Slow Dance

[[OOC: Feel like slow dancing with your partner? Or even a friend for fun? This is the place!]]

Sterling was sitting in the corner, looking spitefully at the happy couples. He wasn't evil anymore, he had now renounced the Dark Arts... but that didn't mean he wasn't still jealous of happy couples when his relationship had been so tragically shattered. He entertained himself by jinxing the boys to stumble over themselves in the dance, or else cause the girls to break out before the boy's eyes. He snickered to himself as he did so.

Chase sighed slightly. Sure she had been dancing with a ton of guys. Sure they all were great dancers. But Jesse wasn't there yet. She couldn't see him anywhere! It wasn't fair. Sighing she sat down heavily without realizing who she was sitting next to. Her skirt was so pink and fluffy she just sat picking at it. She glanced around and then realized, with a pang, who she just happened to sit next to. Sterling. She gulped and turned her face away, maybe he wouldn't recognize her! Her hair wasn't straight anymore, curled elegantly. Her long dress could easily hide her. She turned her face away and looked around the room trying not to blush.

Sterling noticed Chase sit next to him. She tried to look away, to hide from him! Sterling tried as hard as he could not to be offended.

"Hello Chase." Sterling said quietly. He knew she would be waiting for Jesse... but he didn't care. He didn't even feel jealous. He was gentle, soft again, his eyes gray. "I didn't join him." he said even more quietly. He looked straight at her, determined to catch her eye so she could see the change.

"I still want to be friends Chase. I'm not mad at you. I was just... upset. You have to realize, I had been dreaming about you for days, and to wake up to your immediate rejection was devastating. But you have to know, I'm still the Sterling you met last week." he said. Had it only been last week?

Chase turned and looked at him. His eyes were gray! He was normal again! She felt a small relieved smile cross her face. "you..you didn't join him?"She whispered and then her smile grew wider. Last week. Wow...a lifetime seemed to have past since then. "I know..it wasn't the...best timing."She said slowly. "And I'm..I'm really sorry about that, I just thought you deserved to know, before I could get caught up, or forget to tell you. Or whatever else I could have possibly done."She said softly. "I decided to get it over with..but I'm really happy that you're back to normal..we're friends though right?"She asked carefully afraid it was all just a dream. She did feel like it was, the whole night (Save Jesse's absence) had been like a dream. Dancing with guy after guy. Laughing with her friends, and now getting Sterling back! It was all to good!

Sterling smiled and gave her a friendly hug. "Of course we're friends Chase! Sorry we had that whole... er, confusion. I just misinterpreted what I felt about you. I love you like a sister." he said, smiling at her. It was a lie, but he wanted to preserve their relationship. He didn't want Chase to hate him anymore.

"So who's this Jesse guy?" he asked with a genuinely interested tone, as if he was an older brother doting on his younger sister's relationships (although he was of course the younger one).

Chase smiled. "Jesse Daniels."She said after giving him a hug. "He was..supposed to be here..but I haven't seen him around, I haven't gotten to show him to all of my friends yet! They are dying to see him." She laughed, throwing her head back as though it was the funniest thing ever. The old Chase laugh back in the world. She giggled and looked at him. "Tonight has been so great! I've been dancing so much! All I need is..Jesse."She said straining to look around. "And it would be perfect, I mean, I got my friend back."She said gesturing to him. "Which just made the whole night perfect!"She smiled and bounced up and down so happy she could barely contain it.

Sterling smiled and laughed at her reaction. "Well that's good, I certainly hopes he appears soon," Sterling said, glancing around for him, although he had no idea what he would look like. Sterling jumped to his feet and offered Chase his hand. "While you wait, may I have this dance?" he asked politely, gazing intently at Chase with his deep gray eyes.

Chase smiled happy to see him happy again. The last time she had seen him..she didn't want to think about. She stood up and curtsied to him. "Of course you may sir."She said smiling just as a slow song came on. Grinning she took his hand and walked with him out onto the dance floor. Putting on hand on his shoulder, and one hand in his. The music started up, nice and steady. A beautiful song, about a girl with long hair and brown eyes. She smiled and swayed slightly taking small steps with him.

Sterling put one hand in hers and one on her waist. He didn't lean in, but maintained a respectful difference. He spun her occasionally to make it more fun for her. He wasn't listening to the song, he was staring at Chase with a renewed fondness, yet he felt in no danger of being stunned as he so often used to. He felt in ecstasy again, and stroked her hair twice, enjoying the scent temporarily, his eyes close. Then he continued to dance with her, swaying with the music instinctively, smiling at her.

As the song ended he backed away and kissed her hand gently. He smiled unevenly again, higher on the left side than the right as he so often used to do. "That was nice," he said. "Thank-you," he said. He seemed to have shed his old shyness...