~The Shy and The Stubborn~ (the santa clause)

Chapter 22: a buzz

A/N: sorry guys! reeeaaally long chapter today, the long anticipated dance! This one is 8k words so grab a snack and sit down for this one. Hope you enjoy regardless!

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"Oh Cindy, I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Not on this carpet you're not!"

Tonight was the night. The night where young couples would dance to god awful music, and heartbroken youngin's would sit crying in the bleachers while their date danced with another person. Snarky looks and jealousy running rampant, it was the event of the century.

How utterly romantic.

Usually, Justice would look forward to people watching with Jaime in the bleachers, commenting on people's dresses, how this and that were so 1970's, or perhaps way too ahead of its time.

But she had heard the whispers, and seen the evidence for herself. Jaime was taking Agnes to the dance. And the thought alone made her feel so very ill.

It wasn't like she had any right to be upset. Jaime was his own man, he had every right to take another girl to the dance. Justice may not have been his girl, but she was his girl, and to know he was taking someone else to an event that they had been going together to for centuries, it ate her up inside.

"You're thinking about Jaime again, aren't you?"

Justice blinked a few times at her reflection in the mirror. She hadn't realised she'd been spacing out until she heard Max, who had been standing beside her while Cindy fixed Justice's dress and did her hair, already ready in her own tux, her blonde hair tied up in a loose bun.

"What? No. I mean, yes, but-"
"There is no but, Justice!" Cindy cut her off, sectioning some of Justice's short hair before clipping it back with a cute little hair clip. "You're not going with him, you're going with Bernard. And it's not fair to him that you're still stewing over Jaime who, frankly, broke all the moral rules by going with Agnes in the first place."
"Oh, trust me, the fact that I'm going with Bernard is most certainly at the front of my mind right now," Justice laughed humourlessly, looking at Cindy in the reflection of the mirror she was stood in front of. "For the first time in my long life, I'm the talk of the century in the factory. And let me tell you, it is nauseating."
"Weird. Maybe the drama loving gene skips a generation in elves," Max hummed, shrugging as she watched Cindy fuss over accessories for Justice.
Justice gave Max a deadpan look in the mirror. "I'm not even a full elf, Max."
"Exactly my point," Max quipped with a sly grin. "You missed out on all the good stuff. Eternal life? Sure. Pointy ears? Adorable. But the thirst for scandal and chaos? Nada. You're defective."
"Defective?" Justice repeated, half-offended, half-amused as, said, pointed ears twitched in irritation. "I'm not defective just 'cause I'm English too, I'm—"
"A walking disaster, we know," Cindy interjected, clasping a delicate silver bracelet around Justice's wrist. "But tonight, you're a disaster wrapped in navy silk and looking stunning, so let's focus on that instead of whatever nonsense Max is spouting."

Max smirked.

"Hey, my nonsense is insightful, thank you very much. Besides, you should be taking notes. You're about to step into the most dramatic dance of the century, and if you're not ready to roll with it, you're gonna be eaten alive."
Justice groaned, resting her head in her hands. "That's what I'm afraid of. Bernard's been a saint through all of this, but what if this just makes things worse? What if Jaime and Agnes take this as some sort of...I don't know, declaration of war?"
"This isn't senior prom, Justice. This is a dance with fellow adults," Cindy reminded her, though Justice could only scoff and roll her eyes at this.
"Might as well be senior prom with the way everyone's acting," Justice huffed, her shoulders slumping a little. "Maybe I just wasn't cut out for this kinda stuff, y'know? I'm sure I can still come up with an excuse to back out of this-"
"Not a chance," Cindy said firmly. "You're not backing out, not after you've come so far. You're going, and you're going to have a good time whether you like it or not."
"Cindy, I'm serious-"
"So am I!" Cindy interrupted, crossing her arms. "I bet you you've already got Bernard pacing around his house right now, probably doing that broody 'I don't care about dances but secretly I'm nervous' thing he does so well. You think I'm about to let you chicken out and disappoint that poor man? Absolutely not."
Max nodded in agreement, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.
"Bernard agreed to go to this thing for you, Justice. And honestly, if he survives tonight without punching Jaime, he deserves a medal."