Ready Or Not, Gonna Make It To The City...

[laszlo_jamf]

When; May 19^th, from sunset to evening and beyond! (Just watch out for midnight, Cinderella...)
Rating; G to PG-13?
Characters; Anyone and everyone...and maybe a few more
Summary; Finals are over, the spring dance is here--finally a way for everyone, student and teacher, to relax! All the planning, preparation, and hard work has paid off. Students of all ages and grades are invited, and their teachers are sure to be there too. The school superintendents (read: the Deities) have done their very best to light up the Square. So whether you're from Westerberg High, Trinity Girls' School, Cutler's, Bikini Bottom Middle, or City U, you must have received your engraved invitation by now. Dress is formal, but the occasion is celebratory. Come one, come all. (And even those who aren't cursed may still come to take in the decorations, the food, the entertainment, and the merriment... or they can take pictures for blackmail when this is over.) So come and spend an evening under the stars...
Log;

[This is an open log for the Fast Times at City High dance event! Tags can be open or directed to another character--just throw a label in the subject line. Feel free to NPC wait staff, refreshments, music, and anything else you might encounter at such a soiree. Have fun!]

Comments

[primrosella]

I should go. I'm--I'll send the limo back when I get there.

[She turns away and starts heading for the parking lot, making sure to keep away from the prying eyes of any crowds.]

[team_captain]

[He watches her go and he takes a moment and calls out-]

I love you, big sister!

[primrosella]

[And sure enough, she stops dead in her tracks, unmoving for a moment--and then half-turns, her voice less steady but still clear.]

I love you, too.

[team_captain]

[He nods and watches her get to the limo before he turns around and heads back.]

[misterblackbird]

[Tap tap tap on the limo window. Tap tap.]

WELCOME TO THE SHENANIGANS

[primrosella]

[She's just sitting in a corner of the limo, shoes kicked off and knees pulled up onto the seat with her, staring at nothing in particular as she tries to do battle with her warring thoughts.

The tap, predictably, makes her jump. It takes her a minute to untangle herself before she scoots down to unlock the door.]

Cain, I...

[She basically ditched him, didn't she? No excuse for that one.]

I'M GLAD TO BE HERE

[misterblackbird]

[When Cain got away with flirting with any number of girls for entirely too long, he began to genuinely worry that either a) she'd dumped him again without telling him or b) something was well and truly wrong. After neither hearing from her, her friends, or anyone else, nor finding her with her usual circles, he thought he might just check outside.

This is not quite the cool-and-quiet-romantic-moment-on-the-balcony-where-he-loans-her-his-jacket kind of moment he had in mind.]

Are you all right?

WE SAVED A SEAT FOR YOU

[primrosella]

[She's tempted to say yes, because it's much easier to insist that she is and honestly, she's been telling herself that she is all night--even in the moments when she could feel herself faltering.

But then she'd found Steve's letters and they'd talked and...it's just, she's not angry at him, or at her family, but she's upset and hurt and confused and she knows she'll take it out on someone who doesn't deserve it if she doesn't get her own head back on straight first.

And the place to start with that, maybe, is by being honest.]

I don't know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have run out like that, I just...

[...Oh.]

Did Steve tell you I was out here?

THANK YOU

[misterblackbird]

[Something of a smile.]

No, I just had a feeling. Would you rather I go back inside? I'd rather neither of us spend the rest of the evening alone, but if you would prefer it...

[primrosella]

Please don't.

[She'd thought she wanted to be alone, originally, but now...]

I'm just...something happened.

[misterblackbird]

Yes, so I can tell.

Can I sit down?

[Without really waiting for a reply, he climbs into the back seat with her and shuts the door.]

[primrosella]

[She nods, making room, and retreats back into her corner.]

I didn't mean to ruin your night.

[misterblackbird]

It's not quite how I would have imagined it, but I don't think it's quite ruined.

[primrosella]

Um...

[She averts her eyes, swallowing hard to try to clear her throat before continuing.]

I don't...know if I can go back in. Like, um...like this. And...

[misterblackbird]

So we'll call it an evening, then.

[primrosella]

This is a terrible way to end an evening.

[She puts her forehead against her knees.]

[misterblackbird]

[Oh, now... Time to slide over and ever-so-gently rest his hands on her shoulders.]

All right, then let's find something else to do instead.

[primrosella]

[She's getting a lot of that this evening, actually; after a minute's hesitation, she uncurls and slips under his arm, resting against him instead.

Finally, at length: ]

Why does everyone treat me like a little girl? Like every least little thing in my world has to be perfect, and they have to hide everything that isn't?

[misterblackbird]

[He's quiet for no small length of time himself...]

...I don't know.

I suppose...we'd all rather have you content than not. Certainly, I want to make you happy.

[primrosella]

It just makes it worse when I find out it isn't. I always find out...

[misterblackbird]

Yes, you do...

Will you tell me what happened?

[primrosella]

[She breathes in and out, slowly, and uses that time to consider how much she wants to say. Even upset, even needing desperately to talk things out and have someone listen, the compulsion to protect Steve still wins out.]

My family's lied to me so many times that I'm not sure if I can trust their word about anything anymore.

[misterblackbird]

[Um...shock and surprise...]

...even your brother?

[primrosella]

[And look, she's on the verge of tears again.]

Even if he had a good reason--I know he did, but...

[misterblackbird]

[Oh, damn it, don't cry askdfljs]

But he still lied.

[Getting out the handkerchief now...]

Do you still love him, though?