ღ Finding Cinderella- 11 ღ

-Kylie-

My heart pounded to the beat of my feet racing over hard ground. Sweat beaded on my forehead and neck, making my hair cling to them. With my throat aching for more air, I pulled the wig and the mask off. They were actually owned by the drama club, but I didn't care as I threw them behind.

Pulling my dress up even higher, I kept up my sprint, anticipating the relief of finally getting away from this place. I rounded the curve in the path but came to a sudden halt when I saw what was on the other side.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched a figure come closer and closer. Before I could even take a step back, he was already in front of me, his face illuminated by the moon's light. I gasped.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no!

Why was Tristan here? I thought he was—

"You," he grumbled through clenched teeth.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I began to take tiny steps backward, but he only followed me, his pace synchronizing with mine. His gray eyes were like saucers in the moonlight, filled with rage. Dark hair was sticking to his forehead, making it clear that he'd been running all over the place... but why?

His hands gripped my arms, making me shudder. With his breathing hot against my face, he leaned closer to my ear and hissed:

"Don't run. Don't hide. Don't even try to deny this from me. Your secret is out, Kylie. This game is over."

I jolted my head upwards, a scream escaping my mouth, and then twenty pairs of eyes snapped toward my direction. Julianne, who was sitting across the table, stared at me with her mouth hanging open.

Someone cleared her throat loudly, and I turned to see Miss Hale peering sharply at me through her spectacles. She pointed at a sign on her table, which read Keep Silent, and blood immediately rushed to my cheeks.

I was in the freaking library.

"Ah... sorry," I said sheepishly, brushing my head. Then I quickly lifted up a book to cover up my face.

"Kylie."

I peeked over the book. Julianne pointed to the corner of her lips, and I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Dammit. Now I wondered how many people had seen the drool on my face.

Blinking several times, I tried to focus on the texts. My heart continued to beat so hard in my chest. That dream had been so vivid that for a moment I'd thought Tristan's burning look would actually set me on fire. Why had I dreamed about him knowing my secret? Did... did it mean something?

No! Scratch that, it wasn't real. And I prayed to God that it would never become real, either. It had only been a dream—a nightmare, in fact. There was no way Tristan could find out about my secret, and even if he did, it would probably be way far into the future. As far into the future as the day we separated our ways, and I would be in Antarctica saving the penguins.

"Kylie," Julianne called again.

"What?" I asked.

"You're reading the book upside down." She stifled a laugh. "I never thought you could be that talented."

Turning the book upright, I frowned at her. "I'm practicing."

"Gee, what's with you today?" She casually turned a page of her book. "It's unusual for you to be so... dazed and lifeless. Did you get enough sleep last weekend?"

"I'm fine, Jules," I said, rubbing my eyes. Realizing that I was reading a Calculus book all along, I instantly put it away like a hot potato. "It's just the fact that it's Monday. I don't have the energy for Mondays. Plus, you know I always stay up late watching movies."

I just couldn't tell her that the reason why I felt dead today was the ball. Yeah, Julianne was my best friend, but she could be a huge chatterbox sometimes.

"Oh, by the way, I have lots of juicy stuff to tell you about the ball," she gushed, shutting the book. Yep, called it. "Did you know that Erik Taylor was the King?"

And I was like—oh my God, yes! I even came face to face with him, and it was like the most awkward scenario I've had so far in my life, even more awkward than the time I was taking my poop in a public toilet and I accidentally farted—"Oh. Wow. He was? Cool."

Julianne didn't seem to notice my lukewarm response because she continued to squeal, her hands flying in the air. "When he stepped out, I was like, 'No way. No freaking way.' Really, Kylie, it was like my eyes were tricked. Lacey was so right, you know? You should've attended the ball!"

"Julianne, shush," I hissed as I caught the other students shooting daggers at us. "Let's just continue this outside. Miss Hale is beginning to bellow."

As we grabbed our things and went out, Julianne continued to prattle about Erik and the ball. I could hardly contain my cringing because of the flashbacks I was beginning to have. That night held my worst experiences in my seventeen years of existence so far, and all of them were because of Tristan. That moment where he had been so close to me that we almost—no, I didn't want to imagine that—kept on haunting me to no end!

"...but regardless of that, the whole opening dance was shrouded with mystery," Julianne went on as we settled on a bench outside the school building. "There was something strange about the Queen of the ball."

I lost track of her story because she was speaking so quickly, but that one caught my attention. "Huh?"

"Yeah, everyone was trying to decipher what happened and what was with her. I mean, she was the only one who wore a mask. What for? The event wasn't even a masquerade."

"Oh," I puffed, getting a little uneasy about the topic.

"What happened to Lacey that night, anyway?"

"She was sick."

"So the student council just picked a random girl to be her replacement?"

Hell yes, exactly! "Uh... How would I know?" I asked, shrugging.

She laughed. "Right, you weren't there. In all fairness, though, they picked a good one."

I nearly choked on my spit.

