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Feb. 14th, 2014 11:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coral_sandhuIt's a very pretty dress, Coral has to admit.
There are some advantages to being tiny. Although it was in the age 12 section, Coral managed to pick up something rather sophisticated and sparkly.
"Did you ask Josh?" Jenny asks her, as they get ready for the Valentine's Day Dance.
"I tried." Coral says, carefully straightening her hair. "But all I managed was a sort of squeak."
Jenny laughs. "Well, maybe he'll give you a dance if you can manage not to squeak. You look cute."
"Not babyish?" Coral asks, anxiously.
"No no, just petite." Jenny says quickly.
Still, when they get to the dance, Coral finds, as expected, that she's the smallest person there. Last year, they went to the Spring Thing, which made up just the three younger years of school. Now a fourth year, they're with the fifth and sixth forms. It didn't use to bother her being tiny, but now she feels self-conscious as she watches the other teenagers in their long dresses. Her dress now feels very much more 'Age 12' than it did an hour ago.
Still, she doesn't want to spoil things for the others, so she throws herself into the dancing enthusiastically with Jenny, compliments Em on having made a cute couple with her date, and laments Clare having flu on the day of the dance.
She suddenly stops. Josh, standing with his mate, is looking at her. She feels her face going red. Oh no, oh no, he's coming over, what does she say?!
"Hey, Carol isn't it?"
"Coral." Coral squeaks.
"Want a dance?" Josh asks, smoothing back his hair.
"Yes!" Coral grins.
It's not the most easy dance she's ever done, but soon the music changes to a slow dance, and Josh is holding her close.
"C'mon." he says, when the dance is finished, pulling her gently. "Let's go outside for some air."
Coral isn't quite sure what to make of this - she shoots a glance across the room to look for some guidance off Jenny, but she can't see her. Josh takes her out the side of the school hall, pointing out the stars.
And then he leans in for a kiss.
Oh gosh, this is meant to be exciting, but mostly she's too busy trying to stretch up and working out what you do when you actually kiss someone and lamenting that teenage boy breath is not that great... she finds herself a little relieved when he pulls back.
"You know, if we went into the bushes, nobody would see us." he says, in a low voice.
"What for?" Coral asks, blinking at him.
"You know..." Josh fiddles with the zip on the top of her dress.
Coral staaaaares at him.
"Don't be ridiculous, I'm only fourteen." she says, laughing. Clearly he's joking, right?
"So? I'm fifteen. Everyone else does it." Josh says. He's not laughing.
"Actually that's not true, while the majority of fourteen year olds claim to be sexually active, only about twenty percent actually are." Coral says.
"So you were just leading me on?" Josh frowns now.
"What? No! I never imagined you'd..." Coral flails. "Josh, I like you, but..."
"Whatever, you're just a stupid little kid." Josh says. "I should have known better, you don't even have breasts."
Coral stretches to her full height.
"I can turn you down as a woman any time." she says boldly. "An hour ago you didn't even know my name correctly."
There is an applause from nearby, as a boy in a long, rather gothic jacket, wanders up.
"I was just about to rescue you, but you seem to be doing well of your own accord." the boy says.
"Mind your own business, Spike!" Josh yells.
"Coral, would you like me to find your friends or a teacher?" Spike asks.
"I think we're done here." Coral says, turning and heading back into the hall. She's not going to cry, not going to cry...
Spike hands her a handkerchief, edged with black lace. She accepts it with a shaky smile.
"Thank you. For coming to rescue me." she looks over at him. "How come I haven't seen you around before?"
"Oh I was here." Spike says. "But I didn't express myself as a goth until last summer. I was afraid people would laugh."
"Well I think your jacket is lovely." Coral says.
"Thanks. Listen, don't let what Josh said get you down." Spike says.
"I think it'll be hard to get a date in future if he starts spreading..." Coral says, wiping her nose.
"Well..." Spike considers. "I don't really have a date for these things either, but if you'd like a 'plus one', I'll give you my number so you can think about it at leisure. On one condition though - if you wish to dance, I must insist on teaching you ballroom."
"That's very kind of you but I don't think I'd be very good at that." Coral says.
"If you're worried about your height, don't be." Spike replies. "My mother taught me and she's not much taller than you are. And if you're worried I'll make advances, you're quite safe."
"Then I'd like that, thank you Spike." Coral says, going back into the hall.
