The basketball court was bathed in the glow of the sunset, with lights illuminating every corner. A thick party atmosphere permeated the air. Streamers and balloons were everywhere, making it look like Disneyland. In front of the main entrance, a large archway made of colorful balloons was especially eye-catching. Next to it were two inflatable pencil men, taller than the building itself, dancing wildly.
The flashing neon lights reflected off young and vibrant faces. The joy and happiness of the high school students filled the air.
"How does it feel? Does the basketball court feel especially familiar to you?" Julia said happily, a smile returning to her face.
Lu Ke laughed. "It's okay. Actually, the school started building the basketball court the year I graduated from elementary school. I heard it was from a donation by a certain rich man."
The elementary school Lu Ke attended didn't have a basketball court or a basketball team. That's why Lu Ke chose football.
"Fate is truly interesting. If it had been two years earlier, would the 49ers have lost their franchise quarterback?" Julia winked playfully, and the two of them couldn't help but smile at each other. "To be honest, I can't imagine what you would look like on a basketball court."
Lu Ke shrugged. "For most people, they can't imagine what I look like on a football field." Then, Lu Ke spread his hands helplessly. "It seems they're destined to be disappointed."
His casual words were full of confident sincerity, and Julia couldn't help but laugh happily.
After passing through the archway and the main entrance, they saw a long, bustling line at the entrance, causing a traffic jam.
Two students of unrecognizable genders, one tall and one short, one fat and one thin, were wearing a one-piece raccoon plush suit. Their clumsy movements, one after the other, took up a lot of space, which led to a series of blockages behind them.
In the line, there was also a boy dressed as a headless horseman, with a fake plastic head hanging from his shoulder. He was wearing a knight's costume with high, wide shoulders, and his own head was hidden inside. The entire outfit was also wide and clumsy.
Another couple had painted themselves green and dressed up as Shrek and Fiona. What was even more amazing was that they were also leading a donkey—an inflatable balloon, not a real one.
A tall girl was wearing a corset and high-waisted pants, showing off her curves. She was also wearing a scarlet cloak, making her look exactly like Count Dracula.
The most exaggerated one was a boy wearing a flesh-colored bodysuit with a skeleton pattern on the outside. In a dimly lit place, the fluorescent light would make it look like a skeleton was dancing. He was also wearing a colorful cloak and an intricate circus hat, all decorated with traditional Mexican patterns.
...
The costumes in front of them were truly colorful and dazzling. It seemed that every student had put a lot of thought into being unique and making a splash at the homecoming dance tonight. Before even entering the gymnasium, Lu Ke could already feel the overwhelming cultural differences.
"Wasn't your high school this crazy?" Julia asked, noticing the surprise and curiosity in Lu Ke's eyes.
"No," Lu Ke shook his head and chuckled, as if recalling some of his high school memories. "In our senior year, the homecoming dance was a retro party, with a 50s to 70s theme. And you know, the whole dance floor was filled with Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe."
"I remember Logan was Michael Jackson!" Julia's memory was also refreshed, and she said the answer with a bright smile.
Lu Ke nodded repeatedly in agreement. "We were all Michael Jackson. In fact, I think there were eight or nine Michaels. Then, during the dance, everyone was competing to see who had the best dance moves." It was only four years ago, but looking back now, it felt like a lifetime ago.
"Dancing?" Julia covered her mouth and looked Lu Ke up and down in disbelief. She couldn't imagine what Lu Ke would look like dancing. Her skeptical eyes fell on Lu Ke, and he raised his hands in surrender. "Tonight, I'm the chivalrous escort, but I'm not responsible for being your dance partner."
The expression of fear and reluctance made Julia giggle.
As they chatted, the line gradually shortened. Every student who arrived had to register, not just for the sake of the news but also for voting for the Homecoming King and Queen.
The registration had two purposes. The first was to get a ballot, and each person could only get one. The second was to confirm attendance. Only the votes of students who had registered were counted.
Julia stood on her tiptoes to look ahead, then turned to Lu Ke and asked, "I think we'll have to wait a while longer. How about we just go in? I'm not interested in voting for the King and Queen anyway."
"Are you sure?" Lu Ke also looked ahead. With his height advantage, he could see everything in front of him even while standing still. "There are only three groups ahead of us. It's just that the guy in the panda head looks like he's taking up a lot of space."
