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Sarah & Colin had talked about going to the festival.

... and since Sarah offered transportation, Colin arrived at her house with his usual punctuality.

He rings the bell, and, as usual, he waits patiently for Sarah to panic for being late in her preparation and rush the last steps. Colin doesn't mind. His smile could melt the snow.

From inside he hears rushing footsteps on the stairs, then a thud and a swear.  "Sarah," begins her mother.  "Sorry.  Ow. ow. ow."

A moment later Sarah opens the door for Colin and offers him a slightly embarrassed grin.  "Hi!  Come on in.  I'll be ready in.. uh one minute.  I just need."  She looks down at a pair of bare feet.  "Shoes."  She's dressed in a dark green plaid skirt, a cream long sleeve shirt and topped with a cowl neck vest. 

She takes his hand and pulls him inside and gives him a quick kiss on his cold lips before twirling and running up the stairs again.  "I'll be right back!" she calls over her shoulder and adds, "Dad!  Mom!  Colin is here."

Robert Rollins walks out of the living room and smiles at Colin.  He offers his hand and says, "Colin, always a pleasure to have you visit.  It's a shame that Sarah seems to think your in some sort of danger when unguarded in our presence.  Would you like a drink while you're waiting for Sarah?  A soda?  Coffee?  Tea?" 

Meanwhile, Sarah crawls through the shadowy depths of her closet looking for the appropriate footwear. 

Colin maybe would have said something, but the kiss shut him up, so he just shakes his head with a smile as she's gone again.


Colin readily shakes his hand.
"Good morning, Mr Rollins. Thank you, a soda would be nice."
He follow him to the living room.
"It's not her fault. There are some terrifying tales running around at school, likely just urban legends, about the embarrassing disasters that may happen when parents and boyfriends or girlfriends meet. If you want to play a joke on her, take an old photo album and pretend to be showing it to me when she comes back." he says, grinning.

"Ah-ha!" Sarah pulls out a boot.  She grins and says, "I knew you were in here.  Now lets find your partner."  She continues digging.

Downstairs, Robert brings Colin a soda.  He says, "While I'm tempted by your idea I'm going to refrain from teasing my daughter this early in the day.  She's only been awake for a half an hour so she might miss out on the humor of the situation.  So a day of movies?  Do you two have any other plans for after?  We're getting Thai takeout tonight if you're interested."

Diane Rollins comes in and smiles at Colin.  "Good morning Colin.  I'm just going to pop upstairs and see if I can help Sarah.  She's been turning the house into a disaster since she woke up." 

"Green?  Why do I have a green shoe?"  She tosses the shoe over her shoulder.   

"Well, I'm not sure. I'm the movie fan, and that's probably why she agreed to come, but I don't want her to get bored. We might end up going elsewhere. Thai, you say? I'll keep that in mind."

Mr. Rollins says, "Sarah's a bit of a movie buff though her selections seem to lean more towards zombies.  Dinner's just an option if you two are interested.  We wont wait up but you are always welcome."  There's a squawk from upstairs.

"I think they'll be another minute or two.  So how's everything at school?  I feel like I'm spying but... Sarah doesn't talk about school much lately and she was acting strangely the other day.  Is everything alright?"

Upstairs -
The knock at the door alerts Sarah to the arrival of her mom.  "Oh, hi Mom.  I can't find my other boot."
Diane looks down at her daughter, crouched on the floor of her closet.  The cause of the squawk was apparent.  She'd somehow managed to knock the hanger bar free and bury herself in clothes. 
"I haven't seen you like this since I caught you in my closet when you were six."
Sarah looks around and says, "I'll clean it up Mom..."
Diane shakes her head and replies, "I'm not worried about the mess hon.  Just wondering what's got you in such an uproar today."
"I just wanted to be ready to go when Colin got here instead of making him wait for me, like always.  I wanted to look pretty and do something nice for him and I can't even find my boots."
"Are the movies starting earlier than you mentioned?  You've got plenty of time."
"No it's not about being late.  I just wanted to be ready, to be better?"
"Better?  Honey did Colin say something to make you think you aren't good enough because,"
"No Mom.  No... you know Colin.  He doesn't have a mean bone in his body.  He's the sweetest guy in the world.  That's the problem.  He's always thoughtful and coming up with new things to amaze me with.  I just show up with cookies.  I don't even make the cookies!  I just steal from the fresh stash that Mart whips up.  I thought maybe if I looked more like a girlfriend..."
"What?  That you'd pick up on some sort of thoughtful girlfriend vibe that you've been missing out on."
"Stupid?"
Diane kisses Sarah on the head and says, "Sweet.  A little misguided, but sweet.  He seems pretty happy being around you.  I don't think you need to work so hard."  She turns and opens the sock drawer of the dresser and pulls out two long cream socks.  "I'd say wear tights but I don't think you have any to go with that outfit and you two aren't going to be out in the cold very long are you."  It was a statement.  She knew that Sarah was probably going to teleport off somewhere.  Her daughter the super hero.
"Yeah I could just coast with him like everything else," Sarah grumbles. 
"I don't think you are coasting with him.  Are you trying to change the relationship?  Looking for something," she pauses wondering how to ask, "more serious?"
Sarah looks up at her mother and flushes red.  "Oh god Mom!  No."  Am I?  "No.  I just want to be as good a girlfriend to him as he is a boyfriend to me."
Diane smiles a bit and says, "I know you've heard me say this a million times but; Just be yourself.  You are a wonderful person and you are the person Colin chooses to be with.  He's also your first real relationship so don't try and make everything perfect.  You'll work out the kinks as you go along."
"Supposing I can ever get out of the house."
"Well you've got one boot.  Did you look under your bed?"
"Mom, I'm not six anymore.  I've turned this room upside down.  Of course I looked under my bed!"  Jinx!  Go on... look. 
Sarah lifts the ruffle and with quiet embarrassment fishes the matching boot out. 
Diane says, "I'll go let Colin know you'll be right down."
Sarah says a bit dejectedly, "Thanks Mom." but she hurries to get the thigh high socks on and the boots. 

