Prom: Can't Look At This The Same

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Felix Nicholas, François Laffont & Trevor Paige

Arriving fashionably late to prom? Why not! It wasn't like Erika actually thought they had missed anything anyways. Prom lasted for a few hours, and the after party was usually the best part of the entire thing. Besides, with everything that had happened, the telekinetic hadn't had to worry about being part of the prom committee as she had more or less been able to skip all of it, as well as classes. She didn't know how much longer it would last, and part of her was hoping she could go back to normal soon, because as much as she loved having time to do everything else, she missed school work.

Licking her lower lip, Erika remained standing where she was. Part of her wanted to wait for Trevor to return from getting something to drink and another part of her wanted to find a familiar face, but that often lead to a million of questions, and she didn't exactly feel up to answering those kinds of questions. Not here. Not today.

As the brunette turned, she caught glimpse of Felix and Franck. Sighing, the brunette braced herself for the inevitable. Tossing a glance over her shoulder towards the punch table, Erika nodded before giving both Franck and Felix a wave. Well, better soon than never, right? And it wasn't like Trevor wouldn't see her.

Now, if Trevor decided to join her, this could end up being by far the most awkward evening of her life. Her best friend whose feelings for her had caused somewhat of a rift between their friendship (Of course, because of her and her own idiocy), her clueless (More or less) significant other and her support system, Franck who so obviously was Team Felix it wasn't even funny. But then again, she couldn't avoid it forever. Making her way towards the boys, Erika offered both of them a faint smile. ''Hiya.''

[Felix Nicholas]

The noise was almost deafening, and while normally Felix took to these events as naturally as a duck to water he'd never felt more awkward in all of his life. Despite how Franck had been trying to make the event so far as upbeat as possible, the radio host wasn't feeling it. A false grin on his lips, he nodded to a few other friends as they passed, not wanting to linger speaking with anyone else other then the guy he'd come with; Everyone else would no doubt ask awkward questions, bring up unnessusary comments which would only make the radio host's anexity even worse. He wanted to leave... More the nanything he wanted to leave the premises and just retret to his room. The pile of movies were still there, ready, waiting... Perhaps he could convince Franck to come back with him, to skip the party, so he had some company in his misery? Perhaps it was selfish of him... No, he KNEW it was selfish of him. He couldn't possibly ask that of his friend... He'd seemed so excited for this event. Felix couldn't let him down, no matter how bad he felt.
He happened to scan the room, his eyeline falling on her. HER. And at once he snapped his gaze away, his false smile weakening and his brows furrowing; Of course he knew she was going to be there, but part of him that hoped she'd chosen not to make an apperence. She was the very last person he wanted to see and deal with right now... He wasn't sure how long he could hold his composure, and he didn't exactly want to break now and ruin Franck's night. Almost bizzarely he seemed to be able to pick out the sound of her heels on the floor, approuching them despite the amount of noise in the room. He turned away and momentarily grimanced, before fixing a false smile on his lips, hoping, praying for a quick and uneventful greeting and nothing more. He slowly moved his gaze back to Erika. "... Hey." He spoke. He should have said more, but that one word was all he could manage right off. He could feel his heartbeat increase from aniexty...

Oh, please just walk away and leave me and Franck alone Erika...

[François Laffont]

Felix was obviously trying very hard for his friend. Franck could tell as much. But no matter how big the smile or how hard he would pretend, Franck sadly had the ability to tell otherwise. It saddened him that Felix could not ease off a bit. The music was good, they encountered some friends of theirs and Franck made sure to change the topic at hand whenever one tried to talk of anything that could make this whole evening more awkward than it already was.

Franck was actually pretty sad things didn’t go as he wished for them to go. He really thought a party was a good thing right now. A chance for them to have some fun, to release all the stress they had been building up inside for the past weeks or so. He did not have the result expected however. No matter how he tried to change his friend’s mind, he could tell that all he wished for was an excuse to go back to his room. And it was the last thing he wanted to happen. Not that he particularly liked to torment his friend. But the only way to get out of the moping mode was to force yourself out of it. Felix obviously didn’t want to give himself the necessary kick in the butt so Franck was ready to do it for him.

By the time he noticed Erika, Franck had been a little tipsy. Not drunk, mind you. But he had ingested just enough alcohol, without him even realizing it, for it to start having an effect on the boy. He didn't think there would be alcohol at the party so of course he didn’t notice it in the punch, tasting only the fruity flavour of it. No way would the teachers allow that, right? But he didn’t think on the mischievous students who chose to spice things up a little bit.

