Chapter 5 that is how the night went

Darien's performance ended and the entire crowd went crazy. Granted, 70% of them had snuck in some booze into their drinks, but nonetheless, everybody was cheering for him, and he looked pleased with himself as he walked towards us.

"So, you liked it, writer-girl?" He asks with a smirk.

"So that's where you got that name from. I must say, you were great, rocker-boy." I say with a smile while he laughs.

"Nah, I ain't a rocker."

"Shocker." Kelly says in awe.

"Well, you're really good. One minute though, you play basketball, and you sing. Hello, Troy Bolton!" I say and Kelly and I burst out laughing, while Darien kind of looks red.

"Don't mind these two, Darien, they are Disney fanatics." Sam says looking at us with disgust.

"Oh please Sam, you used to pray every night that God would transform you into Zac Effron." Kelly says and I laugh out loud.

"Oh yeah, Melly? You wanna laugh? How about I tell Darien here about your obsession with.." He begins as he gives me a mischievous smile.

"You wouldn't Sammy." I give him a death glare.

"Woah this must be good stuff. Tell me, Sam." Darien eggs him on and I give him the same glare.

"Oh my God you guys, Sam, if you open your mouth, I'll tell Kelly about that time when you couldn't make it because..."

"Don't!" Sam yells, which makes Kelly look suspicious.

"Before either of us causes more damage to the other, Darien, I see some of your friends looking for you, and I think you should go to them." I say to Darien in the most authority I could muster, because trust me, it's kill zone over here. As neither Kelly nor Sam is looking at us right now, Darien sends me a flying kiss, and walks off to his friends, which makes me blush slightly. What was that about?

"What was that about?" Kelly turns to Sam, looking angry as ever.

"She started it!" Sam says, trying to brush off where Kelly was going with it. Poor attempt, in my opinion.

"Oh that is not what I am referring to right now." Kelly says, and I sense danger.

"Okay guys I'm going over to Darien, excuse me." I say hurriedly and walk away from them as soon as possible, though I'm sure Sam is going to want payback.

I walk over to a group of guys and girls, all of them holding red cups.

"Woah man you were killer over there." A tall guy says to Darien, who is standing right in the centre.

"Totally, bro, you made me wonder whether this was a dance I am attending, or a song." Says another guy, lost in thought, and drunk, obviously.

"Yeah Darien, it sounded very romantic if you ask me." A girl standing next to him says, and he puts a hand around her waist.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" Darien asks her with a smirk.

"Not enough that I could forget what happens tonight." She says in a tone that might be considered flirty.

"Damn, bro, chic's going crazy over here!" A drunk guy slurs out.

"What say, Barb, shall we?" Darien holds his hand out to her.

"We shall." The girl called 'Barb' says, looking dreamy, and they head to the dance floor where all the other couples are dancing together.

So, that escalated quickly.

Looks like Darien here would be busy tonight. Eh, his life.

I look over to Sam and Kelly, who seem to have resolved their conflicts and are now dancing to a slow song together. If only I had made more friends in this institution. Since I am in no mood of three-wheeling, I decide to leave the dance and go home. Maybe I'll call Rhythm. She would give me sympathy.

Not that I need it. Except, I kind of do.

Now I'm not saying me leaving early has to be anybody's fault. Kelly and Sam wouldn't have minded at all had I stuck around, but I didn't want to take a magical moment away from them. You know, a moment that only they share between each other.

With Darien, I never had more expectation than the ones he lived up to tonight. It was a mutual decision to go as friends. He was not my date. Although, he did make this night a special one for me, until of course, he decided to go with that bimbo chic. It's completely fine with me, I mean come on, he had said it himself that "not going with a partner, means you can dance with all of them". Wow, I had never thought that would be a quote I would remember this vividly.

I go outside the hall and ponder over which way I should take to go home, because it is dark over here. As I am standing right outside the gate, I get pushed as the door opens behind me.

"OH COME ON!" I say in frustration.

"Melody, you're leaving so soon?" asks Darien, who is out of breath, like he had been running.

I hope that is the reason.

