Graduation Ball

[Bobby Drake]

(( Figured I’d kick off the “graduation-ball” and related festivities, ‘cuz why not? I figure it’s open to all Institute types and their dates, ‘cuz why not?))

Bobby tries to appear casual as he saunters into the overly decorated gymnasium. He nods to the other students, but his mind is largely occupied by a running internal monolog cataloging ways in which this does and doesn’t suck.

Stupid party decorations – suck. The semester finally being over – doesn’t suck. Not getting to graduate this semester – sucks donkey balls. Actually being able to dress up for something again without worrying about shattering it – doesn’t suck. Having to wear a rented tux because none of my nice clothes fit anymore – kinda sucks. Having them not fit because of all the muscle I’ve put on since I was a sophomore – really really doesn’t suck. Not having a date who’ll admire the fact – sucks. Being narcissistic enough to want someone to admire it – really sucks. Waiting for the dates I don’t have to show up on each others’ arms – tornados-in-Kansas-level suckage.

He makes his way to the punch-bowl, pours a ladleful into a plastic cup and takes a sip, amused by how Ororo is watching the bowl like a hawk. Warm punch – sucks. Being able to chill it with a thought – doesn’t suck. Ororo’s dress – totally doesn’t in any conceivable way suck. The fact that she’ll run a thousand volts through my underwear if I keep staring at her cleavage – well, doesn’t exactly suck either, really, and man how pathetic is that?

He sighs, rolls his eyes, and is slightly pleased to discover he can laugh about the whole situation. All right, that’s enough of that, Drake. It’s party time, you’re supposed to be having fun. You remember how to do that, right? He puts down the punch and moves out onto the dance floor, joining the roughly 20% of partygoers who are half-heartedly shuffling to the music.

[Rogue]

It’s almost funny how she’s supposed to be excited and happy about graduating, but she’s …not. Well, she is, sort of, but isn’t at the same time, and generally just sort of uneasy and fidgety, trying not to let things bother her because it’s still supposed to be a happy-time, right?

Years ago – back before things got complicated, before Alkali and John leaving and everything else, when it was at least mostly-simple, they’d all been going to graduate together. Wasn’t like they really planned things out, talked about that much, but it was just something that was, and now it’s not, and it’s just … sad.

Not like she doesn’t understand why they’re not graduating too – both have perfectly fine reasons for not being able to yet, and that itself doesn’t bother her – it’s just remembering things from before that’s the problem - remembering and knowing that the way things were isn’t coming back at all ever… couldn’t, even if everyone wanted it to, because that’s not how things work, even though they should because it would be a lot better that way, and…

...And she should really cheer up a little, because she’s sure she’s not supposed to be sad at the “ball” – it’s meant to be fun, so she’s going to …well, she’ll try to have at least some level of fun… So, yes, not thinking about that. Thinking about having fun, right? Or... aren't you supposed to not have to think about fun t'have it? Because forcing into fun can't really be fun... Enough of that...

John’s not here yet (and she’s not entirely clear on if he is coming at all or not, because he didn’t seem too thrilled about the idea, really, as is to be expected), and so she’s just sort of wandering through, trying not to look as out of place as she suddenly feels (...and why is it that almost all dresses are sleeveless, she wonders for the millionth time as a bare-armed girl wanders past and Rogue slips to the side in time to avoid her, readjusting the shawl-wrap thing she’s got over her shoulders, making sure she’s as covered as she can possibly be), and trying to just relax and “have fun”, moving to stand behind the refreshments table (hoping there'll be less traffic on this side of it, what with it being closer to the wall, though not right against it), and picking up an empty cup, fiddling with it absently.

[Bobby Drake]

Following the traditional laws of party physics, the music changes from generic high-energy dance music to generic slow-dancing schmaltz about twenty seconds after Bobby wanders dateless onto the dance floor, leaving him standing around awkwardly while all the couples, well, couple off around him.

