‘Oh, I started giving him more to do. Suggesting that he was important to the smooth running of the dance, for example. And he is, at least to some extent. I’m sure we’d make do without him, but I wouldn’t be able to take breaks. He’s capable enough. He just doesn’t see eye to eye with me on certain policies.’
Nava gave a little shrug. ‘To be fair, he’s a fine example of a high proportion of the general population. Clan Worlds society glorifies combat. Most of the citizens have never seen any, so it’s easy to romanticise.’
‘Metaphysics and now sociology.’
‘I’m complex.’
‘At least eight hundred Tammys,’ Melissa said.
‘Is that because I’m inherently complicated or because I’m hard to get reality to accept?’
‘I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I might get punched on the nose.’
~~~
The evening was drawing to a close and there had been no disasters. Well, there had been a slight emergency when the amount of LanCor Cola had got low and Melissa had had to organise a team from the Athletics Club – which did far more than just athletics – to carry new barrels over from the kitchens. Nava could not understand why the drink was so popular since she thought it tasted like shredded tyres soaked in sugary water for several months, but it was the current favourite of children and young adults. In fact, it was solely responsible for the recent rise in fortunes of the Landon family, part of the Corley clan, hence the name. Melissa had received effusive thanks from Mitsuko for her quick and decisive actions in saving them all from a riot. Melissa had blushed.
Right now, another crisis was coming to a head. ‘No, I’m not going to dance with you,’ Nava said. ‘Not when the band has decided to play all their slow songs one after the other.’
Mitsuko was looking unimpressed. ‘Why not?’
Nava lifted a hand so she should could tick off points on her fingers. ‘I can’t dance,’ was the first.
‘You danced already.’
‘Standing around in a circle doing vaguely rhythmic wiggling while chatting with friends is not dancing. Secondly, we’d look silly. You’re taller than Naomi with those heels on.’ Nava went on quickly before Mitsuko could respond, but she also lowered her voice. ‘Lastly, what are people going to say if they see the two of us in each other’s arms out there? I know you don’t care about your reputation, but I do. I’ll dance with you at the winter ball, even if we do look stupid.’ Pause. ‘And by that time I might have worked out how not to stand on your toes.’
‘I think my reputation is mine to do with as I wish.’ Mitsuko was actually looking upset and Nava was beginning to worry a little about that. ‘I’m not going to find someone else to love before winter, you know. It’s still going to be you, and I’m going to hold you to your promise. I don’t see why we can’t just… throw caution to the wind. A-also, I don’t care how silly we’d look, and I have tough toes.’
‘Wait,’ Nava said firmly. Then her tone shifted to something as close to wheedling as she ever got. ‘Please?’
Mitsuko frowned. ‘I’m not happy.’
‘I know.’
‘I’ll wait. But nothing’s going to change.’
Nava nodded. ‘Just so you know, I’m hoping that nothing changes too.’
Mitsuko’s expression changed to one of mild confusion. ‘That’s… an odd way of putting it.’
‘Yes, well, I’m an odd sort of person.’
235/8/4.
Mitsuko marched through the door of her apartment and headed for the bathroom. The dance had finished. She had got up on stage and made a speech about everyone enjoying their summer holidays and coming back refreshed and ready for a new term. The various members of the student council had done whatever was necessary to wrap things up. It was close to one a.m. now and Nava would be turning up in a few minutes, invisible as she usually was when she came to Mitsuko’s bed.
For the first time in a long time, Mitsuko was not entirely sure that she wanted Nava to arrive. The whole business with the dancing had got to her more than she had expected it to. Intellectually, she understood Nava’s point. And her parents’ point for that matter. Emotionally, things were not that simple. The fact that she could be annoyed with Nava for being practical was probably a further sign that she was head over heels in love, she reasoned. Then she wondered whether she should be reasoning about things which were inherently not subject to reason.
She reached for the tap on her sink, intending to wash her face and then reapply her makeup, and that was when she heard music. Frowning, she straightened her back and turned toward the door. Music. Definitely music. A popular love ballad which the band had played a cover of just before the dance ended. She had not asked her entertainment system to play anything, so…
Nava was standing in the middle of the lounge floor, still in her party outfit. She lifted her right hand and held it out, palm upward. ‘Pardon me, but might I have this dance?’ she said, just as though she were a young man enquiring of a pretty young lady he had spotted on her own.
Mitsuko took a step forward without thinking about it. She stopped herself. She was still annoyed. Right? ‘I don’t know. My dance card is quite full.’
‘But you’re alone right now…’
‘I’m waiting for someone… But I suppose, while I wait…’
It was less dancing and more swaying. There was some rotation involved. Despite her protestations, Nava was too coordinated to step on Mitsuko’s toes. Nava rested her cheek against Mitsuko’s left collarbone and Mitsuko rested her cheek against Nava’s head. It probably did look silly, but no one was watching and they did not really care.
‘This isn’t the same as doing it in front of the school,’ Mitsuko whispered.
‘No. No one’s laughing.’
‘They won’t laugh. They’ll
