Part 21 (1/2)
”I've missed you,” Hannah says, hugging him hard.
He pulls away and gives her a very packed look, his eyes begging for her to understand. She smiles and holds onto his arm for a few seconds, and he smiles back. Several feet behind him, Baker looks pointedly away.
Hannah's parents say hi to the Landry's, Hannah's mom grabbing Mrs. Landry's arm as they laugh about something Hannah can't hear. Clay joins them to tell Hannah's parents h.e.l.lo, and Hannah's mom exclaims over how handsome he is while Hannah's dad shakes his hand. ”And where's your pretty date?” Hannah's dad asks. ”Yeah, where's Baker?” Hannah's mom says. Hannah's stomach turns over with anxiety, but Baker comes to greet them without missing a beat, hugging Hannah's mom as if nothing is wrong. Then Mr. and Mrs. Hadley join the group, Mrs. Hadley telling Hannah's mom all about their process for getting Baker ready. Hannah's mom pulls Hannah into the circle to say hi and talk about her own preparation process, and Hannah and Baker both act like everything's normal, though they avoid each other's eyes.
And then it's time for pictures. Hannah and Wally line up with the rest of their cla.s.smates-a whole line of them, handsome and beautiful 17- and 18-year-olds, stacked boy-girl-boy-girl all the way across the yard. Their proud parents stand across from them, holding up iPhones and fancy Canon cameras and, in Hannah's mom's case, disposable Kodak's, and the parents beg them all to smile, and to stand tall, and to remember this prom night forever. And in the midst of cameras clicking away, and of parents shouting out their ideas for cliched photos, and of smelling Wally's cologne and brus.h.i.+ng up against the itchy material of his tuxedo-in the midst of it all, Hannah feels the gravity of Baker's presence and aches to go stand next to her.
Clay's mom requests a picture of Clay, Baker, Wally, and Hannah after the large group photos have ended. Hannah feels Wally look over at her, but she doesn't look back, afraid she'll betray her discomfort. In her peripheral vision, she sees Baker s.h.i.+ft and look away toward Clay's old swing set.
”Yeah, come on, you'll all treasure this one day when you're older,” Hannah's mom says. ”Go ahead, get together.”
Then the four of them are posing together, and only Wally separates Hannah and Baker, so that each of them has an arm around his back. For a brief second, when Wally leans forward in a laugh, Baker accidentally touches Hannah's wrist, and an electrifying charge surges through Hannah. But then Baker jerks her hand away as if she had been burned, and it becomes even more difficult for Hannah to smile for the camera.
And then it's time to go. Hannah hugs her mom and dad goodbye, and her mom whispers to be good and to have fun and to enjoy looking at Wally's handsome face all night. Hannah's dad shakes Wally's hand and instructs him to drive carefully.
”I will, Mr. Eaden,” Wally says, sounding as serious as Hannah's ever heard him.
Hannah hugs the Landry's and Hadley's goodbye, and Mrs. Hadley holds her at arm's length and says, ”Come by and see us soon, alright? Feels like it's been forever.”
”I will,” Hannah fake laughs.
On the drive to dinner, Wally says, ”That wasn't as awkward as I thought it might be.”
Hannah says nothing. She thinks about how that was the first time Baker's touched her since the beach.
The entryway to the ballroom at the Crowne Plaza is decorated with purple and yellow curtains. A hand painted sign-Welcome to St. Mary's Prom 2012!-hangs above the double doors. Hannah and Wally step into the ballroom, which has already filled up with juniors, seniors, and the counted-upon teachers who linger along the walls, including Ms. Carpenter, who sips from a Diet c.o.ke can while she chats with Mrs. Shackleford. Purple and yellow balloons, packed together like organisms under a microscope, cling to the pillars on the wings of the room. A few people sit at scattered tables, but most of the student body has already taken to the center dance floor. Father Simon weaves his way through the slow-dancing couples, stopping here and there to request that each boy and girl leave room for the Holy Spirit.
”So what do you think?” Wally asks. ”Want to dance?”
They join their cla.s.smates on the dance floor. People all around them say hi, the girls mouthing So pretty! or Love your dress! to Hannah, the guys reaching over to clasp Wally's hand in greeting. Wally loops his hands around Hannah's waist, and Hannah reaches up to lace her hands around his neck, and they start to dance.
She tries hard to lose herself in the soft rock song, to not picture Joanie sitting at home in her bedroom, or Luke watching TV at his mom or dad's house, or Baker and Clay taking their time at dinner before they arrive at the dance. She closes her eyes against Wally's chest and concentrates on s.h.i.+fting her body from side to side, following his lead.
It's about 15 minutes later that Hannah notices Baker and Clay on the dance floor. Baker faces away from Hannah, her back muscles visible as she strains to reach her arms around Clay's neck. Clay's talking to her, his whole face lit up with happiness, his boutonniere fastened a little lopsidedly on his tuxedo jacket. Hannah's heart starts to ache more acutely than it has all night as she watches them dance.
”So you know what my mom said to me before I left tonight?” Wally asks.
”What?” Hannah says, glad for the distraction.
”She said, 'Hannah is much more beautiful than I was at 17, so you make sure you treat her well.'”
Hannah laughs. ”Your mom's gorgeous.”
”Try telling her that.”
”I have. But that was nice of her to say.”
Wally's mouth lifts in a gentle smile. ”You are beautiful, though.”
Hannah blushes, feeling touched that he would say that, but also sad that it doesn't matter.
Hannah and Wally dance on and off for an hour, lost in the middle of the crowd. Hannah watches Mackenzie dance with Jackson, Lisa dance with Bryce, Ellie Thomas dance with Michael Ramby. She even watches Michele dance with Cooper, though Michele scowls over his shoulder, her eyes on Clay and Baker.