Suddenly, there was a commotion in front of them, and a quarrel seemed to have broken out, interrupting Lu Ke and Julia's conversation. They instinctively looked over and heard a heated argument amidst the noisy music.
"We just came to sign in. It'll only take 30 seconds..."
"Then please get in line! You have to get in line!"
"Lines are for losers. Do I look like a loser?"
"When you act all high and mighty and cut in line, you are a loser!"
...
The back-and-forth argument was unyielding. Before Lu Ke could react, Julia had already shouted, "Line up! Please line up politely!" Then, other students behind them also started to shout things like "Don't cut in line," "Hurry up and get in line," and "What the heck is going on?" All kinds of complaints were being made without any hesitation.
The crowd's anger erupted, and the commotion at the front gradually subsided. Then, a boy and a girl turned around and walked back.
The path to the gymnasium was very wide. On the left was the long line for registration, and on the right was a channel for those who didn't want to sign in and just wanted to go straight in. It seemed that the two people had gone straight in from the right and tried to cut in line, but now they had to sheepishly walk back.
"Julia? It's you!" a surprised voice rang out next to them. An alarm blared in Lu Ke's mind. 'No way? Is high school drama about to unfold here?' "It was you, right? If you want to get revenge, isn't this method too childish and stupid? Even elementary school kids are smarter than this."
The girl standing in front of them was wearing a white spaghetti-strap top, a white leather skirt, and a pair of thigh-high black boots that showed off her beautiful legs and caught everyone's attention. Her proud chest was about to pop out, and her long golden hair hung down in a lazy and casual way, making her even more charming.
Unfortunately, her arrogant and provocative expression ruined the overall feeling. More importantly, when they got closer, they could see the heavy makeup on her face. The peacock blue eyeshadow was especially eye-catching, as if she had been punched in the face.
Jenny Donnagen!
Julia's hands clenched, and her muscles tensed up. She had a comeback in her mind and had thought of how to respond, but it got stuck in her throat, and no sound came out. This made Julia even more annoyed, annoyed at her own clumsiness and slowness.
"So, you've never been to school? Even elementary school kids should know that waiting in line is a basic courtesy," Lu Ke's familiar voice came from behind. Julia was a little relieved. Then she saw Jenny's stunned and distorted expression, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
"You!" Jenny only just noticed Lu Ke standing next to her. She frowned and was about to retort, but then she realized she was in the wrong, and she was left hanging, which was really uncomfortable.
"Julia, who is this?" The boy standing next to Jenny opened his eyes wide and demanded.
Lu Ke frowned and sighed inwardly. 'Are all high school students this stupid? They can't hide anything and have it all written on their faces.' Wait, thinking back to his own high school days, he seemed, perhaps, to have been about the same.
The thought flashed through his mind, and Lu Ke patted Julia's arm, signaling her to relax. He interjected, "If I were you, I wouldn't act so desperate in front of your date. Otherwise, it'll look like you're two-timing, which is the most unwise thing to do."
Lu Ke simply glanced at the boy. The boy was well-built and muscular, standing out among the ordinary high school students. He was wearing a formal black suit and a white shirt with a Zorro-style black eye mask. His curly blonde hair made him look dashing and uninhibited.
At this moment, the boy was also a little surprised and taken aback. He looked up at Lu Ke, and his eyes were filled with little flames of anger.
"Are you Mark Cotez?" Lu Ke then realized. It seemed that this wasn't a coincidence but a fated encounter. "Julia, I thought your standards were higher than that."
The subtext was that Mark's character was too low and that he wasn't worthy of Julia at all.
Julia tried her best to hold back her laughter, but she still couldn't and burst out laughing. Then she pretended to be fine and looked up. "High school girls' brains get silly sometimes. It looks like I dodged a bullet. Phew, lucky me!" After saying that, Julia even made a "V" sign with her fingers, and her expression gradually became relaxed.
"Julia!" Jenny and Mark seemed to be both enraged and shouted in unison.
Lu Ke nodded with satisfaction. "At least they're a good match. A good choice." As he spoke, the line moved forward again, and it was Lu Ke and Julia's turn to sign in. The two of them were about to do so, but a defiant Mark took a step forward and reached out his right hand to pat Julia's shoulder.
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