The Worst Day(s) of My Life: Day 02

At moments like this, one can only laugh at the irony. Sylvia wasn't laughing.

Monica arrived a few hours later. They complimented each other's outfits and prepared to head out. Monica was in a purple spaghetti-strap dress which rode up her legs as she sat in her car, the unlady-like view obscured only because she wasn't facing anybody. Sylvia thought about how rare it was to see her friend in a dress - largely due to her propensity for sitting with her legs apart.

Neither of them had gotten word from Lucas, so they decided to go straight to the venue together and hold out for him to show up. But Sylvia's pessimism got the better of her and she began discussing plans for their set in case they only had two people.

Both girls were in 'business-mode' and didn't say too many platitudes. There was always a thick feeling in the air prior to a concert. They did the sound-check, both girls occasionally waiting for Lucas to do his part before remembering he wasn't there, then returning to their instruments.

Students were beginning to come in through the doors as admissions began, the sound of the crowd outside spilling out in a big wave like a burst dam. Sylvia had wanted to enjoy the prom as a spectator, but found herself unable to leave the back door in case Lucas showed up late.

She lifted up her guitar to set it aside when she heard a tear.

She didn't say anything, merely groaning as she looked down to inspect the damage. Her left breast was slightly more revealed than she had hoped it would be, the torn fabric hanging down below it. Lucas wouldn't be around to repair it this time, so she hastily tied the strap back together, though her knot didn't hold very well.

It was then that she heard the door opening.

"Lucas!" Sylvia called.

But it wasn't Lucas who answered.

Ivy stepped gingerly into the door, as if she were embarrassed to be there. Her typical chains and straps had been exchanged for a simple black suit and she was wearing less makeup than usual. When she caught sight of Sylvia, she blinked a few times in surprise.

"Nice to see you, Ivy." Sylvia greeted her.

"Y-yeah." Ivy softly let the door close behind her.

"I didn't think you were the type of person to go to prom," Sylvia said, knowing. "What are you doing here?"

"I just," Ivy stammered. "I did something stupid and now they're gonna recognize me for it."

"Ah, is that so?" Sylvia leaned against the wall. "Well, I'm glad you could make it."

"Hmm... Yeah." Ivy said. "I guess as long as you're here, it's not so bad."

Somebody came rushing down the hallway at them, just barely stopping in time to not collide with Sylvia's chest.

"Yo!" Monica waved. "I just started a mosh pit on the dance floor! Gotta lay low here for a while while the chaperones get that sorted out."

"Oh, hello... uh..." Ivy started.

"I'm Monica."

Ivy extended a hand to greet Monica, but the energetic girl hugged her instead. Ivy was taken aback and the hug ended before she had the chance to reciprocate.

"You're Ivy, right?" She asked. "Aw man, you're not dressed like usual."

"Like usual?" Ivy asked.

"Yeah," Monica stepped back, admiring the girl's suit. "You're usually dressed so cool and... and cool! I always loved your outfits!"

It wasn't a very eloquently phrased compliment, but Ivy seemed to blush all the same.

"Thanks." Was all she could say.

Monica nodded, then left the room, pounding at the sides of her head while loudly humming their setlist.

The two girls remained back there, watching the rest of the students dancing and having the time of their lives from backstage. Ivy sighed, as if she wanted to go out and enjoy the party with the others.

"Do you ever get the feeling like you've done all of this before?" Sylvia asked.

"Déjà vu?" Ivy clarified.

"No, not quite. It's like you've lived that whole day once already - like you know what's going to happen before it does."

"I think that's Déjà vu." Ivy shrugged.

"I mean..." Sylvia sighed. "I swear I've lived this whole day before. Like from morning to sundown. I remember things happening that never happened and I can predict what's going to happen before it does."

"So you ran down the hallway naked before?" Ivy joked.

"Well, no." Sylvia laughed. "Last time, I had a towel." She decided not to tell Ivy about how she'd behaved before.

