"We're so lucky our school has such a nice assembly hall," Allegra said as the car pulled up. "Most schools just have it in their gym."

"Yeah but a lot of private schools have it in a hotel, that's a lot nicer," Maeve pointed out. "My cousin's school actually had it at the Four Seasons once."

"Well, I'm glad we're not having ours at a hotel," Francie agreed. "I think it's nice to have it at the actual school where we've been going all these years. It's a nice way to say good bye."

They walked up the steps to the room, which had been decorated in an under the sea theme, with lots of blue and green, and sparkles everywhere, with diffuse sparkly lights so everything looked like it was underwater.

"Francie, your dress is perfect for this!" Veronica exclaimed. "You look like a bubbly blonde mermaid!"

"I guess I do" Francie agreed, looking down at herself.

She looked around. "Wow, they really went all out, huh? This place is beautiful, even nicer than it was for the Sadie Hawkins."

There was a table just for drinks, and two tables full of fancy desserts, beautiful to look at, and probably delicious, since they were catered by one of New York City's best known dessert bars.

The boys had decided that Chester was excused from the whole sneaking the booze into the punch maneuver, since he didn't really have any free hands, so he remained at the tables with the girls when the other three went to do the deed. They returned about ten minutes later, grinning like idiots.

"Mission accomplished," Ross declared, passing out glasses of punch.

"It was easy," Hollister added. "Mr. Anderson was watching the drinks table, and he lives for mock trial so I just went over and started talking to him about last season, and he was putty in my hands." Hollister was star of the debate and mock trial teams.

Francie tasted her punch and grimaced. "Oh god, you guys, this tastes terrible. What did you put in it?"

Ross ticked it off on his fingers. "Rum, vodka, gin, and whisky."

"All together?" Chester asked. "Blech."

"Why didn't you put one bottle in each of the different bowls?" Tyler asked, pulling a face as he tasted his punch.

"Anderson would've noticed that for sure," Ross explained. "I had to dump them in real fast while Holl distracted him."

"Whatever," Allegra said, finishing off her drink. "Let's go dance." She pulled Ross after her and headed to the dance floor.

Within seconds Chester and Francie were the only two left at the tables.

Francie scooted her chair closer to Chester's and he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"This is like a dream come true, isn't it?" Francie asked softly, leaning into him.

"It is," he replied, nodding. "I never, ever, in my wildest dreams thought I'd be at a dance, let alone Prom, with you, Francie Santangelo." He turned and pressed a gentle kiss into her hair.

Francie snuggled into his arm a little more, as happy as she could remember being, and they stayed that way, watching the couples dance and laughing at their antics from time to time. Chester was aware of her soft body leaning into him, and felt a little dizzy from the feel of it.

"Hey, they're playing a slow one, you want to dance?" he asked her. "Are you even awake?"

"I'm awake," she responded, her voice languid. "I just like being close to you like this."

"Well, let's be close out on the dance floor, what do you say?"

"I say yes."

So they rose and walked, with Chester leaning on Francie a little bit, and joined together for the Percy Sledge classic, "When A Man Loves A Woman." Chester sang it softly into Francie's ear, which tickled and turned her on in equal measure as they swayed in each others' arms.

"Oh man, Francie, you've got me feeling some kind of way," Chester murmured as the song ended. He leaned in and kissed her, hard, not caring who saw.

Francie kissed him back with abandon, arms wrapped tightly around his neck, loving the feel of his strong hands on her back.

"Get a room, you two," someone said with a laugh as he walked by.

"They have one, at the Plaza," someone else responded.

Francie and Chester laughed, breaking the kiss.

The next song was mid-tempo, not crazy fast, and they just remained on the dance floor, swaying together, making it work.

"This is so fun," Francie declared. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I can manage, as long as you don't let go of me," Chester responded with a nod.

"Never."

They sat down after the song was over, and Francie got them some (non-spiked) punch to drink.

Soon after, Chester excused himself to go to the bathroom. "I'm going to go use the ones inside, okay? They have the newer ones with the bar, it's easier for me."

Francie nodded.

On his way back, he heard someone calling his name, and turned around. The corridor appeared deserted. He turned back toward the assembly hall when a tall figure stepped out from behind the lockers.

Jill Wyler.

"Hi, Chester," she said with a funny little wave. She was all dressed up, in a flowered dress and low heels.

Dressed up for Prom.

"What are you doing here?" he asked bluntly.

"Look, I'm sorry about everything, I really am," she began, walking up to him. Her gaze roamed his face. "God, I've missed you, I really have."

"You're not supposed to be here," Chester said. "You're not supposed to be within a hundred yards of me or Francie, and you're not supposed to be at the school at all."

A tear spilled over and tracked down her cheek.

"Please, Chester, you don't know what a shitstorm my life's become. My dad's probably going to prison, for the vandalism and stalking, and I'm probably not going to get into any decent school, because of the cyberbullying conviction, and my mom and stepdad don't even want me to live with them anymore--" she spread her hands in a helpless gesture. "Nearly all of my dreams are gone. I only have one left."

