The Masquerade - Part 19
As Sam and Nicole pulled into the parking structure of the building where their three-year reunion was being held one thing became glaringly obvious... While you can allow some people to graduate High School, you cannot similarly force them to mature past it.
The cause of this duel epiphany? The sight of a boy both remembered well from their days at Kennedy, with one arm leveraged against a side of the hotel entrance while the rest of his body was bent over a bush... To be fair, it could have been anybody from their year or even a classmate's boyfriend. However, with that body build it could be only one, Sugar Daddy... apparently throwing up everything he had eaten for the past week.
Making a sound of disgust at the sight of Big D doing his own rendition of the Technicolor yawn, Sam couldn't help the immediate thought of, `Another one of Kennedy's Finest showing what it takes to be popular.' With out a second's worth of thought, Sam could easily envision the expose she could write about binge drinking and it's connection with popular culture. And it was this thought that changed Sam's frown of disgust to a wry grin. A quick glance at to her left confirmed that she was not the only one who was struck with a quick reappearance of her high school self, because the only way to describe the look on Nicole's face at the moment would be one that would have had Freddy Gong in tears.
Putting the car in park, Nic raised an eyebrow in question at Sam`s sudden change in moods from disgust to amusement. "Yes?"
Shaking her head, Sam simply got out of the car making sure to grab the light saber Nicole had bought for her as it would be her only means of costume.
"Nothing it`s just... Here we are, about to meet all of our Kennedy classmates for the first time in three years and it seems that just being this close to each other is making us revert back to that time. I mean, if you could see your face, or rather.. if Freddy Gong could see your face!" Sam paused to laugh as Nic walked around the car so that she was standing directly in front of Sam.
"What of Freddy Gong?" Nicole asked, more curious then anything, but still keeping up the appearance of...`answer this question with out care at your own discretion.'
For her part, Sam let out a last chuckle while reaching out and placing her hand on Nic's face before finishing, "He`d wet himself if he saw you looking the way you were a moment ago." Dropping her hand from Nicole's face so that she could hold the other girls hand, Sam rolled her eyes before continuing and heading towards the entrance. "Now come on! As much as I enjoy seeing you make the faces that caused me to fall for you in the first place, I can't help but be insanely curious to see how everyone else has changed or stayed the same. And at the very least I want to see if we win for most unlikely couple, after all, knowing Brooke this whole thing is nothing more then a rouse for her to win prom again or something." Sam laughed.
Walking towards the entrance of the hotel meant walking past a newly recovered S.D as he stood shaking and wiping his mouth. If they'd been hoping to walk past with out being recognized, well... They would've had to come in a costume.
"Woah! Nic is that you!? And walking with Sam?" Pausing to regain balance, in a move not unlike a surfer balancing on a surfboard, Sugar Daddy gave signs of fighting down rising bile before continuing. "hic- Hee-ay Sam! If you looked this hot in high school I would have day-hic-ted you in High School!"
After saying this S.D shot Sam what he no doubt thought was a charming grin, but materialized into a half drunken grimace. However, upon seeing the `shut up and die' glare he was currently getting from an oddly possessive looking Nicole, his grimace became more purposeful. "Ugh... You a..hic-right Nic? You look a littl-hic-little mad right now.."
Tearing her gaze away from the gently swaying form of Sugar Daddy to look at her girlfriend who was indeed, giving off `kill yourself' vibes and choked on a laugh.
Nicole, seeing the amusement in Sam's face merely rolled her eyes and sighed. "I`m good Big D, why don`t you show us where this reunion-slash-meet-and-see how-pathetic-everyone-else's-lives-turned-out-to-be-in-comparison-to-yours deal is being held in here?"
Blinking a few times S.D gave the appearance of struggling to catch up with the rapid flow of the words Nic just shot at him, before understanding finally filtered through. "Oh uh, it`s on the roof! How cool is that right! Man leave it to Brooke to throw this crazy party right!? And there`s free alcohol yo!"
"I can tell..." Nicole said rolling her eyes again, silently wondering if it was possible to sprain the muscle's behind the eyes with chronic eye rolling.
"Right! Anyway, we're going to head up. Do, you um need help?" After finishing the statement Sam got a quick look of exasperation sent her way via Nic. Sending a slight shrug back, Sam gave Sugar Daddy a look to reiterate the offer to help.
"Nah! Sam I'm good! But ah... You're alright! You know, if you looked this good back in..."
Whatever else Sugar Daddy was about to say was swiftly cut off as a now sneering Nicole grabbed Sam's hand and started moving towards the sliding glass doors, while sending her regards over her shoulder.
"Yeah well, you look like you're doing ok Big D so we'll just see you whenever you stumble your way back to roof."
Right before she was pulled through the doors, Sam looked back fully preparing to give Sugar Daddy a grin of commiseration and slight apology for Nic's behavior, however when her eyes landed on Sugar Daddy she didn't see a wounded man.. But rather, an inordinately proud one. Giving a snort Sam shook her head and caught up with Nicole who was now impatiently pressing the elevator call button.
"You know, I think Sugar Daddy thinks you just complimented him." Sam said grinning, trying to loosen up her obviously tense and clearly possessive girlfriend. "And if it`ll help that possessive beast inside you we can get :Property of Satan: tattooed on my forehead."
