Leonard had not been looking forward to this. He'd promised himself that he would have a boyfriend by his eighteenth birthday. That wasn't going to happen on Vulcan, seeing as all the articles said that the inhabitants were stoic, logical, literal and repressed their emotions to the point of virtual non-existence. In Leonard's books, that was not healthy. Nor was it going to get him a boyfriend by September.
"Come on," his dad encouraged him, putting a firm hand on his son's shoulder. "It'll be fun!"
"Right." Leonard muttered, pushing his hands into his trouser pockets as he followed his parents across the golden sand.
When they got to the hotel, his parents went to their room, leaving Leonard to find his own room. He knew he'd get lost, but he really didn't want to ask any of the workers for help, so he searched the maze-of-a-building for a good fifteen minutes. Finally, he found his room, and it was exactly how he'd expected it to be: plain. Simple. Logical, he thought. Leonard put his travelling case down and sat on the bed with his PADD. He found his best friend, Jim's, name and sent him a message telling him he'd got there safely (Leonard had been convinced otherwise) and complaining about how much he already hated the place. Jim had a great sense of humour and could make light of any situation. If anybody could make him feel better about his experience on Vulcan, Jim could. With a groan, Leonard flopped back on his bed - a month on Vulcan. A month. He'd barely survived an hour.
By the time his parents came to pick him up for dinner, Leonard had reread every article he'd already read on the journey, got one message from Jim (saying "Sorry Bones"), who was likely too preoccupied with someone to pay attention to him, and had raided the local PADD-book library (the romances were surprisingly hot). It had just been making him feel really lonely, so he was glad when his parents came and told him they were all going to a restaurant down the road. Over dinner (some traditional Vulcan meal), Leonard's parents were talking, while he he thought woeful thoughts. The only reason he stopped thinking was because his mom was trying to talk to him.
"What do you think of this?" she asked, pushing a PADD across the table to him.
Leonard took it and skimmed through the advertisement.
"Umm... I suppose it could be interestin'. A glimpse into some Vulcan culture," he replied, going into an analysis. "Dance, food, music, some lectures."
"So you're up for it?" his dad asked.
"Yeah, I suppose. If you're goin'." Leonard replied, shrugging.
"I knew ya'd say yes!" his dad said, grinning.
The mood for the rest of the meal was light, and wasn't as forced as it had been.
"What was I thinking?" Leonard muttered to himself as he walked down the street. "Why am I doin' this to myself?"
His mom had suggested that he went out to find something to wear that night. Finally finding the shop she'd told him about, he turned and went inside. There were lots of clothes, and, from the looks of it, they were all traditional Vulcan clothes. Half-heartedly, Leonard sifted through the first rail. And the second. And the third. He looked through every piece of clothing on every rail. Nothing.
"Do you need some help?" a woman next to him asked - she was human, which Leonard thought was slightly odd.
"Yeah, I think so." he replied.
"What's the occasion?" the woman asked.
"Oh, it's some kind of gala, I think. I accidentally agreed to go with my parents." Leonard told her, and she laughed.
"Oh, I do that plenty of times when my husband asks me to attend things with him," she said. "Come on. I've got something in mind."
The woman led Leonard to a rail of clothes he'd already gone through. She picked something out - a blue tunic and white trousers.
"It'll bring out your eyes," she explained, giving the outfit to him. "Go, try it on. I want to see how well I've done!"
Leonard smiled at her, somewhat cautiously. Later, he stepped out of the changing room.
"You look wonderful," the woman told him, smiling. "The Vulcans may not appreciate it, but anyone else who's there certainly will!"
They laughed.
"Thank ya for the help." Leonard thanked.
"You're welcome," the woman replied. "The clothes are on my bill."
When Leonard came back out, the woman had left.