Or most of them do, anyway. A few other folks are left stranded in the event horizon of singularity (he chuckles at the joke before it occurs to him that the only person who might think it was funny was Hank, which has got to be the most damning judgement of a joke possible), and Bobby pales as he recognizes one of them approaching him faster than he has any chance of escaping.

“HiBobby! HopitsOKIcamIknowitsupostobeagraduationpartyanImonlyafreshman isitOK? anywayhIhavenseenyouaroundmuchI um heardyouweresickbutgotbetter’mglad um anywaywanndance?”

Bobby doesn’t actually groan, because Alice doesn’t actually deserve it, but he has no intention of dancing with her, either. It’s not so much that she dances to the beat of a different drum, as that the drummer in question has apparently been strapped to some kind of galvanic stimulator and is simply twitching spasmodically against the drum with his skull, and mortals really can’t keep up… and slow-dancing with her is a contradiction in terms. "Well, I, um, I’m really sorry, Alice, but --" he is about to claim some kind of injury and just forego dancing for the evening when he spots Rogue hiding behind the buffet table and inspiration strikes "I, already promised this dance to someone else…"

With that, he crosses the floor, trying not to actually bolt, and taps Rogue on the shoulder, careful not to dislodge her wrap. "Hey… you look great! Listen, I’ll explain later, but you really have to dance with me now." Taking one of her gloved hands in his he tugs her in the general direction of the dance floor.

[Rogue]

She’s really not paying much attention, even though she’s watching the dancing students (and it’s weird not thinking of herself that way, and sort of takes a second-thought to do, and then she’s not sure she likes having done so because it’s drawing the other thoughts back in which she’s decided already she wasn’t going to think about tonight) she’s not really seeing them a whole lot, and the empty clear-plastic cup in her hands isn’t exactly the most amusing thing to fiddle with…

And then someone’s tapping her on the shoulder, and she turns (well, sort of jumps and spins to face them, but it’s close enough to just ‘turning’, right? Hopefully), slightly startled a second, then offers a smile in greeting once she sees it’s Bobby, setting the cup down on the table where she’d gotten it from. Conversation with a friend’s a much better distraction than cheap plastic.

"Hey… you look great!”[/I]

”Lookin’ nice y’self, hon.”

”Listen, I’ll explain later, but you really have to dance with me now."[/color]

”A’right….” Rogue laughs slightly, wondering exactly what he’s up to (and also again noting that he’s back to normal, and very happy to note that, ‘cause even if it’s been awhile it’s still too recent and too close and all that to just not think of, and also pointedly trying not to think about the way things’ve felt almost like walking-on-eggshells - mostly her, she thinks, that feels it, but still it’s there and she doesn’t like it but it won’t just go away, so she’s just careful), and lets him lead her over towards the other dancers (and using her free hand to readjust the cloth around her almost compulsively, the nearer they get towards other people).

[Bobby Drake]

Bobby breathes a sigh of relief as Alice gets distracted by something else – he neither knows nor especially cares what, since it will in any case only maintain her attention for a few minutes – and concentrates his attention on the always-tricky business of dancing with Rogue without allowing skin to touch skin.

Not that it’s actually all that difficult to avoid, given how she’s dressed; really, it’s just a matter of establishing a plausible rhythm. The difficult part is avoiding making her nervous about it; it seems like ever since her Cure wore off she’s grown more and more so. Even dressed as she is, she can’t seem to go more than a few seconds without readjusting some piece of her clothing, like a kid compulsively probing the space left by a lost tooth, or a guilt-ridden Catholic fingering rosaries.

Bobby wonders about that, not for the first time. Is is it just the natural consequence of her power and time? Or is it a reaction to something in particular, and if so what?

He remembers how lost she seemed after losing all her “psyches” – or, well, all of them except John – back when they rescued him… maybe it’s a reaction to that? He realizes with some chagrin that he’s never really talked to her about that… between his freaking out about the Cure, and about Magneto, and about John, and then being half-braindead, he’d just never gotten around to it… and now it seems like it’s been too long to bring it up.