And that was the statement that got a grin out of Nicole just as the elevator doors dinged and opened up.
"Well as far as Big D is concerned, it isn`t exactly a secret that the main reason he graduated at all was because of his talent on the football field. No one likes failing a star football player." Then with a decidedly devilish smirk Nic finished with, "As for that tattoo... Just let me decide what style font I want used and we`ll get that taken care of."
Sam burst out in laughter as Nic finished her `plan'. "Nic!"
However, instead of replying verbally Nic's eyes did something they probably hadn't done since they were 5 years old.... They gave off a perfect look of absolute innocence. So pure was the look, Sam might have believed the deceit behind them... If it wasn't for the lips, which maintained the same devilish smirk as before.
Taking in all of Nicole's facial features at once caused Sam to instantly stop laughing as her breath caught in her throat...
...Just as the elevator doors opened with a final ding and the sounds of loud raucous laughter filtered in with the over-whelming sounds of bass as a chaser from the obvious cheap dj sound booth.
Or at least obvious to Nicole who'd been running a very successful cafe slash club. Stepping out of the elevator, it took Nic less then a moment to come to a decision. "Everyone is exactly the same. It's really quite sad."
"Yeah, because everyone can tell how you've changed just by looking at you Satan." Sam answered with a small-amused smile, which quickly turned into a full on grin when Nic's only response was to sniff as if she was the lone special case of change among everyone else's sameness.
"Come on, I need a drink if I'm going to be spending any extended period of time with the people I very happily left behind the minute I got my diploma... "
"And we`re off" Sam mumbled, while trying not to laugh at the slightly put upon look on Nicole's face even if she was fairly certain it was all for show.
They had almost made it to the free bar when Sam heard someone squeal her name from the general direction of her right. A quick look to her right and Sam's eyes connected with those of her best friend. Her best friend Lily. Who was wearing... A sheet.
Standing beside Sam, Nic was barely able to strangle out "Oh God..." in her attempts not to fall apart in laughter. Only, Nic wasn't looking at Lily... She was looking at Josh. Covered in light blue face paint....wearing a Toga.. "Oh GOD!" This time Nic actually wheezed from the effort.
After getting over the shock of seeing Lily in her `Toga' Sam finally realized what had Nicole so close to her breaking point and immediately started biting her tongue hard as she and Nic started walking towards her friends. Just before they reached hearing distance Sam whispered, "Not a word about Lily!"
Not that the warning need have been uttered, as it seemed Josh covered in blue make up had well and truly hindered Nicole's immediate vocabulary skills.. "What is he? Oh..."
Before she could finish however, the squealing had begun again.
"SAM! Oh wow you came! Not that I didn't already know you were coming because we talked about this already and the whole point of you coming home was so that you could come and hang out with us and we could make fun of the popular people like we used to but...-hic-" Lily paused for a moment to breath before she continued. "But the point is, you came! And you came with Satan! Oh... I mean, Nic! Sorry Satan! I mean Nic! HAHAHAHa...-hic-. Anyway Sam, guess who I am!?!" Lily all but screamed out of one part necessity to be heard over the music and 3 parts alcohol consumption.
Sam for her part was staring at Lily in disbelief. This was Lily? "Uhh... Lil? Are you drunk?"
"WHAT!? Psssh! NOPE! But anyway! Come back to the table! Everyone's already there and you're not going to believe this but Harrison is GAY!!!"
After finishing her outburst at which, drew more then a few looks, Lily grabbed Sam with one hand while grabbing Josh with the other and all but ran towards the `table'.
However, the chain like jerking that Nic got via Sam who was being yanked along by a very clearly tipsy Lily was all it took to snap Nic out of her shock and she burst into laughter just as they reached the table where much as Lily said, `everyone' was sitting. "What are you WEARING Josh!? You look like, like... Like Ancient Greek Smurf!"
Following her proclamation Nic continued laughing helplessly while everyone else looked at Josh as if with new eyes and all tried not to make things worse for the obviously already uncomfortable and embarrassed Josh.
That is, everyone but a young man by the name of Dave who immediately started laughing as well, just barely managing to get out... "I KNEW you`d see it too Mistress! An-and LOOK! He's answering the question about what color a smurf turns when they BLUSH!"
That statement got Nicole to look up quickly to check the validity of Dave's statement and a moment later her decision, "OH MY GOD YOU'RE RIGHT!" Before dissolving back into laughter.
Poor Josh. He really did look like a Purple smurf at the moment.
The truth of the statement however did not stop his very tipsy and very indignant wife from jumping to his defense.
"He`s POSEIDON! I thought it was obvious I mean, he's blue! He's in a toga! What ELSE could he be!?" Lily asked in outrage. Unfortunately for her....there were two people who were ready and willing to answer that question.
"He could be a-a SMurmm..." The rest of Dave's response was quickly cut off as a red faced Harrison quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
Which judging by the immediate grossed face he gave might not have been a good idea, considering his hand got licked.
In the meantime, judging by the scowl Nic was now wearing it was clear she'd just got elbowed. Not even bothering to look back at Sam, Nic sat next to Dave who was no longer laughing, but was still sporting a rather shameless grin.
And after a moment had passed where everyone at the table realized the laughter had stopped everyone made two realizations at once.
One. Sam came with Nic.
Two. That Dave guy called Nic Mistress.
Wha?
tbc