Reward for a Champion

At the Party

Her nerves caught up to her as she looked at herself in the mirror, adjusting her pale teal colored dress, the color Peridot had insisted. It wasn't hard, since she could have it Custom made. Peridot would arrive at the gate in less than half an hour, and Lapis's only thoughts were of the girl she cared about getting hurt. Being found out and both of them being in huge trouble.

She took a deep breath and made her way out of the changing room, heading down the grande stairs and watching others her age standing around with their dates.

Lapis had chosen a simple black mask, one that covered her eyes and half of her cheeks. She hadn't seen what Peridots looked like, because the blonde insisted it be a surprise. She didn't even know what the girl would be wearing. 

She made it to the bottom of the stairs and was met with… Jasmine. She was on the arm of one of the top football players, judging by the physique, but she couldn't for sure say which one. Not that she knew their names anyway. She mostly associated them with their numbers. Jasmine saw her, unfortunately, and tugged her chosen champion over. 

"Well, Lapis, you're looking better than usual." She said, hidden hate beneath the half-hearted compliment. "Though, I expected you to have a date. Not participating?"

"My date is on his way, Jasmine. Not that it's your business." She replied calmly. "I was heading to the gate to greet him. Now if you'll excuse me." She attempted to walk past, but Jasmine grabbed her arm with a sick smile.

"What, not going to introduce me? I just have to meet the boy my dear classmate has chosen. I bet he's to die for." She narrowed her eyes, hinting at her own sarcasm. Lapis wanted to keep Peridot away from her, but if she didn't keep her cool this whole thing would crash and burn.

She faked a smile in return, tugging her arm out if Jasmine's grip. "If you insist, sure. Though you should know it's not someone from our school. You won't know him even if he didn't have a mask." She turned and started walking toward the gate, not entirely surprised when she heard two sets of footsteps following her.

"Well, you took your search out of town, then. That should make things interesting." The brunette said with interest. 

Lapis didn't offer any more dialogue, stopping just at the top of the stairs just above the gate, looking down to find two guards and a short line of people. She didn't see anyone who might have been Peridot, though perhaps that was a good thing, not being able to recognize her. 

After about ten minutes Jasmine huffed. "Your date a no show? What a pity." She turned to her own date and started talking, while Lapis continued to watch, waiting. She sighed and looked down, just as a voice called up to her. She pepped up to see a figure in a black button up shirt, a suit vest that matched her dress, and a full face mask with small, also matching teal colored stars around the eyes. She couldn't really recognize it as Peridot, mostly because her hair was slicked back, and she could actually see her body shape. Most of the time the blonde wore baggier clothes. Guess that had paid off. 

"Guard, please allow my partner in." She said, forcing a confident and commanding tone. She saw a small bow and Peridot stepped through the gate, walking calmly up to meet her. Their short etiquette lessons also seemed to have stuck, because the girl bowed and smiled, keeping the best posture Lapis had ever seen. 

Jasmine had her arms crossed. "This is your champion?" She chuckled. "He is nothing more than a twig dressed up in a suit."

Lapis opened her mouth to defend, but Peridot beat her to it. "If your own date, my lady, is as bad as your humour, I think I shall have no issues defeating him." She turned back to Lapis. "Shall we go?" She couldn't help but smile, and nodded, taking her crush's arm and heading back inside, leaving a fuming Jasmine and her confused date.