I Knock on Ebony's door, ready to take her to the prom, bouquet of some wild flowers I managed to coax off storm and her Christmas present I never got to give her held behind my back.
I hear a muffled voice "I'm not coming out" I hear her sob from behind the door.
"Why not?" I say trying to keep amusement out of my voice and be sympathetic, I had a pretty good idea why not, I just saw Jubilee Kitty and Rogue coming down the hall from this direction. They had their makeup on and they were going to meet their dates, going with St John, rogue ahs gambit and Kitty's going with this new kid who started this term named Peter. Peter Rasputin, he's Russian.

"I feel like a… " Her language would have made a sailor blush "…doll bobby, I can't come out like this, I mean what if they do this silly King and queen of the prom thing and they elect me cos I'm the new girl, I'll probably trip and fall on my face or something, this isn't the kind of thing I'm good with"
"Woah, if it's the king and queen of the prom that's worrying you, trust me it's not gonna happen if your going with me, why? Because their afraid of what I might say in the speech ok? Come on Ebs just come out here and let me take a look at you, we don't have to go anywhere, I won't make fun of you or anything" I say trying to humour her out of it, I hear a short bark of laughter behind the door, and the sound of the chain being put on as the bolt pull back and her eyes stare at me through the crack in the door
"Promise you won't laugh at me?" She asks nervously
I smile "I promise" I say
"Ok" she whispers, pulling the chain back and stepping out into the hallway "how do I look?" She asks determinatively looking at the floor instead of meeting my gaze.

"You look beautiful," I say and it's true, she's wearing a red velvet Chinese style dress. With a high neck that ends just above her knees, and a matching pair of ankle boots that have barely there pump heels and are easy to walk in, Rogues doing I'm sure, she was always on about how uncomfortable heels were and trying find alternative party shoes. Ebony's face is hardly made up, there's a little eyeliner around her big brown eyes when she finally tilts her head up, and her lips are shiny and smell of strawberry when I kiss her.
"Really?" she asks when I pull back
"Really" I smile back at her.
"Thanks" she smiles, brushing her hair back, AGAIN she's been doing that ever since she came out of the door, guess my present will come in useful.
"For you" I say, handing her the flowers and the presents"
"Their beautiful" She takes the, black and red roses that remind me of her, Black for her hair, red for her lips. She smells them and a smile lights her face, she runs back in to put them in water and I fiddle with the collar on my suit. Wow a suit, original it's prom night, every guy is wearing a suit, and I'm so glad to be a guy because it means I don't even have to try, to look individual on prom night.
She reappears with something in her hands and my present
"Are you gonna open that?" I ask
"Only after I've given you this" She smiles handing me a tie, I laugh when I read it
"Just what I needed," I say "I forgot mine"
"Sorry I didn't have time to wrap it up" She mumbles as I fasten the tie and ask her if it's allright, she just nods.
"That's ok" I smile "Open yours now, hurry or we'll be late"
She opens it, grinning when she sees what I brought her "Oh" She gasps "it's perfect" Somehow I knew she'd like it, I bought it after her first day at school, when she looked at Ro's plants in the history room and gazed longingly at the 'Christmas star' flowers.

It's a hair clip, a red five pointed Poinsettia with tiny green leaves streaked with gold fleck here and there, Perfect and delicate made out of blown glass, just like her

"I love it" she says, reaching up to put it in her hair with a smile
"I hope you would" I grin "here let me do that" I reach up and tuck the offending strand of hair she's been playing with all evening back behind her ear and pin it with the clip.
"There" I chuckle, kissing her on the forehead "My Christmas star" I tease.
"Hum" She grins at me "shall we go"
"Allow me my lady" I joke, holding out an arm to her with a mock bow "allow me"
"Why thank you kind sir" She jokes back, attempting a curtsy and taking my hand"