@--{Three weeks before Prom, Friday}--@
"I'm so excited for you, Relena!" Cindy exclaimed loudly, running up to Relena and giving her an impromptu hug.
"Me too!" Barbara cheered, hugging Relena as well. "You and Heero are back together!"
"Not yet," Relena sighed dramtically with a grin. "But we will be after prom. . ."
Hilde looked up from her spot in front of the discounted shawls and frowned. She wanted to say something to wipe that smirk off of Relena's face, but she had sworn she would behave.
"We'll have to get something extra special!" another cheerleader, unrecognizable from the JV squad, quipped in.
"We're *supposed* to be practicing right now." Hilde grumbled. "Remember, 'Go, Team, Go!' and all that shit?"
The cheerleading squad had decided at the last minute to cancel practice and go dress shopping. Their sponsor approved of the activity, as long as the entire team agreed to go. Everyone was willing. . . except Hilde. She had already purchased her dress last summer when they were all on sale. Above all else, Hilde did not want to waste her time listen to Relena brag about her 'relationship' to her lackies.
"The second he, like, sees you, he'll, like, be begging you to take him back!" Suzie exclaimed, ignoring Hilde's comment entirely.
"Oh please." she huffed as she slammed the shawl back into the bin.
"Hilde," Relena said calmly, picking up a black and white patterned gown. "I know you are being loyal to your friend, but you definately need a change in attitude."
"I will if you will." she sang with false enthusiasm. Relena twirled cheerfully on her toes and practically danced into the dressing room. Hilde surged forward, only to be blocked successfully by Suzie.
"I think I'm gonna, like, get this one!" Suzie exclaimed as she spun in mad circles.
"Um, Suze?" Hilde asked while eyeing the gown. That is, if you consider a bright red halter-top with an ultralow neckline attached to a barely there mini-skirt...a dress. "You do know there is a dress code?"
"Too much?" Suzie asked, hitching up the already short hem of the dress.
"I'd say the opposite." Hilde laughed. "Here, try this one. Same color as. . . *that*, but with a little more to leave to the imagination."
"What you do you think of this one?" Relena announced loudly as she excited the dressing room. The bodice fit her slim figure perfectly, the skirt flowed to the floor, the fabric seemed to rest on her skin. The neckline was modestly cut, the sleeves attached to the thin spagetti straps and seemed to flawlessly fit the white gown. It was perfect; minus the black dots in various different sizes and shapes that adorned the bodice and invaded the skirt. She spinned around the three-way mirror slowly, getting various comments from her teammates.
"Everything looks good on you! I wish I had that figure!"
"So pretty!"
"Get that one, Relena!"
"It makes you look like a cow."
Relena turned to glare at Hilde. "That's going a little too-"
"No, no, no! Trust me on this one!" Hilde soothed, rushing up to Relena. "Looks like they took the skin straight off a cow and onto your flesh. I hold back all 'loyal friend' hatered on account of fashion. Nobody's going to look awful on my watch!"
'And I doubt Duo wants Heero to go to prom with a cow.' she thought silently, using every ounce of self-control to not laugh in the blond girl's face.
Relena raised an eyebrow. "So what do you suggest?" she asked almost cockily.
Hilde, along with Suzie and Cindy, began to show Relena various dresses. She had to admit that it was fun dressing her up in different outfits, especially outfitting the girl in gowns she wouldn't be caught dead in--just for fun. Everytime she asked Hilde if Heero would like a dress gave Hilde the encouragement to run off to find something he would hate.
"I wonder if Heero-" Relena started to say twenty minutes later as she lifted up a dark blue gown.
After hearing that every two minutes, the breaking point had been breached.
"Enough!" Hilde shouted, causing the girls around her to gasp. She marched up to Relena and raised a hand high in the air. After a moment of self-scolding, the hand shakily lowered to rest at Hilde's side. Glaring at the girl in front of her, Hilde said in a low voice that only Relena could hear, "I am only going to say this once, Relena, so listen real good. Heero does not want you. If anything, he pities your pathetic ass and would rather spend his prom with someone else."
