Dances were not Meka's thing but they were few and far between and she couldn't stand the constant poking from her friends that she should just go for a little while. She didn't want to go to this dance in particular. She had broken up with Kekoa the day after the fight with Sim. Dances were just the sort of thing that should help her get her mind off but she knew that they would both be there.

She had hung back a little bit, just as usual, wearing one of the dresses that her dad's secretaries had picked out for her. She had to admit, they had pretty good taste. She poured herself a glass of warm cider and when she was sure no one was looking, she spiked her drink with some spiced rum.

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Despite the feelings of worry that had been looming over her night earlier, Jenny felt loads better now that she was actually at the dance and she had spoken with Sera. Nothing was up, there was nothing to worry about, and the ring that the younger girl had given her for an early Christmas present was gorgeous. It even fit just right, completely perfect.

It didn't take her long to decide that maybe she had been working herself up for nothing. It was winter formal, and nearly Christmas, and she couldn't think of any good reason to be down. Her bad feeling about earlier had been wrong, and that was enough for her.

The blonde had been on her way back from the washroom, hesitating on the edge of the dance floor as she peered through, seeing Sera talking to someone else. Ever too polite to butt in, Jenny just made her way back to the drink table instead. One gulp of punch just about made her puke, it tasted like someone had poured six gallons of boot liquor in there, and she scooted down to the cider instead.

Pouring a cup, she tested it before smiling. That was much better, she decided, discreetly using her wand to empty out the glass of punch she poured. She wasn't feeling crazy enough to get drunk, but she did feel extraordinarily alive, like the night couldn't get better. But she did have one little tiny craving. She had been craving them more and more lately, especially when Sera kept bringing them in her purse. Looking back toward the dance and seeing Sera still occupied, Jenny spotted Meka next, standing by herself, and that was perfect.

Heading over to her friend, she threw her arms around the younger girl's shoulders from behind, leaning on her. "Hey you," she greeted her simply. "Do you have any uhh.. you know, cigarettes?" she asked, her voice hushed on the last word as if it were dirty. Which really, it sort of was. Smoking was wretched for her, and against the rules for sure, but it always made her feel light-headed and excited just the same. She wanted a rush, even if only a tiny one.

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She had jumped ever so slightly at first, thinking she was either caught or that Kekoa was trying to reconcile but she relaxed at the sound of her friend's voice.

Meka leaned her head against Jenny's briefly and laughed. "I got the goods," she teased. "Will your girlfriend beat me up if she finds out I've been supplying?"

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"You could take her," Jenny assured her with a little smile. "But you should be fine, she probably has half a pack stuffed in her purse but.. I didn't want to bug her," she explained, trailing off with a guilty grin. "Or be a hypocrite, I guess. I'm just.. having a really good night, I'm like on top of the world."

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Meka grinned and nodded. "Excellent," she said brightly. "I could do with a little avoidance myself..." she blushed fiercely. "I mean, ciggy break is always welcome around here," she laughed at herself. "Come on," she linked arms with the other girl and headed straight for the back door.

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Jenny grinned as Meka took her arm, and she made one more glance back to the crowd to see that Sera hadn't moved. "Just don't tell anyone," she warned her friend quietly. It was kind of like being on a secret mission or something undercover. "It's against the rules and all. Me and rules are normally really tight."

When they get out of the back door and the colder night air hit her, Jenny was shivering immediately and scooching closer to Meka's side. It was nothing compared to a Michigan winter, those could be really nasty, but it was much chillier than she cared for. "I would have worn a sweater if I knew it was going to be forty below," she joked, slowing as they came along the edge of the woods where some other girls were already smoking.

She was in such a good mood, she couldn't stop grinning despite her chattering teeth.

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"Your secret's safe with me," she grinned conspiratorially as they settled into the cold out side. She handed Jenny a cigarette along with a book of matches. "Sorry, I'm old school," she grinned. "I thought it would make me less likely to smoke like a chimney, turns out I just got really good at lighting matches," she admitted.

"You look like..." she looked at her friend more thoughtfully. "You look like you're glowing," she grinned. "What's going on with you?"

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Jenny laughed, taking the cigarette and matches from her friend. "I always feel like I'll burn myself on matches," she admitted back, focusing carefully as she pulled one off and flicked it against the back of the pack. Taking a quick glance over her shoulder, she cupped her hand around the cigarette and lit up.

When Meka said she was glowing, the blonde immediately felt herself blushing instead. "Just a good night," she shrugged, though she was still smiling quite happily. Switching her cigarette to her left hand, she held out the right one for the younger girl to see. "Early Christmas present," she grinned. "She's so romantic when she wants to be."

