Dance to This Beat

I drove to school the next morning on my own. I had to think about some things.

Just as I was seriously considering breaking things off with Jon, my phone rang. I checked caller ID and saw “Kaity” flashing on the screen. “Why hello.” I answered after turning down City & Colour’s “Hello, I’m in Delaware”.

“Hey. Where are you?”

I checked the clock. It read “6:23” I was still going to be early.

“On the way, Kaity,” I laughed. “Don’t be so paranoid.”

“I’m not, I just don’t wanna sit here, listening to Jon complain to Ryan and Spencer that you’re mad at him.”

“Well he can suck it up. It’s his own fault,” I said angrily.

“What’d he do?”

“He’s actin’ all jerky to Dillon. Ya know, that hot gay Irish dude that’s new this year.”

“You’re friends with a hot gay Irish boy?”

“Yeah, and I’m also guessin’ that, by you’re reaction, you don’t know him.”

“No. No, I don’t. But I also know something you don’t know, so hurry up and get here so I can tell you.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll be there in a minute. I’m pullin’ in the parkin’ lot now.”

“Okay, see ya in thirty seconds.”

I hung up then parked my car.

------

“Oh my God Kaity, he’s gorgeous.”

“I know. And he’s all mine.”

“I can’t believe he asked you out. How’d he do it?”

“Well, after school I was over at his house, I’m friends with his sister, and we were all hanging out by the pool. I’ve known him for my whole life, so obviously I know a lot about him, and vise versa. Well, his sister’s in the pool and I’m sitting in a chair. He got out and pulled a chair over to me. I go, ‘Hey Josh.’ And he says, ‘Kaity, I need to tell you something.’ I’m on total shock by the time he’s finished with his little speech. He’s liked me for, like, forever, and wanted to tell me. Then he asks me out. My heart was unprepared for that. It’s pounding in my chest, and obviously I said yes.”

“Cute,” I grinned, thinking about my boyfriend problems.

I was about to ask on advice about Jon when the teacher walked in the room. “Good morning class,” Mrs. Waters said in a thick British accent. “Today we will be reviewing the importance of correct punctuation. I am very aware that this seems ‘extremely first grade’, but it also seems to me, after reading your ‘What I Did This Summer’ essays, that you need the reminding.”

I swear the whole class (aside from me) groaned.

“Perfect time for talking,” Kaity said to me as Mrs. Waters droned on and on about the importance of good punctuation.

“So, I don’t know what to do about Jon,” I started. “I’ve been hangin’ around Dillon a lot lately. Jon knows we’re just friends, but he gets mad at me anyway. I hardly spend anytime with Dillon anyway. I don’t underst--“

“Miss Williams and Miss Gilmore, I am aware that neither of your essays had any problems, but you are distracting my class with your incessant babbling. This will be your warning, and next time you will receive a detention,” Mrs. Waters said, turning from the board.

We both nodded then when the old crone Mrs. Waters turned back around, we continued the conversation quieter. “--understand what his problem is,” I finished.

“It seems to me that Jon’s jealous and that he thinks Dillon’s going to take you from him.”

I sighed. “That would never happen. Not in a million years.”

“Maybe you know that, but does he?”

“I guess not.”

”Then I think you should talk to him about it.”

“I tried yesterday on the way home. It was like he wasn’t even listening. So we rode home in complete silence. I haven’t even talked to him since then.”

“Has he called?”

“Last night. But he only called once. No message either.”

“Maybe you should have sex with him,” she offered.

“Um, no thanks. If you haven’t heard yet, I’m saving myself for marriage.”

“Then you’re with the right guy,” she muttered.

I gave her a weird look.

“I.… Uh.… Jon … he’s saving himself, too. He’s one of the few people in this school that still have their virginity. He’s not waiting until marriage though, he’s waiting for love, and clearly he’s in love with you.”

Before I could reply, the bell rang, freeing me to talk to Brendon and Spencer about it.

------

“And she thinks I should have sex with him,” I finished. Even though the bell rang five minutes earlier, Miss Chaimberlin wasn’t in the room yet.

“I think you should.” Brandon gave me a Look.

“Brendon. You know I--“

“Just kidding, Claire. I think what you’re doing is cool.”

“Thank you, Brendon.”

“I agree with Kaity that you should talk to him about it,” he clarified.

“Me, too,” Spencer agreed.