She turned on her heel and marched out of the department store without a wave to her teammates. Relena stood by the dress rack, the gown clutched tightly to her chest. "You're just jealous!" Relena shouted to Hilde's back.
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@--{Two hours later. . .}--@
"Hil, calm down!" Duo exclaimed as he stretched his arms across the host table, Hilde angrily clawing at his back. She came to work on a mission and he was purposely in her way.
"How am I supposed to be calm, Duo?" she snapped, grabbing a nearby menu and began to slap him with it. They were preparing for the evening rush, and the restaurant was virtually empty. The only customers were being served at the bar. The hosts and the bartenders had free reign of the restaurant for a brief period of time; the rest of the staff was huddled in the back office for a brief meeting. Hilde looked around the restraurant before dropping the menu to jab Duo in the arm. Hard. "I'm this close to strangling people, and I'm going to start with you first! Why is your boyfriend going to prom with his ex?"
Duo froze and loosened his hold on the small counter to look at her. "That sounded funny, nix the titles next time around will ya?"
"Awww, you're blushing!" she cooed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Now come on, tell me why you are not going to prom with Heero?"
"I'm going to prom with you." he stated, turning around to hug her properly. "You asked me before he could, remember?"
"I said I would be fine going by myself." she whined, resting her head on his shoulder. Realizing that Duo was no longer guarding the host stand, Hilde broke free of Duo's grasp and dove for the courtesy phone. "Let me talk to him."
"Would you stop?" Duo begged, pulling her away from the counter.
"If I can't talk sense into you, maybe Hee-haha, stop!" she screeched as Duo began to tickle the back of her neck. She turned to return the favor, sending them both flying to the ground in a semi-wrestling match. They rolled on the ground, each trying to gain control on the situation. Jim appeared over them, waving a pitcher of ice water over their heads. Water sloshed from the top, sprinkling small droplets on both of them.
"I sure do hope you brought a change of clothes!" Jim sang gleefully.
Duo laughed and called, "I only stop for marguritas."
"One non-alcholic pitcher coming up!" Jim said as he bounced back to his position at the bar.
"Can I at least tell her about you two?" she asked as she jumped from the floor. After lightly kicking Duo in the side, she helped him stand. The pair began to walk toward the bar. "I almost told her today."
"Go ahead and tell her." Duo said, hopping up onto one of the tall stools. "I guarantee major sabotage come prom time."
"Oh really?" she countered.
"Yep. Even Jimmy agrees with me." Duo pointed out. Jim nodded as he placed two small mugs in front of them. Duo sipped his glass and looked at Jim wearily. The bartender merely winked and made a shushing signal before attending to another customer.
"I love that guy." he said before turning to Hilde, who was leaning lazily against the tall counter. "Put yourself in her shoes, how would you react?"
"I-" she started. "Are you sure you okay with all of this?"
"Does it matter?"
"It does," she mused, sipping on her drink. "I think it should matter a lot."
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@--{May 4}--@
"Well, well, well, today's our last day of decorating and it's all okay! Dan the Man here, motivating for free, but do something for me. Enjoy the groove, but work while you moooove." the DJ said into the microphone. His voice echoed through the large ballroom, the mike cutting out as he played with the volume. "Here's a quick message going up to the guy hanging the gossamer: 'Quit jumping from ladder to chandelier to ladder, you're scaring us all.' Alrighty, then! Also to guy on ladder, you need to speak to Foreman Winner, immediately. Just testing the bass now, so here's a nice beat from TechN9ne for ya!"
"He must be from Kansas City," Quatre mused as he listened to the lively lyrics. He began to nod his head to the beat, his body beginning to sway to the vibrations that hit the floor and bounced off the walls. Not to be distracted, he looked at his clipboard and began to hand out instructions.
"Nick, follow Wufei to the truck and begin to help the drama department with the lighting equipment. Barry, go with him. Um. . .Jay? You need to take your lightboard over to the DJ booth, Dan wants to discuss your light plot."
"Noo prrroooob, Bob!" Jay exclaimed, saluting Quatre and danced his way through the small crowd of volunteers.
