Sorry for not posting anything for so long! Here's one that I hope you hint was worth the wait! Song: Oxygen by Maia Mitchell.
Chapter 14 - Balls and Boys
Alfea
"Boys are so frustrating!" Flora called tossing her pack into the nearest armchair.
"Yo, Flo, what's the prob?" Musa asked taking off her ear buds.
"Drag asked me to the ball."
"That's nice of him." Stella said coming out of her.
"Yeah, except now, Helia won't even talk to me and the guys are acting like a bona fide weirdo." She complained.
"And that's not any different from the usual, how?" Layla quipped, coming into the room followed by Bloom and Tecna
"Sounds like he's jealous." Stella replied.
"That's quite the logical deduction, Stella and I quite agree." Tecna replied, "it sounds as if he is jealous.
"I tried to talk to him about Drav. But he shut down and shut me out." She told the girls about their brief conversation on the shuttle bay.
Flora entered the shuttle bay is hope of finding one of the guys and maybe one would know where Helia had rushed off to.
But there he sat at one of the workbenches. Tinkering with what looked like a inter-realm vortex hyper drive. "You know, if you keep scowling like that people going to start thinking you and Riven are brothers." She said as she stood behind him. Watching him all but wrestle with the metal monstrosity of a contraption.
He jumped in his seat, "We might be…" he quipped dryly as he pretended to consider it. "Nope," He said and went back to work.
"I went to make sure you were okay. You were acting very strange during class. " She addressing his back.
"I'm fine…"
"But…"
"I said, 'I'm fine'." He snapped.
Flora was a taken a back by his moodiness, "okay…" She started hesitantly, "I wanted to ask about Drav."
She stared at Helia's stiff back, "No, I don't know anything about him. " He gritted out as the bell rang out signaling the warning that classes were about to start, "I gotta go." He mumbled and fled her presence, "Okay…" she said to the empty bay.
"WOW!" Stella growled, "That was frigid. You should go with Drav. That would serve him right."
"Whoa! Drav! That leech asked you to the dance." Musa screeched
"LEECH?" the girls' chorus inquiries.
"Yeah, he asked me out last year after the battle. I agreed. A few days later, I ran into him telling his friends about how he was seeing one of the wind girls, 'Ya, know the musical one.'" She quoted, " I hit him with an honesty spell. So fast he didn't even feel it."
"Okay, You are so not going anywhere with him." Stella rebuffed her previous comment.
"I don't know, maybe he's changed." They all rolled their eyes. "Maybe, he was proud that a brilliant fairy like Musa would want to go outside with him. And he wanted to strut a bit in front of his friends. "They just stared at her as if she grew a second head, "well, he could have." She said defensively.
"Whatever, Flora. Its your choice. "Bloom said with a worrying smile.
That night Flora laid awake in bed before she picked up her phone and dialed.
ring Ring RING!
"…hello?" came a groggy voice over the phone.
"Drav, I am sorry for calling so late, but about the dance…
Saturday Night
Red Fountain Hercules Ball
"Does this suit make my butt Look big?" Brandon asked, riven looked as if he was about to say something when Timmy elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ouch!" Riven shouted glaringly at Timmy, before saying "you've been hanging around Stella way too long." Brandon scowled pitching a balled up necktie in his face.
Just as Helia walked in wearing a classic black suit with a white button down dress shirt along with a tie.
"Nice, Helia. Now what I want to know is, what lovely fairy, you are escorting tonight," Riven asked wagging his brows.
"My grandfather..." He replied bluntly. Riven nearly fell out of his chair.
"What happened to that girl, you wanted to ask?" Timmy asked.
She was asked by someone else."
"Ouch!" Riven egged on, "dragged your heels, did us." His words were a sharp jab to his heart. The others regarded him with reassuring glances before they too began to dress.
"At least you won't have to dance." Riven muttered.
"I would not have mind dancing with her." He sighed to himself tugging at his sleeves.
Sky could read the misery that struck Helia harder than any blow Riven could have landed, "You know you could still," Helia looked at him confusion marring his eyes, "Ya know, just cut in." He told Helia hoping that would wake him up."
