No one but Iridia saw it. She knew for a fact that she was the only person to watch Brielle Prescott and Kelam Quincy, two mortal enemies, get drunk at a high school party and feverishly make out, then go upstairs to do much worse.
And yet, the secr...
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For some reason, the chaotic events that had just occurred were not of top priority. No, the group of students already prevalent in gossip and rumor had gotten themselves involved in yet another ruckus—one that resulted in minor larceny, major assault, and a teacher getting very guiltily chased out of the temporary-dance-hall gym (by his own son no less) after strangling the soon-to-be valedictorian—but all of this was not going to be dealt with at the moment. Teachers were, of course, concerned about injuries—nothing ice packs couldn't solve—and a necessary incident report that was quickly filled out and dismissed. Despite all the mess, everyone was eager for the party to continue.
So Iridia, ever brilliant Iridia, efficiently repaired the sound system so that both the music and party were back online. Kelam couldn't look away from her repairing with laser focus; it was simply mesmerizing.
She stood back with hands on her hips, tilted her head side-to-side examining her handiwork for any flaws. It was mind-blowing seeing her fix something on such a large scale, something so different from her usual unique knick-knacks and bobbles, built from scratch, that often fell apart as soon as they met their desired function. The system was probably working as well as it did when it was manufactured, maybe even better. Nonetheless, the school decided to collectively ignore that chaos and dance again because who the hell cared? It was Homecoming.
The music numbed to a loud, yet somehow peaceful slow dance. Iridia, Luna, and Duran were all talking off to the side and Kelam was tempted to join them, but then he caught sight of Brielle. She did look stunning, anyone could see that, but Kelam didn't care about that. What he did care about was her wide smile as she danced with her older brother, finally freed of whatever dreadful deal he'd been trapped in. They could have their own night, their own happiness. He was so absorbed in that wholesome scene that, by the time he did finally decide to join the other three, he had almost missed the sight of a figure approaching Iridia from behind. It was a tall, unfamiliar, absurdly well-built boy with a deep purple button-up and squeaky shoes, who nervously edged forwards. His dark curly hair just covered his ears, and his hopeful smile revealed a dimple in one of his cheeks. Luna elbowed Duran to make sure his attention was on the upcoming scene as the boy tapped Iridia on the shoulder. She turned around—
Her eyes went wide as they slowly rose up to meet his face. Iridia was nearly his height, her eyes level with his chin, and it was plain to see that she was off-put by the difference. Kelam scooted up beside Duran who was whispering down to Luna.
"—he's a freshman but he's really good. He grapples people best. His name is—"
"H-hi," the boy stuttered, and Duran silenced. The boy was most certainly flushed. Kelam could only barely see Iridia's profile; even with just that fragment of a view, he could see how uneasy she was about being approached. "I-I just wanted to say that you look really pretty." He awkwardly chuckled. "You look good in red. Red is my favorite color."
"Oh." She probably would have been mumbling if she didn't have to speak a normal volume to be heard over the music and conversation. "Thank you. I don't know you."
