Porter brushed the wrinkles out of his suit as he stood staring at himself in the mirror. Ardwen sat on Porter's bed behind him, looking over the young man. The two of them had decided to prepare for the dance that night together as their friendship grew (and also so Ardwen could make sure Porter didn't make any last second moves on Nami). Chase had gone off with his fan club to get ready while Raul went and brooded on his own. The three girls in Gretta, Riya, and Nami had teamed up to get dressed and make sure they were wearing different outfits.
It was still unclear as to whom Nami was going to the dance with and Chase had already turned down quite a number of girls who wanted to go with the future school captain and win couple of the year. The one-track nature of Chase's mind would not give up on capturing Nami's heart for victory and this forced the hand of both Ardwen and Raul. Not one of them had figured out the original goal of Nami's flirting with them to begin with and, since Porter was glad to have someone else taking the brunt of Nami's affection, it wasn't working out anyways.
With the preparations complete, the two boys let the metal door to the room slide open with a hiss and stepped out into the hall. There was a shuffle of students in the passage moving towards the core of the school, to the gym and the techno music blaring through its doors. The excitement on the night mingled with nerves and generated a buzz through the air that vibrated in Porter's chest. He had never gone to the dance before when it had been on. He really hadn't had any reason to go and Nami hadn't really come on to him except for in the last couple years as she got older and so he was never asked by anyone. It would be a new experience for him.
"I know, it's crazy isn't it?" Ardwen placed a hand on Porter's shoulder from behind. "It's the biggest event of the year and you can really feel it." Porter turned and slowly nodded, his face stricken with terror. "You know I'm not much for being a socialite Porter but if I say it's fun then you know you're going to enjoy it. Let's go!" Ardwen shoved his compatriot out into the flow of people and they were swept up in the rush for the gym.
They caught up with the other members of the Crisis Rescue Unit eventually and Porter glumly looked over at Fritz standing with Riya. Otherwise everyone else in the group was single. But at least they had each other.
"Where's Raul?" Gretta asked as she tagged along with the gang.
"Maybe he's just coming late," Nami answered. "I'm sure he'll be there." They got the answer as they came to the doors of the dance, where Raul was standing outside...next to the tall, gorgeous Emera from their class. She was the oldest girl in the school who was still a student, just entering her twenties like Raul and was rumoured to have been a model back on Earth before coming into the military. It was still thought that she sent some photos down every so often and she was the dream of nearly every boy in the school (and some of the younger teachers as well).
"Raul...what...what are you doing with Emera?" Chase babbled, stuttering as he looked the beautiful female up and down in her red satin dress. "I thought you were chasing Nami."
"Nami was too much of a fight," came the response. "And I realized she's just too young for me. I'll leave her for you two to kill each other over." Raul winked at Ardwen and Chase before taking his date inside, leaving a shocked, and stunned CRU behind.
"I had no idea Raul had such a way with his ladies."
"No, no clue at all."
"Who'd have thought that...Emera with him."
"Maybe he used his ninja skills on her."
"Who cares, that's one less person to get in my way," Chase exclaimed, bounding into the gym and expecting Nami and the rest to follow. Fritz tugged at his dance partner's hand, taking Riya away inside as Porter watched them go. Riya was wearing such a simple little dress, a wonderful purple that fit nicely on her frail body and her dark hair fell down to the tops of the outfit. Porter liked that deep purple, loved it really. It was his favourite colour being worn on his favourite person. It was just too bad he couldn't have her.
Ardwen and Chase each grabbed a side of Nami, nearly lifting her off the ground between them. She was wearing a puffy pink outfit of adorable bows and garnishes in an effort to exploit her naturally high levels of adorableness and she had tied her hair up with a pink-spotted bow as well with ribbons that hung down to her back.
Only Gretta was dressed low-key, wearing a very modest power blue dress she looked uncomfortable in. Obviously she was used to wearing the clothes of an engineer working on the Goliaths and she had even gained a reputation around the academy as a prodigy in the field. It was a blessing her and Nami had decided to dress different as the two would've looked almost identical had they not. Since they were the only two left, Gretta and Porter entered together into the world of the school dance.
