Long Journey Home

Tammy looked at herself skeptically in the full-length mirror in her
parents’ bedroom. She wasn’t the type to dress up much, but this was the
first time she and Jase went out to something formal, and she wanted to
look her best for him. The strapless white sheath clung to her slender
curves in all the right places, ending a few inches above her knees. She
was only a couple of days away from her monthly cycle, and her breasts
were already slightly fuller -- perfect for this dress. Mid-heel red sandals
and a collarless gauzy red blouse, tied at the waist, completed her outfit.
She just wasn’t sure what to do about jewellery and her hair, though. Freshly
washed, it hung in soft curls over her shoulders. Gathering it up experimentally,
she turned her head this way and that.
 
"I wouldn’t." Her mother’s voice came from the doorway.
 
"What do I do with it, then?" Tammy almost wailed. Jase would be here
in fifteen minutes!
 
Mrs Oliver walked up behind her. "Let me help?"
 
"Please!"
 
Tammy’s mother went to her dresser drawer and got out two gold combs,
with tiny red sparkling stones. Drawing a brush through the shining mahogany
locks, she gathered up strands on both sides of Tammy’s face and fastened
them back with the combs. The style emphasized her eyes, without distracting
from her hair. With a few deft strokes, she applied just a touch of eyeshadow
and blush, and let Tammy apply her own mascara, making her lashes seem
even longer. "Perfect."
 
Tammy slowly got up. Eyeing herself critically, she had to admit her
mother was right. Now, if only Jase thought so, too!
 
"What about lipstick?"
 
"Yon’t n’t need any; just bite your lips from time to time." Tammy concealed
a grif shf she knew Jase, she wouldn’t need to do that!
 
"One more thing, I think." Mrs Oliver opened her jewellery box. Taking
out a slender gold chain, she fastened it around Tammy’s neck. The teardrop-shaped
garnet blinked with subdued red fire in the hollow of her throat.
 
"Now you’re perfect."
 
Tammy hugged her mother. "Thank you so much, mom!"
 
"You’re welcome, sweetie. I just wish your dad was home to see you like
this; pity he had to go on this business trip."
 
Tammy laughed. Her father was always complaining good-naturedly about
her comfortable clothes. He just loved her all dolled up like this. Just
then the doorbell rang downstairs. "That’s Jase!" Tammy was about to dash
off, when her mother stopped her.
 
"Let me open the door. Then, after a couple of minutes, you make your
grand entrance!" Both Oliver women shared a conspiratorial grin.
 
Jason waited in the warm twilight. His heart wastingting a mile a minute
-- he hadn’t been this nervous since ... he didn’t know when! This was
ridiculous! He’d faced down Rita, Zedd, Goldar and Mondo, not once, but
several times, now why was he getting all worked up about taking his girlfriend
to a simple dance? Before he could find a satisfactory answer, Mrs Oliver
opened the door.
 
Eyeing her daughter’s friend apinglingly, she let him inside. Ever since
his return from Geneva, Jason had found his very unique style --*very
continental!*, Tammy’s mother thought -- taking in his black dress
slacks, black shirt and antique-yellow jacket. Instead of a tie, a chevron-shaped
gold pin, with the silhouette of an eagle with spread wings etched into
it, held down his shirt collar. The young man looked almost good
enough for Tammy!
 
Jason answered Mrs Oliver’s greetings politely, when a slight sound
from the stairs distracted him. Looking up, he lost his voice as he caught
his first glance of Tammy walking down the dozen or so steps. He’d known
she was pretty, but he’d never seen her look this gorgeous! She
stopped right before him, smiling a bit unsurely.
 
"You ... you’re beautiful."
 
She blushed; something she hadn’t done since he’d kissed her the first
time.
 
"Thank you."
 
Wordlessly, he handed her the corsage he’d bought: Three tiny rosebuds,
two red and one white, nestled on a few green leaves and decorated with
a narrow gold ribbon -- their combinedger ger colours.
 
