Brilliant Minds: The Wainwrights of Sunset Valley
Chapter 51
While Chris celebrated his teenage birthday with the family at the park, Patrick left after cake to go home and get ready for the school dance. It was a formal affair, so he had to dress up. He knew before even seeing her that Maria would look amazing, and he did not want to let her down by not looking his best. He checked himself over in the mirror one last time.
“Getting ready for your hot date?” Buddy asked from the door.
“Yup.” Patrick straightened his bow tie.
“Hope the dance isn’t as stuffy as those clothes. It’d suck if it was boring.”
“I won’t be bored.” Patrick smiled happily. “I’m never bored with her.”
“Wow. You’ve got it bad.”
“I don’t think it’s bad.”
Buddy let out a dubious snicker and leaned against the door frame. “So, think you’ll get lucky tonight? After all that dressed up dancing and romance? You even got her flowers, didn’t you?”
Patrick’s cheeks flushed a bit. “You’re supposed to buy the girl flowers for a dance like this. It’s what you do.”
“And I’m sure she’ll loooove them.” Buddy giggled. “I’m just saying, you said Julius said something about how far she goes on the second date.”
“He was being a giant llama, talking crap to make her mad because she dumped him.”
“Yeah, but she must’ve done something with him. They were dating.”
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Patrick retorted, in a way that implied he protested too much.
“Hey, even if it’s true, it just means if she really likes you, she’ll show it! If you know what I mean.” Buddy made a wink-wink, nudge-nudge gesture, while Patrick just shook his head.
He straightened, satisfied with his appearance, and picked up the flowers for Maria. “I’ve got to go now. See you later, Buddy.”
Buddy was still grinning as Patrick headed out the door. “Bye!”
When Patrick rang the Wolffs’ doorbell, it wasn’t Maria that answered, but her mother. “Ah, you must be Patrick. Please, come in.” She led him in and called out. “Maria! Patrick is here.” She turned back to him. “It’s nice to meet you. She’s talked quite a bit about you. All good things, of course. No need to worry.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Wolff.” Patrick wondered if he was still supposed to call her that even though she was divorced. He hoped he hadn’t used the wrong greeting.
If so, Morgana had no issue with it, and shook his hand as Maria came around the corner. Patrick could not believe how lovely she looked. Her dress, jewelry, and makeup were all flawless, and made her seem all the more beautiful. “Maria. Wow. You look gorgeous!”
She beamed. “Thank you! You look pretty handsome yourself.”
“Yes, I have to agree. You both look fantastic,” Morgana complimented them. “If it’s not too much trouble, may I get a picture of you both before you leave?”
“Sure!” said Maria.
“Oh! First, these are for you.” Patrick presented Maria with her flowers.
“They’re beautiful! Thank you. That’s so sweet.”
“Indeed. Hold them for the picture.” Morgana got her phone out, and Maria and Patrick posed. She took a few shots, decided which one she liked best, then turned to Maria. “I’ll send this to you, and you can send it along to Patrick. You two make a perfect couple. Have fun tonight,” she said, and excused herself.
“I hope my mom didn’t say anything to scare you before I got here.”
“Nah. She’s nice,” Patrick assured her.
“Yeah. At least now you’ve got meeting both my parents out of the way.” She met Patrick’s eyes with a flirtatious look. “I like how you look in that tux. You fancy up pretty nice, Patrick Wainwright.”
“Thanks.” Patrick felt a blush rise to his cheeks at the compliment. “I wouldn’t want to be too mismatched with someone as pretty as you.”
“Oh, you cutie.” Maria kissed him on the cheek. “Come on. Let’s go dazzle everyone at the dance.”
They rode over to the school and made their way to the gym, which had been decorated for the special occasion. Several of their classmates had already arrived, and others came in behind them. Patrick nodded a casual hello to Penny Bunch, who had come with Wilbur Keaton. She and Jamaal Hart had broken up not long ago, and both had moved on. While Penny and Wilbur bonded over their love of horseback riding, Jamaal was now dating Gretchen Ursine. Patrick and Maria spotted Julius Langerak at the dance as well, although he did not seem to have a date. He and Sam Sekemoto were chatting with some of the single girls, one of whom Patrick recognized as Orion and Iris’ sometimes babysitter, over by the buffet table. Maria tightened her arm around Patrick and posed as if to look even more beautiful when Julius cast them a sour look.
“So, shall we dance?”
“I’d love to.” Maria took Patrick’s hand, and they went out onto the floor.
“I like this song. It’s romantic,” Maria said as they settled into a slow dance.
“It’s nice,” Patrick agreed.
Maria leaned in close, and hummed along, murmuring the lyrics.
“You have a nice voice,” Patrick told her. “I didn’t know you could sing.”
