Chapter 220: Neon Lights and 90s Beats

Stepping inside alongside Katie, Eric let out a soft "wow," genuinely impressed by how the gymnasium had been completely transformed into a vibrant dance hall. The perimeter near the entrance was lined with tables and seating, flanked by food and beverage stations on both the left and right. The massive center floor was bathed in colorful spotlights swirling across the polished surface, while balloons were neatly arranged across the ceiling beneath a stunning crystal chandelier capped with a spinning disco ball at its center.

At the far end stood a spacious stage fully equipped with musical instruments, offering plenty of room for performers to move around freely. Still, Eric felt a slight sense of out-of-place awkwardness given that all the attending high school students were dressed to the nines in formal gowns and tuxedos, perfectly matching the prom’s dress code. Even so, he did his best to brush off the curious glances coming his way.

As he and Katie walked deeper into the hall, a flurry of murmurs rippled through the crowd they passed. Eric naturally assumed people were whispering about his casual attire, jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket and judging him as out of place. What he didn’t realize, however, was that the whispers, especially among the teenagers, were about something entirely different:

"Hey... look... isn’t that Eric Reed?"

"No way... who’s that with him? Is she an alum?"

"I don’t know... but she’s definitely way older than us."

"Makes sense Eric’s here tonight... The Empress and Nobelia are performing, after all."

"Right? We are so lucky they went to our school."

"Hey, should I try to go talk to Eric? Getting his number would be epic."

"I would, but... the gorgeous woman next to him is intimidating. My confidence is shot."

And the hushed chatter went on. Feeling increasingly self-conscious, Eric scanned the room and spotted Mike standing alone near a quieter corner by the stage, holding a drink. Without missing a beat, Eric pulled Katie toward him. Mike noticed them heading his way and smiled,

"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Mike greeted them.

"Yeah... well, couldn’t exactly skip out when two of my groups are performing," Eric replied.

"He tried to bail outside earlier, but I had to twist his arm to get him in here," Katie chimed in. "Is Jade backstage?"

"Yep, she’s all prepped and ready. But get this, the prom theme is apparently the 90s. Pretty hilarious that they actually dug up a disco ball that massive for the dance floor, complete with a crystal chandelier to scatter the beams," Mike said, gesturing up toward the ceiling.

"Wait... the theme is the 90s?" Eric asked, surprised.

"Are you serious? It was written right on the flyer, did you even read it?" Katie asked, incredulous.

"Err... guess I missed that part. Does that mean The Empress and Nobelia are doing 90s tracks tonight?" Eric asked.

"They’ve been practicing for it. Did you seriously not hear them rehearsing the past two days?" Mike countered.

"Nope... I’ve been out and about the last couple of days," Eric answered.

"Man, you’re hopeless. Even Caleb knew about it... oh, speaking of Caleb, have you heard?" Mike asked.

"Not yet. Haven’t run into him the last two days even though he was downstairs. I’ve been busy scouting locations for my non-profit foundation," Eric explained.

"Avery’s pregnant again... and your cousin is completely losing his mind," Katie blurted out, resting her hands on her hips and pushing her glasses up her nose.

"Ah. So the test results actually came back positive, huh?" Eric noted.

"Yep. Jade video-called her last night, and Avery was fired up like she was ready for war. I just stayed out of it, but Caleb looked like he hadn’t slept in forty-eight hours," Mike chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well... fair enough. How did Avery take the news?" Eric asked.

"Stoked out of her mind, apparently, she was practically glowing on the video call. She even joked that she’s hoping for twins this time, haha," Mike answered.

"Unbelievable... what a chaotic couple, haha," Eric laughed.

"So, Mike, when’s it your turn with Jade?" Katie teased.

"Whoa, way too soon. We’ve talked about building a family eventually, but not yet. I still want to build my career, and Jade’s the same way. In fact, she just mentioned wanting to try out acting because some scout approached her last week," Mike shared.

"Seriously? I’ve got industry connections if she’s actually serious about it," Eric offered casually.

"Let’s hold off for now, bro. You know how Jade is, she gets hyped about one thing, then pivots to something else, and winds up confusing herself. Oh, and she’s also continuing her nursing studies, re-enrolled just yesterday," Mike added.

