D-I-D Syndrome

Wade could hardly believe his ears and felt a ray of hope enter his dark confines. "Your cousin, huh? I understand. Hey, I've got an idea! What if I told you there would be a good chance that you could go with a great guy and popular athlete from this school to the prom who wasn't your cousin?" He eagerly advanced.

"You've got to be kidding me. Don't you think I thought of that? All the good guys are taken. The only guys left who don't have dates are either too nerdy or too inept. At least my cousin looks like a hunk and he'd make Justin jealous as hell." Sonya proffered.

"I said a great guy, not a nerd or someone with two left feet. He's a very popular athlete and he would love to take you to prom."

"And just who is this mystery big man on campus who would love to go out with me?" She inquired.

"Me! Sonya, would you do me a big favor and allow me the privilege of being your escort to prom Saturday night?"

"You? But what about Gloria? Did you catch her cheating on you too?"

"Not yet, but she soon will be. Mr. big-bucks, Tad Cone, asked her last night to be his date because Julia has mono. Believe it or not, Gloria said yes so she's going with him instead of me. I was flushed down the toilet like a piece of shit," he said morosely.

"Damn! Hell! That hurts! I don't think my cousin was looking forward to going with me anyway. If you're for real, then yes; I'll be happy to go to the prom with you. As you know, Gloria and I aren't exactly best friends. I believe she resents my position as head cheerleader. You are a WAY better catch than Tad, even on his best day. I'd love nothing more than showing you off on my arm to give her a good reason to be jealous. This is gonna be fun!" She jubilantly agreed.

"About that," he interjected. "You can talk all the trash you want to her. But as for me, I won't be saying a word to either one of them because I'm afraid of losing control and ruining the night for everyone. As long as you're okay with me ignoring both of them completely, we can have a lot of fun."

"Deal!" She said excitedly. "Things are looking up for me now. Thank you for asking me, Wade. You won't regret it, I promise you," and she gave him a peck on the lips and ran for her class.

Wade showed up at Sonya's home at 6:30 pm sharp. He was welcomed inside and gave her the requisite orchid. They had all of the obligatory pictures taken before they were able to make their escape. "We'd better hurry," he suggested. We have reservations at Chez Roberts at seven."

"Wow, I've never been to that ritzy place," Sonya informed. I'm impressed already."

"I'm the one who's impressed. You look drop-dead gorgeous in that dress, Sonya. I'm the luckiest guy of the entire prom."

"You're so sweet to say that, Wade. My aunt made this dress for me and I wore it as a bridesmaid at her wedding. I've only worn it once and have been saving it for prom."

"It's not the dress that makes you look beautiful, Sonya. It's the other way around." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Where did you get this car? It looks expensive."

I could never afford something like this on my own," he admitted. "My eighth-grade teacher, Mrs. Crenshaw, and I are still good friends. This jet black Mercedes belongs to her and she's loaned it to me for the night. It's not a new model, but she keeps it looking and running like new. I lucked out in having her for a friend and you as my date tonight. Now remember before we get there, don't expect me to say a single word to either of those backstabbers. Okay?"

"Got it!" She said with a gleam in her eye.

They milled around after claiming their seat at a friendly table. They managed several dances keeping their distance from the backstabbers. But Gloria spotted Wade with her nemesis and she seemed royally pissed.

Sonya had a secret crush on Wade for the longest time but was unable to act on it due to his devotion to Gloria. He never looked at another girl and Sonya realized it was a long shot, but hoped to prevent their reconciliation. She wanted to keep him for herself and was only too happy to respect Wade's wishes and avoid her nemesis.

Gloria didn't feel the same and eventually blindsided Sonya by coming up from behind her while she and Wade were enjoying themselves on the dance floor. As soon as Wade recognized Tad and Gloria he leaned over and whispered to Sonya that he was going to refill their punch glasses and would meet her back at their table. Sonya grabbed Wade and pulled him in for a flamboyant passionate kiss right in front of Gloria, especially for her benefit, and whispered back, "Okay, don't worry; I got this."

"What's up, Sonya? I didn't expect to see you here, especially with Wade. What? You're not content just being the head cheerleader, you gotta steal my man too?" Gloria fumed.

