Study of the Heart, Tricks and Treats: Part II

Part II1

“It’s twenty after . . . ” I mumbled to myself as a couple dressed like Fred and Wilma Flintstone walked by.2

“Oh calm down.” Meg sighed. “He’ll be here.” 3

“I hope so . . . ” I said nervously. “I feel so . . . weird.”4

“Weird?” Meg questioned. “You’re adorable!” She ran over and hugged me, almost smearing her zombie-makeup on my face.5

“It’s Chris!” I said in a labored breath. Meg unlocked her vice-grip on me and tossed her hair back.6

“Sorry I’m late.” Chris said happily as he pulled down the black half-mask over his face. “The malls were swamped.”7

“My, my.” Meg said with a sultry tone. “Look who’s the handsome masked man.”8

Chris chuckled as he flipped a large top hat on his head. If you ask me, it wasn’t much of a costume–just a black suit and hat, and  half-mask–but it looked good on him. Yes, Chris even looked good in overused, cheap, Target costumes.9

“I see someone opted for the bride of Frankenstein look this year?” Chris asked.10

“No way! I’m the pregnant lady-zombie from Dawn of the Dead!” Meg laughed.11

“Oh, I just thought Frankenstein . . . or Doug knocked you up.” Chris said slyly, pointing toward Meg’s padded tummy. Chris turned to me and grinned. “You look . . . pretty cute.” He said, whispering the last word in case I became embarrassed. I didn’t really.12

“I have a tail too!” I said happily, I turned around and held my long cat-tail in my hand.13

Chris laughed. “Ok, well are we going to head inside or stand out here all night talking?”14

“I’m up for dancing!” Meg said happily as we walked toward the wide-open doors, which were decorated in a macabre fashion.15

“Should you dance in your condition?” Chris asked. “It might not be good for the baby.”16

“Haha.” Meg replied as we entered the spacious gymnasium. 17

The gym had been turned into a huge dance room, complete with ‘festive’ decorations and lights. The DJ was just getting her music ready behind a large spider-web decorated table, and some faculty of the University were crowded in the corners talking. Everyone else--that is all the people who went to the U--was mobbed in the middle of the dance floor waiting to let loose.18

“It’s certainly . . . interesting.” Chris said as a man dressed like Cupid walked by in an adult diaper.19

“That’s true.” I replied, glancing over at the refreshment/snack table, where a few of my classmates were talking. What if they see me with Chris? I thought at first, almost not wanting to dance with him or anything. Then, of course, I shook my head and snapped myself out of it.20

“Alright, are you guys ready to party?” The witch-costumed DJ asked. The crowd of rowdy college students roared a ‘yes’. “Alright! Let’s get it started!” She laughed as a few poorly generated screams echoed out of the stereo, followed by the Halloween staple–‘The Monster Mash’.21

“I love this song!” Meg said as she gleefully danced her pregnant-body up into the crowd.22

“Well . . . do you wanna dance?” Chris asked hesitantly, aware of my conflicting feelings.23

“Hey Nick!” One of my classmates from Social Studies yelled from the punch-table. It was Jack.  He and his friends Jason and Mike were usually pretty friendly to me. He gave the casual ‘Hey’ nod. The one that people do when they know you, and feel obligated to show it. I did the nod back, and a grim feeling swept through me. If he knew me, then his friends did too, then other people did too . . . and if they all saw me here . . . with Chris . . . dancing with him, maybe even slow dancing with him, it’d be all over. I’d be humiliated throughout the whole University.24

“Nick . . . you ok?” Chris asked calmly.25

“I–I’ll be right back. I have to . . . I have to go get some fresh air!” I said, panicking a bit. I started into a brisk walk to the right, and then just ran headlong up the flights of stairs. After I passed the third floor I stopped and took a seat on one of the steps.26

I was so . . . confused. All those days I had wanted to be with Chris, and now finally I was with him. Still, I wasn’t satisfied, it seemed. I was nervous, anxious. No matter what I had said to Meg before, it didn’t change the way I felt. I wanted to have fun with Chris . . . and at the same time . . . I didn’t want other people to think poorly of me because of that.27

I took a deep breath and wrapped my hand around in my tail. Why did I come here? I thought at first, yearning to just be alone at home with Chris. But then I remembered last Christmas, and before that, when Chris and I first admitted our feelings to each other. We said things, showed things, and kissed without evening thinking about what others would say if they saw. We were consumed in each other, in the feeling, and it was so pure.28

I stood up. If I wasn’t scared about anyone saying anything those other times, then why was I scared now? I made my way back down the stairs as me tail followed behind me. Some people say the best way to overcome a fear is to face it head-on, so I was now determined to do so. I was going to dance with Chris like no one was looking, and I was going to kiss him regardless if anyone stared or pointed. Just like before, I could do it, I wanted to do it.29

As I made my way back into the gym, I noticed that Chris wasn’t standing near the door like before. The DJ stopped playing for a moment to change song-cases, and I spotted Meg as the crowd momentarily disappointed.30

“Hey, Meg!” I said, gaining her zombie-lady attention.31

“Yeah?” Meg asked as she gave the guy she was dancing with the ‘1 second’ signal with her index finger.32

“Do you know where Chris is?” I asked as the music began playing again, rather loudly.33

Meg scanned around the room for a moment as the crowd began to clutter again. “Oh yeah, he went over to get some punch!” She exclaimed. “Better catch him before he starts dancing with someone else!” she laughed as she returned to her guy of the evening.34

I shook my head and made my way passed the dancing crowd. I really didn’t care if my classmates were near the punch table, I was going to dance with Chris no matter what. I was going to have a good time, and I was going to overcome this weird anxiety I had developed.35

I tapped on the back of Chris’s faux tuxedo, and smiled. He tilted his head for a moment, and asked me something . . . but I couldn’t hear over the music. 36

“Do you wanna dance!?” I asked, pulling my kitty-tail around in front and trying to look cute. 37

Chris paused for a moment, maybe he was upset because I ran out on him like that. He did a sign and asked something like ‘with me?’ 38

“Yeah with you!” I yelled as loud as possible. “Come on!” I said pleading, trying to make up for my sudden exit.39

Chris oddly blushed and shrugged his shoulders, and then I extended my hand. His gloved-hand clasped with mine and together we marched out onto the dance floor. I could hear chuckles coming from Jack and some other classmates, and I think I heard one of them even say ‘gay’ . . . but I didn’t care, it was time to get over my fear of what others thought.40