The Christmas Formal

[Ailith Rayner]

Ailith took the little box delicately, "Thank you Jude, Merry Christmas!"
As she tugged the ribbon free, not too delicately, she noticed past her excitement, that the two boys seemed to be stiff and slightly awkward, "Oh sorry! Do you two know each other?"

[Jude Dorrian]

"Um, not very well," Jude said, shaking himself slightly. "We met at the arm-wrestling thing a while back..." he trailed off, "you do Battle Training together, right?"
Lucky little...

[Josh Cole]

A strange rushing sound was shooting around Josh's ears, and his eyes were starting to go black around the edges...
Maggie had never mentioned that bit.
"Yeah," Josh said, with a forced smile. "Sorry, I should probably leave you two. I'll see you round, Ailith, and merry Christmas."
And with that, he left, heart sinking in a way that it probably shouldn't have. Outside the hall, he stopped.
Because he was feeling angry.
Why was he feeling angry?
It wasn't a rational response. After all, Ailith was bound to be in a relationship. He shouldn't have been stupid enough not to guess that. For chrissake, she was so pretty and just... great, in general.
Of course she was going to be in a relationship. And it was bloody well stupid of Josh to not realise that - and to get a crush on her, if that's what this was, in the first place!
He kicked against the banister, unsure who, or what exactly he was angry at, but the scarlet haze was definitely there.
The red haze was there, but he had an uneasy suspicion that the haze was just covering up something else.
Something that he was going to suffer from in the morning, and it wasn't alcohol.
It was just... god, it wasn't even just disappointment, was it? His dad used the phrase "gutted" once, and Josh was able to see what he was on about now. His stomach had dropped so much that it felt as though it had been gutted out.
Chrissake.
Josh knew that he had no reason to be disappointed, angry, or even upset.
He just couldn't help it.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Really, Lee couldn't have picked a better distraction.
Sophie was... well, he supposed the only word he had for her was 'a surprise'. She moved with an amazing talent and grace; despite her quick footsteps, she still managed to remain composed. Not a single guy that saw her move could resist that sneaky second glance. And Lee knew that they envied him- envied him how close he was holding her... envied how she whispered so sweetly in his ear... and her voice! She had the softest, lightest voice; it fell from her lips seemingly effortlessly... and yet that soft voice hinted at something... something dark and dangerous that Lee forced himself to embrace.
And finally, the music ended, and Lee caught his breath as she smiled up at him; the perfect picture of innocence.
But since when had innocence been so tempting...?
"So? The journey's over, question is - where have we arrived?"
Lee knew what he should do. Dammit, he knew what any guy would do. The way she looked at him; from beneath that curtain of lashes. The smile on her face.
This was the gentle, dark seduction of an angel.
And yet Lee couldn't get Maddie out of his head.
So give into temptation. So kiss her. So cave to her- let her win you, and if you're lucky, destroy you. She can make you forget if you give her half the chance...
But all he could think of was Madeleine out there in the dark, dark Gardens... alone...
"Right back where we began," he said softly, trying very hard to stop wishing that her blue eyes didn't belong to someone else. "That's the problem with these adventures. You always end up in the exact same place..." Another, slower, seductive song struck up again, and Lee smiled in relief. He leaned down, his lips right next to her ear. "The adventure is the journey- shall we go on one more?"

[Kira & Lee Norris]

He couldn't do it.
Gently, he pulled away from Sophie, stepping back. He inhaled deeply, staring at her apologetically.
"Sorry. God, I feel such an idiot."
The crowd crushed around them, some of them glancing over curiously, some just dancing. Their shapes faded into shadows; and as they spun, they swirled around, a dark ring. And Lee was in the centre of it, sinking deeper and deeper into his own, hateful stupidity.
He shouldn't have done that.
Maybe later he'd convince himself that he hadn't done anything wrong. He was single. All he'd done was dance. And she kissed him. What was wrong with a kiss?
It was just a bloody kiss.
It didn't matter.
"Sorry," he repeated. "It's..." Except, no matter how he tried, he couldn't think of a good enough excuse.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Lee smiled at Sophie, grateful to her for being so quick on the uptake.
"Someone who I need to forget."
For the benefit of them both.
"I am sorry, though," he added quickly, looking at her. "You are beautiful."
It wasn't a compliment. It was a fact.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

"Friends," Lee smiled, shaking her hand in relief.
Then, glancing around, and smiling at the new, fast song that was beginning.
"Friends can still dance right?"
He was much happier with her as his friend now- it meant she could still serve as a distraction, but now, he didn't have to feel guilty about it.