Chapter 6: Homecoming Dance

Chapter 6 of Variola

The rain that hit after the football game continued into the next morning but by noon sunshine returned. The weatherman predicted a cool clear evening, perfect for a dance.

Biff again provided the wheels for the three couples who were attending the dance together. This time he'd managed to talk his parents into lending him their roomy van. Connla came over to the Swift house to wait with Tanya for their ride.

"You look fabulous, Connla", Mrs. Swift said.

Connla wore a gold tuxedo with a ruffled cream shirt and a dark gold cummerbund. His hair was pulled back from his face into long narrow braids at the back, the rest of his hair allowed to flow down his back. It was the hairdo worn by Orlando Bloom in "The Lord of the Rings".

“Like your hairdo -- a cute touch."

"Thank you. -- a bit of Danann humor."

He stared at Tanya.

She wore a long gown in the same shade of gold as Connla's tux. Her dress was high in front with long sleeves that hid her tattoos, but plunged in back for an open look that her father thought was a little bit too low. Her hair had been re-dyed to a softer golden hue that matched her dress. She'd removed the nose ring and three pairs of earrings, wearing as jewelry only the Danann seal ring, the cobra pendant, and one pair of dangling silver earrings. She carried a gold purse.

"Shining perfection", Connla whispered.

"The female going to a yuppie ball look", Tanya said.

Loretta had a look of satisfaction on her face. She approved of Tanya dating the attractive son of her across the street neighbors. Thomas looked at them a tad more sadly. His baby girl was growing up too fast.

"The obligatory corsage", Connla said as he approached Tanya.

The corsage featured thornless roses, gold shading into dark rose.

"The roses are from my parents' - other home. They'll last for months before they fade", he whispered as he pinned the corsage on her dress.

Biff, Cindy, Jeremy, and Vanessa arrived at the Swift home, all of them dressed in formal gowns and tuxedos, brash teenagers transformed into young gentlemen and ladies, the magic of a high school homecoming dance.

There was a round of compliments and exclamations. The Swifts insisted that everyone pose for photographs. Then the three couples left, heading first to dinner at The Jade Dragon, a treat provided by the Dananns.

"I'm afraid your parents' pictures of us are ruined", Connla whispered to Tanya.

Tanya lifted her dark eyebrows in a silent question.

"They'd have shown me as I truly am, so I clouded the memory card with a spell-- the downside of dating an elf."

"Stop whispering sweet nothings into her ear and get into the car, Danann. -- We're hungry", Biff called.

Connla and Tanya climbed into the van.

Near the Muskellunge River on North Riverroad is located one of the Central City area's most elegant restaurants, The Jade Dragon - round tables covered with fine linen, crystal vases holding fresh cut roses, Ming vases and Korean Celadon ware discreetly scattered about a polished floor. The Chinese hostess greeted the teenagers.

"Hello, Mrs. Lee. Danann -- party of six", Connla said.

"Wait here, young Master Connla. Madame will show you to your table herself."

"Ah, young Connla Danann. How splendid you and your friends look tonight."

Mei Ling, the half owner of The Jade Dragon, had red hair and amber eyes. She wore a long black dress with red dragons embroidered on it. A perfect pearl on a gold chain hung around her neck. To Tanya's eyes her amber eyes seemed reptilian. The shadow of a red dragon hovered over her.

"Please follow me. We've reserved a special place for your party", Mei Ling told them.

She led them through a maze of stairs, tiers, and oddly twisting walkways to a winding stairway that led to an upstairs hallway, off of which were several private rooms. She ushered them into a room covered with a plush carpet over which Persian rugs had been thrown. It held a lacquered dining table and chairs, a liquor cabinet, and a wine red couch big enough for two. Mei Ling pulled back a thick curtain that covered one wall to reveal a picture window with a view of the restaurant.

"Wow!", Vanessa exclaimed. "This is -- this is ----"

"--- opulent and decadent", Tanya said.

"Is that couch there for the purpose I think it is?", Jeremy asked.

"Our preferred customers sometimes close the curtains and put the couch to good use", Mei Ling said. "But you will please leave the curtain open. Mr. Danann will be displeased if you do not. -- Oh, the liquor cabinet has been restocked with soft drinks for tonight."

"There we go again. Even the owner of a Chinese restaurant is afraid of Connla's Dad", Vanessa said.

The red-headed Chinese woman turned her strange eyes on the dark-haired high school senior. Vanessa shivered.

"I am not afraid of Cormac Danann. But I value his friendship and do not wish to displease him. Your waitress will be here shortly to take your orders. Help yourselves to the soft drinks."

The woman left. Connla laughed.

"Vanessa, I do not believe there is anyone Madame Mei Ling, or her husband, Mr. Kim, is afraid of. If it came to a dispute between my father and the Kims, I believe my father would be the one to have cause for fear."

Tanya shuddered. It would take a very powerful being to make a Sidh lord afraid. She had a pretty good idea what the Kims were.

"So this is how the other one percent lives", Cindy said as she walked over to the liquor cabinet to help herself to a cola.

When they finally arrived at Crystal City High they entered a gym transformed into a ballroom - balloons, streamers, a disco strobe light someone's parents had kept stored in an attic. There were serving tables manned by volunteer teachers where one could get soft drinks, chips, and pretzels, tables with pompom center pieces to sit at, and, on a stage, the throne for the Homecoming Queen and King. A DJ set up was manned by vocational students. These students were playing an eclectic mix of hip/hop, country, pop rock, and a few salsa numbers.

“Let's dance”, Connla said to Tanya. Tanya discovered that Connla was skilled at dancing to whatever kind of music was played.

"I'm going to need dancing lessons", Tanya said. "You're actually quite good at this kind of thing."

"Thank you. Dancing is one of my family's specialties. Relax and follow my lead. You'll pick it up in no time."

The dancing did come easily for Tanya, too easy.

"You're using magic to help me learn to dance fast, aren't you?", she whispered.

"Perhaps. That's the upside of dating an elf."

"Let's take a break and get something to drink", Tanya pleaded after they had danced nonstop for an hour. "I'm tired and my feet hurt."

In the old tales fairies danced all night without stopping. Connla might never get tired enough to take a break.

"Sorry. I forget that you might not have quite the stamina I do."

They picked up soft drinks and chips then joined their friends.

"You guys were great! Didn't realize you were such terrific dancers", Vanessa said.

"Connla is the terrific dancer. He's been teaching me."

"Yeah? I guess there's more to this guy than being a computer geek after all", Cindy said.

"The stamina they have - dancing through so many songs. Can you imagine how great Connla woulda been on the basketball team?", Biff said.

"When we attend our 60 year high school reunion you will still be ragging on me for not going out for the basketball team."

Of course he would still look like a teenager 60 years hence so there was no way Connla would be attending his 60th high school reunion.