"Woah Darien, were you running a marathon or something over there?"

"Please, I have a great stamina. This is just because of these clothes I am wearing. Anyway, I couldn't find you anywhere so I came outside to check. You know, so many drunk guys around here."

"And chics." I say simply.

"What?"

"You know, like Barb."

"Melody, eavesdropping is not a good thing." He says with annoyance.

"Neither is taking advantage of drunk girls!" I yell.

"I wasn't taking advantage. Oh my God, Melody. Ok, first thing, Barb, is Andy's sister. You must have seen him standing there too, if you heard my conversation. Barb doesn't even go here! Second, I never go out with sisters of friends, it is bro code 101. Also, Ms. Johnson, before you think up a whole story to write in your diary about this incident, I should inform you that I just booked a cab for Barb and her friends to take them back to their college campus." Darien finishes with a "see-my-point" look on his face.

"Okay, Mr. gentleman, I never asked for an explanation. Peace out!" I say as I can't think of anything else.

"Were you, jealous?" Darien asks, with a hint of laughter.

"Jealous? Who do you think I am, a high school kid with insecurities touching the roof?"

"You sure were behaving that way."

"You know what, I don't owe you any explanation. You are just so full of yourself." I say, irritated.

"Hey, what's a guy to do if all the gals are attracted to him?" He says with a smirk.

"Ughh, I liked you so much more before I hadn't known you so much!" I say.

"Nice play of words. If only you stopped playing with my heart though." He says in a whisper.

I stop in my track.

"Oh my God Melody, look at your face!" He says laughing out loud.

I don't believe him.

"Shut up. I was just surprised as to how someone can think of a worse pick-up line." I say victoriously.

"Oooo burnn!" He says and we both laugh together.

"I'm sorry about before. That was foolish of me." I say, overcoming my arrogance.

"No problem, Melody. Girls often lose their minds after listening to me singing." He says and I laugh some more.

"Hey, not a girl's fault if she has good taste in music." I say with a smile.

"Good taste in music, and in men." He says with a smirk. "Hey, why didn't I get to hear you sing? Or should I say, why didn't anyone get to hear this melody?" He is so proud of what he did there.

"Not a bad play of words. If only my singing abilities were better than that." I say with a sigh.

"What? I assumed you must be good at it-"

"Because I am called Melody?"

"Well, yeah. It sounds lame now that I hear what I had meant to say." He says embarrased.

"It's alright, it's a common mistake. If you must know, my mother is a really good singer. She never followed it as a profession however. She named my sister and I, Rhythm and Melody, because we are a part of her heart, just like rhythm and melody are somewhat like a part of her soul. Music runs in her veins, you know what I mean."

"Wow, that's deep." Darien says, impressed.

"So was her obsession with getting Rhythm and I into music professionally. She used to make us attend lessons and everything. Rhythm was perfect, as usual, but she was just so much more cut out to become a lawyer. Me, on the other hand, wanted to make my mom feel proud of me for following her words, but alas, I have absolutely no sense of musical notes."

"I'm sure you are not that bad."

"Yeah, whatever. Hey, we have reached the building." I say in surprise.

"I didn't even realise I was walking you to your home, heck, I didn't even realise we were walking." Darien says shocked.

"That's just the effect I have on people." I say with a smirk.

"Woah, Melody, you're trying to compete with me?"

"Maybe I am." I say.

"Oh it's on." Darien says with a click of his fingers. "Also, we're still on for the deal right?" He asks.

"What deal?"

"One title for one sandwich?" He reminds me.

"Oh yeah, about that, how does that work out again?"

"Well, you don't have to worry about the title for your book, because I will give it to you. I will give you one title each day, then you decide whether you will name your book that or not, and you will pay me by buying me a different sandwich each time I give you a title." He explains.

"So you get a sandwich for each crappy title you give to me?"

"Well not crappy, it is a compensation for all the time and effort that I will put in creating a title that would work for you. To be honest, I don't think it will cost you more than 5 sandwiches." He says.

