The "Peak"

[Buko]

The peak.

The highest point—the best that it was, that it ever was gonna get or gonna be. Very few people had the foresight and self-awareness to know the peak when they reached it. Some folks in their eagerness to finish the climb settle for the plateau. Perhaps that’s why a lotta folks couldn’t recognize the peak for what it was—everybody’s peak was different. Maybe the plateau is as far as some people ever was gonna go. Homecoming King was as far as it went. Was this it then? The peak? And did that darker truth come out? If this was the peak did that meant it was all downhill from here?

Richard swallowed that thought and buried it deep in his gut. This wasn’t the peak for one reason and one reason alone…

Dick was too small to not want to keep climbing. Success was the only stilt he knew. Winning was the only cure for the pain of loss.

[ Big Dick Buster Continued From: Homecoming Courtship ]

“Got us some punch,” Richard said with an easy smile as he approached the table he and Iris had set up camp at early on in the dance, “Gotta stay hydrated out here, gonna be a long night.”

It was gonna be his night. He had worked too hard for it. First in sweet talking Miss Prez for the theme and then in managing to set up and plan for the dance itself. Richard poured his heart into this school. Dicky wanted to leave his mark. He was supposed to do it yesterday on the court—they had come up short. The heartbreak and heartache combined with the frustration and disappointment still lingered in his spirit. He took off his purple fedora and suit jacket and draped them over his chair exposing the purple vest and lavender dress shirt below. He looked a bit like if a mixture of Prince and Al Capone were put through a funhouse mirror. Or like he was Willy Wonka’s illegitimate leprechaun son.

Big Dick wore the suit like it was Armani. If he looked or felt silly it was only because he was missing his signature accessory…

A crown.

[backslash]

((Iris Waite continued from Homecoming Courtship))

Iris's dad had seemed a little relieved that she was going to Homecoming with Richard. Maybe it was relief that she was going at all, maybe that her "date" was not really a date. He'd always seemed to have mixed feelings about Richard; when they had "dated" back in middle school, her dad's stance had been significantly more negative, but he had softened with time. Hopefully because he saw that Richard was actually a good friend, and not just because he'd realized that there was no spark of romance between Iris and her longtime friend.

"Thanks, Richie," Iris said, beaming, when he returned to the table with two full cups. She had been determinedly cheerful throughout the night, well aware that Richard was probably feeling the sting of the homecoming game's loss more than anyone.

They had coordinated their outfits, though he had ended up closer to the 20's style than Iris had. When she'd seen the royal purple dress (strapless, satin, with a flared skirt almost more ballgown than anything someone would reasonably wear to Homecoming or prom) Iris had known she had to have it. All of those tight, tube-like dresses and the short flapper-style ones were a little too tight on her in the areas that mattered, anyway. She had opted to wear her contacts instead of glasses tonight, the better to fully indulge in her makeup and accentuate her outfit with silver and gold tones around her eyes, and peachy pink lipgloss so glossy that you could almost see your reflection in it. Her nails (fingers and toes) were done in perfectly even French tips. Her jewelry and heels were coordinated in almost the exact same shade of gold. Iris didn't often get to feel gorgeous.

"Do you know when they're going to do announcements?" Honestly, she hardly even cared about the basketball game aside from the damper it might put on someone's mood. She didn't really care about who won Homecoming Queen or King, except to cheer on Dani and Richard for it because they were her friends. Even sat at the table mostly by herself so far, rather than out on the dance floor, she had to admit that this was much better than sulking alone at home with Netflix and a tub of ice cream.

[Buko]

“No idea,” a lie, “Well, kinda an idea,” he admitted to Iris and corrected himself, “Somewhere in the middle,” he nodded, “It’s not the finale but it’s a sign to wind down. That the shindig is coming to an end.”

That was the thing with the peak—what came after was the fall. Dicky knew it to be true and he knew it in his heart…but he couldn’t stop himself from breathing that thin, fresh and sweet air that came from being at the top. Why not smell the roses? Why not savor the moment? Dicky had ran for Veep because he knew he’d win. Richard had asked out Iris because he knew she wouldn’t say no. What did that say about him? Richard didn't know and he didn't like it but it definitely mixed bad with the loss from earlier in the week. Dick was too competitive to give up. If he lost on the court then he had to win off it. The battles mattered more for Richard. Dicky had to talk the talk and walk the walk. The only way he could prove he was a big dog was by having a bark AND a bite. Life had given Richard enough Ls, he had the right to stack his cards for his wins.

“Thank you,” Richard took a sip of punch and swallowed quick and gulped heavy, “For being my date,” he didn’t know how to say this without being a jerk, “I meant it when I said I wanted to go to the dance with you,” Dicky paused, “Maybe because I was kinda scared of asking someone else.”

Why’d he say some shit like that?

“I’m just glad I’m with you tonight,” he tried to bounce back from his own awkward-bomb, “It don’t gotta be a big deal. It just has to be a good night," honesty was the best policy, "You don't know how much that means to me.”