Setting up the lights [Public]

Willow pinched the red wire that connected one of the lights he'd installed on the other side of the hall, and quickly masked it with masking tape, covering the small cut he'd made when he'd squeezed the wire too hard.

Jumping down from the ladder and leaving a slight dent in the ground, he picked up the remote from the ground and flipped one of the four switches.
Suddenly, the room with covered in spotted blue lights reflecting off the disco ball the Headmistress had told him to put up.

- That's it ..." he muttered, content, and flipped the second switch. The blue spots vanished, and turned to green, making him look rather alienated beneath the light.

Opal stood outside the Great Hall's door and put her little face inside the room
She could see a boy she recognised,plugging in a couple of wires
She opened the door and took a few,hesitant steps forward

"Umm do you need any help?" she asked him,raising her eyebrows

Willow turned around, hearing quiet thoughts and footsteps followed by a rather hesitant voice.
Opal, standing several feet away from him, looked about as green as him beneath the light.

He chuckled, and nodded.

- If you're up for it. I've just managed to put up lights A through D, and I've still got E through J to put here." he pointed to the bare ceiling of the hall across from where he stood.

He smiled as she came closer.

- So how are things at the moment?" he asked, remembering Castella had harassed him with complaints about her older brother's arrival.

Opal approached Willow more and kneeled next to him

"I'm no ace at electrical devices but what's the worst that can happen?I'll get an electric shock?" she said and laughed inside her,then grabbed a blue wire and looked at it for a moment

It's ironic how hard it is to die... ,she thought

Then she shrugged her shoulders,hearing his question

"Nothing much...A new human arrived,Castella's brother.Not that he's interesting,he just smells great.When he realised I was a vampire,he totally freaked out...especially when I told him I'm probably older than his mother.Oh and something else" -she looked around- "but I'll have to tell you about that later" ,she answered

Jack Mortender ,she thought

Willow chortled, and jumped as she plugged the blue wire into one of the sockets. There was a quick flash of light, and he watched her snatch her wrist.

- I guess you were right about that ... You should have put the blue wire into ... this socket." he pointed to the sixth socket of the electric box.

He nodded understandingly.

- I would have loved to see that." he laughed, scanning her memories for the instant he freaked out in the Cafe. " Who's Jack?" he frowned abruptly, realising she was blocking her thought apart from one phrase.

Jack Mortender.

He suddenly lifted the black box from where Opal was kneeling, and carried it to the other side of the hall.

- By the way, what do you think of this whole dance, thing? I think it sounds interesting, considering I haven't been to one in a couple of years." he sighed, remembering that last dance in the nineties, when he had himself set on going to high school again.

Opal widened her eyes to the sound of the name and put her left index finger on her lips

"Shhh" ,she whispered

"He's someone potentially dangerous.A college student,to be more specific,quite tall with pale,blond hair.And he doesn't know the telepathic ability we share,so his thoughts are basicaly,unprotected...But I need to tell you more about that outside school"

She frowned as she heard him talking about the upcoming dance

"At least you have been to one!Or more" she said,thinking of how she avoided any similar occasion in the past two decades

Willow raised his eyebrows.

- If you say so. Could have sworn I heard Develia thinking about him, though." he shrugged.

Someone potentially dangerous? You're going to have to explain better than that later on, Opal Cullen./ he thought sternly.

- More, actually. Some school dances in Canada around the 1890s, and just the one twenty years ago." he chuckled surprised Opal was the sort to try and skip out on any form of social gathering.

Opal nodded

"I know she did.And he did.And then it was...no sometimes I hate knowing what other people are thinking" she said,frowning in disgust

Opal bit her lip and looked at him

"Dances...are really not my thing.Maybe because I always feel...kinda left out"

Opal thought she'd probably blush if she was a human.She had no idea why she was that honest with that particular guy...She was an expert at lies

Willow's mouth twisted as he pondered how she could have known this mysterious man Opal seemed to find dangerous.

- I agree. How many times have I wished I had clairvoyance, or the power to create illusions. But I still wonder how she knows this -" he paused as he saw Opal's face, and rephrased. " ... how she knows this guy."

He turned his head away from the wiring and stared at Opal. She was very pretty; and had a sweet personality. How could she ever feel left out?

- If it makes you feel any better, I haven't had a date since 1892. She left me for some blond guy at the dance, so I was left alone in the corner." he said sadly, pulling a dramatically sad face, and laughing.

Opal shook her head negatively
"The more powers,the worst...believe me.Because then,you become the target" ,she said,thinking of how desperately Aro wanted her to be a part of his...collection

She raised her left eyebrow in surprise

"That's a...long,long time!...

I'm not sure if my grandparents were alive back then...,she thought and smiled at her own thought

"...But ouch,that must have been awful.I would have punched her in the face and...but wait,sorry you're...not that fierce I suppose"

(wearing: http://looklet.com/look/11504478)

- Ah, well, I suppose you're right. Again." he frowned as he realised this wasn't the first time she'd proved him wrong.

He blinked, and stared at Opal blankly for a moment as if he'd had an epiphany.

- Opal? Do you have a date? For the dance, that is. It's just that I was thinking ... as you said, I haven't had a date in a long time, and if you're not going with anyone ... we could go?"

He blocked his thoughts for a moment, baffled by what he had just asked.

What am I, twelve? Jesus Christ ... she's probably going with somebody else. Betting on it. he pondered.

Opal took a step back,surprised by the question

She didn't expected being asked by any boy at all to the dance,especially by someone so...handsome like he was.These days,she'd noticed the way girls,and not only human ones,looked at him...So why on earth would she asked her to be his date?

This is the point when I start scratching my hands with my nails,get confused,forget what I want to say and end up saying something that doesn't even makes sence ,she thought

"Sure..Yes!No!I mean...yeah,okay"

Great,Opal,you messed it up,again!Damn it,why you accepted,you don't even have a dress.And your hair is messy and...oh I can't live without Alice

She smiled,trying to justify herself.It wasn't that she didn't want to go...She was feeling extremely nervous about that.She'd only seen it in movies,but still in movies everything was annoyingly perfect.In real life,not so much

"I just,never thought I'd end up to...the dance"

Willow smiled as he saw her reaction.

So she's not going with anyone else - what? Why am I smiling? Why do I feel happy about this? he thought.

- Well that's great! I mean, it's a casual dance so you don't have to dress up or anything ... can I meet you here or would you rather I pick you up?" he grinned only slightly, trying to keep his cool.

He managed to catch a last thought about not being able to live without Alice. Alice Cullen, presumably, and smirked.

- Well I didn't think I'd have a date after so many years. Looks like we're both surprised."

She thought about it for a second

"We could meet here,in...um half an hour.Is it okay?"

Considering the fact I'm super fast,I'll have more than enough time to get ready ,she thought and let a breath out in releaf

"Yes,I suppose that's good for both of us...But it's strange that you didn't have a date for all these years"

So strange...maybe he's the kind of guy that's romantic and stuff.If that's true,then good ,she thought

Willow nodded.

- Yeah, works for me. The other guys'll be coming in a minute to set up the buffet, so the dance should have all ready started by then. I'll see you in half an hour then." he said, and bit his lip as he thought.

Maybe because I've refused everyone who ever asked me to any dance since that time? Haven't met anyone as interesting since then. Until recently.

- Ah ... nobody asked, 'is all. Somehow I think I was always to old fashioned for them." he lied a little.

Opal nodded

"Done!I'm off to my room" she thought out loud

Actually,I had no problem asking boys out,she reminded herself and slowly left the room without closing the door
Then run as fast as a vampire could to the girls' dormitories with her head full of possible dresses she could wear that night