Or it might be a reaction to whatever’s going on with her and John, the details of which he’d just as soon not hear about, really. He’s pretty sure that, whatever John likes to imply, they’re not actually sleeping together… but they’re doing something, and Bobby knows better than anybody how doing “something” with John can put you through an emotional wringer. But he’s not going to bring that up, either, especially since he has no desire whatsoever to find out the details.

Or it might be something else, or I might just be projecting, or – newsflash – it might just not be any of my business, and I might be better off dancing instead of diagnosing.

And the truth is he does enjoy the dancing, even with all the nervous clothes-rearranging ticks… but he also feels bad for her. She deserves to relax, for a day at least!

"So, um," he mumbles, aware that he ought to be making conversation but also aware that he hasn’t really been keeping up on what’s going on in her life (Yeah, some friend I am…), and finally settling for "have you decided what you’re doing next year?"

[Rogue]

Dancing’s not so bad. Not so far, at least; so far it’s perfectly fine, and ...kinda nice. She doesn’t actually tend to dance often – even when the rare opportunity presents itself, she’s sort of not really sure it’s a good idea, what with her powers an’ all, and how for dancing there’s not really a whole lot of personal space and everything… And she’s pretty sure Bobby’s careful – he’s not going to touch her by accident or something, most likely, so it’s a little easier to almost-relax

Though it is a bit uncomfortable for a little; he’s not saying anything, she’s got no idea what to say, if she should say anything at all, or what, because it’s not two years ago when talking wouldn’t have been so hard. It’s now, and right now…

"So, um, have you decided what you’re doing next year?"[/color]

She smiles slightly and half-shrugs a little. ”Stickin’ around, I guess. Full-time X-Men, if they’ll let me… Y’know, just sorta… chill out f’a year o’two b’fore I have’ta go play adult f’real…” She grins, and adds on another shrug which is also sort of subtley shifting to reassure that she is, in fact, still properly covered.

Truthfully, it’s mostly lack of thought and planning on the issue, not anything against going to college or getting a job somewhere or anything, that’s keeping her (though she’s not exactly in a hurry to leave, either, because this is home now, this is her family and her friends and she wouldn’t ever want to leave if she could help it), and her family’s invitation to return home hadn’t been something she’d wanted to take; somehow, she doubts in a small town like that her being a mutant would be easily-tolerated at all.

Really, though, the lack of planning is to be expected, considering with the psykes-issue and then the whole fairly-traumatic time with Bobby’s almost-dying, and all the other things inbetween, there hadn’t really been a lot of focusing on her studies, and she hadn’t even been positive she was going to pass everything, barely slipping through…

And she probably shouldn’t wish that she hadn’t so she could still end up graduating with them, all together again… So she won’t wish that, pointedly not, because it’s silly and probably dumb, and wishing doesn’t do anything (except on the rare occasions where it does, but that, she’s sure, issn’t from wishing, just happens to seem like it), and things won’t go back to the beginning, because you can’t rewind life, and even if you could you’d probably mess it up because people don’t seem to get anything right, even the second time around...

...And she's sorta really not supposed to be going on random and mildly angsty inner-tangents right now, is she?

”How’ve y’been hon? Haven’… really gotten’a talk t’ya much, lately…”

[Bobby Drake]

> " Stickin’ around, I guess. Full-time X-Men, if they’ll let me… Y’know, just sorta… chill out f’a year o’two b’fore I have’ta go play adult f’real… "

"Oh? Well, it’ll be great to have you around for a while, but…" he trails off, not quite sure what he meant to say. He’s surprised that she isn’t going to college, though in retrospect he’s not sure why – it’s not like Rogue’s ever been especially academic. Then again, it’s not like she’s ever been too gung-ho about being an X-Man, either… hell, she doesn’t even want to be a mutant in the first place.