She reached out to touch his cheek as he flinched away. "I just want to dance one dance with you at Prom. I've dreamed about it my whole life, pretty much since the day we met." Another tear stole down her face. "Please? It's so dark and crowded in there, no one will notice if you dance one dance with me, will they? And then I'll go, I promise."

"What's going to happen to you if they find out you've violated the terms of your bail or whatever it's called?" Chester asked curtly. "What's going to happen if they find out you're here?"

Jill laughed. "If I violate my probation? I'll have to go back to jail, I guess. I get community service and a fine as long as I'm a good little girl, but if they find out I'm here, I have to go to some juvenile detention center for girls for two years or something. So you see how much this means to me, Chester? Do you? I love you, and I'm willing to risk jail for one dance, so please, I'm begging you."

"Come on, then." Chester turned and entered the assembly hall, making sure he stayed between Jill and the chaperones as much as possible. He led Jill to their table and they sat, waiting for a good time to slip onto the dance floor.

"Oh my god!" Francie nearly fell out of her chair when she saw who was with him. "What in the hell is she doing here?"

Jill turned to Francie. "Chester has agreed to dance with me, just once, and then I'll be out of your hair, okay? Just leave me alone, please," Jill said. "You've won, Francie. You have everything, and I have nothing, so just let me have this one thing before I go back to my horrible, nothing life."

Tyler and Veronica, who were also sitting at the table, were staring, open-mouthed, at what was unfolding in front of them.

"But you're breaking the terms of your probation," Francie stuttered. "The restraining order--"

"Yes, I know," Jill said in a tired voice. "We're just going to dance, one dance, then I'm going, I said. God, don't you listen, you fucking princess?" She turned back to Chester. "In fact, what are we waiting for?" She gestured toward the dance floor.

"I thought we'd wait for a slow number? I don't do so well with the fast ones," he said apologetically.

"You're not going to do it?" Francie asked incredulously.

"This is such a small thing," Chester said.

"No! Chester, I can't--" Francie looked at him, then her eyes focused on something behind him.

Detectives Bustamante and Chadwick were walking in the doors, their steps brisk, all business, heading straight for them.

Jill turned to see what she was looking at, then turned to Chester. "You called them?" she asked, aghast. "You called them? Chester, how could you?"

The entire room grew silent as everyone realized a real life drama was playing out in a corner of it. As usual, people pulled out their phones and began recording it.

Detective Chadwick was pulling out handcuffs, speaking the words everyone knew practically by heart from watching endless police procedural shows:

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you..."

"She's going to jail, right?" Chester was asking. "She can't come near Ms. Santangelo for at least two years? Is that right?"

Jill was grasping at Chester's front, asking how he could do this to her.

Chester grasped her hands and pulled them off his tux, nearly losing his balance in the process. "You're certifiable. You tried to hurt the girl I'm in love with, you nearly wrecked her life. You think I'd do anything for you after you did that? You think I'd risk her happiness for one minute of yours?"

Jill stepped back in shock, looking like Chester had slapped her. She looked over at the detectives.

"Do I need to use these?" Detective Chadwick lifted the cuffs.

Slowly, Jill shook her head and hung it. A tear dripped off her chin.

The detectives grasped her by her arms and led her out.

"Are you okay?" Chester asked a shaken Francie.

She nodded, and he sat down and hugged her as the entire room erupted in applause. As everyone continued to clap, Maeve, Hollister, Allegra and Ross returned to the table from the refreshments area.

"You mean we missed the whole thing?" Hollister asked in disappointment. "Chester, my man, why don't you tell us before you decide you're going to pull some heroic shit at our table, okay? What the hell happened?"

"Apparently, Jill waylaid Chester and begged for just one dance, thereby violating her probation or whatever it's called," Tyler explained. "So Chester cleverly lured her here, and somehow found the time to text the police and get them to come and pick her up without letting her see that he was doing it. Is that about right?"

Chester nodded, his arm around Francie.

"How'd they get here so fast?" Francie asked, leaning her head on Chester's shoulder.

"They were already here, in the parking lot," Chester explained. "I guess they thought she might show up and pull something, so they wanted to be close by, just in case." He caught a look from Francie. "Hey, I didn't know they were going to do that, I would've told you, honest!" He gave her a squeeze. "I didn't want to just shut her down cold and send her away, which was my first impulse. I wanted the police to catch her here, so they'd know she'd violated her probation, so they'd have to put her away for the two years, so I'd know you were safe for at least that long, you know?" He kissed her nose. "You're important to me."

The whole table let out a collective, "Awww."

"Shut up, you guys," Francie replied, turning into Chester's chest and waving a dismissive hand at everyone to cover her embarrassment.

"You know what?" Hollister said, looking around. "I think I've had enough of Prom for one night. How about we grab some wine and snacks and head over to the Plaza, get our jammies on and start a Pictionary marathon? How's that sound?"

This was greeted with a round of cheers.