Angels and Guardians Pt. 03

Joe nodded and the photographer gave them some instructions on posing, then clicked his camera. He moved a plastic "stone" bench to the set and gave more instructions, leading Joe to sit with Ashley lying with her head in his lap. Joe and Ashley were finished after three more flashes. They both wondered to themselves how the photos were going to turn out. The photographer told them the package would be ready by the end of the dance. But if they were to leave early (said with a wink), he will gladly mail the photos.

They exited the room and wandered their way toward the music. Entering the dance room, the DJ spotted the crowns the couple was wearing for the last few photo shots and announced their arrival. The resulting cheer from the dance floor resulted in both their faces blushing red. Ashley dipped a small curtsy, while Joe gave an appreciative wave. They made their way through the hellos and congratulations from the game and found Jasmine and her date in a corner near the stage.

"This is amazing!" Ashley called to Jasmine.

"Thanks, it's different seeing it in person," Jasmine said in her ear. The music had resumed in earnest.

"You and what army did this?" shouted Joe.

"No no no...I just drew up the concept for the events club. They did all the work."

"Well, you need to be an interior designer, Jasmine."

"Thank you for the compliment, Ashley. I've been called by several private schools for that, actually."

"So, you know where you're going, then?" asked Joe.

"Not really, I still want to go to State. They offered a cheering scholarship. You're a better flier than me, Ashley. Have they called you yet?"

Ashley's face fell a smidgen. "I haven't applied, yet. I can go anywhere that accepts me, thanks to that hellish TV thing, but I just don't know what I want yet."

Jasmine nodded. "You'll figure it out soon. Don't worry."

Ashley motioned to Joe that she'd like a drink, and Jasmine did the same with her date. The two escorts departed on their duty and Ashley motioned to a nearby table.

Jasmine was concerned. "Everything okay? What's up?"

"No, everything is fine. I just hate not knowing what to do. I mean I got that money from the TV company, so I could live off that..."

Jasmine frowned at Ashley. "Yeah, for like 3 years. Then what? Marry rich?" Ashley's eyes flicked in the direction of Joe, even though he was out of sight. Jasmine noticed and instantly regretted the comment. "Damn, Ashley I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate that that's why you're here with Joe tonight."

"No, I didn't think that's what you meant, but now, I'm wondering if that's what I'm doing. I mean I like Joe, and all he's done for me. But, am I hanging out with him and y'all to....I don't know. Makes me wonder about my state of mind. You know?"

Jasmine smiled sweetly. "Exactly. I know exactly what you're going through. I thought through the same thing when he took me under his wing. Look, don't think too much about that tonight. Just enjoy yourself."

"I plan to." As Ashley said that, the guys brought up the cups of punch to their table.

Joe and Mike (Jasmine's date) settled into football discussion about last nights game, and the girls gossiped for a while until the rest of the group trickled in from the photo station. By then, the dance hall had filled up considerably. Joe kept getting tapped on the shoulder by a number of schoolmates and teachers giving him congratulations for the performance the night before. Ashley noticed how even though he would be interrupted in the middle of a sentence, Joe was always gracious and said thank you with a smile. He would then apologize to whomever he was speaking with in the group. It was a breath of fresh air to have a date who didn't lord over his field accomplishments.

Jill started getting antsy, and when Joe noticed, he nudged her boyfriend. When he didn't get it, Joe nodded his head toward Jill. Finally, Joe had to tell him in his ear, "damn, dude, ask her to dance already!" To firm up the point, he turned and asked Ashley if she wanted a dance. This of course made Jill throw daggers with her eyes at her boyfriend. When he looked at Joe, Joe shook his head, saying, "sorry, I tried giving a brother a chance." Joe took Ashley's hand and led her to the floor. The other pairs followed suit.

The DJ played an excellent mix, choosing to alternate between two slow, then two quicker tempo songs. Ashley, like many girls, knew how to dance just by listening to her heart, but in the arms of the trained Joe, she came to life. Joe led her dancing around the floor like a pro, and during the quicker songs, he was content to let her dance for him. She was so seductive and playful, his heart started falling farther into her with every beat. Ashley was starting to feel the same with Joe. His strength and grace allowed her to dance without even thinking. For the first time in years, all her cares for a while melted into nothing. The pair quickly became the most talked about in the room. The consensus being that they were an amazing couple. The best King and Queen in school history.

