3 Aug: Sadie Hawkins Dance: Barking: Pheddie/Kabs

[Phoebe Bones]

in my khaki pants

3 August 1968

“Come on Mum, stop taking pictures,” Phoebe complained, pulling a face for the next flash of the polaroid camera from her mother. The dress she’d finally decided on for the evening. She wanted to be comfortable, trading fashion for comfort with the boots she was wearing. In reality, the flat footwear was something she’d done because of her date - and how she’d enjoyed resting her head against him while they’d danced in his bedroom. It was still hard to believe that Edgar Bones, boy from down the street, was her date for this summer dance. They had been friends for so long, hours spent playing with the neighborhood kids. But he’d gone off to some fancy boarding school at eleven, and the long hours they had spent together became only summers. She’d started to write letters to him last year, to keep him up on what he was missing back in Barking. Then summer had come about as it always did, and the Edgar that came back from school had her heart rushing when he was around.

“Here, take the camera over to the Bones house.”

        “Mum!”

“His mother will want pictures too, you’ll see.”

Phoebe sighed, taking the camera from her mother as her father laughed, keys jingling in his hand. “Dad, please just get the car running and wait for us here,” she pleaded, grabbing her best friend’s hand. Her father was obliging, it would seem, as he opened the door for to let them out. The walk over to the Bones house would be a quick one, but not quick enough for Phoebe to get some last minutes nerves out. “What do I do if he tries to kiss me? I’ve never kissed anyone Kiki, what if it’s awful?” If tonight went well, surely he would kiss her, wouldn’t he? She knew she shouldn’t let herself get attached, not when he would be back at school at the beginning of next month. While he was generally home for the holidays, she shouldn’t assume that he’d want to have a girlfriend a whole country away for most of the year.

They were soon up the drive to the Bones’ front door, and she exchanged one last nervous look with Kyra before, giving her best friend’s hand a squeeze before she released it to knock on the front door. “What if Fabian tries to kiss you?” she asked with a smirk.

[Kyra Thatcher]

Kyra listened in amusement from her spot at the mirror as Phoebe and her mum bickered halfheartedly. It was sweet that Lynn wanted to be so involved, and she knew her folks would be glad for the photos, however embarrassing her friend may find it to be in the spotlight. While she finished touching up her makeup and ensured that her shimmering red dress was laying properly, she was mentally preparing for their evening. This was Phoebe’s first date with Edgar, and if he was anything less than a gentleman, then the prep school bloke would find himself at the mercy of her and her sister. It was also her first date with Edgar’s friend Fabian, but of most importance tonight was ensuring that everything was good with Pheebs. Thankfully Fabs was game to join her in this most vital mission, and she thought she’d been clear that they were going as friends. He’d understood that, right? Not that it wouldn’t be fun to have a snog before he left for school, he was a fit bloke and she enjoyed his company, no denying that there was flirtation on both sides - but he’d know it wouldn’t mean more than that…

Don’t worry about it. What happens happens, eh?

The girl gave herself one last appraising look before Phoebe was hauling her away, and she held tight to the other’s hand as they left the house to get the blokes. The brunette’s nerves about the particulars of what their time at the dance could hold were shortly coming clear, and Kiki looked to her with what she hoped was a reassuring grin. "If you want to, you kiss him back," she advised simply. "And if you don’t, stomp on his foot and call for me." She let out a laugh, loud in the calm of their cul-de-sac’s dull quiet. While Kyra didn’t have all that much experience, she’d had some fun with her lab partner last term, and she hoped she hadn’t done such a poor job of telling those stories to be part of Phoebe’s present worries. "I can almost guarantee you that it won’t be awful. It might be awkward, but that’s virtually unavoidable, and it’s okay. Took me and Caleb a few tries before we found a groove. I know telling you to not stress about it isn’t exactly going to help, but - don’t stress about it, babe. Just try and enjoy yourself tonight, all right?"

She exchanged one more look with her friend, modeling a slow breath in and out, and lightly whacked the other girl’s arm at her inopportune time for that sort of question. "Well, if he tries, I expect he’ll land it, unless he’s just got horrible aim," Kyra replied with a smirk of her own. The door swung open and she gave the group a wide grin. "Who’s ready to see how a state-funded school throws a party?"