"He's our light guy?" Duo whispered. Quatre nodded.
"Oh God." Wufei muttered loudly as he spotted Jay setting up the expensive lightboard, using electric tape and a pocket knife.
"I have faith that he will do a good job you guys." Quatre said as he continued to read from the clipboard.
"Ah! Damn ellipsoidal!" Jay shouted loudly. He climbed up a nearby ladder and unplugged the lighting instrument from the adapter. Turning the large square plug upside down Jay stabbed in between the metal pins with his pocket knife, and then forcefully slammed the plug into the socket. An interesting display of sparks came from the outlet, which he stared at with mild fascination. "It's still good..." he gave the instrument one more visual glance over, then beamed over at the trio and gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up. [1]
To Wufei and Duo's surprise, the malfunctioning light started to work, as if nothing was wrong with it.
Duo gave Quatre a quick pat on the back. "That's why I promoted you buddy! Ever consider joining StuCo next year?"
"Well, I-" Quatre started to respond when he was hugged from behind. He scowled and quickly elbowed the person behind him. "I told *you* to stop with the acrobatics."
"It got the job done." Trowa said matter-of-factly as he observed his handiwork. Quatre turned to face him and stood on his toes.
"To the truck." he ordered, tapping Trowa on the nose. Trowa smirked and returned the tap on the nose before exiting the ballroom. Quatre twirled, and found himself face to face with a very amused Wufei and Duo.
"He's positively glowing." Duo observed. Wufei nodded in agreement and followed Trowa outside in silence.
"Shut up!" Quatre said as he slapped Duo with the clipboard. "Like you should be talking."
"I have no clue what you are talking about." he said haughtily, turning to pick up a box. Duo suddenly felt a hand tap him on the shoulder, while another arm wrapped itself around his waist.
"Hey Duo," Heero whispered into Duo's ear, causing him to drop the box in his hands. Duo slapped the arm around his waist and he turned to lightly push him.
"Don't do that! I could've been carrying glass or something breakable."
"I'm sorry."
"No, you're not."
"I'm not."
"Fine."
"Fine," Heero repeated, looking in the direction of the door. "Time to go."
"Go? Where?" Duo asked as Heero grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the hotel.
"How cute." Quatre said. Jay ran up to his side, his eyes full of concern. He was near tears.
"Dude, I'm out of Rosco series number 51! I could use 02, but that's too warm, and it would make girls dresses look terrible, I know it would! Do you think you could gather some No Color Blue for me?" [2]
"Okay!" he said wearily, walking away from him. "Just let me figure out what you are talking about first."
"I'll wait here!" Jay called after him.
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"Heero, I told you we couldn't do anything today!" Duo complained as they crossed the massive lobby. "Today's the last day for the decoration commitee to work, they'll be too busy tomorrow. I can't leave."
"I never said we were leaving."
"Huh?" he asked. "When one says, 'It's time to go', you would assume that you'd be going somewhere else."
Heero shrugged as they left the hotel and walked under the balloon archway that had been constructed in front of the entrance. He lead Duo across the street to the small park, where under a nearby tree, a picnic blanket had been laid out.
"Quatre and Wufei know where to find you if they need you."
"If you're trying to be romantic, you failed." Duo joked, sitting down on the blanket. "McDonalds?"
"I tried." he countered with a sigh. Placing a large box in Duo's lap, Heero added, "I guess you won't be needing this then."
Duo grinned and slowly began to pull the tape off the box. The box was unwrapped, only held together by a few strips of tape. His first response was to rip the lid off and pull out the contents, but he knew that Heero knew this as well. So, he opened the box with intense care.
"Duo. . ."
"It's a pretty box!" he argued, pulling off the last piece of tape. Lifting the lid slowly, he began to lift up the tissue paper, piece by piece.
"Duo. . ."
"Patience, my dear Heero." Duo said. "The suspense is killing you, isn't it?"
"I know what it is."
Duo just smiled and continued to pull the paper aside. Inside the box laid a tuxedo, completely different from the classic black and white tux he had rented weeks ago. "How did you know that I wanted this?"