“I like to, sometimes. Shower singing, karaoke when I’m feeling adventurous.” She met his eyes. “What about you? You play music. Do you ever sing?”
“Along with the radio sometimes. Oh, and I know a couple of French songs from Champs Les Sims. One another kid I met there taught me. The other, my dad actually picked up from this artist we took a painting class with there. A French romance song. I was younger then, so I was all ‘ew no’ at the time, but sometimes my dad still hums it. One day, for the heck of it, I asked him, and he taught it to me. It’s actually kind of catchy. Then on a whim I translated the lyrics out of French and I was like, ‘wow, racy.’ Now it feels kind of awkward when I see my parents French song flirting.”
“I bet. But it’s sweet they’re still in love like that, after being together so long. Mine can barely stand to be in the same room with each other. Even before they split, they never seemed that happy. They fought all the time. Sometimes I wonder if they ever loved each other, really.” She met Patrick’s eyes. “So, will you sing the French love song for me?”
“I’m not sure how it’ll sound against the music they’re playing, but, okay.” He pulled her close and sang “Je t’aime” soft and low to her.
“I liked that. You have a great voice, too, you know.”
Patrick was flattered. “You really think so?”
“Yeah! We totally need to do karaoke sometime. It’d be fun.”
“Karaoke? I’ve never sang in public. I’m not sure it’d be the same as playing music.”
“You’d do fine. Trust me. You weren’t off key at all. And believe me, I can tell that stuff. It’s like a cheese grater on my ears when it is.”
“I’ll take your word for it. But I’m glad I didn’t grate your ears.” He gave her a twirl.
While not ear-grating, a minor disturbance did interrupt the romantic ambiance of the dance. Patrick and Maria looked over when they heard raised voices. Jamaal, Gretchen, and Julius had gotten into an argument. Although she’d come with Jamaal, it was obvious she’d been leading Julius on as well.
“Is it true? Have you been going out with him?”
“Like twice,” Gretchen said, as though it was no big deal. “It’s not like he stopped seeing Sandi.”
“I told you, she graduated so we’re not dating anymore,” Julius said. “You said you and Jamaal were going to break up.”
Jamaal was shocked and hurt. “She said what?”
“Oh, don’t be all high and mighty,” Gretchen snapped back. “You were still going out with Penny when she started seeing Wilbur.”
“But we’re not anymore, and you said you were my girlfriend, that this wasn’t just a thing for you!”
“She told me you weren’t serious.” Julius threw up his arms in disgust. “Whatever. Forget it. She’s all yours.” He stormed off.
“I’m not in the mood to dance.” Jamaal glared at Gretchen. “I’m going to get some air.” He turned and left also, leaving Gretchen to sulk on the floor. She straightened and held up her head to save face, and went over to the punch bowl to vent to Penny, who was getting a drink.
“I’d say I feel bad for Julius, but I’d be lying,” Patrick said with a hint of smugness.
“I don’t feel bad for him, either. Serves him right for being such a jerk.” She twirled in Patrick’s arms. “I’m so glad you asked me to this dance. I couldn’t imagine being here with anyone else, now that we’re together. Especially not him.”
Patrick wanted to twirl himself when he heard that, and it put an extra spring in his dance step. “Me too.”
While Patrick and Maria danced through the end of the song, Gretchen decided that the dance had gotten tedious, so she was going to liven it up. Although no one would have called her parents role models, Gretchen had learned a couple of things from them. Her father knew how to party, and her mother was a master at concealing objects. Granted, it was usually to remove them from their rightful owners, but the same tricks worked in reverse. When no chaperones were looking, Gretchen opened her purse, took out a flask full of hard juice, and poured it into the punch bowl. “Let’s dance,” she snickered.
Penny refilled her punch glass. “This tastes a little different.”
“Oh, they topped it off,” Gretchen lied.
“Must be the new batch. Still good, though.” She downed the rest, then refilled it again. “It’s hot in here. All this dancing makes me thirsty.” A few minutes later, she was giggling.
So was Gretchen. “Cheers,” she said with a gleam in her eye, and drank a glass with Penny.
When the song changed, Patrick and Maria decided to take a break and get some punch themselves. “I wonder if that’s strawberry or cherry. Whatever, I’m pretty thirsty.”
“Here, I’ll get you a glass.” Patrick poured her one, then one for himself.
“Thanks.” She accepted and raised it to toast. “To our first dance.”
“Our first dance.” He tapped his cup to hers.
Patrick and Maria finished their drinks and returned to the dance floor. The DJ played a more upbeat tune, and they got into the groove of the music.
“I did promise to show off my dance moves,” Patrick said flirtatiously.
“Yes, you did.” Maria laughed as he twirled her around. “I think you’ve been practicing since that night at the festival. You better not be pulling a Gretchen and have a secret dancing partner on the side.”
“Nope. Just me and the stereo. I promise.”
