Night Fever

When a night out starts off good, but then gets bad but becomes good again

"What you gonna wear?! What you gonna wear?!" squealed Cheryl.
Jasmine was of light complexion. Some would say ghost like, translucent even. Choosing clothes to dance in was always a mountain to climb.
"I'm not sure Cheryl?" croaked Jasmine.
"That white lacy ensemble is definitely out!" piped Cheryl.
Cheryl was Jasmine's best friend and whose complexion was at the other end of the pantone swatch.
"Why not wear that little red number Jasmine? It'll go with your hair. I love the tagliatelle by the way!"
"You don't think it's too much?"
"Not at all. You'd swear they were highlights".
Cheryl looks at her watch. "What time did Richard say he was coming to pick us up?"
"8.30," Jasmine remarks.
"He should be here soon," Cheryl notes, "I hope he's not going to wear that jacket."

A car is heard pulling up into the driveway. The girls grab their bags and rush downstairs to the hallway. It's awash with rays from the headlight's beaming through the frosted porch glass bathing Cheryl and Jasmine as they grab their coats from the coat rack.
"Jasmine?" An agitated Cheryl looks around.
"Jasmine! Are you coming?" she shouts up to the bedroom. "Where are you? Richard's waiting. Come on!"
The ignition is turned off, returning the hallway back to its natural hue.
"Oh, there you are Jasmine. You really ought to invest in a tan like mine!" chuckled Cheryl.
They lock the front door and head to the car.
"Hi, Richard!"
"Hi, girls!"
As the girls climb into the back of Richard's car and make themselves comfortable, distinct and simultaneous thoughts spring to Cheryl and Jasmine's mind: He's wearing that jacket.
Richard starts the car and backs out down the driveway.
"Are you going to dance tonight Richard?" asks Jasmine nervously.
Cheryl and Jasmine both hold their breath in anticipation of the answer.
"I might do" replied Richard.
A 'might do' was safe enough for the time being. Jasmine and Cheryl sighed a sigh and just clung to that thought as they stopped at the traffic lights.

"Hey, is that Simon over there?" chanted Jasmine excitedly.
"Yes it is!" chimed Cheryl.
"Where's he going all dressed up like that?"
Jasmine had always held a torch for Simon ever since Junior High. "Hey, let's ask him? Richard, pull up beside him!"
"I can't just yet Cheryl. I have to wait for the lights to turn green!"
The lights turn green and Richard slowly pulls up alongside Simon. Cheryl rolls down the window and leans out.
"Hey Simon! Where you off to all dressed up like that?"
"Oh, hi Cheryl! I'm off to dance!"
"Hey that's where we're going! Why don't you jump in with us, Richard won't mind, will you Richard?"
"No, not at all. Jump In!"
Simon was a bit apprehensive at first. He noticed Richard was wearing that jacket.
"I think I might just walk actually," replied Simon, "It's a lovely evening."
"Don't be silly, it's pissing down!" hawks Richard.
"Ok then," an anxious Simon replies. Simon gets in and tries to distract his gaze away from Richard's jacket. Cheryl helps - "You remember Jasmine, don't you Simon?"
"Oh, hi Jasmine! I didn't see you sitting there. I haven't seen you for a while. Why you got tagliatelle in your hair?"
"I've been around, " replied Jasmine, "You probably just hadn't noticed me?" "Well, I'm noticing you now with tagliatelle in your hair!"
"I thought they were highlights?" Richard remarks.
"I keep telling her she needs to get a tan like mine if she wants to be seen" quips Cheryl.
"So what you been up to Simon?" asks Richard.
"You know, for months now I've been trying to secure a place at Mick Ferrari's legendary dance academy. Well, I've just been accepted!"
"That's great!" replies everyone.
"I can't wait to dance tonight!" says Richard.
There's an icy silence, then a pasta drops.
"I thought you said you only might do?" responds Cheryl.
"Well i've changed my mind. Tonight is a celebration of Simon's good news and what better way than to express that joy than on the dance floor!"

Simon was beginning to wish he had walked, or not even go at all. Cheryl and Jasmine politely ask Richard to pull the car over. They opened the door, leaned out and threw up. They took a few moments to get their second wind before proceeding with the journey. At the next set of traffic lights Cheryl goes into her pocket for a mint and feels that her keys are not there.

"Hey, Richard! Stop the car! I've lost my keys!"
"We have stopped. The lights are red!" snaps Richard.
"They must have fallen out back there Cheryl, when you leaned out the car to be sick," replies Jasmine.
"As soon as the light turns green I'll go back to see if we can find them," responds Richard.

As they get close to the area they stopped at, Cheryl remarked that it's awfully dark, "we'll never find them?"
Jasmine makes a suggestion: "Hey Simon, why don't you use this torch I've been holding for you?"
Simon gets out the car and begins to search for Cheryl's keys.

Four and a half hours pass. "Simon's taking his time isn't he?" Jasmine notes.
"I think we should just go," says Richard. "I've got ants in my pants and I want to dance!"
Cheryl leans out of the car and throws up again. Jasmine quips, "At least you haven't got keys to lose this time!"
"Come on everybody lets just get control," responds Richard.
Richard turns on the radio for a bit of background music as they continue on their way. I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor is coincidentally playing. The coincidence goes over everyone's head.
"Hey! Look out, Richard!" Cheryl screams.
Richard quickly jars the steering wheel to the left narrowly missing what appeared to be a naked man stumbling aimlessly back and forth across the open road. "Christ! We could have killed him!" barks Jasmine, "Lets get out and see if he's ok?"

Richard, Cheryl and Jasmine all get out the car and slowly approach the naked figure.
"Simon?"
"Christ! It's Simon!" shouts Richard, "What happened?"

Cheryl takes off her real fur coat and gently wraps it around Simon, who is clearly disorientated and in some distress. She sits him down by the kerb. "Simon? It's us, what happened to you? Where are your clothes?"
Simon collects his thoughts. Cold and weary, he struggles to get his words out. "I…..I…..I…….W..as….Llllllooooookingg….fffffooor.. yoour….keyss… CcCheryl."
"Relax Simon, take your time. You're with us now. Take a deep breath and try again?"
"I was looking for your keys Cheryl, not far from the car, when I was jumped by two men and a girl."
"What they look like?"
"I couldn't tell? It was dark"
"Didn't you use the torch?"
"I just got a quick glimpse of one of them, then the batteries died. I think they were Scandinavian?"
"What did they say?"
"They said they wanted my clothes. If I agreed to hand them over no harm would come to me? Of course, I didn't agree. I told them there was no way they were going to have my clothes. That's when the girl sprayed me". "Sprayed you?"
"Yeah. She had this can of something and she sprayed me with it. The last thing I remember is just waking up a few minutes ago naked and disoriented."
"I think we should go to the police and report this!" Jasmine exclaims.
"No. I don't want to cause a fuss. I'll be alright, I just want to dance," chokes Simon.
"But you're naked!" comments Cheryl.
"He can wear my Jacket if he wants?" Richard remarks.
"F**K OFF!!!" blurts Simon, "I mean…erm…I'll be alright Richard. Sorry, I'm obviously still a little bit disoriented from the ordeal I've just had to endure and everything. Thanks anyway."
"That's OK Simon, I understand."
"Hey! We could pick up some garments from DiscoMart!" enthuses Jasmine. "It's only a couple of blocks away!"
"That'll be great!" Simon blurts.
"That's that then. We won't let a couple of Scandinavians spoil our evening!" blasts Cheryl, "Did you find my keys by the way?"