The ambient lighting increased enough for the other couples to dance, but the spotlight remained on Beth and myself as "Dancing Queen" by ABBA began to play. Our ballroom dancing lessons were put to good use as we flowed across the floor. At one point, Beth placed her left foot on my right shoulder, and then tipped backwards and turned completely over - ending in an American split - in a stunning gymnast's move which elicited a round of applause.
"There's our king and queen!" someone hollered.
There was no doubt about that statement. Not only were we the most attractive couple in attendance, we were by far, the most talented on the floor as well. The song ended, and Beth and I headed back to our table to take a break. Ken and Amy joined us a few minutes later.
"You had me fooled." Amy said to Beth. "I must say, you do look so much better, losing all that weight."
"Why, what a backhanded compliment!" Beth replied, rolling her eyes. "You're goddamned right I do! Maybe I can join your little group now?"
Amy's gaze drifted over to me.
"Klaus Meine huh?"
"Jawohl!" I exclaimed.
"Very funny." she retorted. "I have to say, you've made quite an improvement as well."
I ignored her, and her eyes focused on Beth once again.
"You look familiar." she mused. "Not because you look like the old fat Bethany, but you remind me of someone else. A singer or an actress maybe."
"She looks like that chick that used to be on those soap operas." Ken offered. "Or the toothpaste chick."
"Kylie Easton, maybe?" I inquired casually. "That would be her mother. She'll be stopping by any time now too. I asked her to be a chaperon for the party. And you'd better hope she doesn't kick your snotty little girlfriend's ass for what she did to her daughter."
Ken's and Amy's jaws dropped.
"Y-your mother?" Amy stammered. "Why haven't you ever told anyone in school your mother is a famous actress?"
"Because I wanted to be liked for who I am," Beth replied, "and not because of who my mother is. Or her cousin for that matter. But all you ever saw was the fat chick. Jack saw me for who I really am."
"Who's her cousin?" I inquired, as this was going to be news to me as well. "You sure are closemouthed about your family, Beth."
"I told you, I don't like to brag." she responded. "I was referring to her cousin Sheena. She still lives across the pond, so I didn't think it was a big deal."
"You're telling me your second cousin is Sheena Easton?!" I asked incredulously. "Damn, too bad we couldn't have gotten her to play for the prom."
"She isn't touring right now." Beth replied. "Besides, she's shooting some episodes on Miami Vice. She's Crockett's new love interest on the show. She'll probably drop by for a visit while she's here in the States though, if you'd like to meet her."
About that time, Kylie wandered over.
"Oh, hi Mom." Beth greeted her. "We were just talking about you and Cousin Sheena."
"Do tell." Kylie responded. "Dang, you two look great together! Who are your friends?"
Amy squirmed uncomfortably, as she was about to be outed.
"This is Ken Dahl and Amy Kellenbach." Beth answered vaguely.
"I see," Kylie replied, her eyes narrowing. "The same Amy Kellenbach that stripped my daughter and humiliated her in front of the boy she was tutoring?"
Amy dropped her head.
"Yes Ma'am." she mumbled. "I'm sorry."
"Well now, things turned out so much better for her - dating Jack and toning up like she did - I guess we can all let bygones be bygones, eh?" Kylie said brightly.
I knew she was acting, as I knew damned well she wanted to punch the bitch right in her beautiful face, but she refrained for some reason. I supposed it was because she knew about the video, or the fact that being arrested for assault might not be the best publicity for her. Either way, the situation was avoided as Mr. Hunter took the mic and addressed everyone.
"Greetings, Class of 1987!" he said enthusiastically. "Well, y'all have voted for the prom king and queen, and even before you knew who they were, I'm pleased to announce that Jack Cartier and Beth Easton will take the crowns for this year's prom."
A round of applause went up, as we approached the stage to receive my crown, and Beth's tiara and wand. Flashbulbs went off as we posed for posterity, and then smiled and waved. I took the mic and addressed everyone.