"Steal? He told me you shit on him and flushed him down the toilet. You threw him away, girl so he's a free agent now. And just so you know, he sought me out and asked ME to prom. I had no clue you two had broken up." Sonya spat.

"We're NOT breaking up! This is just a one-time thing and Tad's been a wonderful date and perfect gentleman tonight. Wade and I will be right back in each other's arms tomorrow. You can bet on that." Gloria argued. Tad embarrassingly shuffled his feet at that remark.

"I can assure you a hundred percent that Wade will be in MY arms tomorrow, not yours," Sonya emphatically stated. Gloria ignored her inflammatory remark.

"Did ya'll come straight here from home? We dined at Henderson's earlier and didn't see you guys there. Couldn't afford to go out to eat first? That's one of the perks that come from being with Tad.

"Henderson's? Tad took you to a sports bar for dinner? How quaint. The reason you didn't see us there was that Wade had reservations for us at Chez Roberts. They have fantastic French cuisine and it was glorious. Neither of us had been there before and it was an unforgettable experience. I hope you enjoyed your hot dog at Henderson's," Sonya sarcastically said. Gloria just looked up angrily at Tad. She knew the reason they'd gone to Henderson's was solely in hopes of seeing Wade there to gloat and rub it in his face.

"I see," fumed Gloria. So did he ride you here on his bicycle? Tad brought me in style in a red Cadillac Convertible." Gloria bragged.

"A Cadillac? I guess that's okay if you like common American cars. Wade brought me in a luxurious black Mercedes with every feature imaginable. Those Germans sure know how to build awesome automobiles." Sonya stated dreamily.

"You're lying!" Gloria snapped. "I don't believe you!"

"I don't give a shit what you believe, you bitch. You can watch us leave in it if you want to, but that's kind of pathetic, isn't it? Believe this, he's mine now and I'm keeping him! Thank you for throwing him away." With that, Sonya abruptly turned and headed over to their table to rejoin Wade. She heard Gloria crying as she left. She felt electrified for having defended their honor as a couple.

At the halfway point of the dance, there was an intermission where the prom king and queen would be announced. Everyone that wanted to had cast their ballot. It was unanimous, Wade had been chosen prom king and Gloria his queen. Many attendees were unaware of their current situation or they might have voted for Sonya.

Wade was already up on the stage with his crown and staff as Gloria was happily being given her crown for the night. Tad and Sonya looked on from the dance floor both wondering what would happen. The MC called for silence as he announced that the king and queen were to have the next dance alone in the spotlight on the stage in front of their subjects. Gloria looked longingly at Wade which pissed off Tad since she was HIS date for the night but he was powerless to stop a long-held tradition.

Wade refused to even look her way and instead walked over to the microphone and said, "Sorry, I don't dance with backstabbing sluts. Sonya, let's get out of here. I'm done."

He dropped his crown and staff in the hands of the closest guy and said, "Here, go for it. You dance with her; she's definitely not MY queen." Gloria could be heard sobbing from the stage even without a microphone. Everyone in the building was stunned as Wade took Sonya's hand and effected their exit from the prom.

The next two weeks were hell for Gloria. She could take the humiliation that he'd heaped on her that night on the stage at prom. What she couldn't bear was being separated from the love of her life. But Wade was exceptionally clever at avoiding her. She'd not heard a peep from him since prom nor did she expect him to call her. Damage control would require access to him and she knew that the more time that elapsed, the harder it would be to mend fences and win him back. The orphanage was a safe place for him, so her best opportunities would be during school hours. Sonya rubbed it in her face as often as possible how much she enjoyed dating Wade.

Tad had resumed dating Julia once her mono had been dealt with. His sole interest in Gloria, besides being one of the prettiest girls at school, was to humiliate Wade and exact a modicum of revenge. But it was a hollow success. He'd not had the chance to openly humiliate him in front of others but he had a plan.

As much as Sonya threw herself at Wade, he wasn't as nearly invested in their relationship as was she. She offered him her body anytime he wanted it, but he simply didn't feel the romantic connection with her that he'd had with Gloria. He even felt a tinge of guilt at times recognizing that he was using her to hurt Gloria and make her jealous and he didn't want to disrespect Sonya.

