Reunion Weekend

[Spitfire]

It wasn't clear if Marty was on performance adrenaline or if she was always so bubbly and excited when she allowed herself to be comfortable but Heather certainly enjoyed seeing a more open and relaxed side to her classmate. She glanced at Terry as he fussed with his phone briefly before turning his attention back to the group.

Heather laughed, "I was not so mighty back then and definitely not so easygoing." With a sigh, she thought about telling them what began her shame within her family but they were still respected and she wasn't in a mood to divulge generational drama at a party. "I was pushed to be perfect so I could get into a good Christian college and find a good Christian husband. And because of that mentality, I wasn't always nice either." Giving Xavier a soft smile, she blushed slightly, "I didn't get to know some people I wanted to know and I spent way too much time with people I didn't like pretending to be something I wasn't."

As she glances around, her body tenses, "Don't look now but Nicole is on her way over so perhaps we should prepare ourselves for the..."

A shrill squeal could be heard from just behind Marty. "Oh my gawd you were amazing! Mary, I was so surprised to see you were coming and watching you perform was just magical." The blonde pulled the violinist into a hug that was held a bit too tight for a bit too long. "My kids absolutely love you. We have a playlist of just your music and little Frankie... She wants to be a violin player just like you when she grows up." The accolades are well-deserved but something about Nicole isn't quite genuine. She's never been one for being 'real' with people and her use of Mary rather than Marty further proved Heather's suspicion.

She turned to Xavier and whispered, "You wanna head to the beach so I can lose the shoes like a real Prom Queen?" With a laugh, she looks at the other pair in their new little clique and flits her eyes toward the door.

 

[xavierrol]

Marty's serious tone and offering such a personal and deep look into her feelings sobered Xavier but not in a bad way. He appreciated the openness of the musician and felt a deeper connection with her because of it. It prompted him to respond honestly when she asked why they hadn't talked so openly back when they were in school. "Too many practices I suppose, that and I wasn't a good student. I had to work harder than most know to keep my grades high enough to participate." He didn't add that the school had often promised they wouldn't bench him for grades but it was his mother that insisted on the discipline of grades. "That and I was too worried about the opinions of those that only cared how many points I could score or tackles I could make." He said to the group almost as if it were an apology for not finding them when he had the chance back in school. He had somewhat the opposite problem Marty had, his mother always saw him as more capable than he himself thought, at least off the field.

Almost as if it were a defensive reflex, he found himself close to Heather as Nicole squealed her insincere flattery. His hand slipped about the small of her back to her hip and pulled her closer for a moment. He turned towards her and leaned in as she whispered about heading to the beach and he gave her a smile. He liked the idea, a lot. But he wasn't quite ready to ditch the two newcomers to their group. He hoped that was something he might explore longer term with he and Heather both being locals once again. "Let's dance first." He suggested, not wanting to say no to such an offer but also not trusting himself in his current state of sobriety.

As if to rescue Marty from Nicole's treacle laced blather he said more loudly to both Marty and Terry as he held Heather's hand. "Let's dance." As the regular music filled in as best it could after Marty's performance they brought some energy to the already crowded floor. The four of them moving to the music, Xavier didn't dance much but he had a natural rhythm to his athletic body and was just drunk enough not to be too self-conscious. He was smiling and happy. The floor was crowded, pressing them together in a rather delightful way. He touched his partners, using his hands at first but also moving in a way that allowed them to grind together periodically. He focused more of his physical attention to the girls, but contact with Terry was unavoidable as they switched their collective focus among the foursome.