"Well this isn't half as bad as the short shorts it looked like you weren't wearing under my shirt, so I don't know what you're worrying about."
Cherish still folded her arms over her chest, grumbling childishly, "How would you know, Sev?"
Seven laughed, he hadn't looked at her yet, but she had no reason to be so reluctant to go downstairs to where everyone was waiting. He knew this because even though he knew he looked kind of stupid, she might actually like her costume. "It can't be worse than the fact that Audrey put make up on me."
"How is that different than this morning?" she raised a brow, even though he couldn't see it. Rolling her eyes at his lack of answer, Cherish listened as Audrey rambled on about how amazing their costumes looked. She didn't know whether to agree or not. In some bizarre attempt to keep Cherish, Seven and Delia from locking themselves in closets and refusing to leave the house, they had been prohibited from seeing their own reflections.
"I present to you Lord Severin, ruler of all demon-kind, feared for his temper and famed for his devilish good looks that make every woman on the face of the planet swoon with bliss. On his arm is his stunningly beautiful lover, Lady Malice, legendary temptress, siren and unparalleled scourge of all men-folk!"
"I am not his lover!"
The comment earned a giggles, and surprisingly even a chuckle from her father. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, however, there was nothing but silence. Audrey stepped away from the large mirror she and Ari had propped up in the living room.
"Oh...my..."
Cherish gazed at herself in the mirror, at a loss for words. She was wearing a beautiful gown, jet black and flowing. It was something she would never have put herself into, but she was glad to be in it now. The top half of the dress was fitting, with a scandalously bare and low cut back, covered only by lacing the colour of fresh blood. The ribbon laced its way down her back, and a bow with long trailing ends sat atop her butt. There were also chains; one running from the bow in the back to her wrists, and one draping over her neck that served as a halter strap. The bottom half of the dress was flared with a long train and it clung to her at every curve, almost as if it was suffering a severe case of static.
"You look great, Bug," her father whistled. "But don't you think the dress is a little low cut?"
"NO!" Ari and Audrey yelled in unison, both lecturing him on why it was perfect.
"Wow! Rish, your hair looks so amazing!"
Audrey had fashioned her hair into waves of curls, sweeping it up and away from her face and securing it with little diamond pins. Her browned skin shone, due to the abnormal amount of time spent covering every inch of her with sparkle dust. Her lips were a deadly red and so shiny they looked almost plastic sitting under the black wire mask studded with crystal gems that obscured most of her face. Her eyes had been rimmed in heavy black kohl, her lashes extra thick thanks to the wonders of false eyelashes.
Beside her, Seven looked even more amazing than she did. Audrey had swiped white face make-up and then sparkle dust over his entire face and neck, making him look marble statue perfect. He wore a black mask, similar to the one on Cherish's face, and his eyes too, were heavily outlined in black liner and eerily icy clear from the sparkle contacts she' d tortured them both with. His hair was swept back and pulled into a braid fastened at the nape of his neck, made possible by Audrey's large collection of hair extensions.
"You look so dapper, Seven," Ari gushed, proud that her efforts in hiring Audrey had worked. Seven flushed as he looked at himself. He wore a black suit, à la fancy times, complete with tailcoat and a red vest over a white ruffled shirt. At his waist was a very fake sword in a very elaborate black-silver sheath encrusted with red jewels. All in all, it could well be said that Audrey and Ari had gone overboard with the costumes.
"Okay, okay, now Delia!" Ari squealed as she ran up the stairs. She didn't quite have the same flair for dramatic that Audrey possessed, so there was no long winded speech. Taking a page from Audrey's book, though, Ari ran to the bottom of the stairs and squealed, "Guys, I present to you, Delia the forest sprite!"
After a long and hesitant pause, they finally heard Delia coming down the stairs, "I'm not so sure, you guys..."
"Deals, come on- it can't be worse than what I look like," Seven coaxed her down the last few steps. Reluctantly, she sighed and stepped into view.
"Oh... Wow! That's Deals in there?"