Sonya knew that she was the rebound girl but hoped that their relationship would click despite the hurtful circumstances that brought it about. She doted over him every chance she had but Wade remained the perfect gentleman and never took advantage of her intimate treasure.

It was the next to last day of school and Gloria knew that it was now or never. She'd called in every favor she could with her friends and fellow cheerleaders who were girlfriends to many of the big guys on the football team.

As Wade was exiting the cafeteria having finished lunch, he was grabbed by ten guys and quickly pulled outside away from the view of others. "What the hell?" Wade shouted at his fellow linemen who had fought with him on the football field.

"We're sorry Wade," one of them relayed. Our girlfriends threatened to cut us off if we didn't do this."

"Do what?" He queried.

The guys solidly locked arms forming a closed circle around their quarry. It was clear that he wasn't going anywhere for the time being and most of these guys were some of his best friends so he knew that they harbored no ill intent and he didn't want to physically hurt any of them in a fight. Soon the devious plan was revealed as Gloria stepped through a provided opening between two of the largest guys who again locked arms immediately after she entered the confined space.

"Oh, it's you," he said flatly. "Now I get it. What do you want, Gloria?"

"You have been avoiding me like the plague since prom and I only want a chance to explain. If you'll just listen to what I have to say this one time, then you'll be free to go and I won't bother you again if that is your wish," she said intently.

"Alright. You pulled a lot of strings to set this up, so go ahead and get it over with. All my friends are here listening. What is so important that you have to say Gloria after you betrayed me?" He spat.

Gloria girded her loins to undertake the ominous challenge facing her. She'd prepared the perfect speech but as she faced the love of her life, her spirit melted and the words vanished from her mind, so she winged it.

"Tad was, is, and never will be anything to me. Everyone knows that the only reason he asked me to prom was to get back at you. He has this burning hatred of you for some reason, maybe jealousy because you're such a well-liked and respected guy. As I said, my parents were the driving force behind my going with him. They were ecstatic for me to have the chance to see what life was like on the other side for a change. They threatened me in no uncertain terms and explained how disappointed they would be with me if I declined this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only that, but they told me I'd be grounded for months and that they'd never let me see you again. That killed me. I couldn't afford to leave home but the thought of not seeing you or talking to you would be the end of me."

"Well, now that you have tasted the good life, you can move on without me. Money isn't everything, you know. I may be liked and respected but I'll never be rich. So you better hitch your wagon to the money train while you can," he said heatedly.

"That's just it, Wade. The good life? It was the worst night of my entire life in every way imaginable. Tad is an asshole, a fucking asshole who has a vendetta against you and that's all that this was about. I ordered him to take me home right after you left me humiliated on that stage. I couldn't face everyone there after what you'd said for everyone to hear. I love you, Wade. I love you beyond measure. I always have and I always will. Knowing what I know now, I wish I had told my parents to go fuck themselves and kick me out on the street rather than live through what happened. I have just one question for you Wade, and I want you to think seriously about it before you answer. Are you going to let Tad win? Are you giving him the power to single-handedly destroy the great relationship that we had? That's what he wanted, you know!"

Tears were now streaming down her face as she was sobbing through those last words. It broke Wade's heart again to see her in such obvious pain and anguish. He suddenly realized that he wasn't the only one who was a victim here. He was confused. It never occurred to him that he had been giving Tad free rent in his head and was allowing him to manipulate them like a puppet master.

"I......I need time to think. Give me a few days and I'll give you an answer but I can't say right now," he offered.

"That's all I ask Wade and it's more than I deserve. Thank you guys so much for your help. Let him go."

Each one of the guys patted him on the back in empathy with his dilemma and offered their humble apologies before he walked away.

That night, Wade wanted to be away from his friends so he didn't go to Henderson's but instead went to Connie's Bar and Grill, which was in the very roughest part of town. He knew that no one would mess with him there and he could be alone with his thoughts. He ordered a beer from Connie, the woman behind the bar, and went and sat over in a corner booth, away from the other patrons. He recognized a few of the faces from school but was not friends with any of them for which he was glad.

