The Kiss of '89

Chapter 1In a town with less than five thousand people, there was no event quite so anticipated as the local high school’s senior prom. For Wesley Peters, it might as well have been his royal procession. Captain of the swim team on his way to nationals and a full ride scholarship, Wes was on track to become Duffer Springs’ prodigal son. All he needed now was the prom king crown to close the deal. And, of course, his first night alone with his valedictorian girlfriend, Lisa. Tonight needed to be perfect. Wes gave himself a once over in the mirror. He had chosen a vivid purple suit and powder blue corsage to match Lisa’s. His hair, gelled an inch off his head, had retained its dirty blond color since childhood. Lifting his left shoe, he wet his thumb and rubbed off a speck of dirt. He ran his fingers through his hair, admiring the bounce, and spun once on his heels. He was ready. Wesley’s parents were out for the night, leaving him the BMW to borrow. On his way to Lisa’s place, he blasted his Bon Jovi tapes, keeping an eye on his hair in the mirror. Already Main Street’s drag was full of cruisers, and Wes spotted a few classmates parading down to the high school. Friends waved at him, and Wesley grinned beneath his very unnecessary sunglasses. The air was electric. Sliding into Lisa’s driveway, he hopped out of the car and went to knock, when it opened before he could. Mrs. Bird stood at the door, dressed to the nines with her hair in full curls as if she was the one he was taking to prom. “Wesley!” Mrs. Bird ushered him inside and gave him a far too familiar kiss on the cheek. “Lisa! Lisa, Wesley is here! Oh, don’t you look handsome?” She brushed down Wes’s suit jacket, her long nails clacking against his buttons. “Evening, Mrs. Bird,” said Wes charmingly. “May I just say that you look stunning? Lisa didn’t mention that there’ll be two prom queens in the house by the end of the night.” “Oh, stop it, you.” Mrs. Bird giggled and swatted at Wes’s shoulder. “I swear, Wesley, it’s like you’re determined to get me into trouble!” They both stopped when a figure stepped into view at the top of the stairs. Mrs. Bird brimmed with pride and put her hands together. “Ooh, Lisa…” she cooed. “You look lovely, honey-bun.” Lisa, with a shy smile, made her way to the living room. She wore a simple, heart cut sleeveless dress with a ‘50s inspired, full skirt reaching her knees. It was a lovely shade of lilac, complimenting Wesley’s violet suit. On her wrist was a matching, powder blue corsage. Lisa had always been more reserved than most of her classmates, which led Wes to believe that such a daring choice of dress was no doubt her mother’s idea. Her chestnut hair had been done up in a full perm, with a heart shaped barrette to keep the flyaways from her eyes. Wes swooped in for a peck on the cheek and stood back, holding her hands. “You look beautiful,” he said. “Thanks,” Lisa muttered. “It was Mom’s pick.” Thought so, Wes confirmed in his head. “Well, your mother has always had good taste.” “I guess.” “Oh, oh! Picture, picture!” Mrs. Bird, like the squawking creature of her namesake, fluttered about with a camera suddenly in hand. She urged them both to scrunch up at the bottom of the steps and held the lens to one eye. “Ooooh, you two are so adorable together…Smile!” With a flash, the memory was captured forever, and Wes made quick work of escorting them from the house before Mrs. Bird thought of any more pre-prom rituals. Before long, they were parked outside the Clearwater High gymnasium. Wes took his time to do one last check in the mirror and then turned to Lisa. “Ready?” he asked. Lisa nodded, her lips in a tight lined smile. “Are you sure? You look nervous.” “I’m fine.” “Well then, don’t be so tense,” Wes teased. “We’ll go, we’ll have a good time—collect our crowns in the process—and then, I got us a motel room and a bottle of champagne to celebrate later. Doesn’t that sound fun?” Lisa’s smile didn’t change. She nodded, her tight curls bouncing. Her voice was small as she answered. “Sounds like a lot of fun.” “Killer.” Tossing his shades into the back seat, Wes got out and jogged to the other side of the car, opening the door for his date. Wes kept one arm around Lisa’s shoulders while they walked, and the other free to wave at all the passing students. Once inside, they were greeted by a massive, glittery sign that welcomed the Class of 1989 to their senior prom. The theme this year was a dance among the stars, and much of the decorations were silver and celestial—or as celestial as reflective star stickers could be. Wes first met up with his fellow swim teammates, and then checked in for the prom king ballot. It would be an hour until the winners were announced. Not that Wes needed to worry. He had it on good authority that he was in the lead by a fair margin, and if Lisa wasn’t crowned as his queen, he’d be shocked. It was in the bag. “Wes!” Larry, the basketball team captain, waved him over with a smile. He was a tall and gangly guy, with a mouth full of huge, white teeth. His hair had been buzzed into a high-top fade for the occasion. “Hey man, looking sharp! Where’s Lisa?” “Over by the punch.” Wes gestured behind him. Lisa chatted with a gaggle of girls, no doubt giggling over her inevitable win that evening. On two fronts, perhaps. “Ah, you’re a lucky guy, Peters,” Larry moaned. “So? You and Bird finally gonna…? Y’know? Get biblical?” “Hey, behave,” said Wes. “Lisa Bird is a respectable young woman, I’ll have you know. And I won’t tolerate gossip.” With a glance behind his shoulder, Wes smirked. “But yeah, I’m totally getting laid.” “Ayyyyy!” Larry gave Wes a hearty high five, and Wesley then dissolved into the guys’ area of the gym to fraternize. Eventually, however, he returned to Lisa’s side with a fresh glass of