Dancing with Molly - Lena Horowitz Page 0,40

led me past Ashley, who was making WOOT WOOT noises and dirty dancing with Reid. I could tell that everything was too intense for Carson, and that he was taking me to the band room to find a quiet corner.

I wondered if I should stay and keep an eye on Ashley, but it was hard to worry about my sister when I felt so good. I know now, looking back, that was the molly doing its work. I didn’t have a care in the world. The drug had taken me over. The only thing I could focus on was this moment, with Carson; how excited and happy I was to be winding through the streamers and lights and bodies and music, down one hall and up another, stopping here and there to stare into his eyes, and smile. He sniffed every now and then, and from time to time, he’d stop and gently kiss me.

There were board games set up in the chemistry room, and we briefly stood near a group of guys from the track team who were involved in a Hungry Hungry Hippos tournament. The clattering of the plastic hippo heads as they gobbled marbles grew louder and louder, along with the shouts of the guys working the tiny levers. Finally, with a loud roar of yells and cheers, the entire game board flipped into the air from their wild enthusiasm, sending marbles flying in all directions.

Carson and I laughed and ran from the doorway of the room, racing around corners and past parents telling us to slow down and be careful. Finally we collapsed onto a beanbag in the band room and lay there panting and staring up at the ceiling tiles. The designs in the soundproof fiberglass tiles seemed to wiggle in a strange and hilarious routine, and I knew from Carson’s soft “Wow” that he was seeing it too. We were the only people in the band room, which I didn’t really think about until Mr. Peterson came into the room. The sound of his loafers against the tile floor in the hallway echoed strangely in my ears, like a whoosh-splahsh! It sounded like he was running through water. I turned my head and saw him come into the room, and he jumped a little—like he was surprised to see anyone here at all.

He said my name, and told Carson “congrats.” He asked us if we were having a good time. I just smiled at him. I couldn’t have talked right then even if I’d wanted to. Luckily, Carson seemed pretty with it. He sat up next to me on the beanbag and said, Hey, Mr. P. Thanks! Then Carson told him that we were taking a break from dancing. Then a big group of sophomore girls who I recognized from the volleyball team came in, and one of them did a somersault onto a beanbag chair. Mr. Peterson told her not to do that again because he didn’t want to have to take her to the emergency room.

Just as Carson kissed me again, Reid and Ashley showed up. Ashley came running over and plopped onto the beanbag next to mine. Reid took the beanbag on the other side, and Ashley spotted Mr. Peterson and popped back up, running over to where he was talking to the volleyball girls. I heard her say, Mr. Peterson! like he was her long-lost friend, and then start talking about how much she had loved being in band as a freshman. Ashley gave up playing the flute this year. Mr. Peterson was saying something back to her, but I don’t really remember what it was because Reid and Carson and I were all staring at the ceiling tiles again, and Reid (who was sweaty as hell from dancing) kept saying, Far OUT. I noticed he was chewing some gum like it was his job and asked him where he got it. He pulled a pack out of his pocket and said that Kelly had given it to him to share. As Carson and I were each taking a piece, Carson said he was thirsty and I asked him to bring me back some water or some punch or something. He kissed me, and as I watched him walk toward the door, I felt someone kneel down on the floor next to my beanbag. I turned to see Mr. Peterson.

There was a look on his face that I can’t quite explain. It was as if he were doing a math