Bubble Gum #16, Chocolate Chili #8
Author: Atom
Challenge: Bubble Gum #16 - a ball, Chocolate Chili #8 - inner conflict
Story: Dracula's Daughter
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 1132
Summary: The Harvest Ball is fast approaching and Virmantas can't admit he wants to go.
"I really detest these things," Vermin commented as he picked up a pristine white dress shirt, pinching it between his fingers like a smelly rodent. "The only reason anyone should have to wear dress clothes is at their funeral. Which neither of you are going to." Harry, slightly bulkier than his twin, pushed by Vermin and snatched his shirt. He laid it gently on his bed, which was bigger than a small boat, and inspected it. "You're just jealous because you never get to go to the Harvest Ball." It was true, Vermin had never attended the Harvest Ball, held every year for the teenagers at Hollowberg Academy. The rule was that only students could go, and he had never been a student. The only exception was if you were another students date. Harry and James weren't very keen on the idea. Besides, both of them were taken; Harry was going with Prunella Lagoon and James managed to get Diane Daaé-Claudin to say yes, despite years of rejection.
"Why don't you ask Julia? I'm sure she'd pity you enough to say yes," James laughed, bringing a heavy hand down to smack Vermin on the back. If he had blood, it would be boiling. It would be rising to his cheeks, making his face look hot and flustered over the insult. Alas, he didn't, and he remained standing near the window looking slightly sullen.
Since the ball had been announced, Vermin wanted to ask Julia. It wasn't obvious that he adored her, hung on her every word, stared at her from afar as he watched them go to and return from school. He was sure to leave his distance, treating her to the same snide remarks he would to Harry or James. He laughed when she tripped on her face, but could not resist helping her up, just to get the chance to hold her delicate, warm hand in his. He scoffed, picking imaginary lint off his hooded sweater. "I'm not interested in the Harvest Ball. Nor going with Julia. If I was to go with someone, don't you think I'd pick someone a little more attractive?" The others agreed and they spent the rest of the evening cleaning trousers and looking for matching socks.
The day before the Harvest Ball, things went routinely. After walking with everyone to school, Vermin walked through town, heckled the butcher, put a stink bomb in Mrs. Grimm's mailbox, and made his way to the cemetery. It was his sanctuary. Dark, dank, and silent. Simply beautiful, he thought as he entered a crumbling catacomb, laying on top of the least ruined coffins. This is where he came to think, to remember, to feel happy or hopeful, even sad. All the things he kept hidden from the world emerged when he closed his eyes in the silence. Perhaps he should ask Julia? How wonderful would it be to not only hold her hand, but wrap his arms around her, be suffocated in her scent? Of course, he'd have to pretend to hate it, but inside he would burst. Hours passed, and finally he came to the decision to forget about it. It was futile. As he trudged through town, he heard the bell. Instead of waiting outside the gate, he ventured inside, looking around the unfamiliar and familiar faces. His eyes fell on Julia, but she wasn't alone. She was talking to a tall, handsome boy in a lettermans jacket. It was Rot's second in command, Marius Jekyll. He was asking her something, her cheeks became a few shades brighter, she said something, then she walked away. When she saw Vermin, she looked surprised and headed his way.
"Hi Virmantas," she said, looking down nervously. She always called him by his real name, she said it was a very nice name. Vermin loved that. He cleared his throat, feeling like he intruded on something very private. "Hey Jules. Where's the dynamic fur balls?" She laughed, like wind blowing through a wind chime, and told him they went to go check in with their dates about tomorrow night.
Which brought the two to a very uncomfortable topic. "They said you aren't going. Why aren't you going?"
"Oh," Vermin said lamely. He shuffled his foot in the earth, at a temporary loss for words. "Well, I can't go. There's some rule about not going if you don't attend the school. You guys are all babies compared to me." Julia nudged him, which caused him to take a step back. "You still act like a child. I'm sure you can come." This put Vermin in a very awkward position. As he explained that he could go if he was someones date, Julia jumped up and down.
"You can be my date! Oh, would you? That way you can come. It wouldn't be the same without you, Virmantas."
He tried to look reluctant, exaggerating his response, taking his time, pursing his lips to one side as if weighing his options. Finally, he agreed. When Harry and James joined them, Julia explained what had happened. The two werewolves burst into laughing.
It was already ten minutes until the ball started and Virmantas was nervous. He looked awful in his suit. His mother demanded he look like a true gentleman. His shirt itched, the jacket was slightly short at the cuffs, and his cravat was too tight. His family proceeded to pinch and hug him as he left, his sister and her boyfriend Todd giggling as his mother gave him a goodbye kiss. The school was packed with boys in suits and girls in ball gowns, all red and black (the schools colors), some elegant and some that were rather revealing. He saw Harry and James, who had both attempted to tame their wild manes with generous amounts of hair gel. The rhinestones in Prunella's dress made her scales look oily then usual, Vermin thought to himself as he searched for his date. Suddenly, like a light cutting through the night, he saw her. She wore a white dress that flowed all the way down past her knees. It sparkled in the light, but not as obnoxious as Prunella's dress. She glowed as she made her way across the dance floor, reaching out a hand to take Vermin's. He gaped at her, speechless. Not one insult popped into his head. "May I have this dance?" she said, curtsying in a manner that suggested she was mocking him and his royal position. "I- uh, sure. Yeah, I mean, just don't stomp on my feet, twinkle toes." She rolled her eyes as she pulled him onto the dance floor, doing the twist and telling him to do the same. He had been to no better ball, if he had any experience with them at all. For it would not have been the same without his Julia.