Spike gives a funny, polite little bow and leaves her, as Jenny and Clare rush back to ask her all the questions.
There are some advantages to being tiny. Although it was in the age 12 section, Coral managed to pick up something rather sophisticated and sparkly.
"Did you ask Josh?" Jenny asks her, as they get ready for the Valentine's Day Dance.
"I tried." Coral says, carefully straightening her hair. "But all I managed was a sort of squeak."
Jenny laughs. "Well, maybe he'll give you a dance if you can manage not to squeak. You look cute."
"Not babyish?" Coral asks, anxiously.
"No no, just petite." Jenny says quickly.
Still, when they get to the dance, Coral finds, as expected, that she's the smallest person there. Last year, they went to the Spring Thing, which made up just the three younger years of school. Now a fourth year, they're with the fifth and sixth forms. It didn't use to bother her being tiny, but now she feels self-conscious as she watches the other teenagers in their long dresses. Her dress now feels very much more 'Age 12' than it did an hour ago.
Still, she doesn't want to spoil things for the others, so she throws herself into the dancing enthusiastically with Jenny, compliments Em on having made a cute couple with her date, and laments Clare having flu on the day of the dance.
She suddenly stops. Josh, standing with his mate, is looking at her. She feels her face going red. Oh no, oh no, he's coming over, what does she say?!
"Hey, Carol isn't it?"
"Coral." Coral squeaks.
"Want a dance?" Josh asks, smoothing back his hair.
"Yes!" Coral grins.
It's not the most easy dance she's ever done, but soon the music changes to a slow dance, and Josh is holding her close.
"C'mon." he says, when the dance is finished, pulling her gently. "Let's go outside for some air."
Coral isn't quite sure what to make of this - she shoots a glance across the room to look for some guidance off Jenny, but she can't see her. Josh takes her out the side of the school hall, pointing out the stars.
And then he leans in for a kiss.
Oh gosh, this is meant to be exciting, but mostly she's too busy trying to stretch up and working out what you do when you actually kiss someone and lamenting that teenage boy breath is not that great... she finds herself a little relieved when he pulls back.
"You know, if we went into the bushes, nobody would see us." he says, in a low voice.
"What for?" Coral asks, blinking at him.
"You know..." Josh fiddles with the zip on the top of her dress.
Coral staaaaares at him.
"Don't be ridiculous, I'm only fourteen." she says, laughing. Clearly he's joking, right?
"So? I'm fifteen. Everyone else does it." Josh says. He's not laughing.
"Actually that's not true, while the majority of fourteen year olds claim to be sexually active, only about twenty percent actually are." Coral says.
"So you were just leading me on?" Josh frowns now.
"What? No! I never imagined you'd..." Coral flails. "Josh, I like you, but..."
"Whatever, you're just a stupid little kid." Josh says. "I should have known better, you don't even have breasts."
Coral stretches to her full height.
"I can turn you down as a woman any time." she says boldly. "An hour ago you didn't even know my name correctly."
There is an applause from nearby, as a boy in a long, rather gothic jacket, wanders up.
"I was just about to rescue you, but you seem to be doing well of your own accord." the boy says.
"Mind your own business, Spike!" Josh yells.
"Coral, would you like me to find your friends or a teacher?" Spike asks.
"I think we're done here." Coral says, turning and heading back into the hall. She's not going to cry, not going to cry...
Spike hands her a handkerchief, edged with black lace. She accepts it with a shaky smile.
"Thank you. For coming to rescue me." she looks over at him. "How come I haven't seen you around before?"
"Oh I was here." Spike says. "But I didn't express myself as a goth until last summer. I was afraid people would laugh."
"Well I think your jacket is lovely." Coral says.
"Thanks. Listen, don't let what Josh said get you down." Spike says.
"I think it'll be hard to get a date in future if he starts spreading..." Coral says, wiping her nose.
"Well..." Spike considers. "I don't really have a date for these things either, but if you'd like a 'plus one', I'll give you my number so you can think about it at leisure. On one condition though - if you wish to dance, I must insist on teaching you ballroom."
"That's very kind of you but I don't think I'd be very good at that." Coral says.
"If you're worried about your height, don't be." Spike replies. "My mother taught me and she's not much taller than you are. And if you're worried I'll make advances, you're quite safe."
"Then I'd like that, thank you Spike." Coral says, going back into the hall.
Spike gives a funny, polite little bow and leaves her, as Jenny and Clare rush back to ask her all the questions.
