Hey everyone! I'm really sorry about the delayed update, but life's been keeping me busy. Again, I've written this chapter to include a little more Gluxa than I had originally intended, and I hope you guys like it. I promise I will try my hardest to go back to the three day update schedule. Thanks for understanding. You guys rock. Anyways, thanks for the hilarious reviews and for the continuous support. Please keep reviewing, as those are very helpful, and most of the time make me laugh. See you guys next chapter!

-Skychip

Disclaimer: I do not own any of The Underland Chronicles, only the characters I make up and the plot itself.

Regalia High

Chapter 14: Homecoming Dance

"Have you thought of anything yet?" asked Luxa with a smile, leaning her head on his chest.

"Actually, I have."

"And?"

Gregor leaned his head down to whisper in her ear.

"Will you go to the homecoming dance with me?"

-O-

The play had to be repeated twice more. Even though Gregor had performed already, the next two days were just as nerve wracking as the lead up to the first performance. There was something about being in front of so many people that made him feel nervous.

Gregor tried to convince himself that the fear and the feelings of nervousness were normal. He told himself that everyone felt scared at some point. Company owners probably felt nervous before an important meeting. Pilots probably felt nervous before flying a plane, too. Or the guys that jumped off planes with parachutes.

If Gregor ever jumped off of a plane, it would be an interesting day. He didn't know what would kick in. His fear of falling and heights, or the adrenaline rush that helped him during the dodgeball games. He couldn't really explain why he was afraid of falling, though. There were no previous experiences where he had fallen from something high up. But his fear was so much that he knew that if he lived in some other world in a different dimension, he would still be afraid of heights.

The only thing that helped him through the other plays was the support from Luxa. She helped him go through the lines quickly before the play started. They got to the dressing rooms quickly and got changed in a flash just so they could rehearse quietly with each other. It was all second nature by then, but they wanted to be sure.

The first play had been on a Thursday night. Since there were three plays, the other two were on Friday and Saturday. Usually, a small ice cream party was held after the first performance, but since this was the first time in years the first performance had been on a Thursday, it had been postponed. Most of the actors had to get home to do some homework that was due Friday, including Gregor. He did as much as he could before his eyes closed shut. The play had more exhausting than he thought. It had been a great night, however, and the ending was better than he could have ever imagined.

Since Gregor and Luxa had kissed at the end of the play, everyone in the audience believed that's how the play was originally written. Mrs. Cormaci was surprised they had kissed, but she couldn't contain her excitement when she told them that it was a perfect ending. After saying that, she told them that they would have to repeat that ending on the other nights as well.

And Gregor was more than happy to do that.

The following two nights, when the ending of the play was getting close, he could see Luxa's face turn a bright red. As he pulled her in, Gregor would already feel her heart beating like crazy. She was nervous, and so was he. More nervous than the first time he had decided to do it. But as soon as their lips joined together, it was like all of that melted away. Each time, Gregor hoped that the kiss was longer than the one from the night before.

But it never was, and they were always interrupted by the loud cheering and clapping from the audience. The people always yelled their names and threw gifts onto the stage. It wasn't always roses, though. Sometimes, it was candy or stuffed animals.

On the last night, Gregor saw a girl in the front row who he recognized from the other nights. She had been in the front row on the first and second nights of the performance as well, but the last night was different. The girl was wearing a plain white shirt that she had customized herself. It had the words "Gregor + Luxa" written across the front. He found it a bit creepy, but smiled. He guessed that actual celebrities had seen weirder.

Since Gregor and Luxa no longer had the excuse that they needed to run lines, they found a different way to continue their meetings in his apartment. Gregor told his mom that he was going to help Luxa with homework for other classes. This was the perfect excuse, since Luxa really did need help with school. Her grades weren't as good as Gregor's and she seemed determined to raise them.

At school the next day, the two of them spoke in every class. Like before, they spoke of every little random thing. Anything except for the kiss. Gregor didn't know how to bring it up, and since Luxa didn't bring it up either, he decided to stop worrying about it.

