Homecoming 2012

[Raine Gregory]

Raine was actually worried that Elliot had only agreed to go to homecoming because it was what she wanted but it was too late to worry now since they were already here and she was wearing her gorgeous dress. She had gotten herself all done up at the salon for this and she wanted to at least stay to hear who won queen even though she hadn't been nominated. Did it sting to not be dominated when a freaking dude was? Of course! She wasn't so much upset that it was a guy as much as the fact that he wasn't even a feminine man! She was so pretty prettier than him, right? Whatever - she knew that it didn't really matter because everyone knew that he didn't stand a chance against girls like Carol and Esme or Thalia.. Those were the girls that people voted for and loved not random entries from friends goofing off or thoughtful boyfriends.

She walked into the gym and was actually surprised by the decorations - it wasn't exactly what she had been expecting but it was still lovely. She was mildly (okay extremely) angry with Elliot for being a traitorous tramp and speaking to that Danny dick.. Who did he even think that he was? Couldn't he tell that the desperation was so easy to spot? Jett wouldn't degrade himself to that level.. He was just being nice, right? She hadn't said one word to him since they got out of the limo!

She was honestly too busy glaring at Danny to even pay attention to any of the fun things happening around her. She was so upset with her boyfriend and her best friend that she just didn't know what to do! She wanted to slap Elliot for being nice to him and make him choose her or his friendship with Danny and then smack Jett until he saw the clear error in his judgment. "I can't believe that you were nice to him.. You talked to that ignorant slut and it's only going to make him think that he belongs in our group. He and Jett shouldn't even be hanging out right now! He should be dancing with someone who isn't so invested with herpes that you can see it." She honestly didn't know why but she loathed him.

How anyone could actually like him was the reason question.. She was not the odd one! It was everyone around her who clearly couldn't see Danny for who he really was. She was finishing her second plastic cup of vodka (Esme had a bottle in the limo and she sneaked it in her large purse to carry around at the dance) so she was feeling a little too.. free. Alcohol always hit her quick since she rarely drank. "I hate when they let tacky bitches in! Don't those ignorant assholes see that nobody wants them here?" She snapped as she walked past them on the dance floor; she was dragging Elliot over but she couldn't stand to be in the same area as him so she ended up just walking them to the snack table. She hadn't said Danny's name when she said her little comment but she was looking right at him.

[Derek Mathaw]

Derek frowned at the violent way she threw her cup away. It was like she was a pitcher in a major league baseball game - okay, not that far, but still. She was very angry, the way she tossed it out, and it made him wonder what the hell was wrong. He frowned and threw his cup away too, gently, as if to make a point that he wouldn't get so violent. The way she was speaking, even, sounded very upset and agitated and... not Shana at all. Normally she was the one who kept the level head, but now she was frustrated, and he could tell.

When she announced she needed air and just walked out, he was speechless. He was pretty sure he lost his jaw somewhere around the floor, that's how far it dropped. How could she just walk out for air? The way she left, too, was very obvious that she either wanted him to follow because they needed to talk, or she didn't want him to follow because she needed to be alone. He figured it was probably both - one of those situations. Glaring at the ground, he tailed her outside, and then shut the door behind him. Loudly, he announced his presence with the well spoken words of, "What was that!?"

[Jonathan Russel]

( assets-cache02.meadd.com/photos/12/11/29/25/50371346.jpg )

This being Jon's last homecoming as an actual student at school, he really wanted to make the most out of it -- it was his senior year! And, it was also going to be a special night, what with he and Esme having a Cici-free night. Not that having their daughter around was really a burden, but it was nice to have alone time with his wife, away from home. It gave him a taste of what it was like to just, live free, be a teenager, even just for one night.

He chuckled slightly at Esme's weariness, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek, hoping it would wake her up, even slightly, "I'll get you that punch and cookies, baby," he smiled, squeezing her hand for a second before getting up to retrieve a cup and placed a few cookies on a small plate, then returning to the table and setting it down in front of her.

[goodgollyalex]

Luckily, no tears wanted to fall from Shana's eyes but her heart was feeling still as clenched as it had been before. As if someone was pressing hard on it. She was confused, she didn't know whether or not she should have accepted Derek's invitation. All of his mixed signals frustrated her. These two days had been like a roller coaster ride.

One second Derek is acting like a lover and the other he's acting like a best pal. It shouldn't bother Shana so much but it did. There were so many factors behind the reasons why Derek was holding back. She just hadn't the mind to think of them all or she would surely faint.

When she heard Derek's rather loud question, she turned around abruptly. She surely did not look happy, her eyes were low and her teeth were clenched. "Let me get one thing straight, are you taking this competition thing this far?" she asked, "Do you think that by throwing me off with- with all these signs, you're better than me?" she surely was raising false accusations. "Well, you've done it Mathaw, you've officially won!" Shana raised her arms as if she was forfeiting.

[Derek Mathaw]

When Shana turned around, Derek saw it. He knew right then and there that there was a breaking point in her and he had officially brought her past it. He took a reluctant step back and widened his eyes, suddenly taking in the fact that she was yelling at him. This wasn't silly-little-innocent-Master-Shoshana. Oh no, this was much worse. This was angry-and-ready-to-murder-him-if-he-didn't-say-the-right-thing-Shoshana, and this side of her scared him. Her angry voice just put him on the defensive, and instead of taking another step back, he took two forward so that they were about two feet away from each other, the tension palpable.