Decorations hung from the rafters and were plastered across walls, revealed by the odd flashing of a coloured light flying by. Around the edges stood the single boys, holding on to a fruity drink or snack to make it look like they were busy as their eyes fervently scanned the crowd, looking and hoping for a girl to look back. The females had grouped up to party with their other feminine friends, locking any boys out through the intimidation of numbers. There were little spots otherwise where couples danced together in the semi-darkness, some in very tame fashions and others were a bit risqué with their dance moves, much to the chagrin of the four chaperons for the evening: Mr. Shotuku, Mr. Toriyama, Miss Sakura, and Rick Deckard.
Rick eyed Porter sceptically as he entered without Riya by his side. The Circuit Breaker looked out of place in his fancy suit and tie and constantly fiddled with them. He was so used to wearing the jumpsuit that anything else was foreign on his skin. Shotuku had gotten away with wearing one of his fancier robes for the evening but all students who knew about him made sure to stay clear; anyone who had seen what Shotuku could do knew there was a full set of slippers hiding in the folds of cloth.
Porter did what Porter did best at social events: grabbed a fruity beverage, found the nearest wall to look cool and disinterested against, and hope nobody would talk to him. He watched Raul and Emera dancing through the centre of the crowd, everyone getting out of the way of the new power couple. In another corner Chase and Ardwen were arguing over a cute Nami who was busy putting on her best "who me?" look.
Emera tossed back gorgeous tumbling locks and peered over Raul's shoulder at the petty fight. "Darling, what's with the loli fight?"
Raul spun to look at Ardwen and Chase, who were pulling hair and attempting to wreck the other person's outfit. "Yeah let's not talk about that Emera. Let's dance some more." And so Raul did his best to slowly drift away from the corner to the furthest side of the room.
The battle for a dance partner continued until Gretta finally came in and pulled the two boys apart and stood them up. "Listen, listen. Why don't you two just stop fighting for Nami's attention and just let her decide which one of you she wants?"
Nami stopped her flirting at hearing this. Chase and Ardwen were staring at her with curiosity. Why did she have to choose between the two of them? This had never been about picking one of them. It had been about jealousy with Porter right? She had never come into this with an idea of who she would walk away with.
"Uhm...well I..." Nami looked at her two suitors. They're block heads with girls, that was true, but they...they...they had something inside of them that was special. Ardwen with his brother and Chase with his mother. If she had to make a choice between one or the other? Had one of them really stolen her heart? "I choose..."
"Attention students, attention," Mr. Toriyama interrupted as he tapped a microphone up at the front. "A reminder that the voting for school captain, Miss Ishiyama, and best couple will end in a few minutes. Thank you."
The music picked back up and the festivities continued, with many teens rushing to the tables at the side where voting was being held. Ardwen, Chase, and Gretta looked back at Nami to see a little person-shaped cloud floating where she had stood moments ago.
* * * * *
Porter watched Riya swirling around Fritz with jealousy. She had said yes to him. The only reason he couldn't be with her now was timing and nothing else. He just couldn't catch a break at all. The pair brushed past Porter as the speed of the song increased and he sunk a little lower on the wall, trying to be as unnoticeable as possible. It was tough when your only accomplishments were known among just a few select people, especially when those people were too busy with their own little issues to vouch for you.
Voting was a good distraction. Porter could always go submit his votes to pass the time (thirty seconds of time but time nonetheless). The first ballot was easy: best couple went to Raul and Emera. School captain? It didn't make him happy but Porter had to give it to the super-popular Chase. Miss Ishiyama took the longest. It was the easiest one to pick but Porter just didn't like writing it down. Riya. She was certainly Miss Ishiyama. He just didn't like to admit that he wasn't at the dance with her.
