The Debutante Ball-Night After Night
By boobookitty16


The following fanfiction happens right after Laverne falls in the “Debutante Ball.”



“My God, have you seen that woman?” a woman giggled.
“Seen her? She talked to me like who does she think she is? The funny thing is, she honestly thinks she belongs here.” another woman giggled.
“I know right. She looks ridiculous. It's a debutante ball, not a zoo.”
“I bet she'd belong there.”
“Shut up!” Lenny shouted at the laughing crowd, “Shut up, all of you! I bet you wouldn't laugh if this happened to you, huh? Jerks.” his friend was sobbing and he desperately tried to make them stop laughing but with no luck. He didn't even notice Laverne running to the bathroom. He finally realized two minutes later that she wasn't beside him anymore. He looked for her for over ten minutes and finally someone told him where she was. He knocked on the door and opened it. His heart broke the second he saw her, her face was red and puffy and she was still crying.
“Hey.”
“Are they still laughing at me?”
“Who cares if they are? They're stupid.”
She shook her head, “No they're not. I am.”
“What are you talking about?”
She wiped her tears, “I..I shouldn't have come here.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “Now don't let those jerks get to you, they're not worth it.”
“I'm sorry I ruined your special night.” she buried her head in her hands, she felt so terrible it was indescribable.
“What are you talking about? You didn't ruin anything, I promise. I'm really happy you came with me tonight.” being with her tonight was like a dream come true to him. Not in a million years would he have thought she'd agree to come along and she did! He could not be more grateful.
“You don't mean it. You're just being nice.”
“Of course I mean it. I promise you didn't ruin anything.” he repeated trying to reassure her.
“But I've embarrassed you.”
“You embarrassed me? No, you didn't. So you fell, big deal. I fall all the time.”
“You do?”
“Well yeah, just yesterday at the brewery, I was getting out of the truck and I fell face first on the concrete ground. Now that was embarrassing.”
“Is this why you have a tiny bruise on your forehead?”
He nodded, “Yep.” she couldn't help but giggle even though she was still crying.
He handed her a handkerchief, the multicolored one in his pocket, “Here.”
With shaking hands, she accepted it, “Thank you.”
“Please stop crying, it's okay.”
“I can't.”
“Why not?”
“Those women, they said stuff about me....I heard them.”
“What kind of stuff?” she was crying so hard he couldn't understand her. My God, he's never seen her like this before. He wanted to cry with her! “What did they say, Vernie? It's okay.” the words wouldn't come out. “It's okay.” he had no idea what to do, “Do you want me to call Shirl? I'll go call her.”
She grabbed his wrist as he was getting up, “Please stay. Don't leave me with those people.”
“Okay. Okay, I'm not leaving you. But could we go outside or something?”
“What's wrong with being here?”
“Well for starters, it's the women' bathroom.”
She took a deep breath, “I don't want to face them.” she had been embarrassed enough for one night.
“So what are you going to do? Stay here until they all leave?” when she nodded he chuckled, “Come on, that's silly.”
“But if they see me, they're going to laugh again.”
“I won't let them.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.” he rose to his feet and offered his hand, “Now let's go.”
She hesitated for a few seconds before grabbing his hand. He was right, she couldn't stay here forever. When they came out of the bathroom, everyone was staring at them and none of them were laughing anymore. Maybe because he was glaring at all of them and it was pretty scary. He was ready to beat up any of them if they were even thinking of laughing. Somehow they all could feel it. “Don't look at them Laverne, we'll just grab our coats and leave.” Lenny whispered, without letting go of her hand.
Those had been the longest two minutes she had ever known. But she felt relieved when they finally stepped outside. He even helped her with her coat. “Thank you.”
He brushed the hair out of her eyes, “You're welcome. Are you okay?” she had managed to stop crying.
When she nodded he smiled. He glanced at his watch, “It's only 8.25, what do you want to do?”
“I..I need to get out of this dress.” the smell was becoming unbearable.
“All right, I'll take you home then.” they made their way to his beer truck.
“Hey, Len.”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being my friend.” within seconds she was hugging him, she even kissed him on the cheek.