"It wouldn't be the same, as being able to sway back and forth with her all night. But cutting in would be more like a sleazy one-sided love affair. Nope, rather not be a party to that soap opera, thank you." Helia hashed out.
"So, you are going to sulk from sidelines and let a perfect opportunity dance on by?" riven mocked.
Brandon finished dressing and looked over at Helia. He saw the mirror image of himself. During their sophomore year after Stella and the girls caught on to the ruse and dumped him. But what surprised the most was that Stella hadn't been upset about him being a squire. No, she had been furious that he had lied and thought her shallow enough not to see him as a good guy that had blown his mind and humbled him a bit. Though he could still feel the sharp sting in his gut where she had punched him, "Maybe you should dance with her. Let her know you may have lost that battle but you are not giving up without a fight."
"I don't know…"
"I do girls like it when guys fight for them, even though they call it barbaric." Timmy stated tossing him a book, 'Know How Women Think 101'.
"When did you get that?" Riven asked snatching it from Helia.
"When I wanted to ask Tecna to the dance." The guys just stared at him.
"Umm…okay…I'll give it a shot."
Riven gave him a sharp glare, "How is it possible, you can design a combat plan, analyze a situation under a second. But no you're too scared to ask a girl to a stupid dance." He sneered.
"She not just 'a girl'! She matters!" Helia's ears turned a bright pink at the tips of them. He glared at Riven before he left the dorm.
Thirty Minutes later
All five specialist stood in front of the entrance to the ballroom. Helia stood next to his grandfather. He was anxious to see Flora, even if she would be on the arm of another man.
The ballroom was a large spacious room decorated in pale silver and champagne. Streamers hung everywhere, candles floated above the heads of everyone charmed never to burn out or catch fire to anything. The pace was enchanting, in his opinion.
"Wow!" Brandon said as the girls arrived. They came in handfuls and mobs. Some in long dresses, others in dresses that were barely legal.
When the Winx Girls arrived, He could tell Stella had a voice, aloud voice in what they would wear;
Tecna wore a pale lilac and sea-green mini dress with an off the shoulders straps. Musa was decked out in a siren red dress that wrapped around her figure and emphasized her features. With Kio embroidered on the calf-length hem in metallic navy blue thread. Layla had on a strap-less knee length gown of teal with turquoise armbands inlayed in gold with intricate designs carved in the stones. Bloom had a flowing floor-length gown in an off the shoulders style. He could see a silver dragon playing peek-a-boo in folds of her skirt. Stella had on a gown of what would be called a sunset orange with a silver hem.
He didn't see Flora with her friend. Instead she came in a few minutes later, being escorted by…Drav.
Great, he thought as they approached the entrance. But when they passed him She paused and smiled at him. Flora was dazzling in a deep mauve (pink for any guys reading) rose dress, it had a short hem in the front that reached her knees. While the back of the skirt fell to a floor-length. The short portion of the skirt was a spring green, the back being a deep mauve rose. The bodice was the same shade of mauve with a boat shape neckline. She stole his breath away in ways he never thought possible.
But then the couple broke apart after a few brief words and Flora came up to him. While, Drav walked off without a second thought.
"Hi, Helia." She said cheerfully, "You look very nice tonight." She told him.
"So, do you, Flora." He was about to suggest that she better get back to her date. When Musa came over.
"Yo, Flo, thanks for agreeing to this."
"It's no problem, Musa. I don't mind."4"I'll see you after the first set. Bye!" She said to Helia as they hurried off towards the stage. As the girls left helia felt as if he was missing something very crucial.
It was an hour later, when he caught sight of Drav dancing away too close with a pale blue-eyed blond. That was most definitely NOT Flora. He searched the crowded ballroom for her and spotted her with…Riven? They were talking. When she moved away, he took it as his cue and pounced.
He tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Why is Drav dancing with that blond instead of Flora?"
"Cause Flora's my date." He replied.
Helia looked as if he swallowed alive fish, "Your DATE!?" His shout got the attention of several couples dancing nearby.
"Well, yeah I had a spare Ticket," He shrugged as if to say no duh, "Ya know, since Musa wouldn"t need one. She suggested I ask Flora since, She turned down Drav. So, I told her that I would give Flora my spare ticket. So, she's been keeping me company while Musa is on stage." He explained in his usual form, arrogantly. As he explained Helia become dumbfounded.
