Over the next few weeks, the symptoms got worse, and despite telling Veronica that I would tell my father about what was going on, I didn't because I was scared that he and my mother would make a big deal about it and pull me out of school for long periods. Besides the joint pain, I started to feel chest pain, and I wasn't as hungry as I used to be. I would act like I was eating a lot of food. When in reality, I barely ate anything.

I tried to push the pain away with another exciting event that was coming up soon. At the end of the semester, there would be a school dance on the last day of school before winter break. My father liked to call it the Winter Ball. People would dress up in their favorite colors of dresses, long and short, and we would have the dance at one of the dining halls that was usually reserved for the Model UN students.

I hadn't even seen the hall for myself yet, but from what Father had described to me, it was a big room that could fit hundreds of people. No wonder the school was so exclusive. "So, are you thinking about asking someone to the Winter Ball?" Ava asked as I grabbed my stuff for Chemistry. "I don't know. I would rather wait and see if someone asks me to the Winter Ball," I answered, slamming my locker door shut.

"Well, someone better ask you soon, the Winter Ball is only two weeks away, and you want to find a nice dress, right?" I nodded, and we entered the Chemistry classroom and sat down next to each other at one of the front row tables. Halfway through the class, we heard a knock coming from the front door and we all immediately turned our heads to see who it was. "I'll get it!" Mrs. Quagmire said, swiftly moving towards the door. She opened it, and Duncan stepped into the classroom carrying a small bouquet and a sign.

"How may I help you?" Mrs. Quagmire asked. I could tell by the look on her face that she was hiding something from us. Duncan glanced over at his mom for a moment before glancing towards the back of the room. "I came here to ask a special girl a very special question," He answered. He walked down one of the rows and came to a stop at Violet's desk. "Violet Baudelaire, will you go to the Winter Ball with me?" He asked, pulling out the bouquet and holding up the sign.

Violet's jaw dropped, and she started nodding furiously. "Yes!" she answered, jumping into Duncan's arms. The room erupted with applause, and I couldn't help but smile as I watched Duncan and Violet embraced each other. I had a feeling that they were a good match. "Now, you better hope that someone asks you to the Winter Ball like that," Ava chuckled in my ear.

******* 

Throughout the day, I saw guys go into girl's classrooms and surprise them with bouquets and signs, asking them to the dance. I loved seeing other girls so happy that they had a date. But I also started to wonder if Quigley or someone was going to ask me. Not that I was expecting it, but I just didn't want to go to the dance alone. "Well, if you can't find a date, we could go as a group," Veronica suggested, gently resting her head on Klaus' shoulder. "Are you sure? Wouldn't it be awkward?" I asked.

"It won't be awkward unless you make it awkward. We're going to have a good time together," Klaus smiled. That made me feel slightly better, and the thoughts of not going with anyone began to slip away from my head. As I walked to my locker to get my stuff for Creative Writing, a white piece of paper flew out of my locker. I carefully stooped down and picked it up, groaning slightly.

Dusk, meet me in the photography classroom after school.

-???

I had no idea who had sent me that note. I was a little worried, but at the same time, I thought that maybe someone was finally going to ask me to the Winter Ball. Throughout Creative Writing, I continued to wonder who sent me that letter and why they wanted me to meet them in the photography classroom. When the bell rang, I walked down the crowded hallway and walked into the room. To my surprise, I saw that the classroom was covered in small fairy lights, and I saw that Quigley was in the room as well. "Quigley? what are you doing in here?" I asked.

He looked at me and smiled, walking towards me with both hands behind his back. "Were you the one that put that note in my locker?" I asked. "Yeah. It was hard for me to come up and ask you because you were with some of your friends," he answered, chuckling softly under his breath. "Are you sure it's just that? Or is it also because of what happened at the Halloween party?"

His cheeks became a slight pink, and a grin spread across his face. "Maybe a little bit," he answered. Even though I had a feeling why he called me in here, I wanted to hear the words come out of his mouth. "So, why did you call me in here?" I asked. He looked down at the ground for a moment and pulled out a large bouquet of Roses and Lavender, my favorite flowers.

I was speechless, I had no idea how he knew what my flowers were, but I wasn't going to question him about it. "Dusk Denouement, will you go to the Winter Ball with me?" he asked, taking my free hand in his. My heart started pounding in my chest. My crush was asking me to the dance, even after we had that awkward make-out session at his Halloween party. I thought I had no chance of being with him, but now we were moving past that.

"Yes, Quigley Quagmire. I will go to the Winter Ball with you," I grinned. He opened his arms for a hug, and I flew into his embrace. We held each other in that moment, not wanting to let go. "I should probably get to my father. He's probably wondering where I am," I chuckled after the long amount of silence. "Okay," he smiled as I walked out the door.

Oh my god, I'm going to the dance with Quigley Quagmire!