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She beamed at her friend and took her hand to examing the ring. "This is gorgeous," she grinned. "You two are ridiculously cute. I'm super jealy," she laughed. "Most romantic I ever get is a half aborted attempt at making out in the woods that turns into a fist fight and a snuggle in some kid's front yard," she said dismissively as she puffed on her cigarette. She leaned against the building.

"Sorry, bitter," she laughed at herself. "I have no right to rain on your parade," she put her arm around Jenny's shoulders and gave her a half hug.

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"Isn't it?" she agreed automatically. It hadn't been meant to sound like bragging, but it just sort of came out that way. Maybe Sera did rub off on her in more than a few ways. "I don't even want to think about what she spent on it, there really.. wasn't any need. But it's the best present ever, it's from her and that's all that matters," the blonde went on, smiling sheepishly and scuffing her heel in the frosty grass as she flicked her cigarette.

"Hey, don't be sorry," she added, leaning into the half hug and letting her head slump against Meka's. "Sounds like Charlie. I won't lie, I have a soft spot for snuggling in people's front yards.. or their couches, backseats, at the drive-in. And fist fights are like, par course for boys. Unless you get a good boy like Ella," the blonde laughed. "Most boys need to puff their chests out to prove a point, it's genetic. They grow out of it, I think."

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Meka slumped her head against Jenny's as well. "It really is all that mattered," she said brightly. "She's all... she's all goofy about you Jenny. I've never seen her like this. Girl's head over heels."

She sighed a little. "But what's it mean when a boy get's into a fist fight in your... honor?" she asked taking a long drag on her cigarette. "That's the part I'm all kerfuffled about," she sighed. "Hendrix and Ella are adorable though," she grinned and closed her eyes.

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Jenny smiled weakly, closing her eyes for a moment. "Girl is a goof anyway," she giggled. "She was so cute earlier though, she sounded like her sister. Like, all stammery words and awkward looks. It was adorable, she's normally so.. composed, you know? Like always."

Scrunching her face a bit at Meka's question, the blonde took a drag from her cigarette and exhaled to the side. "Well, I think that if it's in your honor, it's automatically romantic. I hate fighting, but if a boy has to fight.. it might as well be for you, right?" Jenny suggested. She had to crack a grin at further mention of Ella and Hen. "Aren't they? It's about time, too!"

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Meka laughed, thinking fondly of her room mate. "I know. I feel like we're all nuts," she grinned. "I would have loved to see her trip over one word," she laughed. "Stately Seraphim," she teased.

She sighed. "Simon Buford. A romantic," she laughed at how silly it sounded. "He beat up my boyfri... ex boyfriend. How did you ever deal with Charlie and stay sane?"

"I thought I was going to have to start passing notes back and forth to be honest," she joked.

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Jenny laughed back, shaking her head a little as she exhaled her smoke. "Perfect, right? It's the sweetest gesture, and I don't think she even realizes.. it's a big deal for someone to trip her up like that," the blonde mused quietly, chewing her lip a bit. She was wishing less and less that she had left the brunette inside. She could have definitely gone for some serious kisses.

"Sim? Romantic?" Jenny replied quickly, snapped out of any other thoughts she had been having. She made a little face. "I never thought I'd hear those two words in the same sentence.. no offense, I mean! I just.. well, that's the thing. He drove me crazy, he was so frustrating and everything I said was like in one ear and out the other," she sighed, shaking her head. "But when he wanted to be sweet.. he knew how to do that right, too. Bad boys are like, the best of the best and the worst of the worst. They can be an asshole one minute and then the sweetest guy in the next breathe.. alas, such is their appeal, I think. They're exciting."

Flicking some ash from the end of her smoke, she regarded Meka with a little smile. "Right? If only every boy was like.. sweet and honest like Hen. But he's like, a dying breed. One of the last gentleman types!"

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She grinned and nodded. "It definitely is huge for her," she said. "Like I said, I have never seen her like this before. It's stupid cute." She nudged her friend. "You got her all worked up," she teased.

Meka snorted. "I know, I know," she shook her head. "But I can't stop... thinking about him. He gets all like... I don't know, lingery when we're around each other and real sweet... if you consider beating up Kekoa sweet," she shook her head and took a long drag. "I don't know Jen," she admitted. "No one's ever made me feel this way."

"Right? It's like they all disappeared like the dinosaurs," she laughed. "I'm glad El got someone as sweet as Hen."

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"I guess I just have that effect on the ladies," Jenny laughed weakly back, sticking her tongue out. "I can't complain. It keeps her in line," she giggled.

