This is what could and should have happened at the Silver Lake dance...

When Rudy Miller sat down on the bench, he wasn't aware of anyone near him besides his counselor, Chip.

"I don't dance." He said, in a monotone, same with all the other times he's said it. Chip gave him a crooked smile.

"Figures."

The lithe figure beside him leaned closer. She was his age, with black hair tied back in a ponytail. She wore a hoodie and jeans, and no jewelery or makeup of any kind.

"You don't like dancing either?" She asked, twining a lock of her hair around her finger.

"I don't dance." He said again, his eyes affixed forward.

The girl thought for a moment. "You said don't. You repeatedly said don't. It just means you don't like dancing; you never said you can't dance."

Rudy looked at her with mild interest. She pressed on, "Dude, I'm not an average girl."

Rudy eyed Chip, who was glaring at him even as he danced with Jane, his date. Rudy turned back to her. "What's your name?"

She smirked at him, the closest she had come to a smile in a while, not that he would know. "Linda."

"I'm Rudy. You want to dance?"

She looked stunned for a split second before resuming a poker face. "I don't dance." She put her hand in Rudy's.

He led Linda onto the dance floor, his steps keeping perfect time with the beat. She watched awkwardly from the side as he started dancing up a storm. Her foot tapped to the beat, and she tapped her fingers on the side of her leg, mapping out the melody perfectly.

Rudy saw his chance to run when Chip smiled and focused on Jane. He grabbed Linda's wrist and pulled her out the back door.

Once out the door, Linda used a wrist release on him and slugged him in the arm. Rudy backed away, unfazed.

"What the heck was that?" She yelled, but she didn't have to wait for her answer.

Mike, Rudy's best friend, burst out the door.

"What's she doing here?" He asked Rudy with a puzzled look on his face.

"Cover."

"From what?"

From the door, they could hear the record screeching. "Miller! Where's Miller? Miller escaped! Miller's gonnnnnnneeeeeeeeee!" Chip shouted, his voice echoing in the now silent gym.

Rudy pointed at the door, and both Mike and Linda nodded sympathetically.

Then he wrapped his arms around Linda and kissed her.

Chip chose that moment to burst from the doors, but seeing them together, he shrieked and stepped back inside. "Never mind! False alarm, everyone!"

Rudy pulled back and quickly saluted to Linda, but before he could run into the woods, her had clasped onto his. He almost cracked a smile.

Almost.

"No guy kisses me and gets away with it." She said, holding on tighter, "So you either stay with me, or go back to the maniac counselor. Your choice."

He sat down.