The Great Worm Lich

In reality, the American public school’s education fund allocation was fair, but each public school had varied donation from the community. Due to the high education quality in popular public schools, most of the students enrolled came from rich families while such kids would undoubtedly succeed easily due to their family background and extraordinary educational environment.

They would usually be willing to give a huge donation to their alma mater if they became successful, whether it was for fame or out of sincerity. Therefore, such a popular school would be richer and richer and accumulate better resources, as time went by. Meanwhile, ordinary schools would be less and less popular for outstanding students. They could barely survive on the government funding, they would be less and less competitive, falling into a vicious cycle.

Hearing Maddie’s complaint, Zhang Lisheng moved forward bit by bit in the queue, “If your school has many successful alumni who are willing to donate just like Lowbige does, you could spend money doing such stupid thing as well. I heard from my mom that Lowbige received 20 million dollars donation from the alumni this year alone. I really hope those people know where their donation went.”

It was their turn to go in as they chatted. The black bouncer checked the invitation card then looked at the skinny boy in a plump black jacket and the fresh, cute young lady next to him. He spoke when he returned the invitation card to Zhang Lisheng which was rare, “Young man, please keep her safe wherever she’s from.”

“She’s just a necessity for the prom, she has nothing to do with me tomorrow,” Zhang Lisheng said casually and held onto Maddie who was stunned by what he said, to pass through the barrier. Maddie snapped back to her senses suddenly when Zhang Lisheng was putting his backpack away at the locker. She shook off his arm hard and said angrily, “What did you call me just now?”

“What?” Zhang Lisheng said, looking lost.

“Stop pretending, you said I’m just the prom’s necessity!”

“Yes. Just like I hired the couple, Willy and Tiffany, to work at my slaughterhouse, you’re just a helper that I need for this prom. What’s wrong?”

Maddie was stunned for a moment hearing such an odd explanation, “But… But a person isn’t an item. No, I mean how could you describe a person as a necessity? That’s such a humiliation.”

“What can’t I describe you using that? You called me Frankenstein just now, is that better than being called a necessity?”

Maddie was speechless as her mouth opened, George and Lina who passed security walked to them, “Hey, why are you guys still outside?”

“I wanted to confirm something just now, we’ll go in now.”

“What’s that?” George asked curiously.

Maddie held Zhang Lisheng’s arm tight and said loudly, “I’ve confirmed that your Frankenstein friend will never find a girlfriend!” She then dragged Zhang Lisheng into the hall.

Lowbige Junior High’s hall was vast and spacious. Strings of fairy lights hung across the ceiling, together with the fluorescent balls which diameter looked over two meters wide. The lights were soft and warm. Apart from the stage up north, delicious snacks and various non-alcoholic drinks were placed on the dining tables on the other three walls.

Before the prom officially began, there was soothing music playing in the hall. With the accompaniment of music, the attendants wearing uniforms were walking around serving drinks. They were serving the young gentlemen and ladies, everything looked perfect.

As the clock struck to the time the prom commenced, the lights in the hall were dimmed, while the music stopped all of a sudden. A spotlight lit up and shone onto the stage. An interracial girl who had a tiny waist, long legs and tanned, glowing skin in bright red low-cut gown walked onto the stage with her date holding his hand. They stood under the spotlight.

“Who is that? She’s so beautiful,” Maddie stood below the stage, she exclaimed and asked in envy just like everybody else, apart from Zhang Lisheng.

“Michelle, she’s the Lowbige Junior High Queen who deserves to be called that,” George said while his emotion was slightly stirred.

“Fellow students, who is the fairest of the prom tonight?” Michelle asked loudly as she went to the stage.

“It’s you, Michelle!” The students below screamed and laughed.

“No, I’m already a twelfth-grade old lady who is leaving Lowbige soon,” Michelle held her hand against her busty breasts, pretending to be sad, “Lowbige will welcome its new queen tonight, she’ll be the fairest of them all! Have fun ladies, because you might be the lucky queen! Have fun guys, because all of you have the right to vote for the new prom queen! I now announce that Lowbige Prom 2013 will officially begin now…”

As Michelle swayed her body on the stage, the music began playing again in the hall. The lights were sparkling, all of the students below the stage began cheering and dancing, including Zhang Lisheng who was enjoying the moment. Maddie laughed out loud and said while dancing with Zhang Lisheng, “I didn’t expect that you would dance, instead of waiting for the prom to end like a piece of plank. But Mr. Employer, it seems like you’re not very good at dancing.”