Twenty minutes after he was seated, he saw a friendly couple walk in the door of the establishment. They were all over each other kissing and hugging. Apparently, Justin was able to persuade Sonya to forgive him and take him back because she seemed to be very much into her former boyfriend. Wade finished his beer and walked over to their table and dropped a twenty-dollar bill in front of a shocked Sonya.

"Oh, Wade!" A shocked Sonya blurted. "I never expected to see you here. Why are you here and not at Henderson's?" She timidly asked.

"I came here to get away from everyone I know, do some thinking, and make a few decisions. I'm glad to see you two having such a good time. Thank you, Sonya, for sparing me a dreaded conversation," he said disappointingly.

"Wade, it's not..."

Wade briskly interrupted her. "Please, have a couple of beers on me as my parting gift. Have a nice life, Sonya." With that, Wade walked out of her life. He never called her again. He became proud. After being raised at the orphanage, he did not want to accept charity from anyone. He wanted to earn his own way through life.

Graduation day finally arrived. With Mrs. Crenshaw's continued guidance, Wade graduated with a 3.9 GPA. He saw her beaming in the crowd as he walked across the stage. Even though his grades were good enough for college admission, he instinctively knew that college wasn't in his future. Even if he managed to win a full-ride, there are other incidental expenses associated with four years of college that he knew he could never afford. Mrs. Crenshaw insisted on taking him out to dinner after his graduation. She drove them to a nice family restaurant and they placed their orders.

"I can't tell you how proud I am of you, Wade. You have risen like cream to the top of your class, she praised.

"I owe it all to you, ma'am. I'm not so sure I wouldn't have been in prison now if it weren't for you. Whatever obligation you felt you had to my parents and me, you have more than paid it back in full measure. I will forever be in your debt," he humbly stated.

"Gertrude, please call me Gertrude. Now that you're an adult and a high school graduate, we are peers now. Thank you for saying that, Wade, but quite the opposite is true. You have given me a new lease on life and a purpose to fulfill that I was sadly lacking before you graced my door. I have vicariously lived through your every success as if it were my own. I never had a son, but if I had, I'd have wanted him to be just like you. You have a great future facing you and there is still one more thing I'd like to offer you but I have to ask you a question first."

"Anything....Gertrude," as he stumbled using her first name. "I'll answer anything you ask honestly," he fronted.

"Where do you see yourself five-ten years from now?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest, they'll be kicking me out of the orphanage any day now. They offered me a position with the State as one of the wards there; not much of a salary but free room and board. I politely turned it down. As much as I appreciate being raised there, I want to move on to a fresh new chapter of my life and do something different. So I figure I'll be taking a job at the textile mill. I know you said you didn't want that for me but I don't see any other options to be perfectly honest," he surmised.

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, Wade. There's a man, Jason Rawlings. He manages a trucking concern here in town. You may have heard of it, Accurate Deliveries. They make deliveries of all kinds for every type of business in addition to being a courier and even a moving company as folks move from one place to another. They're pretty much the only game in town when it comes to making deliveries for stores and other concerns. Jason is a friend of mine, much like you, and is always on the lookout for good quality people. I've already talked to him about you and he is anxious to meet with you. I think the interview is only a formality because I'm certain he'll offer you a job."

"That's amazing. I've seen their delivery trucks all over town. But why do you think he'd hire me right out of high school with no experience?"

"Because he's my friend and highly respects my recommendation. He too was once my student years ago and I'm proud of him just as I am you."

"I don't know what to say, Gertrude. You are the kindest person I know and I strive to be half as honorable and good as you. This opportunity sounds perfect for me, no matter what they pay."

"That's the good part of it, Wade. He pays thirty percent higher wages than the textile mill does because all deliveries must be made on time and intact. You'll start at the bottom of course but I'm sure that you'll be his right-hand man in no time because of your honesty and work ethic."

"I'll call him first thing in the morning! This means that I won't have to work at the mill that killed my father. I'm sure both of my parents are looking down from Heaven right now and are grateful for everything you've done for me. I promise you, I won't let you down. I'll give Jason my very best efforts."