“Good. I don’t want to share the spotlight,” she said dramatically, and fell into his arms.
Patrick dipped Maria low, and between the romantic mood of the dance, the energy of the music, and the elated way he felt, he gave her an impulsive kiss. Her lips met his with equal enthusiasm, and they kissed for a long moment on the dance floor.
“Get a room!” Gretchen called out with a juiced laugh that was echoed by Penny, Wilbur, and a couple of other students.
“Someone’s bitter she didn’t get kissed like that,” Maria giggled.
“From what we heard earlier, she could’ve had her pick of who to get it from, though.” They laughed as they headed back to the punch bowl for another refill.
They drank some more, and ate a couple of bites from the buffet table, chatting and having a good time. The next song wasn’t one either particularly cared for, so they continued to chat and drink from the punch bowl.
The last time Maria got a refill, she noticed the taste seemed a bit off. “Hey, Patrick? Does this have like a weird aftertaste to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like… I don’t know, like something else is in it.” Her eyes went wide. “I think someone might’ve spiked the punch.”
“No! Really?” Patrick was surprised, and took a sip of Maria’s drink.
“It tastes like before. Well, mostly.” They had drunk their previous glasses faster, being a bit warm and thirsty from the dancing. He sipped again, and tasted carefully. “You’re right. I think they did spike it.”
“Oh, my Watcher. Do you think we’ve been drinking spiked stuff all night?” Maria looked down. “I know I felt like I was cutting a little loose, but… it was just having fun. And I thought it was warm in here because we were, you know, dancing and moving around and stuff.”
Patrick realized that he also felt a little too warm, and maybe a bit giddy. The heat he’d chalked up to the tuxedo and the stuffy gym, and the rest, just having a good time being with Maria. Now he realized that he might be feeling a little light-headed. “Yeah. Maybe we should stay away from that bowl.”
“We both just drank a ton of it,” Maria worried. “I hope we don’t get sick.”
“We’ll be fine,” he reassured her. “At least we don’t have to drive home.”
“Oh, wow. My mom will absolutely flip her plumbob if she thinks I got juiced.” Maria sighed. “What are we going to do?”
Patrick took her hand. “We dance it off, and play it cool. As long as we don’t drink any more, we should be okay.”
They returned to the dance floor and enjoyed the rest of the dance, but as time went on, the more the punch they drank earlier hit them. Soon, they were both rather uncoordinated and giggly. By the time the dance ended and they rode home in the limo, Maria was stumbling in her heels and Patrick was almost tripping over himself.
Despite his juiced-up state, Patrick still escorted Maria to her front door. “I had an amazing time with you tonight. And I promise that’s not the punch talking.”
“I know it’s not.” Maria smiled and brushed the side of his face. “I had a wonderful time with you, too, Patrick. I’m so glad you asked me.” She met his eyes. “And that you’re my boyfriend. I—I love you, Patrick. That’s not my juice punch talking, either. I really do. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met before. I—”
“I love you, too.” He kissed her. “To tell the truth, I could hardly tell that punch was spiked, because I feel like this just being around you.”
“Me too.” They held each other in the porch light, under the stars, and kissed again.
“I wish I didn’t have to say good night,” said Patrick.
“I wish you didn’t, either. If my mom wasn’t up waiting for me…”
He smiled. “I know. Mine are probably waiting on me, too.”
Patrick went inside with Maria and kissed her good night at the door. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“If you don’t, you’ll be in the dog house,” she replied with a wink.
“Then I’ll text tonight and call tomorrow, just to be sure.”
“You do that.” She smooched him. “Good night, Patrick. I love you.” She smiled as she said it, and he beamed inside and out. He didn’t think he would ever get tired of hearing her say that.
“Love you, too. Good night.”
When Patrick got home, his parents were in the front room watching TV, and they came over to greet him. He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised they waited on him. His father worried about everything, even on a good day.
“Welcome home. How was the dance?” asked Susan.
Patrick still felt the effects of the punch, but tried not to show it. “Fine. Great! We had a good time. A really good time.” Had he said that too fast? He noticed them exchange a look.
“Good. Maria got home safely?”
“Oh, yeah.” He nodded in a way that emphasized his wobbly demeanor. “Of course. I walked her into the house and everything. She’s fine.”
Buddy came around the corner, and immediately noticed Patrick’s state. “Oooh! Someone’s been in the juice!”
Patrick did his best to ignore Buddy, but it was harder than usual to keep a straight face. Boyd and Susan both noticed, although they didn’t realize it had anything to do with Buddy. “So, if it’s okay, I think I’m going to get out of this tux and go to bed,” Patrick rambled. “I’m beat.” He emphasized it with a dramatic and somewhat clumsy gesture.
“What you are is plum-faced juiced, Patrick.” Boyd didn’t mince words.