Ari had done nothing special to Delia's hair, except add a few of Audrey's clip in extensions to it, so it hung long down her back. She hadn't done anything all that special to Delia's face either, allowing the girl to get away with nothing but her regular sightly pink sparkly lip-gloss. The mask covered most of her face, making it almost impossible to tell who she was. It was green and leafy and a twisted braid of vines held it in place on her head.
The only thing Ari had done was put Delia in a beautiful dress. About five different shades of green, it was reminiscent of a ballerina's dress with layers upon layers of soft sparkling and sheer fabric. It was short and very, very girly.
"Ari, I don't know how you did it..." Seven bowed at her, "I've known Delia since kindergarten and I don't think I have ever seen her in a dress! I was beginning to doubt she was even a girl."
-.-
She was... He couldn't even think of a word to describe her. Her dress made him think things he knew he shouldn't be thinking. She actually looked happy to be there, at a school dance, a nervous smile on her face. And as he glanced at her smile, he found himself fixating on her lips, those candy apple lips that looked good enough to chew on. He knew this new fixation of his would do no good for him and he forced himself to look away. Anything but her. Anything but her. As she spotted her friends and twirled around to show off her costume, his eyes were drawn to her again. Good God, and all other things holy, this would be his undoing, this funny feeling in the pit of his stomach.
-.-
"Avast ye mateys!"
Cherish jumped as two pirates, who bore a strong resemblance to Ian and Juss appeared out of nowhere their swords brandished in her face.
"Fools!" Seven bellowed, grabbing Ian by the neck. "You dare threaten the mistress of Lord Severin of the underworld?"
It was all too much, and this time Cherish broke down in peals of laughter, throwing her arms around Ian, "Hi guys! You look so adorable!"
"Adorable? We're not supposed to look adorable, we're supposed to look timber-shivering!" Ian protested flailing his plastic sword in the air.
"Did you just call Cherish your mistress, Lord Severin of the underworld?" Juss asked, eyebrows raised.
"Ahem, yeah. Sorry, that was some crazy rant her friend Audrey went on earlier today. And you do look adorable."
"So," Ian inquired nonchalantly, "has anyone seen Delia?"
"She's with Harper, they went to get some drinks," Cherish said offhandedly, matching Ian's tone.
It wasn't long before Harper ambled up, bedecked in fatigues and big black boots, a plastic gun hanging from one shoulder. "I never thought I'd ever hear myself say this, but my make up is running," he frowned, poking at his camouflage painted face, "It's too hot in here."
"Yeah, I think Audrey glued mine to my face, so I'll be lucky if it comes off at all," Seven grimaced.
"Where's Deals?" Cherish laughed aloud, winking at Harper as Ian tried to not so inconspicuously see if she had come with him.
Before he could answer, Ari dragged a masked Delia over, "Hey guys. Wouldyoulikesomedrinks?" she mumbled nervously.
"Yeah, sure."
As she turned quickly and scurried away toward the refreshments, Cherish could have laughed at the confusion on Ian's face. "Who was that?"
When Ari didn't answer him, he musd aloud, seeming offendled by the girl's reaction. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone that uncomfortable. She looked like she was afraid we'd eat her."
Ari swished her frilly pink and silver skirts and shrugged; the wings on her back danced as she did so, "So, are you guys having fun?"
"Um..."
"Oh fine!" she huffed. "I know it's not some big crazy party like you guys are probably used to, but this is a school thing. Would it be better if I told you Stan was planning on spiking the punch bowl in about ten minutes?"
"Maybe," Seven smirked. "But it depends on what he's spiking it with."
Ari flourished her wand in the air, smiling teasingly as Delia returned with the drinks, "I gotta get going."
Delia looked exasperated as Ari disappeared into the crowd, leaving her with no option but to approach the group herself. As they took the drinks from her, offering her polite thank yous, she was glad they didn't know it was her behind the mask; and more importantly under the dress.
"Seriously," Juss turned to Harper. "Where's Deal's already?"
