Chapter 9: "Dating Sucks"

The next day at school, Elin was overly tired. She'd stayed up for too long the night before — a combination of stress, shopping, travel, debrief … all of it piled up had her ready to just … sleep for the day. But, as soon as she'd walked in, she'd been dragged down to the principal's office where she was informed that she had detention for the rest of the week for walking out of class early. She wasn't surprised. Especially since he'd initially said she would only have detention for one day if she handed her phone over for the next week, but Elin stood her ground.

"That's not for you to take, and I need it in case of emergencies," she said, arms crossed and flat refusing to comply before the man simply shook his head and amended her detention. She'd left his office with her chin up and her books under one arm before she headed off to class and crossed her arms in front of herself to use as a pillow. Not like she had a real use for most of the classes they offered there anyhow. She was seriously questioning why she'd decided to try public school, but either way, she was stubbornly set on finishing the semester.

After that, she hadn't decided. But Salem Center was boring as hell. And she could see that she was going to be in deep trouble as long as she kept her priorities how they were.

When she got out of her first hour class, yawning, naturally, Jacob caught up with her and tried to scoop her up, though he couldn't have been expecting her to twirl away from his grip before he could get a solid hold on her.

"Where were you yesterday?" he asked, looking a little disappointed. "I was hoping to talk to you, but … no show from the pretty brunette."

"I went shopping with my mother," she said with a shrug. "It was overdue, and she hates to do it, so when the chance came up … we went."

He smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a good enough time," he said with a smile. "But I had this whole thing planned out … I was going to take you out to coffee and ask you to the homecoming dance."

She didn't seem to realize what he was getting at. "That's too bad," she said. "Sounds like it could have been a decent afternoon."

Jacob laughed and reached out to grab her elbow and pull her around to face him. "Did you hear me? I tried to ask you to homecoming."

"No," Elin said, arching one eyebrow. "You said you were going to do that yesterday. You still haven't." She poked him in the chest with one finger. "This is why you're having trouble in English class. You need to say what you mean and mean what you say."

He grinned wider and took her hand in his. "You're right. I know. No one around here is a mind reader. Will you please be my date to homecoming?"

Elin tipped her head as she pretended to think it over. "I suppose," she said. "Seeing as I haven't gotten any better offers." Jacob gave her a disbelieving look until she started to chuckle. "I'm teasing. Yes, it sounds like fun. Don't get your ego bruised by a little picking," Elin said, still shaking her head.

"So, I heard you went to Paris," Christian said. He was sitting outside with Krissy, holding hands with her for the past ten minutes — which was a record for the two of them. He was getting a lot better at his control, even learning how to give people hallucinations. She particularly liked the one where they were walking on clouds.

"Yeah, it was a mission that turned into a girls' trip."

"Did you love it?"

Krissy couldn't help but smile and nod. "Shopping in Paris? Of course."

Christian smiled. "So, you've got clothes from Paris now."

"Dress for the dance," Krissy agreed.

His eyebrows shot up at that. "Just for me?"

"Um, no, for me," Krissy said, shaking her head at him. "Because I like to look great."

"You always look great," Christian pointed out, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

"Obviously," she said with a little smile.

He smiled and leaned in a bit closer. "Krissy," he said quietly. "I want to try something."

"What?"

But the next thing she knew, he had leaned in and kissed her. She was taken totally off-guard by the move, but it didn't last long enough for her to really even get into it. By the time he pulled back, she was blinking at him.

She couldn't actually see him at the moment. She was walking in the stars. But eventually, that started to fade, and when she came back down to Earth, he was still sitting in front of her, even holding her hand, though she hadn't been able to feel his hand until she came back. His hallucinations were that immersive.

"I guess…. I can not do that if that was too much," Christian said, watching her carefully.

"What?"

"The … the hallucinating," Christian said. "I know you were seeing stars; you weren't looking at me…"

"No, it's fine. I know you can't always control it…"

Christian smiled and leaned in again. "Can I try again?"

Krissy blinked at him and couldn't help but smile.

"I mean, practice makes perfect, right?" he said when she still hadn't said anything further.

"Are you saying I need practice?" Krissy asked, finally finding her voice again after he'd completely shocked her.

"No, of course not," Christian said quickly.

"That's right I don't," Krissy said, tipping her chin up.

Christian just smirked and leaned in a bit more before he kissed her again — and Krissy really didn't mind it as long as she kept her eyes closed so that she was a little more grounded.