“Noooo.” He forced the most serious look he could muster.
“Yes,” Susan said. “Don’t bother denying it. It’s obvious.” She leaned over and sniffed. “Even without smelling it on your breath.”
“Okay, maybe a little, kind of, sort of, yes, but—”
Boyd raised an eyebrow. “I think it’s a little past ‘kind of, sort of.’”
“Don’t get mad! I didn’t do it on purpose. I swear I didn’t!” He held up his hands in protest.
Susan sighed. “We know.”
“We were dancing and just dancing, and talking. Nothing but normal school dance stuff. We were thirsty so we drank the punch and someone spiked it and… wait, you know?”
“Judy Bunch called us,” Susan explained. “One of your schoolmates spiked the punch bowl with hard stuff. Penny had so much she got sick enough that they had to take her to Sacred Spleen. Her friend that did it ‘fessed up once she saw how sick Penny got.”
“So, we know it’s not your fault.” Boyd met Patrick’s eyes. “I’m sure you’re smart enough not to knowingly drink spiked punch? Especially since you have no idea what might be in it, how strong it is, or even what it is?”
“We didn’t know,” Patrick assured them. “You’re not mad, then?”
“We’re not mad,” Susan assured him.
“We wanted to make sure you’re all right, and aside from an impending hangover, I think you’ll be fine. That said, I’m sure you know that if it had been intentional, and you were drinking juice underage…”
“I’d be grounded for eternity?”
“A reasonable assumption, yes.”
Buddy stood behind Boyd, mocking him. “That’s right, Patrick. Don’t you go drinking and partying. We’re old and boring, and won’t stand for that sort of thing. Except when we want to do it. Then it’s different! Then we do keg stands at frat parties, and it becomes a family joke for years.”
Patrick struggled to keep a straight face. That had happened before he was even born, but he and Buddy knew about it because it was such a long-standing joke that his mom, Blair, and Cycl0n3 still razzed his father about it from time to time. “Fine. Got it, Dad.”
“Go drink a glass of water and get some rest,” Susan told him. “Hopefully in the morning, you won’t feel like wild horses trampled through your head.”
“Okay. Good night.”
Boyd sighed as Patrick went up the stairs. “Well, he’s about three plumbobs to the wind, but I’m glad he didn’t end up like Penny.”
“Me too, although he’s closer to it than he thinks.” Susan shook her head. “Patrick seems to be a magnet for trouble lately. I know he said he didn’t drink it on purpose, but…”
“Do you think he lied?”
“Other than that juiced attempt to cover it up? No. Though I’m a little insulted he thinks we’re that stupid.”
“I don’t think it’s so much that he thinks we’re stupid, just that we’re old and out of it.”
“Heh. Not any better. But I’m still a little concerned. First the fight, then this inadvertent juicing at the dance… I hope he didn’t embarrass himself too badly, or upset Maria. The last thing I want is a call from her mother about our son’s behavior.”
“He said she was fine, and he’s so over the moon for her, if there had been a problem, I think it would’ve been obvious.”
“I suppose. Here’s hoping that’s the last of the talks like this we have to have with him, though.”
When he got to his room, Patrick was tired and fuzzy-headed from the juice, but happy. He texted Maria, as promised. Hope everything went ok after I left. Had a great time with you tonight. Can’t wait to see you again. He sent a sticker from the “love” category after it, a character he and Maria both liked that had hearts.
Almost immediately, his phone buzzed back with a response. Someone already told Mom about the punch so she didn’t freak out. There was a thumbs up after it. Miss you already. Love you! ❤
Patrick couldn’t help but smile. Seeing it in writing just made it even better, and he was still grinning ear to ear when Buddy came in. “So, how’d it go? And how’d you get juiced?”
“It was awesome!” Patrick shared an enthusiastic shaka-bra with Buddy, and told him all about it while he changed out of his tuxedo into his sleepwear. Buddy was particularly amused by the punch-spiking story.
“We should try that here sometime! It’s not like they don’t have enough nectar in the basement that they wouldn’t miss a few bottles. What about Maria? How much did she have?”
“As much as me. But it might’ve hit her harder than me. Or maybe it was just because she was in heels. She leaned on me a lot, but, uh, I didn’t mind that. Especially since she seemed to appreciate it.”
“Oh? How much?” Buddy made exaggerated kissy noises.
“A lot.” Patrick thought about the make-out session he and Maria had in the back of the limo on the ride home.
“Ooooh! So, how far does she go on the second date?”
Patrick flushed a little. “Yeah, on that note, I’m going to bed now. Good night, Buddy.” He climbed under the covers.
“Hah! Guess the answer is ‘not as far as you hoped!’ Good night, Romeo!” Buddy snickered sarcastically and transformed back to doll form, while Patrick clicked off the light and dozed off into sweet dreams.
Cheezey Sims 