Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six
The idea for this fic came about from noticing that Nick
always seemed to be wearing a heavy ring on his right hand. Well, as I
watched more episodes, I noticed that no, it wasn't always there. The
first few seasons, it was a silver band on his middle finger. Somewhere
along the way, it switched to a gold signet-style ring on his ring finger.
When I first noticed the ring, it was the big gold signet-style ring, and I
figured it had to be a college ring. That got me thinking about high
school rings, and going steady, and their comments in Bully For You about what
they were like in high school, dependable and a science nerd. I figured
neither of them had dated in high school, and voila, the topic of the fic
was born.
As I thought about it, I saw the fic in narration and flashbacks. Nick at
first playing it off, not telling Warrick what happened to his ring because he
and Sara were still trying to keep it quiet. But of course, someone had to
notice the ring. Enter Catherine.
Wrapping your boyfriend's class ring with colored
embroidery thread (either in school colors or matching the stone) was the norm
at my school. Then, after you wrap the ring, you're supposed to paint the
inside of the wrap with clear nail polish to keep the thread from fraying.
I just wore it on a chain.
I liked the idea of Storyteller Nick. In fact, that was supposed to be a
large part of the fic, Nick spinning yarns about what it would have been like if
they'd gone to high school together. I've always liked nested stories: a
story inside a flashback inside a narration. But, I kept it to a minimum.
I also liked Sara's hold on the pillow, and Nick's casually removing it from
her. When my husband and I first started dating, I tended to keep a pillow
either on my lap or between us on the couch, because I was nervous about being
too close to him.
The mention of Hai Karate aftershave/cologne was an in-joke going way back to my
Power Ranger days. Two of our characters used to have the conversation,
"If that's "High" Karate, what's low karate?" "Painful."
March of the Penguins is a Nick movie.
No butter on the popcorn is a really oblique reference to Peanuts. In one
strip or cartoon or something, Linus finally agrees to go to the movies with
Sally, and she tells him there will be no butter on the popcorn because she
wants to hold his hand and doesn't want him to use butter as an excuse to slide
out of her hand.
Snickers Bites is a shoutout to the Snickers shippers on TalkCSI. I later
realized they were actually Snickers Minis or Snickers Popables, but Snickers
Bites sounds a little naughtier, so I kept it.
A theater around here has the folding armrests. My husband loves them.
I like that the armrest isn't digging into my thigh through the movie.
Making out in the back of an empty theater rocks.
And of course, Warrick had to overhear!
Johnny Rockets is a retro burger joint. Yes, there is one
in Vegas; I checked their website. And yes, they serve Boca Burgers.
The one Nick orders is one specifically on the menu, but I believe you can order
a Boca Burger on any of their burgers.
Chocolate Coke is awesome, especially if you need to stay awake for about 12
hours straight. Think Coca-Cola with a hefty shot of Hershey's Syrup in
it.
I've never had a Boca Burger, but I've had Gardenburgers. They're good;
they just don't taste like hamburgers.
No real notes for this chapter; it was almost all set-up for Chapter Six. And some background for the sequel. Sara's been whining for days about not knowing where Nick's taking her, and now that Catherine knows they're dating, you can bet Cath heard all about it, too. :)
The meat of the chapter. Mix 98.9 is a radio
station back in Youngstown, OH, that actually does a Time Warp Prom. It's
not strictly 80's, and I don't think they have a prom king and queen, but it
gave me the basic idea for this. Mark and Bobbie are their morning DJs; I
don't know last names, and I think I used the descriptions for a completely
different radio station's morning team.
Songs referenced are:
Phil Collins, A Groovy Kind of Love
Bangles, Eternal Flame
Wang Chung, Everybody Wang Chung Tonight (which a teacher at my school repeatedly tried to get as prom theme)
REO Speedwagon, Can't Fight This Feeling (their king/queen spotlight song)
And because I had so many requests for it, I had to write the follow-up, featuring what happens in their post-prom hotel room.
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