The music broke for a while, and the live band was set up. During the intermission, the group made their way to the patio to chat. Jill, Sally and a few other schoolmates broke off to a corner to enjoy a smoke, while the others sipped punch and talked about nothing any would remember after tonight. After a bit, the band struck the first few notes, and everyone piled back in. The band was a very well put-together group, and they had nearly everyone dancing, save the bashful freshmen. It wasn't long before they played a fast, catchy tempo and the cheerleaders formed up a synchronized dance that had everyone crowding around to watch. They performed two songs of dancing and then split up back toward their dates, bowing on their way to the appreciative applause. Just when Ashley reached Joe, someone started a chant of "Ashley! Ashley!" Joe was just about to give her a peck when she returned, but was interrupted by the chant and he noticed that everyone was facing their way. He grinned at her and said, "better give them what they want." She smiled back then pranced her way to the stage. When the crowd saw she was heading up to the stage, they broke out into applause and cheers.

Ashley had never wanted much attention. She was content with flying "under the radar" and allowing her friends to be the center of adoration. Despite this, however, she found herself enjoying the spotlight. Once on stage, she asked the lead singer if the band knew a couple of songs. He nodded and started playing the first one she requested. As she sang, Joe found himself feeling very proud of her. Her voice was a masterpiece in beauty, but he already knew that. The way she would play to the crowd and get them involved just by voice inflection and her moving and dancing about on stage is what impressed him. It is not easy to get over the embarrassment of seeing every eye in the place looking at you. Even harder still is feeling out the crowd, knowing where they want to go, then nudging them that way. During the first slow song, Ashley had every couple swaying with each other, looking into their partners' eyes. When her second request started playing, she willed the crowd to jump and dance wildly to the quickened pace. Of course, everybody responded.

That song ended, the crowd cheered and gave her a moving ovation. She politely thanked them, then turned to the band and clapped to thank them. Ashley was about to step off stage when someone called out, "Ashley's Song!" Of course, the rest of the students started chanting the same thing, stopping her in her tracks. She moved back to stage-center, and the lead singer handed back the microphone. Ashley shook her head while grinning. "Oh no...that got me in so much trouble last time!" The crowd took up the renewed chant, then broke into a deafening applause when they saw Joe walking up the steps to join Ashley.

She kissed him on the cheek, then handed him the microphone. Predictably, the peck only fired up the crowd of teenagers all the more. Joe faced them and held the mike at chest level and calmly waited for the reduced decibels. When it was a manageable level, he said into the microphone, "are you SURE?" This, of course, had the expected result with noise filling the room. He noticed the principal in the back corner shaking her head at him. Joe smiled and said into the microphone, "don't worry, Sister. I'm aware what school I am attending. I'll change it up a bit to make it more...shall we say...Catholic-appropriate." She glared cautiously across the room at him when the crowd booed. He looked at the students booing and laughed. "Don't worry, it'll still be a bitchin' song." At this, Sister Kate took two focused steps toward the stage, but Joe caught her eye and he gave his head a tiny shake. She read the almost imperceptible gesture correctly as "really, trust me." She did, and broke off her pursuit. However, she was still ready to pull the plug, literally, if Joe crossed her.

Joe stepped to the keyboard and played the melody. Ashley noticed the difference in style and tempo and looked questioningly at him. He mouthed back for her to just follow along. He played his intro once more to allow her to grasp the new style. Basically, with a few small changes, Joe had transformed the hot sultry seduction into an exquisite teasing ballad. Ashley, showing impressive adaptability, followed along and seemed to predict where he was going with the piece. In reality, Joe showed her in the intro where he wanted her to go with it, and then followed her lead while she sang. The band picked up the melody in the refrain and joined in. When they concluded, the applause was strong enough to make Joe glance at the ceiling, checking if it was shaking loose. Ashley, overwhelmed by the attention, tearfully looked back at Joe and smiled broadly. He simply returned the smile and nodded at her.