"I was there, remember?" Heero said as he placed the box aside. "It's the same jacket. I just got the shirt, vest and tie that you wanted."
"The shirt, vest and tie was too expensive, you idiot!" Duo exclaimed as he tackled Heero. That too, Heero had expected.
"Then I shouldn't have got us matching cufflinks, too?"
"Of course not!" Duo snapped, a big smile on his face.
"Damn." he said, reaching into his pocket and unearthing the cufflinks.
"Sap." Duo said, throwing caution to the wind to kiss Heero's nose. Sitting on Heero's chest, he frowned. "I have a confession to make."
"You don't want me to go to prom with Relena. I know."
"No!" He started. "Well, yeah. But it wouldn't be fair for me to go with Hil, and you nobody, and well, I thought that you two could go as friends and all, but I don't know." Duo rambled, fiddling with the end of his braid. "I don't mind you going to prom with her, but I'm just worried that she'll do something and I just wish that-"
Heero caught Duo's wrists and pulled him close. They laid side by side on the blanket, their arms wrapped casually around the other's waist. "I wanted to go to prom with you." Heero said as he pushed back Duo's feathery bangs and watched them fall back over his eyes.
"I know, but I promised Hil. I just thought maybe you two could be as close as we are, but I still can't forgive what she did. I know that you care about her-"
"Not as much as I care about you."
"Okay, who are you and where's my Heero?" Duo exclaimed, standing up and began to walk away. "He's never this sappy."
Heero jumped up and began to chase Duo. They began to dodge through the trees, their dinner long forgotten. Catching Duo at the waist, Heero pulled him close and kissed him soundly.
"Dude! Not you too!" Nick exclaimed, and there was a sound of a heavy box falling to the ground, followed by a loud yelp.
"My babies!" Jay's howl could be heard. Duo and Heero turned in the direction of the commotion, they were standing right in front of the hotel. Jay was huddled in front of the large box, lifting up large pieces of lighting equipment. "Are you alright?"
Nick was gaping at them, while Wufei was hopping up and down in a wild circles while holding onto his foot.
"I think it's broken!"
"No, the box was padded, everything's okay."
"You fucking-" Wufei hissed. He trailed off into a bunch of obscenities before collapsing to the ground.
"Dude?"
***********************************************************************
Relena hanged her dress on the bedroom door, and stared at it longingly. It was perfect, she knew that Heero would love it. She imagined that she would walk down the stairs, and he would see her looking as radiant as she had ever been. They would dance close and he was remember all of the good times they had together and would accept her apology and take her back. It just had to work. Suddenly the doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts.
"Miss Relena?" her butler called up to her. "Mister Yuy is here to see you."
"Be right down!" She said as she stopped in front of her mirror to check her appearance. Running out of her room, she bounded down the stairs, a bright smile on her face. Once she spotted Heero in the doorway, she latched onto him, hugging him tightly.
He didn't hug back.
"Relena," he said as he pried her off of his body. "I came to tell you that I am seeing someone right now and that you shouldn't get your hopes up about us getting back together. I do care about you, and I'll always love you, but only as a friend. I've kept my promise to never leave you, but I couldn't lie to you. Not anymore."
"What? I thought that, my friends said that-"
"He didn't want you to know until after prom because he was afraid of how you would react."
"He?"
"Yes, I'm in love with Duo."
TBC
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[1] My stagecraft instructor and I spent an entire day doing that. I mildly shocked myself twice, and my instructor gave me props for the fact I didn't cringe from the sparks. He said, "Looks like we've got an engineer on our hands." ^_^
[2] Jay's refering to light colors. No Color Blue (My instructor's fave) looks blue under dim lights but the brighter the light gets the more white it becomes. #51 (Surprise Pink) is another fave because it is a neutral purplish shade (get the 'surprise'?). #02 is a real ugly yellow.
The TechN9ne song, probably one of the few rap songs I like this year, is called "It's Alive". Yeah, there's a lot of KC references in that one (I live outside of KC, but it's close by). ^_^