WHO: Mateo Huerta and Jade Reed WHEN: Evening of the high school's masquerade WHERE: All over Dunhaven~ SUMMARY: Mateo and Jade have a masquerade filled evening. WARNINGS: In progress!
Even running in very overlapping social circles, Josie and Jade didn’t always find themselves preparing for events together. Jade didn’t need to be there now, though, to know how fabulous her sister looked considering she’d designed her dress. For the entirety of their high school careers, Josie had been happy to oblige Jade's insistence that she get to design and sew their gowns, costumes, and other special outfits.
Though this was no exception, Jade found herself at the house of one of the other Dunhaven High cheerleaders tonight, elegantly twisting up a handful of her friend's thick blonde hair. There were seven girls from the squad crammed into the bedroom and its attached bathroom and though three of them were seniors, junior Jade was still the head cheerleader and queen bee. It was something she was acutely aware of as the girls buzzed and chattered around her, helping each other or waiting for Jade's expertise with hair and makeup.
She had cultivated this deliberately and it gave her a sense of power and excitement, but for one of the first times, it felt hollow. Since meeting Mateo almost three months ago, she'd found she cared less and less about her popularity and more about who she actually was. Maybe it was because she was growing up or maybe it was more complicated than that: Mateo had intervened for her because he was a nice person, not knowing who she was short of the birthday girl and popular by deduction from the number of guests. He had had no ulterior motive and she'd felt most like herself when she was around him, ever since that first dance where he'd obliged purely to make her happy, no strings attached.
It was strange, though, because she knew that on the surface it was another pairing of a basketball player and a cheerleader. All seven of the cheerleaders in the room were dating or at least attending the dance with a jock from one of the two schools, be it a basketball player, a football player, or some combination, though one was dating a member of the soccer team. But Mateo was more than just a hot face with a talent for throwing a ball around. He was arguably the smartest boy Jade had dated, and the most academically inclined. Their study sessions included as much actual studying as kissing, often more, and she had literally talked and debated for hours with him about topics that went far deeper than the social calendar. If he weren't an athlete, it wouldn't have changed their special connection or the way she felt about him, as terrifying as those emotions were.
“Ow!”
The exclamation brought Jade back to the present as she realized she had jabbed a bobby pin into Henley's head as she allowed herself to be distracted. “Shit, sorry,” she quickly apologized as she corrected the angle of the pin and secured the elegant twist of golden hair.
“Maybe you need to be cut off,” one of the other girls, Sophia, teased, making a playful grab for the wine cooler Henley had supplied, her parents out for the evening while they used the house.
Jade brandished another pin and pulled her drink out of reach. “Watch it, or you’re next.”
There was more giggling and teasing and gossiping as they continued to get ready, one of the Emmas chattering on about the date she had secured for the dance, the attractive backup quarterback expected to turn starter next year. “...and he’s nearly as hot as Matt, huh, Jade?” She grinned knowingly, though her sucking up was obvious.
Jade gave her a confused look as she finished the application of her lipstick, deep red to match the color of the gown she’d made and hand-beaded. “Who?”
“Uh, your boyfriend? Duh?”
Jade rolled her eyes and picked up the finishing spray, spritzing her face as she responded easily, “Oh. He prefers ‘Teo.’ But he is damn fine, huh?”
The girls dissolved into more giggles and jokes as they put on the finishing touches, adding jewelry and then their masks last. For the eighth year running, the Valentine’s dance was a masquerade, almost as big a hit with the students of Dunhaven as their prom. Jade wore a black, laser-cut mask with a couple red beads to match the dress. She admired herself in the mirror for a moment as Henley’s doorbell rang, two of her friends demanding a selfie with her while the other four hurried down to greet the boys, all of whom had been given very explicit instructions of when exactly to arrive so they'd all get there together.
Jade followed the others down after the demands for her picture were fulfilled, and when she saw Mateo in his suit and mask, standing with the six other guys, only one of whom went to Aurelius with him, a broad grin spread across her masked features. Some of the girls’ confident exteriors faltered in the reality of being with their partners, mainly the girls whose dates were acquired purely for the dance instead of attending with a boyfriend they were comfortable with, but Jade made her way straight to Mateo and wrapped her arms around his shoulders without hesitation, firmly kissing him.