Joe eventually waved at the crowd, took Ashley's hand, and escorted her down the steps to the dance floor. They were met by Sister Kate, who congratulated them on a job well done. "You're lucky I trust you Joe. I was ready to turn off every breaker to stop you. But, you earned my trust for a reason and you didn't disappoint me here. Thank you." Joe responded with a "no worries, Sister K!" and they turned to join their group. The DJ returned to fill his role as emcee and the pair didn't get very far. "I think this is a good time to introduce your Homecoming King and Queen! Joe, Ashley please step to the middle of the floor." Joe looked at Ashley during the applause and she rolled her eyes. He grinned and led her by the hand to the appointed place.

They reached the middle and turned to face the large screen lowering from the ceiling. The DJ started reading from a prepared script the story of their young lives, starting with Ashley. Each story concluded with a listing of their achievements thus far. Joe looked at her in surprise when her entry into the National Honors Society sophomore year was mentioned. She noticed and whispered to him, "What? Do I look blonde, or stupid?"

He laughed and shook his head. His biography was read, followed by a considerable list of his sports participation and achievements. What surprised Ashley was a list of academic achievements so long that the DJ started to get winded. She looked at him when his achievement of top economic student in the nation was read. He nudged her when he noticed her staring at him. "What? Do I look blonde, or stupid?"

She had to laugh and said, "touche." The slideshow and narration ended to polite and robust applause.

The DJ continued after a bit, "And so, with a vote harvesting 79% of the school, Ashley Roberts is your Homecoming Queen!" She curtsied gracefully to each side of the crowd applauding around them. "With a total of 93% of the votes, I give you Joe Smith as your Homecoming King!" Joe bowed to the cheer, getting playfully punched by Ashley as he returned upright. "That's for beating me in the count!" Joe rolled his eyes and hugged her. The DJ resumed his script, "Like the Spartans of old, the royals shall dance, celebrating their great victory over the enemy."

The band struck up a modern waltz, and Joe bobbed his head up and down wildly as if he were trying to keep time on his first dance attempt. The crowd laughed heartily at the feigned clumsiness, and then Joe swept Ashley into the waltz. He skillfully glided her around the floor, giving their audience all a turn at seeing them close up. Nearing halfway through the song, he danced them to the plush chairs serving their role as the royal throne. They stopped neatly in front of their seats, and bowed and curtsied to acknowledge the resulting applause. Joe "helped" Ashley to her seat by letting her down by the hand, and then turned to their audience and gestured for them to dance. Joe took his seat after the crowd complied, and the pair was entertained by the couples dancing in front of them. When the song ended, Joe recited a speech; "Thank you Royal Subjects for bestowing this great honor upon us. We turn now and leave our crowns upon the royal throne so they may adorn our future generations." He and Ashley removed their itchy headwear and placed it on their respective seats. They turned and waved at the applause, and made their way to join the group they attempted to join more than an hour ago.

Chapter 13

The Winning Of Hearts

Jill greeted each of them with a hug. "...so that they may adorn our future generations? What the hell?!"

Joe grinned broadly. "That hat was getting to be so itchy I had to find a way to get rid of it!"

Jasmine pouted. "It's a crown. NOT a hat."

Ashley laughed. "Maybe a crown of thorns! The tiara was KILLING me!" Then, it suddenly hit her. "You mean that's not usually what happens at your dance?"

Jill laughed at the remark. "No...never. The royal couple usually walks off, joins their respective dates, crowns still attached. They return them to the drama teacher on Monday morning."

"But, I think Joe just started a new tradition. I saw both Sister K and the drama teacher scribbling furiously after Joe's speech," Jasmine added. Pouts never lasted long with her.

Jill changed the subject. "Well, what do y'all want to do now?"

Ashley was taken back a bit. "We can't leave...I thought this was a lock-in?"

"It is, but never for us. Freshman year Joe, Jasmine, and I busted tail decorating this place for Homecoming. We left an hour before the dance started," began Jill.

Jasmine finished. "That's only one hour to get showered, changed, picked up, or in Joe's case, pick up, go to dinner, get here and walk in. It sucked bad for us, and Sister K and the chaperones knew it. So, when we asked to leave early, there was no problem. Ever since, we've earned enough trust points with the faculty that they know we aren't going to get schnockered and kill ourselves. So we could leave whenever we want."