punch on offer. “M’lady.” He handed the paper cup to Lisa, who took it with a nod. Sitting down next to her, Wes folded his arms on the table and looked out to the dance floor. “So? Are we gonna dance, or what?” “Hm?” Lisa, whose head had been in the clouds, turned to Wes with wide eyes. “Dance,” Wes repeated. “You know. The thing that people do at prom?” “Er…right…” She sipped the punch. “I guess, if you want.” “Yeah, come on! Let’s have fun.” Wes stood and offered Lisa his hand. Leading her to the floor, they got into position just as the music started up. Wes laid his hands on Lisa’s lower back, and the pair started to slowly turn to the music. “You really do look pretty.” “Huh?” “You. You look good.” “Oh. Thank you.” Wesley pulled Lisa in a little closer. “I mean it. You’re like an eleven. Out of ten.” Lisa chuckled. “Thanks,” she said again. “You look nice, too.” “Yeah, I’d say I clean up well.” Wesley spun her gently and pulled her back into his arms. “I’ve been waiting for this night all year. Ever since I asked you out last summer.” “Mm-hm.” “How about you?” “Me?” “Are you excited? For tonight?” Lisa’s smile stretched, though her mouth remained tight-lipped. “Yup,” she said. “So excited.” “That’s great. You’re great. Both of us, look at us. We’re both pretty great.” “We sure are…” The song ended, and Wes leaned in for a kiss. Lisa obliged for a swift peck, and then they went back to the table. Lisa fiddled with her punch and cleared her throat. “Hey, uh…Wes?” “Yeah?” “About tonight…” “What about it?” “What if…what if I don’t…really…” Wes tilted his head, curiously. “What if you don’t what?” “I…what if…I…” Her voice trembled, and Wes furrowed his brow in concern. “Lisa? Hey, are you—?” “Hello, Class of ‘89!” Wes was distracted momentarily by the booming voice of the school principal from the stage by way of a microphone. Principal O’Shaughnessy was a stumpy man with almost no hair to speak of above the ears. He had dressed in his finest sweater vest and most egregious, neon tie for the occasion. “Welcome one and all to this year’s prom, A Dance Among the Stars! We’ll let you get back to your sweethearts in just a moment, but first, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. It’s time to announce this year’s prom king and queen!” The gym erupted into cheers, with Wes blowing sharp whistles through his forefinger and thumb. “May I have the envelopes please?” The student council handed Principal O’Shaughnessy the shoebox with the vote tallies inside. With a giddy smile, he opened the lid and revealed the first card. “For our prom queen…Miss Lisa Bird.” The students cheered as Lisa stood from her seat, awkwardly shuffling the tulle beneath her dress. While she walked forward to accept the crown, Wes made sure to clap the loudest and most obnoxiously he possibly could. The student council placed a plastic tiara on Lisa’s head and handed her a bouquet of flowers. “That’s my girl!” Wes shouted from his seat. The rest of his swim team hooted in support, making Lisa flush into her flowers. Principal O’Shaughnessy cleared his throat. “All right, all right, settle down now. We still have one more announcement. For this year’s senior prom king…Mr. Wesley Peters.” The last syllable of Wes’s name was drowned out as an uproarious cheer rose from the sidelines. Wes jumped to his feet and held out his arms to accept the praise. He jogged his way up to the stage, where a plastic crown and a scepter awaited him. He took them both gladly and put his hand on the small of Lisa’s back. Holding up his scepter, he instigated another round of cheers from the crowd. Principal O’Shaughnessy clapped along with them and then motioned for the students to settle. “Maestro, if you please.” As the DJ fired up “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears, Wes took Lisa’s hand and escorted her to the floor. The crowd parted, giving the pair room to dance. Once more, they took up their positions for a slow dance, and began again. Only now, the whole world was watching. With a crown on his head and a beautiful girl in his arms, Wes danced blissfully in the center of the universe. The night was perfect. Until it wasn’t. Wes didn’t notice the cops until the sounds of panicked hubbub outmatched the speakers. Stalled momentarily, he spotted a uniformed officer step up to the stage and speak directly with the principal. Something in Wes’s gut twisted in discomfort. It was made all the tighter when Principal O’Shaughnessy signaled the DJ to switch to something more up-beat, cutting through the king and queen dance mid-chorus. Principal O’Shaughnessy cleared his throat and nervously held up the microphone. “A big hand for your prom king and queen everyone! Back to the dancing!” Despite the livelier music, no one’s mind was on dancing. Especially not when the principal motioned Wes to step away from the floor toward the officer. Wes approached, confused and suddenly afraid. “Hello, son,” said the officer. “Are you Wesley Peters?” “Yes?” “You’re going to need to come down to the station. Your father has been arrested.” * * * * Wes had never been in an interrogation room before. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t a giant white box with buzzing lights and a locked door. His leg bounced as he stared into his cup of stale coffee. The police had said they wanted to ask him some questions, which Wes was more than happy to do. After all, this had to be some kind of mistake. Wes was ready to straighten the record, but so far, all he’d been able to do was ask a desk clerk for the bathroom. After two hours of waiting, the door opened. A uniformed officer stepped in, different from the one who had escorted Wes to the department. “Hello, Wesley,” he said. “My name is Officer Anthony. I’d like to ask you some questions, if that’s all right.”