Mateo had done better for this dance, actually remembering when it was so he could ask Jade himself, rather than accidentally leaving it to her to prompt him into the invitation. Now that they were actually labeling themselves as "boyfriend" and "girlfriend", he was particularly glad that he'd thought to actually ask her outright; going together could have been something that would have easily been left to assumption, but he felt that Jade would appreciate the extra care taken to actually ask her. Besides, he liked being able to make her happy and the smile she'd given him when she'd said yes had been more than worth it.
He'd followed the directions he'd been given without question and had arrived at her friend's home right on schedule. He pulled his truck up to the curb just as two of the other guys arrived, too. Mateo only knew one of the guys personally, another basketball player at Aurelius. They were friendly enough, which made him feel a bit less self conscious. He hadn't been in town long enough to truly appreciate the sometimes rivalry between the public and private schools, but he had attended private schools his whole life and was familiar with the potential tensions. It helped, he thought, that he didn't drive the same sort of ridiculous car that too many of his peers did; his truck definitely stuck out like a sore thumb in the parking lot at school, but was much more at home in the rest of the small town.
Mateo hopped out of his truck, pausing only to reach back in and pick up the small box that had the logo for Flower Girls on the top. He hadn't known if this was a corsage sort of dance, but he'd decided he didn't care. Jade deserved a flower in any occasion, he'd decided, and had opted for something simple, yet classy, that he hoped would match the red that she'd described. (He'd hoped his tie matched as well, but there wasn't much to be done about that now.) He also swiped his mask, having to slip it on as he'd left it off to make the drive over.
A few moments later, he was waiting with the other boys, trying not to feel too out of place. The moment he saw Jade, though, Mateo didn't care about his general proclivity toward social awkwardness. Instead, he just grinned as he caught her around the waist with the hand that wasn't holding the box and kissed her in return. She inspired a confidence in him that he didn't have on the regular, which let him pull her in a bit tighter... at least for a few seconds, before he remembered that they were surrounded by classmates. Though he didn't really care what they thought, he was a gentleman at his core.
Breaking the kiss and stepping back from her just a hair, Mateo allowed himself to truly look her over and smiled. "You're beautiful," he said, his tone and expression as sincere as they came.
She grinned, ignoring the teasing a few of the others gave them. It was all in good fun, anyway, and she had objectively the best looking date out of all the girls anyway. Why should she be embarrassed by the way she felt about him or by wanting to show it? Though, admittedly, the wine coolers were probably helping make her a little more demonstrative than she might've been, but she wasn't drunk.
“You look pretty damn good yourself,” she returned. “I could get used to you in a suit.” This did, after all, make two school dances already that they'd attended together. “And did you get me a corsage?” Her eyes lit up and a blush tinged her dark cheeks.
"I got you a corsage," Mateo confirmed, holding the box out toward her. He'd hoped that the red of the flower would match her dress and seeing it in person told him that he -- or Mrs. Adams at the store -- had done rather well. He glanced toward the others a bit sheepishly before admitting, "I wasn't really sure if this was a corsage sort of event, honestly. But I wanted to get you one regardless." He paused, then added, "I hope that's not weird."
Most of the students reserved corsages for prom, but it wasn’t unheard of and she wouldn’t be the only one wearing one. Still, she beamed at him even as she took note of the jealous expressions a few of her friends were trying to had. It stroked her ego to be admired, not that she’d admit it aloud, and she rewarded Mateo with another kiss. “It’s not weird,” she said confidently. The corsage was beautiful, too, elegant but not over the top and she held out her hand for him to put it on.
The others were making their way out now, but Jade held Mateo back just long enough to pull her phone from a hidden pocket she’d included in the dress and make him pose with her for a quick selfie, masks on, a kiss pressed to his cheek, then she allowed him to lead the way, entwining her fingers in his.
Mateo happily helped in slipping the corsage onto the wrist, momentarily pleased in his choice because it really did seem to match her entire ensemble, and was just as happy to pause for the selfie. His mother had made noise about not being able to take pictures of him and his date before the dance, which he had managed to wave aside with a promise that he'd make sure she was sent plenty. Though he wasn't sure if she'd be satisfied with just selfies, he was sure there would be many more to come as the night went on.