"Last time..." Ivy's tone grew more serious. "Have you ever heard of 'The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin'?"

"Uh..." Sylvia scratched her head.

"How about Star Trek TNG?" Ivy suggested. "The episode with the USS Bozeman?"

Sylvia grimaced, unknowing.

Ivy sighed. "Well, it sounds like you're experiencing a causal loop. The same experiences again and again."

"A causal loop..." Sylvia said, as if saying it aloud would make the situation more comprehensible.

"Well, if you've seen this all before, how about you tell me who wins prom queen?" Ivy smiled.

"Come on," Sylvia laughed. "It's not like you need to see the future to know that."

The lights began to dim in the main ballroom as the music came to an abrupt stop, the crowd all funneling in to the floor beneath the stage as their attention was called.

"Welp, this is our queue." She sighed as she prepared to walk to the stage.

But before she could make it far, Ivy put a hand on Sylvia's shoulder.

"Before you go," She started. "Take this."

Ivy took off her tie, unraveling the cloth around her neck and stepping towards Sylvia.

With confident hands, she grabbed the damaged strap and began to tie it around the tear a few times. Her gaze was mostly fixed on the knot she was making, occasionally looking up at the other girl's eyes and her blushing face.

She finished the knot and tugged at it a few times, the strap holding in place. She nodded to let Sylvia know she was done, but the girl only stood there. Their faces were inches apart.

It became obvious that she was looking at her lips.

And then, there was a name yelled from the stage's speakers. Ivy was being called to speak in front of the assembled students, to be recognized for her National Merit Finalist position.

Ivy winced as she walked away from Sylvia, but the other girl gave her an assuring smile and her mood improved as she stepped into the light.

The crowd began whispering things to each other as she went out there, the whispers turning into mocking laughter, and then to boos. Ivy clutched the microphone and looked over to Sylvia for support. She gave a thumbs-up.

"Thank you all for this recognition." She started.

The crowd quieted a bit, but this only served to make a few of the jeering students stand out more clearly.

"Get off the stage!"

"Nobody cares!"

"What a nerd!"

Watching from backstage, it was hard not to feel sympathetic for the girl.

"I'm sorry that I've never made a more active effort to get to know all of you." She continued. "It was a bit selfish of me, I know, but the truth is that I've always believed I was better than other people."

The crowd's murmurs grew louder as people reacted in shocked confusion and anger.

"But that was wrong!" She yelled.

"I thought that I was too good to interact with most other people and I isolated myself with a few close friends who thought the same way. But I've learned recently that that's no way to live your life!

"What's the point of having good grades if you don't have friends? What's the point of scholarships if you can't celebrate winning them with a person close to you? I haven't been the nicest person for the last few years, but I hope you'll all give me a second chance; For however little time there is to do so."

As she put the microphone back, the crowd only sat there in silence. Nobody clapped, nobody cheered, but nobody was booing her or throwing things.

The principal came out, slowly clapping by himself before clearing his throat and taking the microphone again. He got the crowd excited again by introducing the prom king and queen, telling them that the votes they'd been making through the night were finally tallied up and the winners had been selected.

Sylvia didn't bother to watch the foregone conclusion - She instead looked to Monica, who was busy air drumming to a song in her head. When her attention went back to the main stage, she saw Elizabeth and Some Guy walking up to the center, the crowd still parted in the middle where it had let them through.

She gave her speech - the same one as last time - and it had the same reaction, too. She was cheered as she stepped down and made her way back to the front center of the audience.

And then, with nothing else to stop them, the Albino Ravens were introduced to the crowd who let out a grand cheer to the music. The curtains lifted and Sylvia took a deep breath, knowing they couldn't use their usual opener.

They mostly played slower songs; Instrumentals that didn't require three people to play properly. Some of the audience reacted with confusion while others noticed the clear gap at the side of the stage where a third person was supposed to have stood.

