Author's Note: Fair warning, this one is going to be long - L
The night of the charity gala arrived. Stars and other luminaries
gathered at Celebrazioni to drink and dance, see and be seen, all in the
name of fame, fashion and, of course, charity.
Miranda waited nervously at the edge of the glittering crowd, looking
around. Oh, I'm just waiting for my friend, she thought in an imagined
conversation. Or, I'm waiting for my girlfriend? Wow, I am, aren't I...
Finally, she spotted Mariah. "Hi," Miranda grinned.
"Wow, you look really nice," she added. "Is that a new outfit?"
"Thanks. Yeah, I thought I'd dress up," Mariah replied, the epitome of a cool, calm and collected young woman (pay no attention to the coiled nervousness bordering on panic behind the mask). "Danielle and Londyn helped out a little," she added, dismissing the hours spent tearing apart her dressers and half the shops on Tartosa in a desperate search for the perfect look.
"Thanks. Yeah, I thought I'd dress up," Mariah replied, the epitome of a cool, calm and collected young woman (pay no attention to the coiled nervousness bordering on panic behind the mask). "Danielle and Londyn helped out a little," she added, dismissing the hours spent tearing apart her dressers and half the shops on Tartosa in a desperate search for the perfect look.
Elsewhere in the crowd, other greetings were happening...
"Judith, you made it." Cassie smiled, ignoring with long practice the coiling tension as the other actress embraced her.
"Of course, dah'ling. How could I keep away?" Judith Ward drawled dramatically.
"After all," she continued, "it's your very first time hosting the Gala. After I've hosted so many, it will be just wonderful to be here as a... guest."
"Well, I'm so glad you could be here," Cassie repeated. "You're people didn't send a confirmation, so I was afraid you might not. The Gala just wouldn't be the same without you."
"No, it wouldn't," the acting legend gave a thin lipped grin. "You know dear, if you run into any trouble tonight I'll be happy... to step in."
"Oh great," Cassie replied with an equally theatrical smile.
"Well, I'm so glad you could be here," Cassie repeated. "You're people didn't send a confirmation, so I was afraid you might not. The Gala just wouldn't be the same without you."
"No, it wouldn't," the acting legend gave a thin lipped grin. "You know dear, if you run into any trouble tonight I'll be happy... to step in."
"Oh great," Cassie replied with an equally theatrical smile.
Meanwhile, as she headed inside with Mariah, Miranda spotted a familiar but unexpected face in the crowd.
"Jenny! I didn't know you'd be here," she said, hugging her friend.
"Surprise!"
Jenny smiled back. "Your mom swung me an invite... a chance to hobnob
with real stars. Maybe chat up a few directors and producers..."
"Jenny," Miranda groaned.
"What? A girl's got to eat," Jenny sighed.
"Your a good actress, Jenny. You don't need to hook-up to get jobs," Miranda sighed.
"Enough about my crappy love life," Jenny said. "I heard a rumor you've got a little holiday romance going."
"Well, yeah," Miranda blushed. "Mariah... Oh, I guess I should catch up with her. I'll talk to you later, Jenny."
"Go get her, Miranda," Jenny sighed to herself.
"Jenny," Miranda groaned.
"What? A girl's got to eat," Jenny sighed.
"Your a good actress, Jenny. You don't need to hook-up to get jobs," Miranda sighed.
"Enough about my crappy love life," Jenny said. "I heard a rumor you've got a little holiday romance going."
"Well, yeah," Miranda blushed. "Mariah... Oh, I guess I should catch up with her. I'll talk to you later, Jenny."
"Go get her, Miranda," Jenny sighed to herself.
"Mariah," Miranda called, "Hey, wait up. Where are you going?"
"What do you care?!" Mariah snapped.
"What?" Miranda blinked, taken aback but Mariah's sudden temper.
"Well, you were busy chatting up Ms. Salty Suds," Mariah snarled "with her bottle-blonde hair and big... bubbles."
"She's a friend," Miranda replied, her own temper rising, "and you're one to talk about dye jobs. Besides, she's a natural blonde."
"Oh and you know that for a fact, I bet!" Mariah snapped back.
"What is wrong with you?" Miranda demanded.
"Forget it!" Mariah growled, storming off.
"She's a friend," Miranda replied, her own temper rising, "and you're one to talk about dye jobs. Besides, she's a natural blonde."
"Oh and you know that for a fact, I bet!" Mariah snapped back.
"What is wrong with you?" Miranda demanded.
"Forget it!" Mariah growled, storming off.
Inside Celebrazioni, unaware of rising teen drama, the rich and famous mingled.
Cassie
found herself chatting with her old college friend (boyfriend? No, he
didn't rate that title even though he was the first guy she'd anythinged with), Rohan - Representative Elderberry, now that he'd won Victor Feng old seat.
Cassie felt a little guilty pawning him off on Danielle, if only because he couldn't seem to talk about anything but the legislature now, but she had to keep mingling.
Cassie felt a little guilty pawning him off on Danielle, if only because he couldn't seem to talk about anything but the legislature now, but she had to keep mingling.
"Hi," Mariah said gently, "Can we go somewhere and talk about how I'm a complete idiot?"
"Go on," Miranda said as they sat, "you were saying something about being an idiot."
"Complete. Idiot." Mariah said emphatically. "Also total raving lunatic and jealous moron."
"What was that all about?" Miranda asked.
"I don't know," Mariah said. "I just wanted everything to be perfect... and I was so sure I was going to do something stupid..."
"So you decided to get it out of the way first thing?" Miranda asked.
"No... maybe... I don't know," Mariah said. "Just... I saw you talking to her and she's like totally hot in her little black dress and her big..."
"Bubbles?" Miranda found she was having a hard time staying mad.
"... and I totally am not good enough for you," Mariah stammered
"You're a complete idiot," Miranda said. "You're just lucky I love you."
"You... um, what?!" Mariah blinked.
"You really are an idiot," Miranda smiled.
"Complete. Idiot." Mariah said emphatically. "Also total raving lunatic and jealous moron."
"What was that all about?" Miranda asked.
"I don't know," Mariah said. "I just wanted everything to be perfect... and I was so sure I was going to do something stupid..."
"So you decided to get it out of the way first thing?" Miranda asked.
"No... maybe... I don't know," Mariah said. "Just... I saw you talking to her and she's like totally hot in her little black dress and her big..."
"Bubbles?" Miranda found she was having a hard time staying mad.
"... and I totally am not good enough for you," Mariah stammered
"You're a complete idiot," Miranda said. "You're just lucky I love you."
"You... um, what?!" Mariah blinked.
"You really are an idiot," Miranda smiled.
"Wonderful evening dah'ling," Judith drawled.
Well, Cassie thought, if Judith wants to still be the center of attention...
... let her be. She had more than earned her place in spotlight.
At least the evening is going... Wait, she thought, why does Danielle look upset?
... let her be. She had more than earned her place in spotlight.
At least the evening is going... Wait, she thought, why does Danielle look upset?
"Rohan, what did you say to Danielle?" Cassie asked firmly.
"Nothing," the drunk Representative slurred slightly.
"We were just talking about her book'sh"
"Maybe I said something about the spicy parts... and maybe I suggested..."
"Rohan!" Cassie snapped.
"Nothing," the drunk Representative slurred slightly.
"We were just talking about her book'sh"
"Maybe I said something about the spicy parts... and maybe I suggested..."
"Rohan!" Cassie snapped.
So maybe the Gala wasn't a perfect night...
... or...
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