Needless to say, his face was crimson. “Let's get out of here.” he managed to say as he watched her getting in the truck. Her dress was so big it took her several long minutes to sit properly.
He chuckled, “Are you all set?”
“Yep. All good.”
“All right.”
They didn't really talk on the way home. Mainly because he was still not over her kissing his cheek. He had to help her climb out of the truck and she thanked him.
He walked her to her front door. “Well, there you go.” he smiled.
She managed to find her key and opened the door, “I guess I'll see you later.” he figured after what happened tonight, she wanted to be left alone. Lenny started to leave but she stopped him.
“Where are you going?” He turned around, “Don't you want to come in?”
He stammered, “You-you mean you want me to stay?”
She nodded smiling, “Yeah. I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast, would you like to have dinner with me?” she offered. That was the least she could do after everything that's happened.
Was he dreaming or this night was really happening? He stammered, “D-Dinner with you?”
Laverne giggled, “Yeah. Len, are you okay?” he was acting weird since earlier.
“I'm fine.” he reassured her. He was more than fine, he felt terrific! Terrific and nervous as hell but nonetheless terrific.
“Okay. I need to get out of this dress,” when he started biting his palm she giggled, “Now come on, I really do. I'll be right back.”
“There's Chinese food in the fridge if you want.” Laverne shouted from the bedroom as she struggled to get out of this dress. The zipper was stuck.
“Uh, Lenny?”
“Yeah?”
“Could you come here for a sec?”
Within seconds, he was by her side. “What's up?”
“My zipper's stuck, could you help me?”
Was she serious? “Wait, let me try.” his hands were shaking, he was so nervous it was unreal. She groaned as he tried to fix it. “Man, it really is stuck.”
She started panicking, “What am I gonna do?”
“Wait wait, I'll try again. Stay still.”
This time he used all the strength he had and it finally unzipped.
“Did you break it?”
“No, the zipper's fine.”
“Oh, thank God.” it was already gonna cost her enough to get the dress cleaned, she didn't want to have it fixed too! “Squiggy's gonna kill me when he sees the dress.”
“No, he won't. Don't worry.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I'll talk to him.”
She hugged him again, “Thank you.”
He smiled, “You're welcome.”
“Listen, I..I'm gonna wait for you in the living room.” he said now.
“I'll be quick, I promise. Thank you for helping me.”
“Don't mention it.” they smiled at each other as he left the room.
A few minutes later, she joined him in the living room wearing pajamas and slippers. He had found the food and placed everything on the coffee table. “Look, I found champagne.”
A drink sounded great right now. Especially since she felt like crap. What those women said kept haunting her.
“I couldn't find the glasses though.”
“Oh they're in the third drawer on the right. Wait, I'll get them myself.” she walked past him and they smiled at each other again. “Make yourself comfortable.” .
He removed his jacket, “How come you have champagne?”
“Oh Shirl bought it a while ago for Carmine for a romantic dinner but it turns out he's allergic and she won't drink it so there you go.”
“She won't mind if we do then.”
“Nope.”
He barely had the time to uncork the bottle that she was already pouring herself a glass and sipping from it. It worried him. “Laverne, are you sure you're okay?” he asked her again.
“Yeah. Why?”
He sadly didn't believe her, “Just wondering...”
They sat next to each other, their arms touched and his heart was racing. They ate their dinner in complete silence. He was too nervous to say anything and she was too upset to talk. By the end of the meal though, she had already sipped half the bottle of champagne to herself. Lenny had barely touched his drink. As she was pouring her fourth glass, he grabbed the bottle from her, “I don't think it's such a good idea.”
“Come on Len, don't start.” she whined, she tried to grab the bottle from him but he was so much stronger and taller than her that it was useless.
“Vernie you're drunk.”
“I'm not.”
“You are. You can't hold your liquor. You've had three drinks, you're completely plastered.”
“I'm not.”
“Okay stand up then walk. Prove me wrong.”
She rose to her feet swaying and walked all the way to her bedroom door. “See, I'm not drunk. Do you believe me now?” but on the way back to the sofa, she tripped and fell head first to the floor. Almost hitting her head on the edge of the coffee table.