The vibe was low the entire concert, never really able to win the crowd over the way that Elizabeth had managed to do so. After every song, Sylvia would look over her shoulder to smile at Lucas, only to see the empty stage and frown instead.

The calmer vibe of the concert was received well enough that they weren't booed. And as she thanked the audience to a lukewarm mumble, Sylvia put her head down and prepared to walk off the stage.

But Monica wasn't content.

After the last chord had died down, she threw her sticks into the drums a few times and screamed.

"This concert sucked!" She yelled. "I wanna hear some noise!"

The crowd gained some energy again, apparently agreeing with her statement.

"I said noise!" She called out again, this time into the microphone.

The crowd was louder on their second chance - it was as if life had been breathed back into the student body.

"Let me see what you're made of!" Monica shouted, a low visceral growl in her voice that Sylvia'd never heard before.

Monica took a step back and threw the microphone on the ground, there was a loud screech as it collided with the floor than echoed alongside the crowd's cheers. It was a concert again.

And then she ran forward.

"Monica, No!" Sylvia tried to reach out and stop her friend from diving into the crowd, but she was too late.

The petite girl dove through the air, arms extended to her side as she trusted the audience to catch her. And they did.

Sylvia felt her face grow cold, the bright stage lights blinding her as they searched for wherever the girl wound up.

She threw her guitar down with no concern for where it landed and sprinted backstage.

Ivy was near the side of the curtain, smiling slightly to herself with her hands in her pockets. She looked shocked as Sylvia ran up to her, out of breath from the concert.

"Monica's in trouble!" She shouted.

"I dunno," Ivy took her hands out of her pockets. "The audience seems to love her."

"Ivy, trust me." Sylvia took the girl's hand. "This happened yesterday - er, today. It's a loop thing."

"No..." Ivy's voice sank.

"Something horrible is about to happen to Monica."

The sea of arms waving in the air obstructed the view of the entire audience, but from up on the stage Sylvia was able to see more clearly where they connected. She could hear a girl screaming, but it was difficult to tell where the sound was coming from with all the other voices nearby.

She noticed something being carried higher than anything else - but it was too small to be her friend.

A man in the audience was holding a little purple dress over his head.

Sylvia looked for something - anything - that she could use to make space in the crowd. She saw her guitar, the face scratched from where it was dropped just earlier, and picked it up. The instrument was valuable, but not nearly as much as her friend.

She grabbed it by the neck and ran to the edge of the stage, her ankles wobbling as her heels made it difficult to walk. Sylvia bent down and unstrapped the shoes, kicking them behind her as she leapt off the stage.

From her vantage point in the air, she saw a brief flash of two bare legs being held in the air, Monica's legs, as the girl's upper body was held below the current of her classmates. There was a pair of panties around one of her ankles that several hands were snapping at.

She landed on her toes, a few students flinching back as a girl descended from the sky next to them. Then she ran towards where the shouting was the loudest.

Sylvia pushed her way through the throngs of students, many of whom had no idea she was there and fell over at the sudden shove. A few of the thicker crowds she'd had to pry away, using her guitar like a crowbar before they finally gave way, and then she came upon the center of the mob.

She grabbed a boy's shoulder, tugging at it to get him off of her friend, but he merely shrugged her off. Putting her guitar down, she tried to pry him away but he turned and shoved his shoulder into her, pushing Sylvia into a few other people who caught her fall out of nothing but the fact that they themselves didn't want to be toppled over.

Then, channeling her inner athlete, Sylvia brought the guitar over her head and slammed down.

There was a loud 'thwang' noise as the boy fell flat to the ground, his arms too far out to catch the fall. The sudden shock caused a few of the other students to step back in fear but those who were more engaged in Monica's naked body stayed their course.

She could make out a brief flash of a toned tummy beneath the mob of students, who had since stopped trying to hold her up and had begun to grope her on the ground. Sylvia slammed her guitar into the ground near the open gap to preserve herself a space and saw snapped strings and broken wood - though what remained of the instrument was enough to do the job anyway.