When he saw Erika he eyed towards Felix real quick. He saw her too. And he didn’t need to be an empath to know he would rather not have her come near. He was not ready just yet. So, of course, Franck would have to protect him. Now, it hurt him to do that to Erika, since she was a friend, but so was Felix and he didn’t want to make things worse. He tried to give her a subtle sign not to come when she waved their way. He didn't want to go to her and ask her to keep her distance but he felt like he might have to. He actually made a step closer, almost shielding Felix with his body from Erika when she came despite his best subtle efforts for her not to. Maybe he shouldn’t have been subtle and just take Felix away.

Quick, he needed a tactic to separate the two of them. “Hey Felix, you asleep or what? I asked you if you wanted a drink,” he asked, ignoring Erika a moment to tell him that. He was giving him the opportunity to run away while he’d talk to Erika. He sure hoped his gaze was able to tell as much for she was too close not to have heard this and so too close for him to tell him about the strategy. He turned around to face her again and had a small smile. “Hi. I was no longer expecting. Or have you been here the whole time and we missed you?” he told her. No, he was not trying to make it hard on Felix by having a conversation with her. It was quite the reverse. He wanted to talk to her so he could escape without it to look too rude.

[Trevor Paige]

Trevor hadn't really wanted to leave Erika's side, not even for the brief moment it took to track down something to drink that didn't threaten to get him drunk from the smell alone. The day had been long and eventful but nice. He was pleased at the results of the week's worth of work and preparation that had gone into the day's activities. And Erika, how beautiful she had been standing at the edge of the picturesque New York Harbor with the Manhattan skyline as a back drop. It was a day he'd remember, he could only hope Erika felt the same.

Nodding a faintly and giving a half-hearted wave to an acquaintance that noticed him, Trevor navigated his way through the small groups of students that had already formed about the gymnasium. He was comfortable in such situations, he'd attended many functions, balls and fundraisers in his short life and this one felt no different than all the rest. Just another opportunity to mingle and maybe make a professional connection or two in the process.

Upon spotting Erika, Trevor shifted course and started toward her. Even from a distance he sensed something was off about the trio. He'd never met either Felix or Francois, but he knew who they were. It was his business to know such things, after all, and he was also aware that they were close friends of Erika's. He was actually looking forward to getting to know the small handful of people Erika kept close.

"Hey." Trevor said as he handed off one of the plastic cups to Erika while leaning in to place a brief, chaste kiss on her cheek. "This was the only thing I could find to drink that I don't think is straight vodka with food coloring in it." His attention then shifted to Felix and Francois and he gave them a polite smile. Almost without thinking his free hand came up too lightly rest upon Erika's lower back. It was a simple, almost innocent public display of affection done while he waited to see if he would be introduced.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Gazing between the two boys, the confusion was apparent on the brunette's face, but she was quick to cover it up with something similar to a smile. She wasn't entirely sure why Felix was so -- or seemed so mad, and why Franck was covering up for him, but clearly something had happened while she had been gone, and it was none of her business. She wasn't going to dig further into it. The coldness, and the obvious awkward tension wasn't hard to spot, and as much as it threw the brunette off, the confusion and curiosity to exactly what it was that she had been missing was stronger than the will to get away from it. Surely, this was no place or situation to ask exactly what was going on.

Shifting her attention to Trevor as he approached, Erika offered him a half-hearted smile before accepting the drink, ''Thank you.'' This was by far not the best situation the four of them could find themselves in, and Erika knew that it would have been far better if she and Felix had been alone, so they could talk about whatever it was that caused him to be so incredibly chill towards her, but with Franck backing him up - for whatever reason - and Trevor oh so obviously wanting to be introduced, it didn't leave the brunette much room to run away nor play it off.

''Franck-'' she nodded towards the French boy, ''-Felix-'' she nodded towards her (ex?)best friend, ''-Trevor,'' she added and nodded towards the younger boy next to her. With that, the brunette continued to fold her arms across her chest, the drink still in her hand as she scrunched her brows towards the duo. What the actual fuck was going on?

[Felix Nicholas]

Oh please just leave now... You've said your hello...
Felix couldn't deny the relief he felt as Franck stepped forward, giving the radio host an excuse to leave the awkward situation. He wasn't ready for any sort of confrontation, especially not here, now... Not during prom. If he could just keep his distance from her, then perhaps at least this evening could go on unhindered by harsh words or uneasy atmospheres. Felix knew that if Erika attempted to delve into the issues between them tonight he wouldn't be able to hold back; Things were too raw, too painful. No... Tonight was about giving Franck a light hearted, fun night after everything he'd done for the radio host. It wasn't about Erika, and it certainly wasn't about him.

And then HE came over.