In fact, he realizes, he can’t think of anything she’s ever really wanted. Back when they’d been dating he’d kinda appreciated that, thought of it as being “low-maintenance” or “agreeable” or something dumb like that, but looking back on it now it feels vaguely sad. And here I go again with the Dr. Bobby routine. Drake, get it straight: you’re in therapy, not offering it. Don’t be more of a dick than you have to be.

Although the two aren’t unrelated… Bobby’s spent quite a lot of time these last few weeks talking and thinking about past relationships, realizing how much he just failed to notice while it was going on right in front of him; it’s gotten him in the habit of paying more attention. Which is great, he admits, but not while I’m dancing! He tries a complicated bit of footwork to distract himself, successfully managing to avoid stepping on anyone’ feet but otherwise failing to display much grace, and gives Rogue a small “oh-well” grin. "Should’ve taken more dance classes and fewer martial-arts classes, huh?" It seems as though there ought to be some overlap, but apparently there isn’t.

The song ends, replaced by something more energetic, and Bobby decides not to push his luck trying to keep her on the floor, gesturing to the buffet table instead. "You want something to eat?" He’s not being much of a conversationalist, he realizes – not because he’s got nothing to say, but because all the big things he isn’t saying seem to get in the way – and turns to say something to keep the conversation going when she beats him to it.

> "How’ve y’been hon? Haven’… really gotten’a talk t’ya much, lately…"

"Yeah, I know… I’ve been…" avoiding you whenever John’s around "…busy, ith, you know, classes and training and catching up on everything after…" being kidnapped and tortured and crippled and dumped and brain-damaged and almost dying and dumped again and "…everything. And I’m seeing somebody," he winces briefly at his own word choice while wondering why he’s bringing this up in conversation at all, "a doctor, I mean… a therapist, Dr. Garrison, and that’s been keeping me kinda busy, and…" he trails off, realizing he’s babbling like a mental defective, and takes a deep breath oh for the love of God, Drake, either fucking say it already or shoot yourself and get this over with! "…and, well, you’ve been spending a lot of time with John lately, and that’s, well, a little awkward…" and he wishes he’d kept his mouth shut or had the psychic ability to edit memories or something because now that it comes out of his mouth he realizes that’s so not something he wanted her to hear, and he hastily adds "But I’ve been OK, really. Getting back on the" and no, he is not going to say “horse that threw me” "um, swing of things… almost back to normal, really. Except I kinda picked up a new power along the way – I guess you knew that from the medbay, though, huh? Which reminds me," he adds, with a flood of relief for finally finding a topic that is halfway appropriate conversation and stands a chance of rescuing him from this avalanche of ill-considered babble, "I don’t think I really got a chance to thank you for that… I mean, for being there when I came out of it, for not giving up on me. It meant – it means a lot."

Oh, thank God, he thinks, when he’s pretty sure he’s stopped talking, and pops some kind of rolled-up salami-and-cheese thing into his mouth in the hopes of distracting it before it embarrasses him further.

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

Josh winds his way between the tables on his way into the ball, followed by a girl with long brown hair. He waves to Jake and Ororo, who are over in the corner. It’s hard to think of Jake as a chaperone…

He spots Bobby and Rogue, and makes his way over. Hopefully, there isn’t anything awkward going on at the moment. Bobby seemed completely over Rogue, but her current relationship with John was making things strained between the three of them. At least I’m not in the middle of it. While he considered Bobby one of his best friends, Josh had always felt a step outside the Trio, and sometimes it seemed better that way.

It didn’t help that John was still being a jackass to Bobby. Yeah, Bobby was stupid and took the vial of MGH. It was a moronic thing to do… but… Josh shakes his head. In his opinion, John was being a jerk just because he could. Bobby rarely rose to the fight, and it bothered Josh to see him tense up whenever he was in John’s presence. I need to lock all three of them in a fireproof room until their problems are ironed out.