Henry raised his eyebrows when he saw that they were so talkative, but he didn't say anything. He seemed genuinely surprised by their sudden connection, but after that initial look, he seemed not to care. Gregor noticed that Luxa and Henry didn't seem so close anymore. That was something else he was having trouble bringing up. He didn't like Henry, but he was still Luxa's cousin, and he hoped nothing bad had happened.

In Ms. Solovet's class, neither of them was brave enough to talk, even in a whisper. After a moment, Luxa waived slightly to catch his attention. When he turned, Gregor saw her holding up a small piece of paper. He reached for the note quickly and hid it under his arms before Ms. Solovet could look up.

At first, Gregor wondered if Luxa was just teasing him with chicken scratch. Then, he realized why the note looked strange. It was written in code. The message was written with something called a Tree of Transmission.

The whole concept of learning that code had been pointless to Gregor when he was forced to study it the year before. But now, it was perfect. He quickly recalled how it worked, and they spent all of their morning classes using the notes in code. Like Henry, everyone else was surprised, but no one said anything.

Neither of their friends went to see the play after the first time. They all had given different reasons. Some were valid, and some… not so much. Nerissa had work, Ares and Henry couldn't make it, Aurora was doing something for a class, Lizzie had a chess tournament, and Larry needed to help his dad with something. Angelina had stated that she didn't like the feeling of claustrophobia in the auditorium, but everyone knew that wasn't true. She had always acted on stage, and the auditorium was nothing new to her. Gregor suspected that it was for a different reason, and it was pretty obvious on Friday during lunch.

While Gregor waited in line to get his food, Luxa walked over to him. She had her tray already in hand, but she waited in line with him. They talked and talked, avoiding the curious looks they were getting from some of the kids that were around them. Gregor told her she would get tired of standing, but she said she would wait. When he finally had his lunch, he was unsure of where they would sit. It was obvious Luxa wanted to sit with him, but all of the tables were full. In the end, he decided to go sit with the rest of his friends.

Larry and Lizzie greeted Luxa with a hesitant smile, but it was welcoming. Angelina, on the other hand, looked away as Luxa sat down, and her face held a look of slight disgust. Gregor decided to ignore it, but it turned out to be a little harder than it seemed.

Aurora came to sit with them not long after Gregor and Luxa arrived. No doubt she was only trying to be where Luxa was, and Gregor admired her loyalty. Ares was with her, and he seemed reluctant to join the group. As soon as Aurora sat, though, he found a spot next to her immediately, and Gregor couldn't help but smile.

Luxa seemed extremely shy with Gregor's friends. She was more comfortable with Lizzie, since they had spoken at Gregor's apartment, but she had never met Larry. Angelina made no attempt to even look at her, so Luxa only had to worry about one new person. Slowly, the conversations became more normal, changing from polite conversation to comfortable joking and laughing. Aurora and Ares were very friendly as well, and soon, it was as if they were all good friends.

About halfway through lunch, Gregor realized why everyone was so easy to get along with. The fact that Henry was not there made all the difference in the world. It wasn't something that would be simple to talk about, but maybe if he asked suddenly without making a big deal of it, Luxa might answer. Taking the moment where Larry was telling everyone a joke, Gregor leaned over and whispered in Luxa's ear.

"Henry doesn't sit with you guys anymore?"

Luxa sighed and responded, also in a whisper. "No. He spends much time with Gorger."

"Gorger? Why Gorger?"

She shrugged. "Henry is convinced that if he befriends Gorger, he will be able to convince him not to seek revenge against me. He says it will keep him from hurting me."

Gregor was about to respond when they noticed the look Angelina was giving them. It was definitely anger. But the pain was also very visible, enough for Luxa to see it as well. Gregor pulled back from Luxa, returning to the overall conversation and trying to avoid Angelina's gaze. They didn't all seem to be for him, though. Plenty of the dirty looks were reserved for Luxa.

Angelina stayed quiet most of the lunch hour. She contributed to the conversation whenever she needed to, but that was it. When Gregor asked a question, she never directed the answer at him. Instead, she answered it vaguely, speaking to the entire group.

Things were always too complicated, and Gregor wished there was a simple way to fix everything. But there wasn't, and it seemed like something was always going wrong. First Luxa and Ares, and now Angelina hated him. But there wasn't much he could do about it, and so after only a moment's consideration, he decided to put it out of his mind.