James was working in the lab — putting the final touches on his new comm system. He was particularly pleased with it, since he found a way to ensure that all but the worst EMP's wouldn't interfere with communication. And so far, they were working even in usually blacked out zones, too. "This will count as a Merry Christmas and a Happy Birthday for you, Uncle Scott." He was smirking to himself as he finished closing up the last few devices — both slimmer and easier hidden than the old one to boot — when Vanessa made her way over and simply dropped down into the seat next to him.

"I need to make sure that our costumes match," Vanessa said. "Unless there aren't costumes … I can see it either way."

James tipped his head to the side and frowned to himself. "For what?"

"This big fall formal soiree. I'm planning to wear green to match my eyes — unless you wanted a costume theme? As I understand it, both are acceptable."

"You're assuming that we're going together."

"We are; I've seen it. You'll be dashing either way," she said with a grin before she took a hold of his arm. "I know you haven't really decided yet, but I am partial to the Viking look you were thinking of."

"I … haven't told anyone about that," James said, turning her way, but she was just nodding with her eyebrows raised.

"I know! But I've seen it both ways. Dapper suit or barbarian. You'll look amazing either way; I just want to know which way you're leaning," Vanessa said. "The prep time for me is very different depending."

"'Nessa …"

"Just trust me," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I've seen it. You know I'm not wrong. This makes it go easier. Run with it. I played along with getting us in trouble with Mr. Stark."

James paused, not exactly liking how this was working out. She was a nice girl, yes. And very pretty. But this bossy angle … was very hard to deal with. "You gotta stop doing that," James said.

But she was still smiling at him, waiting for an answer, until she finally just grinned at him. "Suit it is, then. Wonderful." She kissed his cheek and swept off to the other side of the lab to grab him the rest of the supplies he needed to finish the hub for the comms, leaving James more than a little uneasy as he weighed it out.

He frowned deeper and then went back to work. He still had a few tests he wanted to run before he presented them to Scott. They had to be perfect. And it was a lot more important than dealing with Vanessa's pushiness.

When Chance got in that weekend, Krissy almost immediately pulled him aside, her hand on his arm as she teleported him to the roof so they could talk in private.

"Chance," she said, almost breathlessly. "I need your advice."

Chance's eyebrows shot up, and he was all but holding her up at the elbows as he watched her carefully. "What's going on?"

"I…" She ran her hands through her hair, both of them, which Chance knew meant that she was more than just a little upset. "Chance, I really like Sying."

"Great. So tell him that," he said, still not seeing what had her so worked up.

"But Christian asked me to the dance first," she continued on as if she hadn't even heard him. "And he kissed me and-"

"He what?"

"I don't even know if it's because he likes me or because he's trying to get a handle on his powers or what's going on," Krissy said, getting that last sentence out all at once.

"Kris…" Chance shook his head. "If you have to ask the question-"

"I know, I know," she said.

"Then what are you asking me for?" Chance asked. "Shouldn't you be asking Elin?"

"Yeah, because the girl going to homecoming with the football star because he's there and it's something to do is really high on my list of 'how to not date guys who aren't serious'," Krissy said grumpily.

Chance stared at her for a moment before he shook his head lightly. "I didn't…."

"I know," Krissy said. "I know you think with everything ... with the two teams and with her going to the other school and with all of it …. Chance, you're an idiot."

Chance shook his head at her. "Thanks, Kris."

"You like her."

"Do you hear yourself?" he shot back. "What happened to 'I really like Sying'?"

Krissy stared at him and then hit him in the arm. "You can't do that!"

"I just did?" he pointed out. "So I'm pretty sure I can."

She let out all her breath through her cheeks. "I do. I really like him."

"So date him."

"I don't want to hurt him," she blurted out, her eyes wide, and Chance froze.

"What are you talking about?"

"Chance, you and I dated for ages. You were my first real don't get me wrong: I'm glad we're not … I mean, not like that — I just mean — I'm glad we can both move on and stay friends and — I just—"

"You're not ready for another boyfriend," Chance guessed.

"Not one like you," she said.

Chance stared at her. "Kris…"

"You know what I mean."

"I really don't."

She let out a frustrated noise and threw up her hands, pacing away a few steps before she spun back around to face him. "You were my whole world," she said at last. "You said — you said I can be intoxicating; well, you can too." She stepped in and put her finger in the center of his chest. "And I … I don't think I have it in me to do that again. Not right now. I need to be me."