With his vote cast, Porter sauntered over to one of the emergency exits and had to manually push it open (emergency exits only automatically worked during actual emergencies) in order to slip out into the hallway. The air was much cooler out here and felt fresher, even though it was all recycled. Anything was better than the choking humidity of a school dance.
Everything happening with Riya was a bit depressing. What if her and Fritz became a couple now? Porter leaned against a row of lockers, sliding down to the ground as he held his head in his hands. At the end of the day, was all of this really important though? Lives were being lost in battles fought on Earth as part of a complex war with their enemies and here he was worried about a date for the social.
* * * * *
"Alright everyone, it's time to announce the winners of the contests." Mr. Shotuku was up on stage this time, looking over the crowd with an ominous glare, ready to launch a projectile at anyone who was misbehaving. His hand went down to the layers of fabric he was dressed in and everyone held their breath in anticipation of a strike. An envelope was withdrawn instead and the collective sigh could be heard by Porter outside.
"Where did Nami go to?" Ardwen asked as the three searched around for any sight of the little stalker that was being fought over.
"I'm going to go check over here then." Chase pointed towards one of the other emergency exits and pushed his way through the crowd to leave. A bit strange to have Nami run away like that after being the centre of attention normally.
The youth didn't have to go far before he found his target curled up against the door to one of the classrooms. Her head was buried in her arms and she didn't move as Chase drew closer. He sat down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Nami jumped a bit, surprised to have been found. She looked up with wet, red-rimmed eyes at the boy staring back at her.
"Why'd you run away like that Nami?"
"Oh Chase," Nami sobbed. "Because....because you asked me to pick! Because it doesn't matter what the answer is, none of you like me!"
"Now that's not true Nami we-"
"Yes it is!" she interrupted. "Porter doesn't like me, he never has. You and Ardwen only want me because you're fighting each other. All these boys giving me all this attention but it isn't real! Some days I wonder if anyone really likes me at all. I mean all the girls have their friends and all the boys have the girls they want but none of them want me." Nami resumed bawling and tucked her head back into her chest.
"Nami that's not true." Nami looked up slowly and found Chase's face inches away. He pushed a dangling piece of blonde hair back behind Nami's ear and kissed her softly on the forehead. Nami's chest lit on fire as he did and then the feeling quickly sunk and spread through her body. Chase slid down and placed his forehead against her own, and the two froze for a moment in that pose. "I like you Nami."
The second kiss was something Nami had never experienced before, even when she had done it with Porter, filled with a fiery passion that shot straight into her heart...
* * * * *
"The school captain is..." Mr. Shotuku unsealed the envelope and slowly read off the paper. "It's Chase..." Shotuku seemed a bit depressed at saying this, regardless of the roar of approval from the students. But nobody came up to receive the prize. "Chase? Chase are you here? Is Chase here somewhere?"
The crowd parted in places as the search began but it quickly folded. Nobody could find the popular superstar. "Well I'm sure he'll come to collect it eventually," the elder chaperon continued. "Then it's on to Miss Ishiyama." Shotuku's eyes drifted lower on the page he was holding. "In a tight race, by just a single vote, it's Riya Bittel!"
The spotlight swung around to find the shy girl standing next to Fritz, her face a deep red. The nearby Emera looked over in jealousy. It was widely regarded that Emera would easily be Miss Ishiyama but Riya's silent nature concealed her popularity. She reluctantly made her way to the stage and hurriedly accepted the little trophy, not wanting to stick around to pose for photos. She gave a little bow to everyone before shuffling back down.
"Now then, time for the best couple award!" Mr. Shotuku purposefully delayed, trying to build suspense.
"Just read it already old man!" someone yelled and a homing slipper smashed into their forehead.
"Fine fine, lousy kids. The winner for best couple is.....Emera and Raul!" There were claps and boos and jeers and a mess of other reactions to the announcement, mostly because Emera was the idol of affection for so many of the other boys and teachers that they despised the idea of her being off the market as a goddess to worship.