-O-

The homecoming dance came around only a few days later.

After the first performance when they were alone, Gregor had decided to ask Luxa to the dance on impulse. It had seemed like a great idea. They had pretty much admitted their feelings to each other, they were always hanging out, and it was a night of risks for him. Besides, what's better than taking the girl you like out to the dance?

What Gregor didn't know is that the dance was that weekend. That left him with a lot of work to do in a very short amount of time. Clothes to wear to the dance weren't easy to find at all.

In a brief conversation in which both Gregor and Luxa were blushing, they spoke of going to the dance together. He wanted to be a gentleman, so he let her decide what color they would wear, since she had suggested that they match. Luxa decided she was going to wear purple, and so he needed to find something that went with that.

After searching all day, he was finally able to rent a tux that looked nice but fit within his budget, which unfortunately, wasn't much. Luxa had offered to cover his expenses, but he had refused. She was better off than he was, and money never really seemed to be an issue for her. Still, he couldn't let her do that for him. It wasn't just because she was Luxa. If anyone would have offered, he would have refused. Gregor was proud, and if he was going to pay for something, he was going to do it with his own hard earned money.

So he had gone around running errands for his neighbors and was finally able to spend some money. The night of the dance was more than an event at school. It was the night of their first date. Gregor and Luxa had only been to school and his apartment, and those didn't count. Plus, this was after fact that they had admitted feelings for the other. This counted for him as the first date, though they weren't officially dating. Like everything else, it was just complicated.

Gregor's mom had to work, but Temp had been more than glad to take care of Boots. He asked him if he didn't mind missing the dance, but Temp only said that he wasn't going to go anyways. Plus, if Temp were going, the only person he would go with was a girl everyone called Tick. It was an odd nickname, but whenever she introduced herself, that was the name she gave.

Like Temp, Tick was very quiet and reserved. They were always together, and they were both very good at ignoring the insults that were spat at them during the school day. Gregor had defended them a few times, since neither Temp nor Tick did anything to stand up for themselves. In fact, they never complained about anything. Tick also had some of the same interests as Temp. They were both really into Star Wars, and Gregor smiled whenever they spoke like Yoda, which was often. But the biggest thing was that Tick seemed just as protective of Boots as Temp. Both of them had volunteered to watch her while Gregor was at the dance, and he felt better knowing that there were two people there to take care of her.

Gregor got to the dance early, too nervous to do much else. The dance was being held in the school cafeteria, and a few people were already there. All of the tables had been cleared away and taken to a different room, and the walls and ceiling were decorated nicely.

Others were starting to arrive, and Gregor got a bit nervous. He wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do while he waited for Luxa. He didn't want her to walk into the room and find him awkwardly standing there, so he made his way over to the drinks table. There were bowls with punch of a few different flavors, as well as ice water.

As Gregor walked there, he ran into a familiar face. She was staring down at a paper while leaning on the table with the punch, but she was looked up as he got near. It had been years since he last saw her, but she was easily recognizable. The moment she saw him, she smiled and turned her full attention to him.

"I would recognize that face anywhere," she said.

"Dulcet!"

Gregor pulled his old friend in for a hug. They held the embrace, smiling the entire time.

"Oh dear, it has been so long! How have you been?" she asked when they had finally pulled away.

"I've been great! And you? We haven't heard from you in a while."

Dulcet held up her laminated ID with another smile. "I work for the district now. It's very exciting."

Dulcet worked as Boots' nanny for years. Gregor's mom would be at work and Lizzie and Gregor had to go to school. Since Boots was still small, someone had to be hired to help, and Dulcet had taken the job. She saved the money that Gregor's mom could pay her, since at that time, Dulcet had been getting ready to go to college.

Over time, Gregor had gotten to think of Dulcet as an older sister. She had always been so careful with Boots, and she helped Gregor and Lizzie with homework or chores whenever she could. Gregor was the oldest, and having someone else around made him feel a bit better. Like the weight of everything didn't hang on his shoulders only.

"So you're a teacher now?" he asked. He remembered that it was what Dulcet wanted to be. Which made sense. She was nice, had a lot of patience, liked helping people, and was great with kids.