Two men were holding on to each of the girl's legs, her body at an angle that kept her butt exposed on one side and her breasts easy to grab on the other. Men were fighting over who got to get the best grip on her skin, with the prize being too valuable to let go of. She could already see red marks where people had squeezed, trying not to let go.

Sylvia stepped forward and braced her leg into the ground, swinging the wooden shaft in her hand horizontally back and forth, hitting the mob whereever she could as she got closer and closer. Finally, enough of the men had stepped back that Monica's naked body collapsed onto the floor.

"Syl...via?" The naked girl gasped.

Tears streaked down her face as her shaking arms struggled to find something to cover.

"It's okay." Sylvia said. "I'm here, now."

But it was not okay.

The crowd, angry that their perverted prize was being kept from them, formed a circle around the two girls. Sylvia let one arm down to lift her friend to her feet, the girl's small hands clutching on to her sleeve as she pulled herself up.

She wanted to stand between her naked friend and the angry mob, but no matter where she stood there was some vulnerability. The only thing stopping them from rushing both girls was the bit of sharp wood in her hand.

One man leapt at her and she stepped aside, letting him collapse to the ground. Another grabbed at her arm and she swiped the wood at him, the animalistic instinct of the guy making him recoil back.

But while she was distracted on that front, more hands grabbed from behind her. She felt a tugging on her dress and she was pulled off of her balance. The only thing stopping her from falling was the fact that Ivy's knot had come undone, giving her enough space to catch herself.

The crowd was closing in on her, Sylvia's dress was hanging on by a single strap as the shaking Monica clutched her gown for comfort.

And then a boy to her side lunged forward, landing on his face just in front of the two. Sylvia looked up at where he had been standing and saw Ivy there, holding a metal drum stand like a quarterstaff.

"Come on!" She shouted, and shoved an arm beneath Monica's free shoulder, heaving the girl up on her feet.

The crowd had mostly parted and were none too eager to return to their assault as a few of the adults in the room had started to come in from the other side, admonishing the mob. Sylvia, Ivy, and Monica had made it to the side of the room as the rest of the students scattered like vultures.

They set her down outside the building, far away from the rest of the crowd near the backstage doors for trucks to enter and leave. Slowly, she was eased to the ground where Monica's legs folded underneath her and she began to kneel in place.

Ivy threw her jacket around the shivering naked girl to give her some coverage. The air had grown cold with the sensation of distant rain bringing a front in with it.

Short, choked-back sobs punctuated the silence as Sylvia looked away from her friend, pretending to be more interested in fixing her broken dress' strap. Red marks adorned most of the girl's torso where hundreds of hands had had their way with her - it was hard to look at.

Ivy knelt next to the sobbing girl and threw her arms around her, pulling the jacket tighter as she did so. A slight mist was forming around them, the air growing suddenly more frigid.

"I'm sorry..." Monica was the first to break the silence. "You all had to rescue me."

"Don't apologize." Ivy said into her ear.

"Sorry for apologizing." Monica put her head in her knees.

"No, it's my fault." Sylvia sat next to the two girls. "I should have done more to warn you.

"All of this - Lucas missing the prom, your keys getting locked in the trunk, the... the stage dive. I should have done something to avoid it."

At this point, Sylvia had almost wished it was her in that crowd instead of her friend. She'd been humiliated and embarrassed all day long, by now she was almost used to it. The streetlight above them was starting to flicker.

"I wish I could have done more to protect you, Monica..." Sylvia put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I wish this whole day never happened!"

There was a flash of light as the whole world became white. Everything was bright.

Sylvia felt herself floating, every hair on her body standing on end as a strange freeze went over her from her feet to her head. She could feel nothing.

And then it was dark again. And warm.

Sylvia woke up before her alarm went off, well-rested and refreshed from yesterday.

She was dressed in an oversized shirt.

Today was prom day.