Devon, the Dover Demon Acquires a Prom Date
By Sara Wesley McBride
There she stood, Amber Hinkle. The girl absorbed sun rays with her purple hair. Devon rubbed his long fingers over his watermelon-shaped head, polishing it to a shine. He adjusted his suspenders, black with small leaping frog images. The mud and moss had been freshly removed from between his toes.
Behind Amber hung a high school prom banner, all glitter, castles and hell fires, depicting a princess theme.
Now or Never!
He slammed his locker closed, and swaggered his floppy, long toed feet in Amber’s direction. He slowed his swagger, raised a hand to wave, then wiped his fingers on his gleaming head and walked on by.
Nope. Not today.
He couldn’t ask her today. He’d practice more, in his cave, with his rocks.
“Devon?” A voice from behind froze his feet with a squelch on the linoleum floor. “Did you want... did you mean... to say something?”
Devon turned. His hands on his suspenders, as he’d practiced. Amber radiated kindness. “Dear Miss Hinkle... I mean, hello Miss—“
“Amber,” she said, so sweetly, as if offering a buttered centipede for dessert.
“I know it’s not your dream to dance with the Dover Demon, but I was hoping... No, I’m sorry.” His suspenders snapped at his chest gills under his button-up.
“I like your glowing eyes. Orange?”
What did Amber say? She likes my eyes?
Devon’s gills flapped, his toes tapped independently, and his fingers imitated the leaping frogs on his suspenders. He took a deep breath, sucking his shirt against his chest. “Dear Miss Amber Hinkle, would you go to prom with me?”
She nodded. Nodded YES! Her purple hair shimmered at him. She smiled and asked, “Could I hang from your shoulders while you climb the castle wall?”
Devon’s eyes glowed with true flames and he nodded yes. YES!
Sara Wesley McBride writes novels, plays and flash fiction. She recently won first place in Writing Battle. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband and tiny, bouncy, dog named Wombat. https://www.sarawesleymcbride.com
Way to go, Devon! Inspiration to us all!