"Almost. I need a year of training, but after that, I will be given my own classroom. It feels so surreal. I have always wanted to do this, and now that I am, I feel like I will wake up any second and it will all be gone."

"No way. You worked too hard for all of this. It's definitely real."

"True, I have been busy, but apparently so have you. I have heard of your success with the dodgeball team. I couldn't attend any of the games, but they say you are truly something to watch."

"Well, it's not as cool as others make it seem."

"Are you always this modest?"

"It's good to follow in your footsteps."

She smiled. "Well, your modesty can only hide so much. You might tell me that you did just okay in the play. But I was there to watch it. Twice. And you were absolutely wonderful."

Gregor blushed slightly. She had watched the play, and he felt a slight embarrassment over it. Having the person he saw as an older sister there at the play made him feel nervous all over again, and he silently thanked the world for keeping his mom away from it as well. He had wanted her there, but now, seeing how nervous he got, he thought that maybe it was better that she hadn't gone. It might have influenced his decision to kiss Luxa, and he might not be here now.

"Thanks," was all he said.

"You and the girl lead worked wonderfully together. What is her name?"

"Luxa."

He had to look down after he said her name. It was weird to introduce her. Besides, he didn't know how to do it. If Dulcet asked, would he tell her that Luxa was his friend or his girlfriend?

"Well I hope you two can work on many more plays together in the future."

"I hope so too," he said with a faint smile. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Dulcet held up the paper she had been looking at before he arrived. "Staff members have to take certain events. On my first one, I was assigned to chaperone the dance. And speaking of that, I should probably get going. I need to meet up with the other teachers that will be here. It was so great to see you!" she said, opening her arms and hugging him again.

"It was great to see you, too," he replied.

After one more smile, Dulcet turned to leave and left him alone at the punch table. He poured himself a cup of the red one, smiling over Dulcet's success. He was glad she was doing so well.

Gregor didn't have to wait long before Luxa finally walked in. His mouth opened slightly as she entered gracefully into the room. She was wearing a slim purple dress that hung below her heels and made it seem like she was floating towards him. Her silver necklace complimented her hair nicely, and the band she always wore on her head was there, making her look like royalty.

From where Gregor was standing, she looked like a queen entering a room full of subjects, and the response from everyone else only emphasized it. All of the people already in the room turned to look at her as she walked in, but she paid them no mind. The entire time, her eyes were on Gregor's.

Luxa walked over to where he was at and stopped only a few feet from him. From afar, Luxa looked calm and in control, but up close, Gregor could see that she was nervous. He pulled himself together and finally smiled. He wondered how long he had been standing there with his mouth open, staring at her.

"Good evening, your grace," he said, giving a small bow.

She rolled her eyes and smiled, stepping closer to him. They hugged tightly, her arms instantly finding their place around his neck while his hands went to her waist. They stayed this way a moment, enjoying the other's presence. Another reason Gregor didn't want to let go was because he wasn't sure what to do after.

They hadn't kissed outside of the play, and Gregor was unsure of he should do it now or not. It was truly the best moment for it, but maybe she wasn't ready. As they pulled away, however, she quickly resolved the issue for him. Luxa planted a small kiss on the corner of his mouth, which wasn't his mouth directly, but it wasn't his cheek either. He smiled when he felt her pulse quicken.

"Should I feel special that the queen decides to kiss me?" he asked.

"Am I a queen?" she replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You have the crown already," he pointed out, bringing his hand up to touch her golden band lightly. "And based on everyone's reaction here, I bet you they'd go to war for you if you raised your hand and demanded it."

She laughed. "You are very childish. You realize that, right?"

"When I'm the only one talking, I'm childish. When we're both joking around, I'm not as funny as you. You can't make up your mind, can you? Which one do you prefer me to be?"

Luxa gave him a warm smile. "I like that you are both."

Gregor smiled back and was about to respond when he saw Aurora and Ares walk in. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw the huge grin Ares had on his face. Ares' happiness was no doubt due to the fact that Aurora's arm was linked with his. He spotted Gregor and kept his smile, turning Aurora to walk with him towards Gregor and Luxa. Ares looked like he couldn't believe Aurora was with him, and he looked over at her every few seconds, as if making sure she didn't disappear suddenly.