Mr. Toriyama watched from the front of the crowd as Emera ascended the stage with her new boy, tears streaming down his face as he clutched one of the woman's modelling photos. "Oh hell no!" he shouted and tore the image into shreds, tossing them behind him and storming away.
"Save the pieces!"
"They can still be put back together!" A collection of boys swarmed and dove to get a scrap of the picture, throwing in tape and glue to the mix as they frantically attempted to revive the image to its former glory.
"Uhm, right then. Well that's all of them. Thanks for coming out everyone, enjoy the evening." Mr. Shotuku ushered Emera out of the spotlight and down the stage. Raul had looked uncomfortable the entire time having so much focus on him and was glad to have it all over.
Slow dancing had begun as the tempo to the songs was dropped and people quickly began partnering up. Ardwen and Gretta sat against one of the walls, exhausted from searching for Nami and now looking for the missing Chase. "I can't believe they could disappear so easily," Ardwen exclaimed.
"Yeah I know," Gretta agreed. "I mean I was going to suggest we use the Draconov technique to find her but that seems silly. I mean who knows that one?"
Ardwen's head snapped up and his glasses nearly fell off as he did and instead ended up teetering on the precipice of his nose. "I know the Draconov technique! I was thinking the same thing actually. How do you know about it though? I thought you were an engineer here?" Ardwen looked over Gretta again, noting how she looked remarkably similar to the adorable Nami but with a bit of a tougher, hardened look from her work experience.
"I studied lots of strategies when I was a kid and my dad went off to the war. I thought maybe if I knew them all one day he would come back and take me with him." Gretta was a bit embarrassed at admitting this personal secret of hers but found Ardwen was even more interested instead of repulsed.
"I...I mean strategies are my life! Well that and studying Goliaths."
"Mine too!"
The air sat in awkward silence for a moment, not knowing what to do next. Finally, Ardwen stood up and brushed off his pants before offering a hand down to the engineer on the floor. "Well, would you like this dance then young strategist?"
"I think I would," Gretta said as she grasped Ardwen's hand and joined him on the dance floor.
* * * * *
Porter listened to the different sounds inside the gym and sunk lower into self-pity. And then he got mad at himself for feeling self-pity. Then the anger turned into depression and the cycle continued. It kept continuing until the door next to him was gently pushed open and Riya's soft face was silhouetted in the doorway.
"Porter? Is that you?" Her quiet voice washed over Porter and carried away all of his sour feelings in an instant.
"Riya? What are you doing out here? Aren't you in the dance?"
"Oh I don't do well at dances as I'm sure you imagine." Riya giggled a bit and stepped through the door completely. Without hesitation she plopped herself down next to Porter, close enough they brushed each other with every little movement. Porter felt his chest tightening and his heart rate was rising faster than the White Storm could move. They weren't really ever this near to one another before.
"What's that you've got?" Porter pointed to the small, glass trophy that his crush was clutching.
"Oh this is the silly Miss Ishiyama thing. I can't believe I even won. I mean I'm not Miss Ishiyama material right?" Riya looked towards Porter with her large round eyes and his heart melted. He thought back to their first meeting, when he had caused her to drop her books.
"Well I....I mean I wouldn't say you're not Miss...Miss Ishiyama material. It's more like...well I mean..." Porter felt the sweat coming up at the back of his neck. Come on, he had talked to girls before! He told Nami to go away all the time. How come he couldn't say it now of all times?
"What do you mean Porter?" Riya tilted her head a little and smiled and Porter knew what he had to do.
"Yes Riya, you're Miss Ishiyama material. You won that award because you earned it. I can say I voted for you and not just because you're my friend. I did it because you're the nicest and most beautiful girl in...in the whole school." Porter gulped down more nerves and let this all keep rolling. Nobody had stopped him yet so obviously he hadn't made a mistake that he knew of. "And in the world too!" Porter looked around where they were and remembered his situation. "And off the world too I guess."