That last sounds pretty fatal. Josh puts a smile on his face and puts a hand on Bobby’s shoulder. “Hey guys! How’s it going so far? I just wanted you to meet my sister, Molly.” He thinks for a second. “Bobby, I think you might have met her last year when Mom came to visit…”

Molly rolls her eyes. “I think that Mom is talking to Dr. McCoy about genetics again…” She points to a woman halfway across the room, who is dressed in a business suit with a drink in her hand, and talking animatedly with Hank. She focuses on Rogue and Bobby. “Nice to meet you guys. Josh talks about you all the time when he’s home. Oh, and Warren…” She gives a mischievous grin. “Is he around here somewhere? I’d recognize those wings anywhere…”

[Ororo Munroe]

Ororo narrows her eyes as Sam Guthrie approaches the punch bowl. She’s been watching it almost obsessively for the first hour of the dance. If she was the inevitable student who tried to spike it, she’d spike it early on, for maximum damage.

The last thing they needed was for parents to notice that the punch was half vodka, or something. Speaking of vodka, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep half an eye on Nikkolas. Ororo surveys the crowd, but doesn’t see the Russian student anywhere.

Sam finally moves away from the bowl, and Ororo is satisfied he didn’t leave her any surprises. Ororo looks across the crowd again. Most of the students present were ‘dancing’ - that is, shuffling strangely - out on the floor. Perhaps we should add ballroom dancing to the curriculum? Parents and friends were largely seated at the small circular tables around the periphery. The setup was much like a wedding. Maybe wasted on the students, but several parents had appreciated the trouble they’d gone to, and mentioned it to her. That doesn’t hurt. Gaia knows I need the parents on my side now, without Charles.

Ororo catches a reflection of herself in the window as she passes it. She’d chosen a black dress that went to her lower thigh, along with silver accessories (necklace and dangly earrings), and heels. Perhaps invoking the fleeting image of her combat uniform would inspire proper fear....

Finally, she arrives at her destination, where Jake is unsurprisingly skulking in the corner of the room. “Finished taking all the usual parent concerns?” Graduation Ball tended to be one of the few times parents had contact with the administrators, and Jake had been answering a lot of questions. “I think Mr. Guthrie aborted his spiking maneuver… for now.”

[Warren Worthington III]

Wow. These kids seriously do not know how to dance. Warren tries not to look too appalled by the sight of the New Hope of Mutant-kind attempting to shake their collective groove things, but it’s a challenge. He makes a mental note to arrange for some kind of Institute-wide dance class before the wedding, because this is just too painful to be forced to experience again.

Which reminds him about the wedding, and all of a sudden he’s walking on air again, which nets him a strange look from Guthrie as they pass each other. "Evenin’, sir… ah thought there weren’t no flyin’ indoors? " the boy asks, his patented “I’m just a dumb hick” expression struggling gamely to conceal an impish grin, and Warren laughs as he drops a few inches to the floor. "That’s just you, Guthrie… we’ve spent enough on building repairs as it is. And don’t forget, next semester’s flight class starts next Tuesday, I expect to see you there."

Not that Warren anticipates making much progress: Guthrie is without question the worst flier at the Institute, and as far as Warren can see it isn’t the boy’s fault at all… his power just doesn’t seem to let him steer. Next semester he intends to put Guthrie to work on gymnastics, hoping maybe he’ll learn to do mid-air flips to change direction, but he’s not very confident. Well, at least he’s got that invulnerable force-field when he blasts… otherwise he’d never survive the training. Warren will never forget the first time he tried to coach Guthrie through a vertical landing… for a few awful seconds he’d been convinced he’d actually killed the boy, and the crater had taken days to fill.

He spots Josh right away, introducing his sister Molly to Drake and Rogue, and even over the music he can’t help but overhear her mentioning his name.

