Dreams Or How I Live My Life in Daydreams

Circling the Drain

The lively music thumped outside the dance hall as Maddox drove onto the blacktop parking lot.

His eyes bulged at the sea of cars in the parking lot. "It's crowded already," he said. He glanced at Autumn when he didn't get a reply. She tapped away on her phone, preoccupied. She didn't hear a word I said, he thought.

He scanned the parking lot for space closest to the building so they wouldn't have to walk a long distance. An empty slot near the exit caught his eye. Pressing his foot on the accelerator, he swerved to the right, skidding to a stop at the concrete parking block.

Glancing up from her phone, Autumn stared at the prankster quizzically.

"We're here," he said. He hoped he didn't sound as nervous as he felt. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, he couldn't stave off the anxiousness building up inside of him.

Autumn stared at him, her brow furrowed contemplative. "Okay," she murmured after a lengthy pause. She jerked the door open. Exiting quickly, Maddox rounded the vehicle to help her. He took her hand.

"Thank you," Autumn mumbled.

Maddox wasn't sure if he was reading more into it, but Autumn's mood seemed subdued since leaving her house. She barely cracked a smile. Tonight was their first official outing as a couple. He could understand if she felt nervous. The remedy, he hoped, was to dance the night away to forget their worries for a few hours, more so if this was his last night of freedom.

He shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind. He squeezed her hand. She stared at him. His throat felt dry. She was so beautiful; it hurt to stare at her. "Let's just enjoy ourselves," he said.

Autumn mustered a fake smile. "Yeah," she said with a tinge of bitterness. "Let's enjoy ourselves."

*********

Rushing ahead of her, Maddox opened the door for Autumn in a show of chivalry. Autumn shook her head grumbling under her breath that he was overdoing it. Coldplay's Adventure of a Lifetime blasted from the speakers, the beat vibrating the walls. Autumn rolled her eyes at the ironic song choice.

Maddox pumped a fist in the air, spurred on by the energetic music. "This is what I'm talking about," he yelled over the music.

Autumn gestured to her ear. "What did you say?"

"I said—"

"Mad Zach is here!" a shrill voice shouted. A group of squealing girls rushed over to the couple, pushing them apart.

"Take a selfie with me, Mad Zach," one of them said as they talked over each other, vying for his attention.

Autumn frowned. "I'm heading inside," she said, turning to leave.

"Autumn, wait," Maddox yelled, struggling to get away from the girls pulling and tugging at him.

Autumn quickened the pace, ignoring his pleas.

Caught up in her anger, she stomped into the ballroom, oblivious to the heads turning her way.

A light flare catching her eye, she stopped in her tracks. The atmospheric haze infused with the reflective light from the mirror ball and strobe lights, along with the frenzied dancing, some off rhythm, made her feel as though she was inside a vortex. The room spun, the lights pulsating. She felt dizzy.

"My, my, my, aren't you looking snazzy?"

Autumn whirled around to a smirking Lisa dressed in a gown so skintight it might as well have been spray-painted.

The brunette's smile morphed into concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Autumn mumbled.

"Where's Maddox?" the brunette asked.