"Well," she began soon after, trying to act more serious. She twisted the ring absently on her finger as she held the cigarette between her lips. "Did you want him to beat Kekoa up?" she asked around the smoke, raising her eyebrows at her friend. "If he gives you that feeling, then I say go for it. He's kind of gross, but I'm sure that's only the surface! People thought Charlie was gross too, but if he just gives you that weird fluttery feeling.. you can't fight it, right?"

She knew for a fact, after all, since Sera gave her the same feeling.

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"You most certainly do," Meka laughed. "It's like the big blue eyes and the little pout," she teased.

"Yeah," she admitted. "I kinda did. Keko was being an ass." She leaned against her friend more heavily. "I have been trying for almost a year now to fight that feeling and I still get it every time he's around. I know he's not the best guy on the planet but..." she sighed. "I can't help it."

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"I can't help it if I'm adorable," Jenny laughed back, shaking her head. "I'm not even the cute one. Think how much Ella could get out of people if she really worked it!"

Straightening up just a little, she slung an arm loosely around Meka's shoulders and pulled the younger girl closer. "You just have to do what your heart wants. There's really no need to fight that, right? You like who you like. You can't help who you fall for, it's like.. written in the stars and stuff, honest."

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Meka laughed and shook her head. "Nah, you're both adorable. Try it out some time. Walk up to a stranger, pout, and ask for something ridiculous. I bet you'll get it. The rest of us though," she laughed. "We have to use blackmail to get shit," she joked.

"I just don't want to end up being that sad girl that throws herself entirely into it and ends up getting stomped all over," she said honestly. It felt nice to get it off her chest for once. "And he doesn't have the best of track records..." she trailed off.

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Jenny laughed, shaking her head. "My mom says that when we're forty, we'll be glad to look so young. She loves it though, she can still get us to order from the kids menu," the blonde explained, giggling a little. "Plus kids meal chicken nuggets are like, always shaped like dinosaurs and cool stuff!"

Listening carefully, the older girl looked thoughtful for a moment as she chewed at her lip. "Well," she began slowly. "You really just have to give him a chance, I guess. Keep him on a short rope! Don't let him jerk you around, keep him in line.. I thought I was pretty good at that part, but Charlie always got under my radar. I don't know, you can't really knock it till you try it, you know how it is!"

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"I love you Jenny," she laughed. "Damn, I didn't even know it was possible for someone to make me feel better about some of the shit I've been gettin' into lately," she admitted. "Dinosaur shaped things that the fuckin' best though. Everything tastes better when it's shaped like a prehistoric beast."

"Yeah," she sighed lightly. "It's probably gonna get messy," she snorted a little. "I think I'm just gonna have to dive into this though, aren't I? He's not the kinda boy that tip toes around things."

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"We've got this sandwich thing in our room that cuts the crusts off of your bread and leaves it in the shape of a dinosaur," Jenny explained excitedly through and exhale of smoke, grinning. "It's brilliant."

Taking a slow drag from her cigarette, the blonde eventually gave a sagely nod. "Unfortunately, I believe this is one of those situations wherein logic fails us," she replied, sighing a bit. "You'll just have to go for it and.. well, come what may, it's very brave to take a chance, right? That's what love is about."

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"Shit, that really is brilliant," she grinned. "I want a dinosaur shaped sandwich cutter," she laughed. "It would go with my Yoshi shaped backpack," she laughed.

Meka took a long drag as well, letting Jenny's words settle over her like a thick blanket. She closed her eyes. "It's scary to take a chance on a boy like Sim," she said quietly. "I don't see how it can happen any other way though, I can't get him out of my head," she admitted with a rueful laugh. "I tried but... see what good that did me," she shrugged.

"You'll be there if it ends badly though, yeah?" she grinned. "With gummy bears, coffee, and chocolate chip cookies?"

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"It's scary to take a chance on anyone," Jenny assured her gently, smiling weakly. "That's just how love it is. You need to either.. jump in or just don't try at all. Sometimes you get hurt, but sometimes you'll find someone who's perfect for you, despite what your.. pre-conceived notions of love may have been," she explained, holding her cigarette in the corner of her mouth and gently fiddling with the ring on her finger. She smiled at just the sight of it, once again wondering when or if her girlfriend would wander out to look for either of them.

"Gummy bears, coffee, chocolate chip cookies, dinosaur shaped sandwiches, and a good book," she promised.

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She wasn't sure why she was jumping to conclusions. She hadn't been this worried about Kekoa but to the same degree, she hadn't felt the same way about Kekoa as she did about Sim. Maybe that's why it was so much scarier. "Is it like that every time?" she asked. "Like... was it scary with Ser?" she asked earnestly.

Meka leaned over and kissed the blonde's cheek. "Thanks Jen," she said softly. "Dinosaur sandwiches fix everything," she grinned.

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