> " Josh talks about you all the time when he’s home. Oh, and Warren…"
Warren chuckles quietly at the sibling teasing as he approaches them. It had taken him a while to get used to that with Josh’s family, the way they actually treat each other – and him – like comfortable friends, but he’s grown very fond of it. And them. I just hope his mom still feels that way now… Warren hasn’t really had a chance to talk to Dr. Dalton about the wedding plans, but he’s gotten the impression she’s not entirely supportive, which worries him… it’s one thing for him to alienate his parents, it’s not like they’ve ever been supportive, but it’s quite a different thing for Josh.

> " Is he around here somewhere? I’d recognize those wings anywhere…"

"Well, it helps to actually look around, you know. Not everyone can feel me coming a hundred yards away like your brother." He greets Josh with a quick squeeze of his shoulder and a chaste kiss, not wanting to scandalize the parents – especially Josh’s – more than necessary.

[Bobby Drake]

> Hey guys! How’s it going so far? I just wanted you to meet my sister, Molly. Bobby, I think you might have met her last year when Mom came to visit…

Bobby blinks at the introduction. "This is Molly?" He remembers her vaguely from that visit as an obnoxious little kid who kept asking annoying questions about everyone’s mutations and generally made Bobby want to hide in his room. "Wow. You clean up nice. How’ve you been?"

Of course, now that he thinks about it, that wasn’t too long after Alcatraz, and back then he was pretty much hiding from everything, not least of which himself, and he’s suddenly profoundly disoriented by the realization of how far he’s come in a year – how far they’ve all come, really. Their resident winged version of Hugh Hefner was clean, working full-time, and wow! engaged, John had gone from being an internationally wanted terrorist to being a mostly pardoned high-school student, Rogue had gone from a bundle of competing psyches scared of her own mutation to being one of the Institute’s power-houses, Magneto was dead, the X-Men were a public entity… it had been one hell of a year.

> " I think that Mom is talking to Dr. McCoy about genetics again…"

"Well, better that than, um…" the words “teenage weddings” die on Bobby’s lips as he realizes he’s not at all sure who Josh and Warren have told about their big news yet. Bobby’d wanted to shout it from the rooftops when Josh asked him to be his best man, but he understood Josh’s desire to keep it under wraps until they’d had a chance to seriously talk to Josh’s parents about it, so he’s kept it a secret… well, mostly a secret, anyway. (He’d told Sean, of course, but that doesn’t really count – he tells Sean everything.)

"…um, better that than thermodynamics, " he recovers after an embarrassingly long pause. "Trust me, you do not want to get Hank on the subject. Or the latest failed nuclear proliferation treaty with Pakistan. Or… well, now that I think about it, Hank really isn’t the easiest guy to talk to. Your mom seems to be holding her own, though – good for her!"

He’s rescued from the conversation hole he’s dug for himself by Warren’s timely arrival. "Hey, Warren! So, um… what’s new with you two?" he asks diiengenuously.

[Josh Dalton Worthington]

> "This is Molly?" "Wow. You clean up nice.”

“You clean up nice yourself.” Molly straightens Bobby’s bowtie. “Last time I was here I you were kind of grumpy. I’m glad that was a phase or something.” She smiles and brushes a bit of lint off Bobby’s shoulder. The byplay between Josh and Bobby doesn’t pass Molly by, but she apparently decides not to press the issue, and steps back from Bobby, reforming the impromptu circle.

Josh shoots Molly a narrow glance. You better not be hitting on my best m--- friend! He’s older than you!

Molly discreetly takes a sip of her glass of water, and concentrates hard. Josh wasn’t around much, so she didn’t have a lot of practice with this game. I’m 17, Josh, and can make my own decisions. Besides, Warren was totally all over you when you guys thought we weren’t looking.

Josh looks annoyed. He was not! In fact, - - - Their mental dialogue is interrupted by Warren’s arrival.

> "Well, it helps to actually look around, you know. Not everyone can feel me coming a hundred yards away like your brother."

