A Lonely Monster's Prom - An io9 Writing Prompt

Artwork by Sam Bosma - From io9 Prompt

Fiery eyes crackled in the corner of the moderately sized gymnasium as a Top 40 song reverberated off of the space's glossy brick walls. Ebengettoraxic sat hunched over on four flimsy, metal folding chairs, staring out onto the crowded dance floor. He could see the bounce of a blonde bob which sat atop the head of the girl, Sadie McPherson.

Sadie was dancing heatedly with Merphoragattet, a tall, muscular, tentacle-faced member of the football team and the bane of Ebengettoraxic's high school life. The way in which she swayed before the imposing jock and the manner in which she ran her fingers through the thick, course, grey tentacles which hung from his square jaw, stung the ember-eyed voyeur. He took a slow sip of green viscous punch, which had been provided by the parent's of the Prom Planning Committee, and seethed.

Between the side-sitting loner and his dream girl shuffled the forms of dozens of his classmates and their strangely dressed dates. To one side of his focal point was the class cut-up, Gorgatheterax, holding both of his dates, two boys from rival Southside High, by the faces and rocking them back and forth as they tried to comfortably do a lazy version of the Twist. Close to them he spied Calibrekket ingurgitating a gorgeous olive-skinned girl who was one year his junior. Above the rest, impossible to ignore, rocked the massive form of Dregoroplazik, the class president and this year's Prom King, who held his long-time girlfriend, and the Prom Queen, Lydia Fernandez in the palm of his gargantuan hand.

This panorama of familiar faces finding joy in the evening deepened Ebengettoraxic's depression. He continued to stare longingly at Sadie. Maybe, he thought, he could sneak a quick dance with her if that imbecile Merphoragattet would go off to the restroom or leave to retrieve some punch. Maybe she would say yes and he'd get a moment to be close to the Helen of this school's Troy.
As if in response to his hopes, Merphoragattet made to break away from his date as a remix of a UB-40 song came to an end. Sadie stood alone, looking about at her dancing classmates with an ecstatic grin as Merphoragattet disappeared into the crowd. Ebengettoraxic's eyes widened, releasing a brighter flame, as he made to lift himself out of the chairs.

Just as this seemingly wonderful opportunity presented itself, it quickly disappeared. As Ebengettoraxic stood, Sadie turned to run after Merphoragattet, embracing him warmly from behind when she found him. Ebengettoraxic's face fell at this sight as his hearts felt the stabs of jealousy and sorrow. His chest sunk heavily as he dropped back carelessly onto his seats. He continued to spy on the happy couple as an obnoxious novelty song blared suddenly from the overhead speakers.

I never get what I want, Ebengettoraxic bitterly thought as he took another sip of the charnel-smelling, chartreuse concoction. Dancers spun about him, a separating sea between this lovelorn onlooker and his ideal girl. Then the majority of dance floor inhabitants slowly halted their dancing to watch the sensational rhythmic jiggling of the serpentine Auroralottrug to the nearly obscene, auto-tuned lyrics.

I hate the Prom, thought Ebengettoraxic.