"Thank y'all so much for crowning us." I began. "I know it sure means the world to Beth, but I think it's well earned. She worked very hard to change her image, and once the after party begins, you'll see her really unwind.
"On that note, I hope that everyone will be staying, and I have a big surprise to unveil at midnight, so be sure to stick around. Did everyone invite your friends to attend?"
A roar of shouts and whistles went up, and I smiled.
"Awesome! I'll be taking over as the emcee in thirty minutes or so, so get ready to have some real fun! Remember, my dress code is totally informal, so if you brought some comfy clothes, feel free to change as soon as the prom ends. I'm expecting a big turnout, so I have some security milling around, as well as some parents who volunteered to be chaperons. On that note, I'd like to introduce you to a chaperon I personally invited; Beth's mother, Kylie Easton."
The spotlight moved over to the table where Kylie was standing next to Ken and Amy.
"Hey, it's the Toothpaste Lady!" someone hollered.
"Holy shit!" another voice called out. "She used to be on one of those slop-operas too!"
"Let's watch our language." I cautioned. "This is still an official school function. At least for the next twenty five minutes."
Mr. Hunter motioned for me to hand him the mic. I complied, and he grinned.
"The prom is officially over!" he called out enthusiastically. "This is Jack's bash from here on out. Peg and I are going to enjoy ourselves for a change!"
He glanced over at the DJ.
"Play something that swings, would you?"
The DJ nodded, and fumbled through his record collection, before putting something on the turntable. Some sort of Big Band music began to play, full of trumpets and horns, and everyone clamped their hands over their ears.
"I meant from THIS century!" Joe hollered. "When I said swings, I meant rocks! Get with the times, Dude!"
The needle dragged across the record with a sickening scratch, and the DJ flung the disc over his shoulder, much to the delight of everyone present. He placed a new record on the turntable, and this time, "Heat of the Moment" by Asia, cranked over the speakers.
"That's more like it!" Joe said approvingly. "Just because we're older, doesn't mean we're square. I kinda like this New Age and heavy metal stuff myself. C'mon Peg; let's dance."
Over the next hour or so, people began to show up in droves, and I had the maintenance man open the giant accordion-like divider to expand our space. Even though the room had literally doubled in size, it was really filling up, and I was getting a bit concerned. I hadn't really planned on half the county showing up for the shindig, but I suspected a lot of kids from other high schools were attending as well. No problemo! The more the merrier, as far as I was concerned.
Amy had disappeared for a while, but eventually showed back up. She hadn't changed out of her prom dress, I guess as a pathetic way to try and show Beth up, but she was a bit wobbly upon her return. I suspected alcohol and/or weed might be contributing factors, but I decided to ignore my own rules regarding drugs and alcohol, to let her make as big of a fool of herself as she wanted. Boy was she going to flip when I played that tape!
As I mentioned earlier, the hall could legally hold 5,000 people. While it was impossible to count the exact number of attendees, it sure looked full! This was going to be killer. Amy's transgression would be seen by not only other students at Old North High, but by those from at least five other high schools from the county; maybe more if neighboring kids showed up. That bitch was going down faster than an aluminum British battleship in the Falklands.
Everyone was having a total blast. Beth had removed not only the lower portion of her dress - but the maternity section as well - exposing her tight, snow white, six pack tummy, and she was the center of attention.
She was absolutely, drop dead gorgeous, and more than a few other chicks were a bit jealous, as she and I tore up the floor. Her well-toned thighs were now clearly visible, along with her arms and belly. She was literally runway model material, and the photographers from the fashion magazines were getting their money shots. Everyone from Old North was still having a hard time wrapping their heads around the fact that this slim chick used to be Big Bethany, but the other kids had no clue. They all just liked what they saw.
As midnight rolled around, I dropped by the DJ's table to remind him of what was about to go down, just as we had rehearsed. The song finished out, and suddenly there I was; mic in hand and the spotlight on Beth and myself.