Ares was dressed in an all black suit, his hair slicked back. It looked surprisingly good on him, and it was great contrast to Aurora's outfit. Aurora was wearing a long, flowing gown of gold. The thin scarf she had around her arms went really well with her dress, and it made it look like she had streaks going down her sides. Ares and Aurora looked stunning together.

A moment later, Larry walked in with Angelina. Their arms were linked as well, since they had decided to be the other's date. They had gone as friends, but Gregor could tell Larry wanted to make this count for more. He also had the suspicion that Angelina had accepted to go with Larry to make Gregor jealous. It was pointless, really, and it only succeeded in making him feel bad.

Larry had a black and white tux with shiny black shoes. Angelina, on the other hand, had a dark red dress that had some sort of glitter in the fabric, and it sparkled slightly as she moved. She never looked at anyone in the eyes, and she only greeted the group as a whole as Larry led her towards them.

Despite the shaky reunion, Gregor had a blast. Not once did he sit down. He stayed on the dance floor the entire time, and he ignored the soreness the rented shoes were giving his feet. He was having too much fun to care about it.

Gregor had never really danced before, since dances and dates weren't his thing, but he quickly got the hang of it. Luxa turned out to be just as new to the whole thing as he was, and they learned together. Since they couldn't learn the fancier steps that well, they resorted to dancing in the silliest way possible. He knew it looked weird to the other people, but Luxa was having fun, laughing and spinning away, and he decided he didn't care. Several times, both of them had to stop what they were doing, since they were laughing too hard.

To be fair, everyone switched dancing partners for one song every once in a while. Aurora was the best dancer there, and she quickly instructed Gregor on how to do certain steps while he was with her. She spoke rapidly, making sure he understood, and that way, he could teach Luxa. Ares looked upset to leave Aurora, but he quickly had smile back on his face when Luxa started making him laugh.

When it was his turn to dance with Angelina, Gregor noticed Luxa's expression turn serious. She hadn't said anything about Angelina the entire time, though it was hard not to notice the stares she got. Still, Gregor and Angelina had been friends for a while, and he wanted to be fair to her as well.

Angelina still looked a bit hurt, but she had loosened up a bit when they had all started dancing. Now, she looked happy, and she smiled at Gregor when she heard that the next song would be a slow one. She immediately came in closer, forcing him to put his arms around her. When she put a hand on his chest, Gregor heard Luxa make a sound of frustration in the back of her throat. He turned to her, where she was standing with Larry, but she turned away from him. Frowning, Gregor turned his attention back to Angelina and waited for the song to be over.

When Gregor returned to Luxa, it was obvious that she was not pleased. As soon as he put his arms around her, he noticed that she was stiff. Her arms went around his neck, but they felt rigid and forced. He only smiled at her, though her eyes were cold.

"I don't know if I should be happy or angry that you're jealous," he whispered.

"I am not jealous."

"Then why are you like this?"

She sighed. "She believes she can win you over."

Gregor smiled. "You have better things to worry about. Don't worry about that. Think of other things."

"Like what?" she asked.

Smiling, Gregor brought her chin up with one of his hands and kissed her. Like before, the kiss was effortless, only this time, they didn't have to worry about a crowd interrupting them. Now, they could get lost in the other's lips, forgetting everything else. When they finally parted, it was not by choice. They both gasped for air, smiling at the other when their eyes met once more.

The music slowed again and they pulled each other closer. Luxa closed her eyes and rested her head on Gregor's chest, letting him lead the dance with slow steps that moved them side to side. Everything seemed so peaceful, and Gregor closed his eyes as well, trying to absorb the moment and engrave it into his memory. He hoped things could stay perfect and that life would calm down a bit.

But he had no idea what was coming next…

So, now I really want to know what happens. I would guess that Gorger come in or something, maybe with a gun, but I don't know. Maybe Gregor walks Luxa home, and Gorger attacks or something. No way of knowing until the next chapter comes in. So, this story is getting better and better. I wonder how long it will be until Gregor and Luxa become official girlfriend and boyfriend.

Question: What's coming next?

Until next time,

-Tytonic