"What competition?" He seethed, rolling his eyes and throwing his hands up in a what-is-this motion. He couldn't believe why she was suddenly so angry! "Throwing you off a track? You obviously jumped the rails wayyy before I came into picture," he said snidely, that Derek-Mathaw-condescending-tone in his voice. "What are you even talking about? There's barely any competition between us, we're two years apart in school, there's no way you can compete with me in our classes! So thanks for admitting I won, but I still don't get what the hell you're talking about."

[goodgollyalex]

Derek was right. Suddenly, Shoshana stopped and looked forward, almost clueless but it seemed quite dysfunctional of how sinister but confused she looked. She then pierced her eyes on his, her eyes then lowered, she shook her head and closed her eyes. A hand of hers went to her forehead, "No, no, no, no..." she said softly before looking up to Derek.

"I'm not in the mood nor in the right mind to argue..." she said quietly, almost in a whisper. Gosh, the night was feeling colder than it should. She shivered before moving a hand to her mouth and then once again looking up to him. "Please... Take me home." she shook her head. "I can't be seen like this..." she continued to shake her head.

Shoshana then looked up to him before taking a step closer to him, "Why me? You could get any girl from this school, any of them..." she said this in her inside voice but it came out strong.

[Derek Mathaw]

Derek furrowed his brow, a bit concerned when she looked so suddenly... different. She seemed to have an epiphany, as if she knew just how bipolar she had been. He nodded when she asked him to take her home, but didn't say another word to answer his question. He didn't quite know himself - why was it her? The night air was chilly, so he shrugged out of his jacket and laid it across her shoulders, not even noticing the cold himself as it began to cool him off. He needed the time to think in quiet, to evaluate all that had been said and done, and just what he had thought of before.

He lead her to his car and opened her door for her, letting her close it herself so that he wouldn't accidentally catch her dress or anything. Getting in on the other side, he slid behind the wheel, let out a deep breath, and let the engine roar to life. He pulled up to her driveway, slowed, and rolled to a stop before he put on the brake and pulled out his keys, and jogged around to her side to open the door. Then, he leaned against his car, and looked at her solemnly. "It's because you're the only girl that I actually want," he said slowly. "Maybe I can get any girl in the school, but I don't just want any girl." He looked down at his shoes, and said nothing more.

[goodgollyalex]

In all reality, Shoshana felt like she was a crack addict by the way she clenched to Derek's jacket and brought her hand to her mouth. She was the nervous nail biter, it was almost eerie the way she looked. Her make up wasn't doing her any justice in the way her eyes faded. She watched the cars pass them by and not but a second looked to Derek. She was thinking and thinking plenty.

When the car finally stopped, Shoshana got out and closed the door. She didn't slam it, she simply closed it. She took a few steps forward to her door before she turned to look to him, when he started talking... Her eyes widened slightly when she heard the words, "It's because you're the only girl that I actually want" Was this it?

"Why did you never tell me that?" Shana asked him, pulling his jacket up her shoulders because it was slipping off. "Is it our age difference?" she asked, softly much more calmer than she had been speaking to him before. The wind blew softly and the distance part from them was only a foot.

[Derek Mathaw]

Derek looked down when she turned around. He felt like at that moment all he wanted to be was a turtle, so that he could crawl back up in his shell and be automatically home. However, what he had said was practically life changing, and he had to stick it out. Sure, he could of just not said something as serious as that but - it was true. He wanted Shana because... she was the only girl he'd see. They'd be walking in the hall and he'd spot her in the crowd, the prettiest one being where his eyes were automatically drawn. When she asked about why he hadn't said so before, he just shook his head, bit his lip, and looked off to the side.

"I don't know," he muttered, feeling embarrassed. Oh, god, he looked like some dork and not at all like the imposing, cocky, overly-smart Lacrosse team Captain he was. "I figured... it was more fun to be really good friends. I thought that if I asked you out or something, we'd stop being competitive and things would get awkward, or you would say no, or it would be too uncomfortable." He looked up then and took a step closer to her. "And... yes, it is the age difference, because... well, I'm leaving next year and if I get involved with you, it'll just hurt that much more when I go off to college."

[goodgollyalex]

Shoshana looked up to Derek, he looked so shy and almost intimidated by her. She felt guilty for putting him through this. She had just ruined his homecoming evening by getting angry at him of something he was afraid of admitting. Not because he was ashamed but because he was afraid of what it might cause her if he did.

"Well, I can't force you to make a decision." Shoshana said with a soft smile before taking a couple of steps forward. She was now only a few inches away from him. "I'll always be above you, so don't you worry about that." she said with a rather boastful look on her face but she was only joking. "No matter where you are, just have that in mind." Shana winked before opening her arms up and bringing him in close to her. She hugged him tightly, "I'm sorry for yelling at you and saying bad things, that wasn't anything like me. You must think I'm nuts, don't you?" she closed her eyes, gently rubbing his back and rocking him side to side.