“Oh, my God, are you all right?” Lenny rushed to her side panicking. He thought she was crying at first but she burst out laughing literally in his face, “Okay, you were right. I'm a little drunk.”
He breathed a sigh of relief, “You could have really hurt yourself. You scared me to death here.” he almost yelled at her. “Come on, get up.” he offered his hand but she refused to grab it.
She tugged at his shirt instead, “Please sit with me.”
“No.” He shook his head, “Get up. Come on.”
She continued tugging at his clothes, “No, please sit with me.” she almost begged him.
He sighed, he could never say no to her for too long. He sat reluctantly beside her. “Okay, now what?”
She grabbed the remote on the coffee table, “Now we watch TV.” she turned the TV on.
“And we couldn't do this on the sofa because....?”
“Because it's more fun that way.” she giggled, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.
Okay he officially felt uncomfortable. He's dreamed of something like this happening between them for such a long time and he would be the happiest guy on earth right now..if she wasn't inebriated.
“Len?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you really mean all the things you said the other night?”
“What things?”
“When you said I was smart and pretty.”
“Well, you are smart and you are pretty. “ he could not be more sincere.
“Aww, thank you!” she kissed his cheek for the second time tonight. It certainly never happened to him before. “I think you're a sweet guy, Len.”
He chuckled, “You're just saying that.”
She shook her head, “No, I'm not. You're always nice to me.” she felt so bad for treating him like crap most of the time that she started crying.
“Hey, what's the matter?”
“I'm a terrible person.” she buried her head in her hands.
“No, you're not. What are you talking about?”
“I always treat you horribly!”
“You don't treat me horribly.”
“Yes, I do! I always tell you to get lost and I always yell at you.” she was too ashamed of herself to even look at him. “I don't deserve your kindness.” especially after everything that's happened tonight.
“Now come on, stop that. Of course you deserve it.” he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “You're my friend. I care about you, okay?”
She almost smiled, “I care about you too.”
“Yeah?”
She giggled, “Yeah.”
Their faces were only a couple of inches apart and he couldn't stop looking at her. He wanted to kiss her so badly it hurt. He cleared his throat and chuckled nervously, “I..I better get going. It's getting late and uh, I..have to work tomorrow.” it was already almost 9.45. He rose to his feet.
“No, you don't. It's Sunday tomorrow.”
“That's right.” he actually forgot, “I..I still have to go though.”
She got off the floor. Now she was standing right in front of him. “Please, don't go.”
“I have to.” and it killed him. If only she wasn't inebriated yet if she would be sober, he doubted anything like this would be happening.
“Please. One more hour then you can go. Just one hour.” she didn't want to be alone, “Just until Shirley comes back.”
“I...I don't know....”
She hugged him again, begging him. “Please.”
He took a deep breath, “All right..but just until she comes back.”
Laverne jumped up and down still hugging him, “Thank you.” she felt so grateful to him that..she kissed him. A real kiss like he's hoped for so long. Wow. Okay, what was happening? He knew it was wrong but before he could stop himself, Len kissed her back. He knew he shouldn't do it but what the hell? It would probably be his only chance to ever make out with her. Plus in the morning, she wouldn't remember anything, what was the harm? What was the harm?! Did he really just ask himself that question? He was taking advantage of her and he knew he wouldn't forgive himself if he went through with it. As the kiss was getting more intense she slowly slipped her hand under his shirt. He pulled away from her. “No. No, we can't do this.”
She moaned, “Why not?”
He stammered, “Because y-you don't like me.” there he said it.
“Of course I do! I love you!” she exclaimed, ready to kiss him again but he averted his face.
“Vernie, you've had too much to drink and-”
“You kissed me back!”
He nodded, “Yes, and I shouldn't have.” he felt so uncomfortable it was unreal, “I..I better go...” he grabbed his jacket on the sofa.
“Please, don't go.”
“I can't stay here. I don't want to do something you'll regret in the morning.”
“I won't regret it, Len. It's what I want.”
He shook his head, “I..I can't do it.” and boy, it physically hurt him how much he wanted to.
“But you like me. I know you do. I've known for a long time.”
He admitted it, “Yes, I do like you but you don't feel the same way. And you know, it's okay. I've come to accept it.” even though it hurt like hell.