The boy whom his best friend had so suddenly fallen for... This, for lack of a better word, kid. Felix felt his heart sink into the floor, thundering violently as it did so. He could barely handle it, and it took all he could muster not to drop his weak smile. After everything... They were acting like some perfect happy couple. It was sickening... As if she couldn't twist the knife any deeper. Felix shifted his eyeline to Trevor when he was introduced, but did nothing other then that to acknowledge him; He then quickly turned to Franck, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder as he leaned in to his ear. "I'm... I'm going to get a drink, okay?" He then patted his shoulder, before offering a quick wave in the couple's direction, before leaving the situation as quickly as he could. It was for the best... It wasn't quite ready to face the writhing feelings within him just yet, and he didn't exactly want to ruin the evening for them all by having it out with Erika here. It all felt so terribly, painfully unfair.

[François Laffont]

Franck did hear the rumours about Erika being involved with Trevor. In a way, he had no problem with that. He was even happy for his friend that she found someone that made her this happy. But right now, this night was for Felix to get better and seeing Erika flaunting her stuff with him at her arm was not what he had planned. He felt torn here. Erika went through a lot and he didn’t want to add more on her shoulders. But Felix needed him right now. He was the only one there for the boy at this prom, while Erika had Trevor. As much as he pained him, he had to choose a side tonight. And it was not hers. He didn’t want to talk of the problem here, it was not the time. There were way too many people not involved in this to start talking of the situation. And Felix was too weak still to do it.

Franck also felt a tad sorry for Trevor. He didn’t know him too well and didn’t want to act as if he hated him or anything. But he was not welcomed tonight. His presence near Erika would simply make things worse and they clearly didn’t need that. Franck nodded as she introduced Trevor to them. This made it harder for Franck to ask Erika to leave them be for the night. He knew it was harsh and probably not what a friend should say. But Felix was his friend too. This was what he considered the best solution for the night, to have each of them in their own little corner. “Happy to meet you you,” he told Trevor. It was a lie. He would be happy had this been any other night. But not now, not during prom, with Felix next to him. He could feel all of the boy’s pain at the mere sight of Trevor and Erika together.

He turned around when he felt Felix’s hand on his shoulder and nodded as he said he’d get a drink. It was best that way. Franck would join him later but he wanted to talk with Erika first. “Erika, look...” he began, turning his attention back on the couple. “I’m happy to see you and all, but please, try to keep your distance from Felix for the night. He’s... he’s had it pretty rough lately and having you showing how happy you are with Trevor is just making things worse.” As he said that, he knew there was something not right. It must be insulting to Erika, who had been kidnapped and tortured yet have Franck worry about Felix’s feelings. He pointed in Trevor’s direction. “You got your boyfriend, Felix only has me right now. Just let it go for the night, we’ll fix that up later, alright?” he asked of her. Still didn’t feel quite right but Franck couldn’t stress how important it was to keep a reasonable distance between them all.

[Trevor Paige]

Franck's impassioned plea brought into focus so much of the awkwardness Trevor had sensed the moment he laid eyes on the trio from across the gymnasium. He had nodded politely at Franck's greeting, but didn't offer much more. It was apparent there happened to be a great deal of unspoken tension needing be resolved and Trevor's presence could only serve to antagonize the situation. Frowning faintly his eyes drifted from Francois to Erika.

"I'm going to go say 'hi' to a couple friends." Trevor said to Erika. He didn't want to leave her alone, but knew if there was anything to be said to smooth over the situation it wasn't going to happen as long as he remained nearby. "I'll catch up with you later, okay?" He offered Erika a weak smile before turning to Franck. He gave him a polite nod and silently excused himself.

Even though Trevor was largely oblivious to the true nature of the relationship the other three shared, the forlorn, almost lost look on Felix's face had spoke volumes. Try as the older boy might to hide it, the expression he gave when Trevor even approached, let alone the subtle reaction to the seemingly innocent display of affection directed toward the radio host's now lost love. Trevor felt a pang of guilt as he broke away and headed off in a random direction. Maybe Erika and Franck could come to some sort of agreement or understanding. He hoped. Erika would need all the friends she could get in the coming months.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Everything that happened from when Felix left to when Franck started talking sent Erika's head spinning. Grateful that Trevor chose to leave instead of participating in the drama, Erika turned her attention towards Franck once more, the confusing growing more and more with each word.

Apparently, Erika had missed a lot during her time away, and whatever had happened, had sent two of her closest friends running in the opposite direction, and neither seemed to make any sense. Blinking, Erika opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again. She would have asked what all of this was about, but hearing the tone in Franck's voice, she had a pretty good guess about that not being an option.