Squeezing her hand once, Mateo led the way to his truck and paused at the door to remove his mask. He was going to have to drive again, after all, and figured that having his full range of vision would be a good idea if they wanted to get to the hotel in one piece. Opening the door, he held his hand out to her again, offering it to give her help climbing up into the seat. Before she could, though, he tugged her close and stole one more quick kiss, a teasing smile on his lips when they broke apart. "I couldn't help myself."
She had a grin to match his own and didn't step away from him. “I take it as a compliment,” she assured playfully. “And now I'm having a hard time remembering why I wanted to go to this dance instead of just going somewhere with you…”
"I assumed you were just indulging me," Mateo replied, reaching up his free hand to straighten a wayward lock of hair. "Letting the New Guy experience all there is to enjoy about school in Dunhaven. Or that you just wanted to have an excuse to see me all suited up. Either one."
Physical contact had come to them easily after the first impromptu kiss they’d shared on their first date to the drive in. She placed her palms now on his chest to feel the fabric of his gray suit jacket. “I could get used to this,” she agreed playfully. “I’ll have to keep coming up with reasons to make you dress up.” She leaned up to kiss him again before taking a small step back reluctantly. “But where would the fun in it be if I didn’t get to show off my arm candy?”
"No fun at all," Mateo agreed, holding his hand out to her again to help her up and into his truck. He knew that she didn't need his help, but it didn't stop him from trying to be at least vaguely gallant. Once she was safely inside and none of her dress was hanging out the door, he let the door close with a soft slam. A few of their companions had already taken off in their own cars, apparently not interested in waiting as they canoodled outside his truck, but that was fine with Mateo. He didn't know most of them anyway and probably wouldn't continue to know them after graduation, unless they went to the university, too.
Besides, it didn't take long for him to circle around his truck and get in himself. As soon as he was seatbelted in, the car was turned on (and the radio turned down, as he had forgotten to turn down the louder volume of the local station) and they took off. The drive to the hotel that all of the dances that the schools put on seemed to take place in was short, as was any drive to a destination in Dunhaven. He was still getting used to how quickly they could get around, having grown up in a city with much heavier traffic.
They exchanged their tickets at the entrance, a chaperone scrutinizing Jade for a moment before deciding she was dressed acceptably. Jade had been known to occasionally push the boundaries defined by the dress codes, but she had behaved this time. While some of the adults may not approve, strapless was definitely allowed.
Having passed inspection, Jade wove her fingers in Mateo’s and tugged him along at a shocking pace for someone in heels and skirts like hers. She found Josie and Beau first, gushing a little self-servingly over how nice her sister looked, then saw Finn. Charlie was undoubtedly nearby, but Jade caught up with her best friend first, playfully ribbing him about being dressed up before complimenting him more genuinely. He looked very nice.
Probably somewhat to Mateo’s relief, they actually got very little dancing in at first, Jade’s attentions demanded for socializing, though she kept close to him, stealing kisses as often as she could without seeming to odd. The wine coolers had loosened her up, but she was genuinely just in a fantastic mood. This was her element and she found she thrived in it even more than usual when she was with someone who didn’t require half her energy just to keep up a facade around.
After several rounds in the photo area with friends, and a few with Mateo, she decided she’d gotten far too little time just with him and took both of his hands to lead him out onto the floor. A slow song was fading in and she was going to dance with him. Her arms went over his shoulders as he put his around her waist automatically, her fingers playing a little in the hair on the back of his head as she smiled up at him from under her mask.
“Hi,” she said softly as they began to sway to the music.
A little tingle went down Mateo's spine as Jade's fingers played with his hair, perhaps warming his smile a bit more than it might have otherwise been. He had dutifully followed her through the dance, stopping here and there to say hello to a classmate or teammate at Aurelius that he'd gotten to know in the past few months. Even if he still felt a bit of a detachment from many of his peers simply due to the unfortunate timing of his being uprooted and plopped into a new school system during the middle of his senior year, it didn't stop him from trying to cultivate friendships. It did help that his popularity had been fairly easy to accomplish, thanks to his involvement in sports and similarly popular girlfriend -- not that popularity actually mattered to Mateo.
"Hi," he replied, tugging her a little closer as he let his arms close tighter around her waist. Though he was careful to stay apart enough to keep from attracting the attention of any eagle eyed chaperone, he figured they could afford a few inches less space. "Fancy seeing you here."
Her grin broadened as he played back, tracing a circle with her finger in his short dark hair. “You, too. Do you come here often?”