Riya laughed aloud at this. It was unusual for such a timid, soft-spoken girl to out and laugh instead of quietly giggling but there it was. It sounded like the lovely tinkling of little wind chimes in the spring. And, strangely, it reminded him of home. A home he hardly had real memories of. "Oh Porter, thank you!" Riya reached across and hugged the startled teen, who nearly tensed up and froze in place, not knowing what to do when a non-stalker girl hugged you. And then he gave in to the silky smooth feeling of her skin and the wondrous smell that filled his nostrils.
And the two hugged and stayed there much longer than they should have for the average friends. And then it was longer than the average couple and neither one moved. "Riya?"
"Yes Porter?"
"What about Fritz? I mean he is your date and all and you left him at the dance." Porter already was having guilt trips, regardless of the overpowering allure of the girl he was sitting with. And they hadn't even done anything yet.
"Fritz is Fritz" Riya curtly replied. "He's not really interesting to me Porter. But he asked me to the dance and I didn't want to be rude." Internally Porter gave out a sigh of relief. So there were no chances of a boyfriend thing happening. "I've been thinking a lot Porter."
"About what?"
Riya pulled away from the hug and looked up at Porter. "About us."
"Have you now?!" Porter hacked a bit, choking momentarily on the statement. "What...uhm what have you been thinking about?"
"All that we've done." Riya showed off her award-winning smile again and Porter continued to sweat, both internally and externally. "You and I, we've talked a lot and seen a lot. I mean you saved us all at Easley."
"Well I mean Grimsley-"
"And then you were there to help me when I was being stalked and saved me from the assassin."
"It really wasn't-"
"And you helped me through Omnicorp and dealing with my father. And then you came to my rescue at Abertyl and sacrificed yourself to save me. You've done a lot Porter."
"Yes I..." He really hadn't thought about everything he had done for Riya or anything she had done for him. "Well I mean you were always there though Riya, supporting me with your cheerfulness and your kind words. You always believed in me, even when everyone else didn't. I think that...that evens it out." Porter coughed a bit to clear his throat and try to act manly and reserved in a situation he was panicking in.
"I don't think it does." Riya's expression turned into a pout-frown, very much unlike her. Maybe all the excitement of the dance has gone to her head, Porter thought. "I think I should thank you for everything you've done for me Porter."
"How...how do you plan to...thank me?" Porter's mind was a swirling mess of possibilities and options and emotions and was Riya flirting with him?!
"Well..." Riya's eyes looked up at Porter, her raven hair falling to the sides to expose every bit of her beautiful, pale face and her cheeks flushed red but she didn't take her eyes off of him. "...Like this." Riya's head drew upwards, closer to Porter's. Her nose touched with his for a moment and Porter jumped a bit in his skin at the shock, his entire body tingling. Little did he know that Riya's was doing the same thing.
Slowly, Riya turned her head and slid forward and Porter felt her warm breath approaching. Her eyes closed and he did the same, their lips meeting tentatively at first before they both kissed. Porter could hardly breathe but he didn't care. He reached around and placed his hands across Riya's back, pulling her in closer as their exchange of passion and feelings continued, increasing with confidence as they both let their emotions pour out into the other.
Softly, slowly, their lips parted and each took in a silent breath, their eyelids drifting open to look the other in the soul. "Thank you," Riya whispered.
"Thank you Riya," Porter said and she pressed her head against his chest as the two lay there a moment in a daze.
Then the building shook. The entire academy shuddered for a moment. That was when the warning sirens began...
A/N: 50 chapters. Some of us are here because I make giant robots do battle. Some of us are here to cheer on Nami. Others are here to see Syn rip a heart out. Others want to see love flourish amidst war. Whatever reason you're here for, I'm glad you came this far with me. Thank you to every one of my fans through 50 chapters of Sigma/Star. Let's hope the next 50 are just as good and I'll see you all at 100!
I want to hear from my fans to see where you're at. Regardless of how you feel about the chapter, leave me a shout-out if you're a reader of Sigma/Star all the way to chapter 50!