“Could you teach me then?” Zhang Lisheng asked while panting after hesitating for a moment.

“Oh, your body’s weak,” Maddie pouted and said hearing Zhang Lisheng’s heavy breathing, “But since you paid me to come to prom with you, I could at least teach you how to dance.”

The lights in the hall stopped blinking and dimmed again when the girl was speaking. The music became soothing slowly. This was how the Lowbige prom goes, the first dance would always be ballroom dancing where the boy and girl would lean close to each other after the atmosphere was being pumped.

Following the music rhythm, Maddie leaned close to Zhang Lisheng and grabbed the young man’s hand to her waist. They began dancing slowly. In the dimmed lights and relaxing music, the young couple danced slowly at the distance so close that their breathing rhythm was interfered with. It was sweet, even though they were not together.

Zhang Lisheng’s movements were turning stiff without him realizing. He was breathing faster while his cheeks were flushing.

“Mr. Employer, please don’t tell me this is the first time you’re dancing with a girl?” Maddie noticed something was off and asked, thinking it was funny.

“It’s really my first time,” Zhang Lisheng said honestly.

“Didn’t you go to prom when you were a junior?”

“I used to live in China. Over there, the most important thing for a junior high student is to learn. There isn’t a ridiculous event such as a prom.”

“So you’ve just moved here,” Maddie said feeling surprised, “Your English’s pretty… Oh, you stepped on my foot.”

“Sorry,” Zhang Lisheng moved away but he stepped on Maddie’s foot again in panic.

“Oh, be careful. Forget about it, I’ll lead then. Follow my steps. Here, and then here. You’re doing great…” In the dimmed hall, Maddie danced with the clumsy Zhang Lisheng and they finally went through the first prom dance. There was no restriction in music after the first dance was over. Most of the music was fast and happy, the young students were having the time of their lives.

The limelight of such event would forever be shone on those hot, beautiful cheerleaders, varsity athletes, and handsome, funny fashionable guys. Zhang Lisheng was a young man after all. A while into such a fun American party that he had never experienced before, he began to enjoy the feeling of blending in the crowd, relaxing and moving his body to the music as he wanted to, without having to think about anything. He danced for a while then grabbed a few drinks and a few pieces of snacks while panting. He went back dancing, drank something and ate something. He was indulging at the moment.

However, Maddie, on the other hand, could not take Zhang Lisheng’s strange dancing style of dancing however, he liked as people began looking and judging after a while. She said seizing the break time, “It’s too tired to dance without stopping, Mr. Employer. Can I go to the bathroom and catch some fresh air outside?”

“Of course you can,” Zhang Lisheng whose face was drowning in sweat swayed his body lightly while pointing at the dining table at the corner of the hall, “I’m going to grab some snacks there, you could find me there directly when you come back.”

Maddie secretly rolled her eyes and left after nodding, while Zhang Lisheng really headed to the dining table at the corner of the hall and began eating. He waited for a long time after he was done eating but Maddie had yet to come back. Suddenly, someone patted his shoulder as he was just feeling bored. He turned around in surprise, it was George who looked gloomy behind him.

In the loud music, the first thing he said to Zhang Lisheng by shouting was, “Hey buddy, I feel much better that you’re abandoned, despite having to spend money.”

Zhang Lisheng was stunned and said feeling ridiculous, “What?”

“Lina abandoned me after three dances. I’ve just realized that I’m just a ticket to a senior prom to her. I’m so happy that the same thing happened to you.”

“I feel sad for you, George,” Zhang Lisheng explained wearing a smile, “But Maddie’s just going out for some air…”

George who was gloomy, pouted and casually pointed to a girl who was dancing happily with a tall boy on the dance floor and said, “You sure?”

Zhang Lisheng looked at the direction George was pointing and realized the girl in the blue gown seemed to be Maddie. His heart dropped without him knowing why, while his expression turned grim all of a sudden. George thought of his friend’s ‘secret’ after pointing, he regretted immediately.

He said in panic noticing the change of expression on Zhang Lisheng’s face, “Oh, oh, oh no… Lisheng, please don’t be mad. It’s okay that you’re not popular among the girls now. You’re the classic intermission cheerleading boy, you’ll have so much happy sex life in the future. I can guarantee that all of the men in this hall might not be as popular as you will be in the future.”