Ashley digested this, yet she was really having fun. "I hate to spoil your plans, but I'd like to stay and dance with Joe some more. That is if you want to, Joe."

Joe saw her put on the sad puppy eyes, but she didn't need to. "Yeah, sure I do. Y'all go and have fun. We'll see you later." They said their goodbyes to the other two couples and headed back to the dance floor.

After another hour, the music started winding down and about half the students left as soon as the time came. Ashley begged off to slip into the Ladies Room and when she returned, she asked Joe if he wanted to leave. He said only if she was ready. Ashley was tired and said, "Let's go." Joe helped her into the van, and when he entered the driver's side he asked what she wanted to do. She was a tad nervous, as this point in the evening usually meant she would have to tolerate some sex. However, Ashley pushed aside the thought and put her trust in Joe. She finally responded that he could choose what to do next. She was surprised and happy that he asked permission to take her to the beach for a walk. Ashley accepted and Joe eased out of the parking lot.

An hour of driving later, they reached a moderately out of the way car park at the beach. Ashley swore to herself and looked at Joe, suddenly remembering that she didn't bring any change of clothes. Joe told her it was okay to go in just undies. Visions flooded her head of past dances where not only Bill last year, but previous dates had taken the assumption that she would make a "payment" for the dinner they provided. She couldn't hide the disappointment from her face, even as she started to begrudgingly lower the zipper on her back. Joe put a hand on her shoulder and told her softly to stop. He explained that he was kidding, but knew by the look on her face that he hurt her.

"Seriously, stop," he said. "Just take off your shoes and pantyhose. I won't look. I'll meet you on the dune crossover." With that he slipped out of his shoes and socks and stepped out of the van to give her some privacy.

He didn't need to stop her, Ashley was more than willing to do anything Joe had asked. She felt, stupidly she knew, that she owed him something for all he had done for her so far. On the opposite side of the coin, though, she felt relieved for some reason. Maybe she wanted him to be a true gentleman. She knew that the wish is destined for fairy tales only, but after her past relationships, she lusted for this wish to be true, more than she lusted for horny sex at times. She stepped out of the van with a sudden realization. "I'll ruin this dress," she called to Joe.

"Then I'll buy you a new one," he returned. "Don't worry about it, just come on!"

She hurried to him, and he led her down the crossover, toward the surf that was rippling in and sloshing onto the shore. This, paired with the carbonated fizz sound as each wave retreated provided the perfect background music. At the water's edge, Joe turned right and they started an easy stroll, sometimes allowing the bath temperature water to wash over their feet. Joe's direction decision was intentional. He was on her left, keeping him closest to the water. It did two things. First, he would get the most wet, should a particularly strong rush come ashore. Second, Ashley was "uphill" from him, making her less conscious of their height difference. They walked a short distance before Joe broke the ice. "I really don't know much about you before you came to our school. How did you get into NHS so early?"

"I thought it would be a lot cooler than this, being fall," she responded.

Joe answered, "the water is still in the 80's, the onshore wind keeps the beach a bit warmer than inland. I thought being from California you'd know that."

"Well, my dad is in the Navy. I grew up on base and down the coast was the port, so our 'beach' was a concrete seawall. The water was always filled with diesel and other junk, so I never went very much," she retorted.

Joe decided to push a bit, "see? I don't know you that much. Will you please stop changing the subject?"

Ashley answered with a sigh and a "very well." She told him how her parents and teachers pushed her into applying for NHS freshman year. She followed their advice and goals and the rest was easy. The membership was granted her without any further input. "They gave it to me based on my grades." She continued on, relating her triumphs and defeats in school. Eventually, she got around to her personal life and dating. During one story, she got a pained look on her face and Joe stopped her. "I'm sorry, I guess I forgot guys don't like hearing about past guys."

Joe responded quickly, "no...well, yes, that's true. But, I meant you don't have to tell me any details you don't want to."

Ashley smiled. "Thanks, but if you're comfortable with it, I am too."

Joe sensed she wanted to get some things off her chest. "Okay then, here's the deal. Tell me whatever you want. If I'm not comfortable, I'll stop you. If you're not, you do the same."