosted cake and waited for JD to ladle her a cup of hot lemonade. "No, why should I? We've never had such a fantastic school dance." "Yeah, but you're not enjoying it. I guess you're worried about leaving me for two long weeks, huh?" His grin matched the sarcasm in his voice. |