"Oh!" Her soft, pleased exclamation made him smile. He’d known she’d
like it.
 
"Would you...?"
 
"Sure." His hands were trembling, he noted with some surprise, as he
pinned the small floral arrangement to her left shoulder, slightly above
her heart. Finished, the two just stood and looked into each other’s eyes,
desperate to share a kiss, but all too aware of Tammy’s mother, who stood
ready, camera in hand.
 
When all the pictures had been taken, all goodbyes been said, Jason
escorted Tammy out to hisher’her’s car; somehow, the sedan had seemed more
appropriate to the occasion than his own jeep. Mrs Oliver watched them
drive off, sighing fondly. Just before she could turn, she heard the phone
in the hallway ring. Casting a last glance after her daughter, she drew
a fortifying breath and went to answer the strident tone.
 
At the school’s festively decorated gym, Tammy excused herself for a
moment and made a beeline for the restroom; as she had known she would,
she met her friends there, including Penny and Violet, Rocky’s and Billy’s
dates, respectively. "Girl, don’t you look great!" Tanya exclaimed approvingly,
while Kat gave the sightless Penny a brief rundown on everybody’s wardrobe.
They’d gotten used to doing that, and Penny enjoyed the courtesy; it made
her feel included in these things. Kat was rather sexy inlinklinky pink
satin dress that left very little to the imagination, without being vulgar;
much like a dancer’s outfit -- it was sure to send David’s blood pressure
sky-high. Penny wore a midnight-blue tux, surprisingly, but it fitted her
sometimes a bit austere personality well. Violet was dressed according
to her name, in a lacy, very feminine lavender dress, demure yet seductive,
just like her, but Tanya seemed bent on giving Adam a heart attack. Her
yellow, tea-length dress was conservatively cut in front, with off-the-shoulder
long sleeves; what made it so exciting was the almost non-existing back.
Tammy grinned.
 
"And just how do you expect Adam to dance with you in that dress?" she
asked, tickling the dark, sleek skin playfully. Tanya shrugged and grinned
right back.
 
"That’s his problem, not mine!" The girls laughed, and left the restroom
in search of their dates.
 
Entering the gym, they looked around, finally spying the guys at one
end, where they’d pushed together two smaller tables to make room for everybody.
Kat stopped dead in her tracks and began to sputter. "Would you look at
them!" All five were grinning broadly as they approached the boys, who
were enjoying the view the girls presented them with.
 
As they drew up, Tammy couldn’t restrain her laughter any longer. The
uncomprehending glances the boys exchanged with each other set the other
girls off, as well; Violet could barely keep up the play-by-play for Penny.
 
"Y-you look like a boy group!" Tammy tittered.
 
For some reason, all of the male Rangers, including David, had opted
for variations of Jason’s attire: dark shirt and pants, and jackets in
their respective colors, with Billy in pearl grey and David in tan. The
only difference was in their neckwear -- Jason’s pin, Billy’s classic tie,
Rocky’s ascot, David’s chased-silver bolo tie, and Adam had sneakily chosen
to wear a silk turtleneck -- no tie necessary, and nothing Tanya could
object to. They did look gorgeous, though.
 
Kat joined in Tammy’s laughter. "Yeah -- called ‘Take That Or Leave
It’!"
 
"Oh, leave it -- definitely leave it!" Tanya’s comment set all the girls
off again.
 
The five young men looked at each other, noticing for the first time
how similarly they were dressed. Rocky grinned at his friends.
 
"Well, guys -- if we already look the part, why don’t we give Skull
and hisd a d a break later and serenade these lovely ladies?"
 
If Rocky thought he could get away with that ...!
 
It was shy, gentle Violet who deflated Rocky’s balloon rather effectively.
 
"But Rocky ... would you really want to be responsible for a
stampede towards the exit?" The line was delivered so softly, with so much
diffidence, that it took all of them a moment for the meaning to register.
Then, all ten nearly collapsed laughing. The evening was off to a GREAT
start!