Father Simon nods curtly at Hannah and Wally whenever he walks by. Ms. Carpenter smiles at them from her position on the edge of the dance floor. Clay catches their attention once or twice, but Baker never acknowledges them.
”Alright...” the deejay says, his voice hovering somewhere between manufactured enthusiasm and genuine boredom, ”if I can have everyone gather 'round, it's now time for the Prom King and Queen announcement.”
The sea of students turns toward the deejay platform, and several people break out into applause and whooping. ”That's right,” the deejay says, ”...very exciting moment for everyone here.”
Mr. Manceau waddles up to the deejay booth, rings of sweat darkening the underarms of his chartreuse b.u.t.ton-down s.h.i.+rt. He hands a sealed envelope to the deejay and whispers something in his ear; the deejay nods his head a couple of times while the student body waits eagerly for the big reveal.
”Okay, here we go,” the deejay says, his voice affecting more enthusiasm. ”When I call out the Prom King and Queen's names, please step up here to the booth, where Mrs. Shackleford and Mr. Manceau will crown you. The official King and Queen dance will follow that. Y'all ready?”
The crowd responds with a heavy cheer and an ever-increasing amount of clapping. Hannah claps her hands limply together, feeling misgivings in her stomach.
”Your 2012 St. Mary's Prom King is...” the deejay says, inflecting his voice on the last few words, ”...Mr. Clay Landry.”
A huge cheer goes up around the ballroom. Hannah looks to her right and sees Clay, his smile too big for his face, standing momentarily frozen as he lets the moment soak in. The guys all around him, most of whom are other football players, clap him on the back and shove him forward toward the deejay booth.
”Nice job, man,” the deejay says, seeming like he's just going through the motions. ”How do you feel? Nervous?”
”h.e.l.l no,” Clay calls as he walks to the booth, and a great roar of laughter and applause follows his a.s.sertion. Hannah hears more whooping from some of the football players.
”Are we allowed to say that at a Catholic prom?” the deejay asks, glancing toward Mrs. Shackleford and Mr. Manceau and sounding truly amused for the first time all night. Mrs. Shackleford, standing with her arms folded, rolls her eyes but lifts her shoulders in a defeated gesture. Mr. Manceau frowns and tugs up the waistband of his pants.
”I didn't think so,” the deejay continues, clearly trying to stir the pot now. ”Maybe we should send this Prom King to Confession?”
”Get to the Prom Queen!” someone in the back yells out, and the surrounding students clap and echo his sentiment.
”Alright, alright. Just having some fun. Well, St. Mary's, your 2012 Prom Queen is...”
Hannah's stomach clenches.
”Miss Baker Hadley!”
A deafening roar goes up around the room. Wally cheers very loudly next to Hannah, pounding his hands together, and Hannah, standing there and feeling like she's watching this moment from above the dance floor, experiences a strange bittersweet feeling, like she wants to fall on the floor crying but run to Baker and hug her at the same time. Baker walks to the front of the crowd, her smile somehow both nervous and confident, mouthing thanks to the cla.s.smates who cheer her on. She walks to join Clay at the deejay booth, and Hannah's stomach surges upward to meet her heart with a feeling of love and pride.
But the feeling extinguishes as soon as Clay leans forward to hug Baker and the student body responds with even more amplified applause. Mrs. Shackleford and Mr. Manceau walk forward, shaking hands with both Baker and Clay, and then Mr. Manceau hands the crowns to Mrs. Shackleford, who places them carefully on top of Clay and Baker's heads.
”Let's hear it for your King and Queen!” the deejay shouts into his microphone, and the student body whoops and hollers and smacks their hands together, and someone on the far side of the room shouts ”Get it, Landry!”, and both Clay and Baker laugh, their whole faces s.h.i.+ning like it's the happiest day of their life.
Then music starts to play, and the deejay signals to Clay that he should lead Baker to the dance floor. The students all around them part down the middle, and Clay steps forward with his hand clutching Baker's. He takes her right hand in his left and places his other hand around her waist; she wraps an arm around his neck and allows him to lead her in a slow dance. Hannah stands rooted to the spot, easily able to see them from her vantage point on the front ring of the crowd. She watches her cla.s.smates' reactions-how the girls look hungrily but fondly on the scene; how the guys nudge each other and mutter under their breath, probably joking about how they're glad it's not them who has to dance in front of everyone; how Michele Duquesne, standing on the far side of the crowd, clenches her jaw. Abby Frasier, one of Hannah's friends since freshman year, who stands just behind Hannah and watches the dance as if transfixed by magic, turns to Julia Grey and whispers, ”Baker's so lucky. Can you imagine how amazing she must feel right now?”
Hannah wants so badly to leave, to run outside and gulp down fresh air. Her throat is tight with a choking sensation; her stomach aches so badly that she wants to throw up. But several girls are looking at her, gauging the reaction of the Prom Queen's best friend, even if they haven't seen Hannah and Baker interact much lately; so Hannah fixes her face into a happy expression, forcing herself to look absolutely delighted and proud, to look as if she cannot imagine anything better for her best friend, to take in the sight before her as if it's heartening her rather than killing her.
Finally the dance ends, and Baker pulls gently away from Clay. Clay runs a hand through his hair and grins down at her, his entire countenance suggesting that he's the luckiest guy on the earth.
”Okay, thank you to Clay and Baker,” the deejay resumes. ”I've got a few more songs for you, St. Mary's, and then it'll be time to wrap up this night. So enjoy these next few gems and dance with your date as long as you can.”
He plays Eric Clapton's ”Wonderful Tonight.” Wally checks Hannah's expression, raising his eyebrows playfully to ask Shall we?, so Hannah wraps her arms around his neck again and allows him to sway her where they stand.