“What would I do without you two to keep me sane?”

“I dunno.”

“Sorry I’m late class. I had to get some … uh … chalk from the office,” Miss Chaimberlin said, walking in the classroom.

Brendon raised his hand. “Then where is it?” I could see a slight smirk on his face when he asked this.

“They were … out?”

I barely stifled a laugh.

“Good answer,” Spencer muttered sarcastically.

“Right,” I replied.

“Uh.…” he mimicked.

I laughed, and Miss Chaimberlin quickly turned around from the board. She had written “Babies” on it.

“Who just laughed?” she demanded.

Everyone looked around quizzically.

Sighing, she walked to her desk.

“Class, we’re going to be starting a new project. I know this is Health and not Parenting, but we’re going to be taking care of the little, annoying robot babies.”

I exchanged a weird look with Brendon.

“This is what’s going to happen if you have sex. You’ll most likely end up with a baby. So you and a partner of the opposite sex are going to pair up and ‘parent’ one of these babies.”

She began calling out names of partners. When I heard my name I stopped talking to the guys. “Claire Williams and Spencer Smith.”

We got up to get out baby.

“Spencer’s your baby daddy,” Brendon laughed.

“Brendon Urie and Hannah Andrews.”

He stopped laughing. “Miss Chaimberlin. Can I please change partners?”

“No Brendon, now come get your baby.”

Spencer and I laughed quietly.

He walked to the front of the room where Hannah was already standing. She had dark hair and was fairly short. Like me.

After everyone’s name was called, she gave us instructions. “I want everyone to bond with your partners and get to know them. Decide if you would stay together for the sake of the baby, if you would stay together because you’re in love, or if you would say screw it and end the relationship at a one night stand. If the last one comes up, decide who would take care of the kid. After you decide that, I want you to write a report about your decision and why you chose what you chose. You’ll have one month to complete this project. It counts as half of your semester grade, so I’d get at it pretty quickly. I'll be taking them a week early for extra credit.”

------

“Hey everyone,” I said happily as I sat down at the lunch table. I had chosen to sit between Jon and Spencer.

Spencer, who had “our baby” was the only person to reply. “Bon-jour.”

I laughed. “You suck at French.”

“That’s why I take German.”

After Brendon quit complaining about his health partner, Jon turned to me. “Hey.”

“Hi.” I forced a smile.

“What was with freezing me out in history?”

“Nothin’. I hadn’t realized you were talking to me,” I replied honestly. I really hadn’t.

“Okay.” He nodded.

“Jon….” I sighed.

“What?”

I closed my eyes. “Nothing. We can talk later.”

“Okay….”

“So have you guys named your baby yet?” Brendon asked.

Spencer and I looked at each other. “No.”

“You better think of a name. I heard that if you give the baby a full name you get even more extra credit.”

“Rad,” Spence said.

I just nodded.

“You okay Claire Bear?” Ryan asked. It was just the five of us at the table today. I figured Kaity was sitting with Josh.

“I dunno….”

------

Jon came over after supper later that night. He wanted to know what I was going to say at lunch. We walked out to my pool to talk.

“Claire, what’s up? You’ve been acting totally different since yesterday.”

“I don’t … I dunno if I can go through with our relationship,” I struggled to say. A tear fell too soon.

“Claire….”

“You’ve been weird since I started hanging out with Dillon, and I dunno if I can handle this. It’s like you think he’s gonna take me from you.”

“I’ve … I’m jealous. I’m jealous that sometimes you choose to hang out with him instead of me. I’m scared that you’re going to break up with me for him. I know he’s gay and I know he’s in a relationship with Tanner, but I can’t help it.”

“Well I don’t think I can be with you if you don’t trust me.”

“Claire. I didn’t mean to, but I fell for you the first time I ever saw you. I love you. I know I’ve said this many times, but I really mean this. I love you and I don’t know what would happen if I lost you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I want you to stay in my life.” He paused to wipe a tear from my face, keeping his hand there and not letting it drop like most guys would’ve by now. “I hate it that I don’t accept your offers to hang out with you and Dillon, but it’s a natural instinct for a guy. I'm not homophobic, but I’m slowly accepting the fact that he’s gay. And that’s what we need. Time for me too ease into this.”

“Okay,” I said quietly.

He wiped another tear from my face then kissed me as if he’d never see me again.