backdated: HeliX ball

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The Dance! Clarice & Shiro go! They're cute! They freak out her parents!

log in progress

Clarice claims the dance Alex promised her. They flirt, mock flirt and decide it's not really worth the effort.



Ditching her high heels with Shiro, who had claimed to be tired after a few dances, Clarice went in search of Alex to claim the dance he had promised her. Maybe he wouldn't step on her toes quite so much.

"Alex!" she called, weaving through the people towards the blond head, "Hey."

Alex turned around quickly, seeing the flash of purple coming at him and smiled a bit. "Hey Clarice. I guess you're coming to claim that dance huh?"

"Absolutely," she smiled, as they headed to the dance floor. Now that the party was underway the band had started playing good music. Good meaning 'modern'. "Unless you'd rather do something else."

"Of course not. My back is killing me from dancing with Leyu so I could use a break." He grinned as he took her hand to find a spot. "How are you and Shiro doing?"

"He's keeping the wall upright over there," she gestured towards a row of chairs where he was chatting with Leyu, "I think I wore him out a bit!"

Alex glanced back at Shiro who was rolling his eyes at something his sister had said. The sight made Alex grin. "And I think Leyu is finishing the job. She's done a good
job on me that's for sure."

"Boys and your tiredness," she shook her head, grinning as an upbeat song began, "Sleep is for wusses!"

Alex raised an amused eyebrow. "Yes but tired also let's us get out of here early. And I plan to do that soon...after my dance with you of course." he winked at her playfully.

Clarice batted her eyes in mock infatuation, "Such sweet talk! You'll make me think you're flirting and then I'll have to make Shiro defend my honor. He offered too, you
know."

"Defend your honor from me? While Clarice I'm insulted..." He leaned forward to talk in her ear, which would make anyone looking from across the room suspious. "To think I would try to steal my best friend's girl."

"Oh right! I'm not his girl! Unless," Clarice bit her lip unsure and hopeful, "Do you think he wants me to?"

Alex shrugged. "Your never know. Have you asked him? He respects you a lot and you know how much that means coming from Shiro." He gave her a sly grin. "I'd give it a try if I were you..."

"You're so bad!" Clarice hit him in the arm, "He just likes swords and that I don't fuck up my katas."

Alex gave her a look of mock shock. "Me bad? Come on Clarice you know me better then that. Would I lie when it comes to my best friend and a pretty girl as yourself? "

Clarice considered this, "Yes. And I'm not that pretty. Not like L-," she stopped, embarassed, "Not like Alison," she amended.

Sighing softly, Alex shook his head. "Don't worry about it Clarice...though I'm sure you understand my comment before about leaving now..." He glanced to the side, happening to catch Lorna and Brent dancing nearby.

"Don't let them ruin your fun," Clarice ordered turning his head back towards her, "Like you said, you're dancing with a pretty girl!"

He gave her a small smile. "You're right. I have to ignore certain things and concenrate on the beauty in front of me." Alex continued with the pretend-flirting but his heart really wasn't in it anymore.


while this log is happening, Clarice talks to her parents. ALL of them, at once. They don't cause a scene surprisingly enough, but Clarice still ends up in tears.



Clarice wandered into one of the rooms adjoining the ballroom as Shiro went off to help Alex with Lorna. She hoped everything turned out alright with them, but didn't
really know how she could help, sure she was friends with Shiro, but she barely ever talked with Alex or Lorna.

Idly she grabbed another fluke of champagne, even if she wasn't drinking it, it was great for atmosphere and slinky dresses and chamber music just called for champagne.

"I don't think so,young lady," her father said, coming up behind her and plucking the crystal out of his daughter's hand, "You're still underage."

Clarice turned around, not really caring about the champagne, "I was just holding it," she defended herself. She didn't add that all the times she had gotten drunk before Xavier's had been on liquor she'd found at her mother's house.

"Oh, let her have a drink, it's not everyday her school puts on a formal gala like this," her mother defended, coming up to the duo.

"She's underage, Mary," he reiterated, sternly as if her were talking to Clarice and not his former wife. "She is not allowed to drink until she's 21."

Clarice wisely kept quiet on her drinking escapades and anything else that may get her in trouble. Unfortunantly, this also meant that she didn't quite know how to stop them from fighting.

"Who was the boy I saw you dancing with?" Clarice's stepmother asked, diverting everyones attention.

"Which one?" Clarice asked, unsure if she meant Shiro or Alex or any of the other people she had been dancing with throughout the evening.

"That...mutant boy," her stepmother said mutant as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"They're all mutants here, Lisa," Clarice's father reminded her, actually somewhat surprised that so many of the kids looked as normal as they did.

Clarice rolled her eyes, wishing she could just teleport somewhere else, but this was her not causing a scene. "His name is Shiro and he's from Japan. We practice kendo and spar together."

"How...nice," Mary replied. "So how long have you two been together?" she said 'together' in a way that implied much more.

"Mary!" Lisa, Clarice's stepmohter admonished, "I'm sure she's is too young for that sort of thing!"

Blushing scarlet, Clarice wished she was anywhere else. "Mom! He's a friend only! Just a friend!"

"Well, he could be more! I just hope you use protection! I don't want any little mutant babies!" her mother replied, ignoring her daughter's discomfort.

"I hate you all!" Clarice hissed stalking away to find Shiro to tell him she was leaving, not even caring if Shinobi or Paul yelled at her, her parents playing good cop/bad cop about her about her sex life was worse than them fighting! She tried not to sniff as she left the ballroom, they hadn't even said how pretty she looked.