Winter Formal, Neptune High School

[argyle_princess]

Even before they reach the dance, in the dressed up Neptune High School Gym, they can hear it, a jumble of voices and laughter over something that passes for music.

(The band, it must be confessed, is really nothing all that impressive. The lyrics, if they were intelligible, would be quite forgettable. The music is, however, basically danceable.)

This year's theme, whatever it is, seems to have called for a great deal of pale blue and silver streamers and balloons, though only so much can be done to disguise the fact that the room is really intended more for basketball than dancing. But the Winter Formal Committee has tried. And what the room looks like doesn't matter nearly as much as who wore what and who showed up with whom. It's hard to get quality gossip out of crepe paper.

Comments

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Doctor Brennan mentioned that." Wellard makes a slight face, as he and Hannah make their way through the other dancers to some of the tables on the edge of the room.

"As well as the reasons for it." He shakes his head, amused, then looks over the various bowls of punch.

[argyle_princess]

Hannah approaches open drinks at social gatherings - even school sponsored ones - the way a girl from 21st century Neptune would, which is to say cautiously.

"There's an anthropological reason for spiking punch?" she asks, first smelling and then carefully tasting the punch.

"Yeah, we'll need something else."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Rebellion against the legal drinking age." His lips twitch in both amusement at the idea, and also an exasperated frown at the bowls of punch.

"... I can make do, if there's nothing else, really."

[argyle_princess]

"Well, I can't," she says, "because I'm driving, and I'm not stupid. And you shouldn't have to. This is why I always bring quarters to a dance. For the soda machine.

"Will you be okay for a minute? I'll be right back."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard blinks, and then nods.

"I should be fine, of course."

[argyle_princess]

She leans up and kisses his cheek. "Be right back," she promises, and goes.

[argyle_princess]

Speaking of opportune moments, Amber has been waiting for Hannah to step away from her date.

Not that Amber doesn't have one of her own, but that's never stopped her from looking.

The girl who walks up to Henry is wearing rather a lot of mascara and a black dress that's really a marvel of structural engineering (in that it's a bit difficult to tell what's keeping it on).

"Hi there," she says.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard hardly considers himself knowledgeable about women's clothing, but from an engineering perspective, even he has to wonder how that dress is staying up.

... It is a little bit of effort to keep his eyes on her face, but he does manage.

"Ah- good evening."

[argyle_princess]

Which means that the dress is serving its purpose.

"I'm Amber."

A flirty smile that comes off looking slightly predatory.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

What with the accent and all.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

He may not quite get the 'why', but that preditory look is putting Wellard slightly on-guard. Thankfully, sightly-formal manners cover that well enough.

"Henry Wellard." He inclines his head. "And not at all, though I thought that would have been easily noticed. I'm from London, though out here looking at schools."

[argyle_princess]

"That's cool."

Amber cocks her head at an angle that's probably meant to be coquettish.

"So. Do you want to dance?"

Demure, she ain't.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

He has seen sucessful coquettish. ... This is not it.

Wellard smiles a bit wryly, and then shrugs. "With apologies, Amber, I'm waiting for my date to return."

[argyle_princess]

Amber is not used to being met with resistance. So she figures that he's not actually resisting. Just being....British.

"She won't mind. Especially if she went and left you alone."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Its not bring British, it is having manners.

Wellard raises an eyebrow. "Hannah is off getting drinks for the both of us, since I don't know where they're located.

"So as you can see, I am hardly alone, and I am waiting for my date to return. Thank you kindly for your offer, but I will have to decline it."

[argyle_princess]

Coquettish is beginning to give way to mild snit.

"So." There is a pregnant pause. "How do you know Hannah?"

Hannah really must be 'talented' to meet a guy while locked in a convent in Vermont.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"One of my father's friends is Hannah's roommate's uncle, when she was in school in Vermont." His tone very carefully civil, though he does allow a faint smile to cross his lips. "We met when they were in Montpelier, and I was immediately taken in by Hannah's beauty, charm and brilliance."

Wellard pauses and raises an eyebrow, looking down over Amber's dress, then back up to her.
Comparison made, Amber loses.
"Then, when I was to be out this way to look at colleges, she was gracious enough to invite me to the dance here."

[argyle_princess]

Speaking of Hannah . . .

"Coke okay?" she asks, returning from the quest for non-spiked drinks.

And then, as an after thought, "Oh, hey, Amber."

[argyle_princess]

Amber doesn't like being considered an after thought by a girl in her class any more than she enjoys meeting with resistance from a teenage boy.

"Hey Hannah," she replies with a smile that is pretty much the antithesis of friendly.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"Coke is fine." Wellard nods, giving Hannah a faint smile, then glances sideways at Amber.

"And now that my date has returned, if you would excuse us?"

[argyle_princess]

"Nice seeing you, Amber, it's just we have an anywhere else to be," says Hannah, and leaves Amber to try to sort that out on her own.

"I am so sorry about that," she says to Henry, ten yards later. "Was she awful?"

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

"I've known lesser people with better manners and intentions." He rolls his eyes, then gives Hannah a reassuring smile.

"I'm alright, though I think I would have run out of polite things to say if you hadn't shown up."

[argyle_princess]

"That's Amber," says Hannah. "She's . . . we used to be friends."

A long time ago.

"Anyway, I'm happy to rescue you from her."

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard glances back at Amber, then looks at Hannah.

"She asked how we met- I told her the story we came up with about Montpelier." He gives her a faint smile, reaching up to brush her cheek with his fingertips.

"I also told her on how I was quite taken in by your beauty, charm and brilliance- and that was not a story."

[argyle_princess]

She smiles a little, and turns her head slightly, to kiss the ends of his fingers.

"Taken in, huh?" she asks, quietly.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

His cheeks flush faintly, and Wellard nods.

"Something rather like that, yes." Quietly.