"So you don't have to date anyone right now," Chance pointed out.

Krissy stared at him as if he was growing green hair out of his eyebrows, then shook her head. "My point… my point is that I know if I date Sying, it will be like that."

"So… you don't want to date him because you're in love with him," Chance said. "Yeah, Kris, that makes total sense."

Krissy glared at him for a second and then sniffed. "You're not helping."

"I don't know what to tell you, Kris. You want me to say you won't break his heart when you tell him you're picking someone else?"

"I'm not!" she said. "I just don't want to pick him yet."

"No offense, Krissy, but that's crap."

"Yeah, because you and Elin are so much—"

"This isn't about me and Elin!" Chance interrupted her.

Krissy glared at him harder. "I wanted to ask you how to explain to Sying — but, you know, I think I'm realizing now what my mistake was. Asking a boy."

"Yeah, because dating someone you're not in love with—"

"You did it all the time," she shot back. "How many girls did you date before me?"

"That doesn't—"

"Yes it does," she said. "And I guarantee you if I ask you about it, you'll say it was because you didn't want to ask Elin."

Chance glared at her and then shook his head and turned away. "She's dating someone else right now anyway."

"And you're in Canada — yeah, I know, I've heard all the arguments. They're still stupid."

"So's your thing about not wanting to date the guy you like."

Krissy let out a little noise and then teleported in front of him, though this time, her expression had softened a bit. "So we can both at least agree that we're in weird dating places together, right?"

He let out a breath and ran a hand over his face. "Yeah."

"You going to take someone to the dance?"

"I honestly hadn't thought about it, Kris."

"Okay." She reached out and rested her hand on his arm. "Yeah, you know what… dating sucks."

He couldn't help but smile. "If you ever figure out how it works, let me know, huh?"

"Will do." She smiled at him lightly. "Now. You've been spending all your time training and working on that suit, right? What say you take a break and we play video games and I totally wipe the floor with you?"

Chance grinned. "That sounds like a plan."

It had been nice to spend the weekend in Westchester; Chance wasn't going to lie. Team practice had gone well, even if it was still odd losing that dual leadership that he and Elin had going on. He felt like he was busier than ever… but playing with Krissy and then hanging out with Charlie all day helping her find a dress for her friend-date with Sying to the dance… that had helped a lot.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Jamie asked as she came to sit down next to him at lunch — that was usually when he saw her, anyway.

"Jamie, I told you—"

"I can observe beyond my powers," Jamie said, waving her hand at him. "You didn't have the look of intense contemplation that you usually do. So unless you've reached the point of exhaustion where even that is gone because you can't function — in which case, I seriously suggest seeing someone for some help — you're in a good mood."

Chance watched her for a second before he couldn't help but smirk and shake his head, glancing back down at the book he was supposed to be writing an essay on — which he was reading while he ate lunch. "Alright, Sherlock. Well-deduced."

"So," she said, reaching over to steal the apple he had in front of him to bite into it and smile at him. "What has you in such a good mood?"

"I just like being home with my family," Chance said.

She nodded and leaned over slightly to see what he was reading, then made a face. "Oh, you're so behind."

"Thanks, Jamie."

She nodded with a little smile. "I'll leave you alone. You gotta catch up. But Chance…" She bit her lip, and the pause was long enough that he looked up at her. "I was wondering… you don't have a date to the fall formal, do you?"

Chance didn't even bother to hide his shock as he stared at her. "I — no—"

"I was wondering if you'd go with me?"

Chance just kept staring at her before he finally seemed to get his feet underneath him. "I'm… flattered…"

"It's just that it's our senior year, you know? We're not getting another fall formal, and I've never been to one since Gerry, and I thought, you know, I'd really like to, and you're a nice guy, and you're honestly really cute and sweet and—"

"Jamie," Chance cut in before she could get too carried away, holding up a hand between them. He let out a breath and smiled lightly. "You're right. This is our last fall formal." He nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll take you. Do you have a dress or a costume picked out or…"

"Anything that's not green," she said with a smile. "There's a nice pink dress…"

"I'll just wear basic black and white then," he said. "You find what you like."

She positively beamed at him and then squeezed his hand. "Thank you," she said before she all but flounced off, leaving him to try to focus on the book he was supposed to be reading — though that was going to be hard when he still wasn't entirely sure what had just happened or how.