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Frye and Shiver were polar opposites; that was obvious to anyone. Shiver was rather quiet and reserved, seemingly always lost in thought. They preferred strict routine, punctuality, and consistency. The idea of sudden change was something that icked them. Frye, on the other hand, was much more carefree. She was about as scatterbrained as it got; an eternal rattlepate as she talked for hours on end without thought. She didn’t mind constant change and chaos– hell, she embraced it with open arms.
So, when Frye said she had a far out idea, Shiver was prepared for whatever she had to say. They did not expect it to be as bizarre as it was.
In a couple days, their junior high would be hosting their annual winter dance. It was their first year for both of them, and neither had expected how much pressure there was to attend with a date. Hell, you’d even get a 75% discount on tickets so long as you could prove you were going with someone.
It’s not like the tickets were that expensive to either of them– they both came from incredibly powerful and wealthy families. But that made it all the more perplexing to Shiver when Frye asked them to go to the dance with her as a fake date. Upon further questioning as to why, she simply responded by stating that it would be a good bonding experience.
“Okay, but why me? ” They had a fair point; the two had only met when it turned out they had the same homeroom. Before then, they had only really known of each other.
“Uh… you’re the only person I know here?” Frye tripped over her words slightly, and… was she blushing?
“You’re the most extroverted person at this school; how am I the only person you know?” They chuckled softly.
That only caused Frye’s face to blush further. It took a moment of her collecting herself before she sighed out, “I feel like nobody gets me like you do.”
Their eyes widened slightly. They certainly didn’t expect that.
She took their silence as permission to continue. “I’ve spent all my life surrounded by all this professional business stuff, but you’ve always been there. I mean, sure, we sorta just actually started to get to know each other a couple months ago, but I feel like I still knew you back then, y’know?”
Shiver nodded, “I feel the same way. I wish I could’ve been more like you as a kid– you were always so carefree, meanwhile I had to do all the boring heavyweight work.”
They both sat in the tranquility of the moment. It felt like a weight being lifted off of both their shoulders; finally being able to share their burdens with one another.
Frye was the one to break the silence, giggling to herself before asking, “Does that mean you’re down to go to the dance with me?”
Shiver smiled– a rare occurrence for them.
“Of course.”
The night of the dance, it felt like everyone had their eyes on them. Shiver had arrived in a three-piece tux, their entire outfit a velvet navy. Even their usually messy tentacles looked somewhat fancy, with a small ponytail in the back. Frye had chosen a similar, yet more casual suit. It was a gold color– nothing to gaudish, but enough to turn heads. She paired it with a deep maroon skirt, lined with intricate patterns. The two looked like red carpet models, and hell, they felt like it.
Things started rather casual. It began with a couple classic pop songs from various bands, each one pumping them up. They always squealed when a Squid Sisters song started playing, taking each other’s hands and jumping up and down like they were little kids again. They especially lost it when the Calamari Inkantation came on– they knew every single word from the bottom of their hearts.
But as the night progressed, things slowed. The genre shifted from energetic pop to more smooth jazz. Eventually, it reached a waltz. It was one the both of them knew from their years at formal events with their families.
Shiver held their hand out to Frye, smiling at her. It was a question that didn’t need words.
It was a question she eagerly answered with a ‘yes’.
Frye took their hand, immediately assuming the proper position. It was the two’s first time waltzing together, but they moved as if they had been doing it for ages. They had, yes, but something felt different when they did it together. It was like a puzzle piece finally clicking into the right spot– a piece finally played just right.
With each step, Shiver felt their hearts pounding in their chest. It was something they couldn’t ignore. Each attempt to distract themself from it only led them back to Frye. Her hands were warm; each movement radiating heat and light like a dying star. She was stunning. Everything about her was perfect.
At some point, she laughed, and Shiver’s face immediately turned bright red. Her voice was melodic; a dulcet melody that captivated them. It didn’t take long for her to notice, though– their albinism meant that it was impossible to hide whenever they blushed.
Frye looked up at them, speaking for the first time in a while.
“I never noticed how cute you are when you’re flustered.”
Oh. Oh.
Shiver’s face turned a much darker shade of pink. They weren’t used to being complimented, and something about hearing Frye say such a thing turned off their critical thinking skills.
“I think I’m in love with you.”
…Needless to say, they spent the rest of the night not worrying about trying to fake a relationship. After all, why fabricate something when you have the real thing?