"Yeah," Ian seconded the question, looking incredibly thankful that Juss had brought it up this time. The forest sprite who had bought the drinks blushed darkly.
"She's right here," Seven grinned, throwing his arm around Delia.
"DELIA?"
"Wow, you have boobs?" Juss added dumbly, inadvertently echoing Harper's earlier reaction.
Delia's flush was immediately replaced by a scowl as she crossed her arms, "Yes, Juss, I have boobs. Their names are Harper and Juss."
Ian was the only one who didn't laugh. There was only one way to describe him at that moment; dazed.
"Wow, Deals, you look... amazing."
-.-
Sparkling and radiant in her pink and silver fairy princess costume, Ari stood at the podium. Cherish assumed this was what the Good Witch of the North, of Oz fame would have looked like if she were real. As always, Cherish could only assume Ari's announcement would bring some form of disaster and chaos.
"Okay guys! It's time for all of you to ask one of your I-match matches to dance. It's guy's pick first, so girls take off your masks."
Of course, Cherish was right and chaos ensued as people tried to find their matches. Harper frowned as he watched Ari agree to dance with the Pumpkin King. Shaking his head, he shuffled off to find another of his matches. Delia was red as an overripe tomato as she looked around the room, anywhere but at Ian. Ian seemed to be just as uncomfortable. Poking Ian in the side as she gestured at Delia, Cherish began to pull her mask off her face.
"Save it Rish, I already know where you are."
"Who says I want to dance with you?" she demanded, just to be difficult. She hadn't expected that Seven would ask her; then again he hadn't actually asked her.
"Well it's guy's pick, so too bad."
"Really?" Her face was feigned disbelief, "You pick me?"
"Uh, Cherish would you like to dance?"
Surprised, they both turned to look at the boy who'd spoken. He wasn't much bigger than her, in fact with her heels on, she towered over him. She wondered who it was under the ill fitting Batman costume.
"Sorry, Buddy, no deal," Seven said before she'd gathered herself enough to answer. "She's with me."
Cherish couldn't help giggling as she watched the boy glare at Seven; the tension made her nervous. Seven protectively placed his hands on her waist and pulled her slightly closer to himself, "Run along now."
"Wow, you almost make it sound like you actually like me, Sev."
"Yeah, well."
"So, seriously, you pick me?"
He smirked at the cute way her face scrunched as she asked him, "Yeah, well. My second match is dancing with someone and my third match... uh, been there, done that."
"Been where, done who?"
"Jo."
"Ah. You really didn't seem to mind going back there when I saw you two in the hallway that day."
He pulled a face, "You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"
"Nope."
The music finally slowed down and Cherish decided it felt weird to be slow dancing; it wasn't something she did often.
Seven sighed, "That wasn't what it looked like."
"I don't know, it looked a lot like a booty call to me. That is what it was, n'est-ce pas?"
"I was... dealing with some issues... and she was the easiest way to get it out of my system," he sighed again. "Yeah, I know, I'm an ass."
"So, who's the issue?" she inquired, looking smug about the fact that she'd been right.
"Look," Seven's smile was soft as he nodded at something behind Cherish. She knew he was only changing the subject, but she twisted herself around and caught a glimpse of Ian and Delia dancing. They were half the room away and all too close together. Unlike herself and Seven, dancing with enough room for another person, albeit a very skinny one, to squeeze in, Delia and Ian wouldn't have been able to fit even a piece of paper between them.
"Finally! They're so cute together."
"Look again," Seven was grinning now. She turned back just in time to see Ian and Delia's mouths colliding.
"Awwwww," she turned away after a moment, feeling embarrassed for watching them kiss.
"Finally!" Juss whooped; apparently they had not been the only ones to notice. Juss' loud reaction caused a great number of heads to swivel in the direction he was looking. Ian and Delia flushed, grinning sheepishly.
"He's not gay, people!" Juss barked out smugly.
Let me know if there are things that can use changing, or simplifying.
* Title song by Billy Riley