"Really? So you mean if I am not too picky I would just have to pay you with one sandwich?" I ask. I don't think he has thought it through.

"You have to use that title for your book that I have come up with, and you can use no other." Darien says in triumph.

"What if I disregard this rule?" I ask with a wicked smile.

"Then our friendship is over." He says seriously.

Well, that is one thing I would never put at stake. Ever.

"So are we clear then?" He asks with his hand raised for a handshake.

"Crystal." I say and shake his hand.

"Okay, good night, Melody." He says and turns to leave.

"You know you can call me Mels." I say out loud as he turns his face towards me while walking.

"Good night, Melody." He says and walks away.

Good night, Darien, I think and go to my apartment.

As I change into my night clothes, I recap everything that happened at the dance tonight. What a spectacular night! You want to know who made it even more spectacular for me?

Just this guy, who has black hair and brown eyes.

Well, none of my night would have been as much fun had he not been around. I should thank him. There is one person I need to thank more than him though.

"Mellyyyyyy!" the voice of my adorable niece Tia screams through the laptop while my sister Rhythm calls her husband to take Tia to bed.

"Tia! Taking over Sam, is she?" I ask Rhythm.

"Come on, she is only 2 years old. Mel-o-dy is 3 syllables, which is difficult for her to pronounce. So you will remain Melly for a few more months."

"Only for Tia though." I say.

"Is that Melly?" I hear James' voice from the background.

"Clearly this is all a conspiracy to annoy me, lead by your husband." I say with slight annoyance.

"You heard Tia's mommy, it is easy for her to call you Melly." James says as he sits beside Rhythm, taking Tia in his arms, and voila! she looks sleepy already.

"How is this possible? I did the exact same thing, but all that happened was she went all excited and hyper!" Rhythm says irritated.

"Beats me too actually. Anyway, how is it going, girl?" James asks me.

"Great, I'm on top with all of my work." I say.

"That used to be so difficult for me during college. Your sister's fault really. She distracted me too much with her awesomeness." James says with a laugh.

"Sure, blame it on your girlfriend-now-wife-and-partner that you weren't able to submit your assignments on time." Rhythm says and all of us laugh some more.

"Okay I'll take your leave now, enjoy your sister talk." James gets up and takes Tia to her bed.

"Bye James! Wow, he was so different from the last time I saw him." I say.

"Having a kid changes everything, Mels, but it changes everything for the better. Well most of the time." Rhythm says wisely.

"Anyway, how's it going?" She asks me, and I tell her all about the dance and all the events that hapened before that.

"Wow, I would have never expected you to do something so impulsive, Mels, I am so proud!" She says with glee. Typical elder's reaction, if you ask me.

"I am so happy that you are opening up to new people. So, how is this Darien?" She inquires further.

"Well, Darien is tall, he has black hair, brown eyes-"

"I meant how is he really?" She says, making me feel dumb.

"Oh, ok, he is nice, I guess. He is a good friend." I say.

"So you mean you are not dating him?" She asks surprised.

"Did Kelly and Sam put you up with that? No, of course not, I have only known him since the past few days." I say.

"Mels, honey, you go on dates to get to know someone better." She says with the air of trying to explain something basic to me.

"Look, he just got out of a relationship, and he also has a player side to him. I don't see why I should date him. Sure, he is good looking, has a good voice, plays basketball-"

"He plays basketball? You mean you found a Troy Bolton for yourself?" She sounds envious.

"Yeah, Kelly and I made fun of him after her sang on the karaoke."

"Girl, if there is one thing you have learnt from watching HSM 500 times, its that you never leave a guy like Troy Bolton. If only I was in your place."

"Rhythm, need I remind you that you have a husband, and that you are the mother of his child?" I say.

"Huh - what, oh yeah, husband, child, yes. You are right. I'm really tired Mels." She says with a yawn.

"Go to sleep Ri-Ri. Good night." I say and we disconnect the call.

Going on a date with Darien? Nope, not me.

On that note, I snuggle into my bed and fall asleep.

Who knows what fate has in store though? Maybe, someday, I will think about this moment, and laugh at myself.