“Maybe I do like you, have you ever thought of that?”
He shook his head, “No, you don't like me. You're just upset about tonight.”
“I was upset but I..I'm not anymore.” she stepped toward him, “I do like you.”
He didn't believe her. He kissed her on the cheek, “Good night, Vernie.”
She was crying now, “Don't go.”
“I'm doing the right thing. I know it's hard right now but you'll thank me later. It's for the best, you'll see.”
“Please. I need you.”
He took a deep breath, “I'll see you later.” the second he closed the door, she cried louder and he could hear her perfectly on the other side. My God, she was right there needing him and what did he just do? He walked away. He felt so terrible he was almost crying too. But what choice did he have? He was proud of himself for doing the right thing. Their friendship meant the world to him and he didn't want to jeopardize it and he knew in the morning, she'd understand that. Long minutes passed before he finally left. Once in his apartment, he could still hear her sobbing in his head. He wondered how the evening would have turned out if she wouldn't have been drinking. He spent the next hour thinking about tonight and about her. He needed to check on her or he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. He wanted to make sure she was all right but when he knocked on the door, no one answered him.
He opened the door, “Laverne?” still nothing. She had fallen asleep on the sofa.
To him she looked like angel right now and the last thing he wanted was to risk waking her. She looked so uncomfortable though, she was lying on her stomach one arm and one leg hanging over the edge of the couch. He even wondered how she could have fallen asleep in that position! He couldn't leave her like this, especially since Shirley was gonna be home any minute. So he slowly scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom, lying her down onto the bed. He even managed to find a blanket in her closet so he grabbed it and laid it over her. Then he bent over, kissing her gently on the forehead.
“Good night, Vernie.” he whispered.

*************

She knocked on his door, secretly hoping he wasn't here so she wouldn't have to face him. She had a major hungover and she remembered everything that happened last night. The drinking, the sobbing...the kissing. My God, she kissed him. She kissed Lenny Kosnowski. She should be shocked or disgusted but she wasn't. Actually it was the opposite. She did something last night she would have never done sober, she finally admitted she liked him more than just as a friend. It took guts and she was glad she had done it because now everything was out in the open.
He kind of knew who was at the door before he opened it. “Laverne. Hi.” he exclaimed.
“Hi.” she was so ashamed, she couldn't even look at him. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah, sure.” he stammered, “H..How are you feeling?”
“Hungover.” she chuckled, “But I'll be fine.”
“That's good.”
“Where's Squig?”
“Oh, he's at his mom's house for the day.”
“Oh...” she took a deep breath, “Uh, listen Len, about last night....” she didn't even know where to begin. “I..I want to apologize.”
“It's okay. I know you were upset.”
She shook her head, “No. It's not okay. I..I never meant to drink so much and I'm so sorry.” she was almost crying.
“Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about it.” he almost smiled.
She took a deep breath, “I meant every word, Len.”
“What do you mean?”
“Last night when I said I liked you. It was the truth.”
He was so shocked he had to sit down in order not to faint. “W-what?”
“I didn't kiss you because I was upset, I kissed you because I wanted to. I've wanted to kiss you for such a long time but I never had the guts to admit I liked you too.” maybe because so many people would laugh at her if they knew. But now she didn't care anymore, her happiness was more important than what people thought. He made her happy and it was what mattered.
“Y-you like me? For real?”
“For real. And I don't care what anybody says anymore, I want to be with you.”
He couldn't believe it, his dream was coming true right in front of him, “You're not joking, right?”
“Oh, no, I'm not joking, Len. This is the real thing; I like you.”
He rose from his chair, “You-you like me?” he repeated just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
He was so shocked it was so cute. She giggled, “Yeah.”
Only in his dreams would she feel the same way and now there she was actually liking him back. He wanted, needed proof or he was going to go nuts. His heart was racing, his hands were shaking and he was this close from passing out but he never felt happier. “So if I try to kiss you, you won't avert your face or something?” he stepped closer to her.
She smiled, “Why don't you try and find out?”
He was so close now, she could feel his breath on her skin. It took a few long seconds before he finally leaned over and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

X oxoxoxox X


[The End]