"Well, if she ever decides to seriously pursue acting, my door’s open. Just let me know," Eric said.

"Will do, for sure," Mike nodded.

"Looks like things are about to kick off," Katie observed.

Eric and Mike turned their attention toward the stage as staff members secured the side doors and the crowd began gathering closer to the center floor. A female student stepped up to the microphone, tapping it to grab everyone’s attention. She delivered a warm welcome, congratulated the senior class on finishing their final exams, and then officially introduced the night’s opening act: Nobelia. A deafening wave of cheers and applause swept through the hall.

Eric watched as Emma, Ruby, Jade, and Tania stepped onto the stage, dressed in authentic 90s attire, simple green, red, and blue tank tops, distressed baggy jeans, and jackets tied casually around their waists. From the stage, Emma’s eyes locked onto Eric in the crowd, offering him a brief smile before turning her attention to the roaring audience.

"Hey everyone! Hope you’re all having an amazing night. We’re Nobelia, and we’re taking you back to the 90s tonight! Enjoy the music, and get those dancing shoes ready!" Emma shouted into the mic.

The room erupted into cheers. The house lights plunged into darkness, leaving only a vibrant spotlight focused squarely on the stage. The four members of Nobelia stood with their backs to the audience. As the beat dropped, Emma turned around, and a recorded male voice echoed over the sound system:

"Hi, Barbie." Emma waved, calling out, "Hi, Ken." Male voice: "You wanna go for a ride?" "Sure, Ken." "Jump in."

The infectious synth-pop intro immediately kicked in. Ruby, Jade, and Tania spun around to stand in a row beside Emma, shaking off their initial poses as the iconic opening lyrics dropped:

"I’m a barbie girl, in a barbie world..." "Life in plastic, it’s fantastic!"

The four of them sang with bright, infectious energy, delivering playful choreography that instantly mesmerized the entire audience, prompting dozens of couples to rush onto the dance floor. Eric clutched a smile, finding himself unconsciously nodding along to the legendary 90s anthem. Katie and Mike were swaying to the rhythm too, though Mike’s eyes remained glued to Jade as she danced dynamically on stage in her energetic outfit. Even so, an undeniable look of proud affection shone in his eyes, as if silently declaring, "That’s my girl."

Just as the three-minute track wrapped up, the music seamlessly transitioned without a pause straight into the next song. Emma, Ruby, Jade, and Tania stood tall, tapping their feet to the beat as they brought their mics close:

"Oh baby, baby, how was I supposed to know that somethin’ wasn’t right here..."

The flawless, high-energy medley left the crowd stunned for a split second before erupting into deafening cheers as everyone resumed dancing. Up on stage, the members of Nobelia moved with effortless synchronicity, beaming brightly. Watching Emma and the girls captivate the crowd, Eric unconsciously leaned in closer against Katie, who was clapping along with a warm smile on her face.

"So this is what they were practicing for the last two days?" Eric whispered.

"Yep. And this is just the warmup, their contract stipulates a five-song set, and they’ve only done two," Katie whispered back.

"Huh... really? How come I missed that in the paperwork?" Eric asked.

"Because you didn’t actually read it. You just signed on the dotted line the second I handed it to you, so no complaining," Katie teased.

"Fair enough, I was distracted hunting for property listings," Eric chuckled.

"Relax, they’re fully prepared. In fact, they were the ones who pushed for a longer set since it’s their own prom, and the last two tracks are your original compositions," Katie added.

"Oh, right! That’s awesome. What about The Empress?" Eric asked.

"Yep, they’re performing five songs too. After that, they wrap up and the DJ takes over for the rest of the night," Katie explained.

"Hmm... out of curiosity... are we getting paid for this?" Eric asked.

Katie turned her head to look at Eric as if she were seeing him for the very first time, or as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head.

"Did you seriously not read the contract? Of course we’re getting paid, though it’s well above our standard rate since it’s a headline school gig for our top acts," Katie replied, shaking her head.

"My bad, just asking, haha," Eric laughed sheepishly.

With that, they turned their attention back to the stage, fully losing themselves in the music alongside the sea of students dancing below.