Josh blushes ever so slightly at the kiss, but slides an arm around Warren’s back. He tries to ignore Molly’s triumphant look as her eyes light up. “Warren! It’s good to see you again! You guys need to come visit more…” She crushes him in a hug, and then steps back.

> "Hey, Warren! So, um… what’s new with you two?"

“Yeah, what have you guys been up to?” Molly takes a bite out of a tortilla wrap, eying the two of them over it.

Josh exchanges a glance with Warren. I haven’t told her yet… I really should talk to Mom first and all, but… “Well, after graduation, Warren and I went out to California to visit his parents, and… yeah.” At this point, he realizes all roads are beginning to lead to their engagement. “Ah, and I heard back from Columbia, and they’re willing to give me elective credit through the biology department to teach here!” Josh looks excited. “So I’ll still be around in the fall. I’m gonna help out with some mutant power training, as well, but Storm was worried that the fact that we train mutants here would make it out into the media. So the Institute is going to pay me for those courses.”

[Bobby Drake]

> " You clean up nice yourself. Last time I was here I you were kind of grumpy. I’m glad that was a phase or something."

Bobby manages both not to blush at Molly’s oddly proprietary grooming and not to choke on his drink at her just-a-little-too-honest-for-comfort comment, though it’s a close call on the latter. "Um… yeah. Or something," he mumbles, picking a chocolate-covered strawberry out of a pile to cover his sudden awkwardness.

He isn’t quite distracted enough to miss her look of intense concentration, though, or Josh’s annoyance, and seizes the opportunity to gain back some points. "So, Molly, " he asks with a butter-won’t-melt-in-my-mouth grin, Should I be wondering what you and Josh are talking about behind my telepathic back? I should warn you, he’s not the only telepath in the room, so you might want to be careful what you broadcast…" Her brief sputter is rewarding, though unfortunately lost in Warren’s arrival.

> " So I’ll still be around in the fall. I’m gonna help out with some mutant power training, as well, but Storm was worried that the fact that we train mutants here would make it out into the media. So the Institute is going to pay me for those courses"

Bobby smirks a little at Josh’s evasion of their big news, but plays along with the change of subject. "Yeah, I guess it would be pretty weird if Columbia started giving you class credit for training young telepaths… though I’ve got to say if you’d told me two years ago, back when we were all stressing out about how to keep our mutations secret, that we’d even be having this conversation today, I’d have said you were nuts. We’ve come a long way, huh?" He raises his glass in Warren’s direction and adds, with a devious glint in his eye, "To good PR! Let us never underestimate the power of a pretty face."

Warren returns the gesture with an ironic grin as Bobby turns his attention back to the rest of the group. "Speaking of which… Molly, you remember Rogue, right? Rogue, this is Josh’s not-so-little-anymore sister Molly."

[Laurie Collins]

Laurie is of mixed mind about this whole ‘prom night at mutant high’ business. On the one hand she likes to dance, she likes her dress (a simple deep blue contraption with a relatively tight bodice and full skirt ending just below her knees that somehow accomplishes the miracle of showing that she is, in fact, female without being embarrassingly revealing or ornate), and she has a date. On the other hand she only likes to dance when no one’s watching her, she feels uncomfortable being all dressed up, and her date isn’t here yet. He’ll come soon, she tells herself, probably accompanied by Miss. Craft who will make more sexual innuendo but at least he’ll be here. The thought of her boyfriend (boyfriend! her mental voice emphasizes in what, if spoken aloud, would be a shrilly excited tone while her stomach does the by-now-familiar gymnastics) brings a smile to her face and gives her the courage to enter the room rather than hovering in the doorway as she has been for the past minute or so. In the month or so they’ve been dating both Laurie and Matthew have settled into the whole ‘couple’ thing relatively well, it’s actually been more of a relief than anything else, being free to spend time with him without hiding anything or hold his hand without the outside pressure of mortal danger. There hadn’t been a repeat of The Kiss so far but that was probably for the best, they were both still pretty engrossed with hand-holding and smiling dorkily at each other while they were having a study session in one of their rooms.