Flora was here.
Flora was dateless.
Flora was here and DATELESS!
He was all but chanting the mantra.
"Hey, Helia!" Flora said with the same cheerfulness as she did when she first showed up that night, as she appeared at his elbow with a cheery smile.
"Hi, Flora." He said, returning her smile, "Riven was just telling me how you don't have a date." She flushed in embarrassed, "and that you won't be able to dance with anyone." He rflush turned to a blush as she shot Riven a look, "Soo, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind dancing with me. Since I'm a dateless wonder as well." He felt like an idiot when She looked shocked by his confession.
She replied, "Yes, I would like that," just as a slow song came on, Helia stuck out his hand in a silent inquiry. Flora merely took his hand, allowing his quick firm grasp to envelope her, He led to the floor in time to hear Oxygen croon from the speakers.
Baby tell me, is this good for you?
Cause for me, it's a dream come true
I think about you boy day and night
If this is wrong, I don't care if I'm right
Helia held her close as they swayed to the music.
Cause I know
One thing's for certain
Boy I'm not hurtin' for inspiration
And I feel when we're together
It could be forever and ever and ever
Flora could have sworn Helia's heart was trying to escape at the rate it was beating.
I wanna be the ocean to your shore
Bring you comfort evermore
I wanna be the only thing you need
Be the oxygen you breathe
Helia would have sworn Flora heard the beat of each pulse of his heart as it pummeled his ribs in its attempt to escape.
Is this as good as I think it is?
Cause right now I'm so into this
And there's nothing more that I would ever ask for
Than to be with you, just to be with you
She saw over his shoulder both Bloom and Stella watching them. Once they realized Flora had seen them watching they winked.
Cause one thing's for certain
Boy I'm not hurtin' for inspiration
And I feel when we're together
It could be forever and ever and ever
As they waltzed around the dance floor, Helia became aware of his teammates. They were all grinning at him, holding glasses of punch up to give a silent toast.
I wanna be the ocean to your shore
Bring you comfort evermore
I wanna be the only thing you need
Be the oxygen you breathe
"I told you, it would work." Musa whispered to Layla, she joined her by the edge of the stage.
"Yeah, just look at them" Sher whispered back.
What you give you will receive
So baby bring it all to me
And I will warm you like the sun
I always knew you were the one
"Do you think they'll figure out we set them up?" Timmy asked as he and Tecna joined the guys by the punch bowl.
"Nope." The rest said as the looked on, looking like the cats that got the Canaries and washed it down with fresh cream.
I wanna be the ocean to your shore
Bring you comfort evermore
I wanna be the only thing you need
Be the oxygen you breathe
As the song came to an end he leaned into her and whispered, "Would you like to get some fresh air?" She nodded, He linked his arm with her's and led her from the floor stopping to collect her wrap. Then the two were enveloped in the cool brisk night air that bathed their faces as they stepped into the quad.
"That was a lot of fun." Flora said as they strolled among the shrubbery.
"It was! I didn't expect to see you, though. I thought I would be my grandfather Saladin's date for the night."
"Why didn't you ask anyone?"
"I really don't know anyone at Alfea except you and your friends. And they're spoken for." He said grinning shyly, "I thought you were going to go with Drav when you asked me about him."
"Well, you could have—"
"AH! There you are, Helia, my Lad. Your grandfather is looking for you. Coming along." Codatorta announced coming into view.
"I'll be there in a moment, Sir," Helia said but the Scott looked to be not budging. "Alright…" He looked at Flora with regret, "let's go." He sighed as Codatorta steered him back towards the dance.
"You couldn't have waited a moment?" Helia appealed to his favorite teacher.
" I could have, but your Grandfather wants you to meet a colleague of his." Codatorta replied, as he watched his prized pupil from the corner of eye, "not to mention its best to keep a lady wondering."
Within hearing distance hid nine people, all of whom who were now face palming themselves.
"Who would have thought Codatorta was such a romantic." Stella asked shocked.
The group just shook their heads as they watched Flora head to Alfea. Not sure if this mission was a success or a fail.
"Well…what next?"
TO BE CONTINUED…