Squinting her eyes, Erika sighed, "He has had it pretty rough? Yeah, okay," Erika said with a scoff, "I didn't know we were keeping count on who's had it worse. I guess I missed the sign up's to 'Whose life sucks the most'. My bad." She didn't mean to sound as hostile as she did, but it seemed unfair. Unfair that after everything she had been through, and everything she oh so obviously had missed out on, she was the bad person, and she had absolutely no idea why. But before allowing the younger boy to speak, Erika lifted her hand, "Considering the fact that you just actually said that, I don't think you're in any position or have any right to judge me or tell me what to do, Franck, because clearly, you don't have any idea about what you're talking about." Neither did she.

"Fix it later? What is there to fix?" Sighing, Erika looked away. "Forget it." With that, the brunette turned on her heel and started walking away.

If Franck really though Erika was going to sit idly by and have two of the people she once considered to be her best friends talk to her like she had done something horribly wrong without even asking her about her side (since she had absolutely no idea what all of this was about), then he was wrong.

[Felix Nicholas]

Felix was beyond thankful for how much Franck was putting himself on the line for him, but he really shouldn't feel he had to. The radio host knew he really should be the one dealing with the situation, but he simply wasn't prepared for it. He wasn't ready to face Erika, and he'd hoped she'd realise that and think along the same lines, and and chose to avoid him for the sake of the fragile state of their friendship. He glanced over towards the pair once he'd reached the drinks table, noting how Trevor chose to leave. Must want to stay out of it... At least the guy had that in his plus points. Felix knew Franck was likely telling Erika to back off for the evening, and judging by his once best friend's expressions it wasn't going well.
the radio host quickly averted his gaze back to the table, not wanting Erika to notice him watching the pair. The dull emotional pain in his chest was more then he'd expected, almost throbbing with a dull level of misery. Out of all nights, why did she have to come to him now?! Perhaps what Franck had siad would be enough to keep her from interacting with him for the rest of the evening, even if she hadn't been happy with what the guy said.

Felix took a slow, deep breath, taking a cup and lading in some punch before replacing the ladle into the large bowl, taking a mouthful. Before it had even touched his lips Felix had smelt the alcohol, but chose to drink it anyway... Perhaps it was a bad idea,
but if it helped him cope with the event then he was more then happy to get a little tipsy. He sighed after he'd swallowed the mouthful, glancing back over towards Erika and Franck as he did so; Thankfully, Erika had left, and more thankfully so wasn't heading in his direction, but instead was storming off into the crowd. He wasn't happy about any of this... But so that this night wasn't ruined Felix knew he had to avoid her. Later perhaps... They could talk. But for right now, he simply wasn't ready to talk to her.

[François Laffont]

To Franck, this was what happened: he had Felix realized he loved Erika, convinced him to tell the girl but she turned him down and whatever way she chose to do so apparently left the boy thinking she no longer was the Erika he knew and that she didn't want to be his friend any longer. Or something of the like. Felix did tell him before doing that whole rescue mission that it might as well be over between Erika and himself. And he didn’t just mean the love that never had the time to happen but friendship also. He had no idea what Erika told him, or the fact this was not Erika who talked to him, but it left the boy scarred. He was certain all this could be fixed of course. But not tonight. Felix proved to be too fragile still to have this little heart to heart with the girl.

He was grateful to Trevor that the boy understood perhaps it would be best for him to go and sit this one out. Franck wanted to check on Felix, make sure seeing the one he loved at the arm of another had not been too hard a blow for him right now. But with what Erika replied, he understood he clearly didn’t choose the right words. Of course, Erika went through rougher times. He didn't want to imply otherwise. But she had Trevor. And the whole school feeling sorry for the poor girl who had been kidnapped and tortured. Felix had only Franck for now, he had to stay on his side for tonight. “I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I’m happy to see you came despite all that happened to you and I really wish you a nice prom and to have fun,” he objected in a sigh. He didn’t want to defend himself here, he knew he lacked of tact on that one.

She pointed out he had no idea what he had been talking about. “Maybe, but I know he’d be locked in his room right now if I had not dragged him out of it. So please, let’s just all enjoy tonight on our side of the gym. It’s not the right time to talk of what happened,” he told her. He frowned when she didn't seem to get what there was to fix. Did she really ended things with him to the point of not caring how he felt? He could not believe the Erika he knew could be so heartless. He could feel her stubbornness and didn't like it. “Please, any other time. Just not now” he repeated, this time almost pleading her. They all deserved a good prom and Franck would feel far too guilty if something bad was to happen because of this. He stayed there despite his terrible desire to see Felix and how the boy felt about all of this, and to apologize to let her come at him like this. He wanted to make sure she understood first.