[I am listening to Damn the Torpedoes as I write this update. I am so proud of myself]
The Morning Following the Dance
Tom Petty's POV

I wake up the following morning after the dance, satisfied with last night's events. Granted, I would have appreciated maybe a little less drama, and perhaps it would have been nice if I had a girl to go with, maybe a nice dinner beforehand would have been nice, or maybe if I could have gotten a chance to actually dance; okay.... maybe last night was a little disappointing.

I think the most disappointing thing is the fact that I missed my chance with Stevie; she's my best friend, but she chose to go with Jimmy, not me. I guess in the end it isn't any sort of commentary on me, I'm just too much of a coward to have made a move.

No matter, though, she is still my friend, and our relationship is no less then it used to be. I walk to school, kicking some rocks as I go. I throw my stuff in my locker, and David Byrne is dancing in the hallway:

What the hell, David.

Anyways, I run to my first class, which is literature, and I sit in my usual spot, and I can be assured that Stevie will sit next to me. Finally, Stevie comes in, held in the arms of Jimmy
Page. She walks right past me and her seat, and plunks herself right down next to him on the other end of the class. We make eye contact, and she mouths, "I'm sorry!"

"It's fine, Stevie," I mouth right back. It's totally not fine.

Throughout English, all I can feel is the painful realization that I've just been replaced. The girl I used to play with during Kindergarten recess, chat with in elementary school lunch periods, and pass notes to in middle school was replaced by a high school girl who would rather spend time with an upfront boyfriend. Who am I to her, now?

In the next class, which is phys. Ed., Stevie isn't with me. I make damn sure to stay far away from Jimmy. Finally, that class is over, and I have biology, and Stevie is there, but Jimmy isn't, perfect. I sit down right as Stevie enters the class, but she again sits away from me.

What the hell is going on, now?

Finally, it's time for lunch. Stevie gets there first, and Jimmy isn't in this lunch period, so again it's just her and me. I plunk myself down, and she starts to get up, but I grab ahold of her arm, making sure that she doesn't go away, I demand, "Stevie, why have you been avoiding me all day?"

She laughs awkwardly, "I haven't been avoiding you, Tom."

"Oh yeah?" I ask, "Then why am I holding your arm?"

"Ugh," she moans, "Me and Jimmy are kind of going steady now, and he doesn't-"

"Going steady?! You guys just started being together YESTERDAY! What happened between then and now?"

All she does is give me a look.

"Okay, that happened. But seriously, Stevie, we're best friends, why are you ignoring me?"

Stevie sits down next to me, "It's like this, Tom. I don't know if we can be best friends anymore," and she starts breathing very deeply, "Jimmy isn't very comfortable with the idea of his girlfriend's best friend being a guy, or a straight guy, anyhow."

I fluff my feathers, "Well, you can tell Mr. Page that I'm not comfortable with my best friend dating an absolute dick!" I try to not start yelling, not at Stevie anyways, "I would have much higher standards for them."

Stevie begins tearing up a little, "Tom, don't do this to me."

"Oh? You can't say we'll still be friends, because according to Prince Page that's not possible!"

The announcements come on with the voice of Roger Waters, "This is your school king-, I mean president, this is just a quick reminder for the football game after school today! Also, theater will be meeting tomorrow, so be there be square! By the way, Gilmour, I know you are out there, and so I know you and the whole school will hear me when I say that nana nana boo boo! I stole your girlfriend!" After that, all we hear is Principal Presley yelling at Roger, again.

David screams, "Oh! Go suck your own dick, Roger!" He slams his fork into a bowl of macaroni and cheese.

Stevie and I laugh together, and for a second we forgot the drama, but then it all came back far too clearly. All she says now is, "Tom, I really don't have a clue what to do."

What will Stevie do?
Who do you ship Jimmy or Tom with Stevie more?
What did Roger do to David's girl?
Will he still be dictator- err, president?
Will Principal Presley even want to work here any more?
No, Judy, this author has no end to the questions.😈😈😈