-Downstairs-
Diane rejoins Robert and Colin and says, "Mission accomplished.  She's found her shoes and will be right down."

"Zombies... I'll keep that in mind. Thank you. When we decide something about dinner I'll let you know."


OOC: This is Saturday so the other day would be Thursday for Colin, right?

Colin drinks a bit from his soda before answering.

"Yes. Though I'm afraid we uncovered another plot. Apparently someone devised a substance, a sort of perfume, to drive people mad against someone."

Another sip. "I'm also afraid I neglected her a bit this week. That's why I've been looking forward to this Saturday. I couldn't see her much at school. I know she's trying to catch up with a few subjects, and she spends many lunch breaks studying hard. It's admirable, really... I only wish she would allow me to help."


"There's no hurry. Do you think I should give her more time next time?"

OOC: Yep! 

IC:
Robert grimaces at the mention of the perfume.  "We have to talk ourselves out of moving Sarah to a different school at least once a week.  Guns and drugs are at other schools but tainted water, perfumes, witches?  It's... unbelievable.  I think the main reason that we haven't tried is that it wouldn't do any good.  She'd just be in the middle of things no matter what.  At least we know she has a quite a few special friends."

He looks towards the stairs and the sound of rushing steps.  "It wouldn't matter when you showed up... she'd still be running down the stairs.  I think it's part of her charm."

Sarah hurries into the room saying, "Sorry, sorry, sorry.  I couldn't find my other boot."  She smiles brightly at Colin and asks, "Ready?  I hope my parents haven't been giving you the third degree." 

"If it makes you feel any better, it's happened before. Another group of teenagers found themselves at the epicenter of similar phenomena some years ago. Things worked out pretty much okay for them. It should get quieter after a while. And then probably happen again somewhere else."


Colin smiles. "It is."


"No problem. We were just chatting, and we're not late yet. But we should go, now. Goodbye, Mr Rollins and thanks again for the soda. Have a nice day."

He looks at her up and down, then smiles back at her.

"Nice boots."

Sarah grins at Colin, obviously pleased.  She gives her mom and dad kisses and hugs.  "Bye.  Call you later."  She holds on to her mom for a moment longer and adding, "Thanks."

She takes Colin's hand and says, "Blast off."  *zwip*

Robert takes Diane's hand and says, "Our little girl is growing up."
Diane's eyebrow quirks and she snickers.  "You seriously just said that?"
"What?" he asks with a touch of suspicion in his voice. 
"Nothing at all," she says with a smile.  "I'll go put on 'She's leaving home' for you."
"Too much then?" Robert asks.
Diane nods and says, "Maybe a little."
"So... the kids are out of the house until this evening..." he begins less then subtly.
---------
*zwip*  Sarah and Colin arrive a block away and around the corner from the Film Festival.
She pulls her skirt up a bit and points her toe out.  "So... you like my boots?" 

"I do." he says. And then adds mischievously "Not just the boots."

He takes her arm as he regains his spatial bearings and starts walking in the right direction.

"Thank you for coming. Any time you get bored, though, feel free to grab me and szap us into a more interesting place."

Sarah replies, "I'm just happy to have some time to be close to you."  She leans against her boy and smiles contentedly secretly enjoying dressing all girly again. 

That's more than enough for Colin to be happy as well.

OOC: let's move to the festival thread, shall we?