Maybe soon though… she thinks, then starts in surprise realizing that this line of thought had carried her across the room to the far edge of the dance floor, probably with some addled, dreamy expression on her face the entire time. Got to stop doing that she tells herself firmly and turns on her heel sharply to shake herself out of it and head to the punch bowl--and almost collides with her lab partner, Michael Staten, who is heading the same way.

“Sorry I didn’t see--Collins?!” the boy is wearing a startled expression and staring at her intently as if she’s doing something extremely shocking and interesting instead of steadying herself and opening her mouth to apologize.

“Uh…” she tries awkwardly, looking down at herself, wondering if she’s caught on fire or cropped up in boils or something. She’d thought she’d looked alright when she’d glanced in the mirror before she’d gone downstairs, different at least since she wasn’t so hunched over all the time anymore, stopped biting her lips so they weren’t sort of scabby anymore and had on something other than dark colored ratty clothes that made her look washed out always and a bit sick sometimes. Plus she’d actually brushed her hair and twisted up so that her face was visible and followed some strange makeup tips her mother had given her which apparently were supposed to make you look as if you weren’t wearing any makeup which seemed silly but her mother had insisted so…

“Huh.” Michael is saying, “Who knew?”

“Who knew wha-” Laurie starts to ask but he’s grinning and waving goodbye as he continues on through the crowd leaving Laurie blinking rapidly in bewilderment for a moment before going back to looking down at her dress in an attempt to discover whatever oddity had caused that strange behavior.

[Matthew Craft]

No need to be nervous, really. Everything will be fine. It’s gonna be you in your suit, Laurie in her dress, and everyone else in their suits and dresses. And dancing...oh god...the dancing.

Music is one thing, but dancing requires coordination of the feet, something Matthew doesn’t really have. All of his bodily coordination ended up in his hands, where it’s readily put to use on the piano, a skill that isn’t needed in the feet. It's not that he doesn't have a good sense of rhythm, but with Laurie being so tiny, stepping on her is a major risk.

Just relax.

He tugs on his tie, studying his suit in the mirror in the foyer outside the ballroom. “Right...maybe I can just avoid the dancing...” Maybe Laurie won’t want to dance. Maybe she’ll just be happy to watch everyone else dance while we’ll get drunk on Toni’s spiked punch.

Matthew pokes his boutonniere anxiously, trying to get the white rose to appear at least relatively straight. In his other hand was a matching corsage in a clear plastic box, intended for his girlfriend. A pang of butterflies flaps in his stomach as he adjusts his tie one last, unnecessary time, then he strides nervously toward the ballroom.

He stops at the entrance of the grande room and scans the dancing and mingling couples. Matthew’s heart jumps into his throat at he spots Laurie across the room. He knew she was supposed to be in a dress; she’d even showed it to him. But the petit, quaint dress looks completely different when she’s wearing it, instead of the hanger wearing it. Biting the bullet, he crosses the room, avoiding being seen by his girlfriend as she seemingly chats with Michael.

“Uh...you know, I had a whole bunch of really nice lines I pulled out of a bunch of romantic cliche movies, but after seeing you in that dress, my mind pulled a complete blank.” He says honestly, yet grins after he realizes that the line is probably just as cliche, if not more, as the lines he had planned on using. “I’ve got something for you.” Matthew reveals the corsage and pulls it from its clear box. “Apparently roses don’t come in blue, so I got the next best thing.” There’s a long awkward pause as he wonders if he should try to pin on her corsage for her, or let her do it herself.

At the last minute, before he loses his nerve, Matthew steps forward, leans down, and carefully attaches the white rose to her dress, carefully trying to avoid both poking her with the pin, and touching her in any inappropriate manner. “There. Nice and pretty, just like you.” He smiles and pauses again before adding a quiet, “Wow...I’m real original, aren’t I?”