Challenge: Bubble Gum #16 - a ball, Chocolate Chili #8 - inner conflict
Story: Dracula's Daughter
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 1132
Summary: The Harvest Ball is fast approaching and Virmantas can't admit he wants to go.
"I really detest these things," Vermin commented as he picked up a pristine white dress shirt, pinching it between his fingers like a smelly rodent. "The only reason anyone should have to wear dress clothes is at their funeral. Which neither of you are going to." Harry, slightly bulkier than his twin, pushed by Vermin and snatched his shirt. He laid it gently on his bed, which was bigger than a small boat, and inspected it. "You're just jealous because you never get to go to the Harvest Ball." It was true, Vermin had never attended the Harvest Ball, held every year for the teenagers at Hollowberg Academy. The rule was that only students could go, and he had never been a student. The only exception was if you were another students date. Harry and James weren't very keen on the idea. Besides, both of them were taken; Harry was going with Prunella Lagoon and James managed to get Diane Daaé-Claudin to say yes, despite years of rejection.
"Why don't you ask Julia? I'm sure she'd pity you enough to say yes," James laughed, bringing a heavy hand down to smack Vermin on the back. If he had blood, it would be boiling. It would be rising to his cheeks, making his face look hot and flustered over the insult. Alas, he didn't, and he remained standing near the window looking slightly sullen.
Since the ball had been announced, Vermin wanted to ask Julia. It wasn't obvious that he adored her, hung on her every word, stared at her from afar as he watched them go to and return from school. He was sure to leave his distance, treating her to the same snide remarks he would to Harry or James. He laughed when she tripped on her face, but could not resist helping her up, just to get the chance to hold her delicate, warm hand in his. He scoffed, picking imaginary lint off his hooded sweater. "I'm not interested in the Harvest Ball. Nor going with Julia. If I was to go with someone, don't you think I'd pick someone a little more attractive?" The others agreed and they spent the rest of the evening cleaning trousers and looking for matching socks.
The day before the Harvest Ball, things went routinely. After walking with everyone to school, Vermin walked through town, heckled the butcher, put a stink bomb in Mrs. Grimm's mailbox, and made his way to the cemetery. It was his sanctuary. Dark, dank, and silent. Simply beautiful, he thought as he entered a crumbling catacomb, laying on top of the least ruined coffins. This is where he came to think, to remember, to feel happy or hopeful, even sad. All the things he kept hidden from the world emerged when he closed his eyes in the silence. Perhaps he should ask Julia? How wonderful would it be to not only hold her hand, but wrap his arms around her, be suffocated in her scent? Of course, he'd have to pretend to hate it, but inside he would burst. Hours passed, and finally he came to the decision to forget about it. It was futile. As he trudged through town, he heard the bell. Instead of waiting outside the gate, he ventured inside, looking around the unfamiliar and familiar faces. His eyes fell on Julia, but she wasn't alone. She was talking to a tall, handsome boy in a lettermans jacket. It was Rot's second in command, Marius Jekyll. He was asking her something, her cheeks became a few shades brighter, she said something, then she walked away. When she saw Vermin, she looked surprised and headed his way.
"Hi Virmantas," she said, looking down nervously. She always called him by his real name, she said it was a very nice name. Vermin loved that. He cleared his throat, feeling like he intruded on something very private. "Hey Jules. Where's the dynamic fur balls?" She laughed, like wind blowing through a wind chime, and told him they went to go check in with their dates about tomorrow night.
Which brought the two to a very uncomfortable topic. "They said you aren't going. Why aren't you going?"
"Oh," Vermin said lamely. He shuffled his foot in the earth, at a temporary loss for words. "Well, I can't go. There's some rule about not going if you don't attend the school. You guys are all babies compared to me." Julia nudged him, which caused him to take a step back. "You still act like a child. I'm sure you can come." This put Vermin in a very awkward position. As he explained that he could go if he was someones date, Julia jumped up and down.
"You can be my date! Oh, would you? That way you can come. It wouldn't be the same without you, Virmantas."
He tried to look reluctant, exaggerating his response, taking his time, pursing his lips to one side as if weighing his options. Finally, he agreed. When Harry and James joined them, Julia explained what had happened. The two werewolves burst into laughing.
It was already ten minutes until the ball started and Virmantas was nervous. He looked awful in his suit. His mother demanded he look like a true gentleman. His shirt itched, the jacket was slightly short at the cuffs, and his cravat was too tight. His family proceeded to pinch and hug him as he left, his sister and her boyfriend Todd giggling as his mother gave him a goodbye kiss. The school was packed with boys in suits and girls in ball gowns, all red and black (the schools colors), some elegant and some that were rather revealing. He saw Harry and James, who had both attempted to tame their wild manes with generous amounts of hair gel. The rhinestones in Prunella's dress made her scales look oily then usual, Vermin thought to himself as he searched for his date. Suddenly, like a light cutting through the night, he saw her. She wore a white dress that flowed all the way down past her knees. It sparkled in the light, but not as obnoxious as Prunella's dress. She glowed as she made her way across the dance floor, reaching out a hand to take Vermin's. He gaped at her, speechless. Not one insult popped into his head. "May I have this dance?" she said, curtsying in a manner that suggested she was mocking him and his royal position. "I- uh, sure. Yeah, I mean, just don't stomp on my feet, twinkle toes." She rolled her eyes as she pulled him onto the dance floor, doing the twist and telling him to do the same. He had been to no better ball, if he had any experience with them at all. For it would not have been the same without his Julia.