"Seriously, it's like she got one of those What Not to Wear makeovers or something." She stopped and looked past me. "Hey, isn't that Lacey? What is she doing over there?"

I turned around. On the bleachers sat a blonde girl with her hair clipped in five thousand barrettes. She had her knees curled up to her chest and her chin rested on her crossed arms. She seemed to be staring blankly at the football field where several players were practicing. Julianne and I decided to go to her.

Smiling, I sat beside Lacey. "Hey, no class?"

"Oh, hi. No, our teacher's away," she mumbled.

I put a hand on her back and studied her. "What's wrong? You've been looking blue all day."

She lifted her head up and turned to me. Her large blue eyes were moist, and her face suddenly twisted into this terrible expression of remorse before she burst out crying. Real crying.

Julianne and I exchanged bewildered looks before I looked back at my sister.

"Lacey, why are you...?"

She grabbed a handkerchief from her bag and blew her nose. A sense of déjà vu came over me, and I realized she was making the same gesture as Bella. Wait. Was she crying because of a guy?

"Oh no. Hell no," I exclaimed at the thought. "Lacey, don't tell me a guy did this to you! Who is he? What does he look like? You have to tell me right now because I'm so gonna skin him alive with a cheese grater. Who does he think he is to make you cry?"

"No," she sobbed. "It—it's me. I..."

My eyes widened. "Are you pregnant?"

"Whoa, Kylie. No," Julianne exclaimed.

"What? That's not it." Lacey rolled her eyes and sniffled. "It's just—I rejected Clark." Her bottom lip quivered as she admitted so. "I can't believe I did that to him."

Julianne gasped. "No wonder why your tweets have been highly dramatic since yesterday."

"Really?" I asked Lacey.

"Yeah... and he's not talking to me anymore. Of course, why would he, right? I hurt his feelings. I broke his heart." A drop of tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it away with her wrist.

"Oh, come on!" I clasped my hands on my chest, grinning. "Stop crying because what you did was absolutely right!"

Lacey and Julianne just blinked at that.

"Don't you get it? That's what I've been waiting for! For him to stop clinging to you!" I cried. Then I studied their faces and made a frown. "What?"

"B-but, Kylie! Why? Clark's charming, intelligent, considerate... He's like a perfect guy a girl wants to date!" Lacey argued.

I shook my head. "Enough, Lacey. Forget that guy already. I've already told you how I feel about him, and he's not perfect, especially not for you."

Julianne just cocked her eyebrow at me.

"But—"

"No buts. I mean it."

"Ugh. You are impossible," Lacey said, pursing her lips.

As I observed her, I realized this was the look she had when our dad passed away at the hospital. She was breathing heavily, and she kept licking and biting her lips as if to prevent herself from having another emotional breakdown. I never thought I'd see her like this again, and guilt swirled inside me as I recognized my failure to protect her.

"Do you still remember the rule, Lacey?" I asked after a momentary silence.

She sighed. "None of Tristan's friends should ever date me."

"And no one until you're 25 and a black belter in karate."

"What the hell," Julianne commented.

"That isn't part of the rule!" Lacey exclaimed.

"It is now," I said with an offhand shrug.

"Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

"I don't even play any sport!"

"Well, you better start working those muscles out. You gotta be strong physically and mentally when dealing with creeps and predators. They're multiplying."

"Clark is neither of those people, and I want to take him back," Lacey insisted, her hands clenched. "This dating rule is ridiculous!"

"No. Forget about him. Simple as that," I said as calmly as I could.

"No. It will never be that simple."

I wrapped my hands around hers, giving her a look of genuine sincerity. "Listen, I love seeing you happy with a guy you like, but... you have to understand, it's so much more difficult if you choose him. Just think about it—he may seem like a great guy, but he's Tristan's friend, and like-minded people tend to associate with each other. 'Birds of a feather flock together', right? We have no idea what's on his mind, so what if he turns out to be exactly like Tristan?"

"Kylie." Julianne displayed a disapproving look.

I ignored her. "You know what Tristan's like, with all his ex-girlfriends... I know it's terrible to judge people, but I don't want you to end up as another one of those girls left in the dust, and I... I do hope you understand, and I'm really, really sorry if I was being a horrible sister to you, but I just can't stop myself from being worried..."

"Kylie, I'll be fine."

"Sure, but I still think you're better off single," I added to solidify my argument, which made Julianne murmur something under her breath. "That way you can focus on yourself and your goals, you know? Especially on our health. You're so hung up on him that you're even losing sleep talking to him."

"H-how did you—oh my God, don't tell me you were eavesdropping on me."

"It was one time. I heard you giggling through the wall, and it freaked me out," I admitted. "Besides, your puffy eyes and dark circles are a dead giveaway. And I know boys use this 'late night talk' strategy to get into a girl's pants by impressing her with his intimate thoughts, sad life stories, and philosophical talks about the universe that are complete bullshit."

"Holy heck, Kylie. How did you even come up with that?" Julianne said.

"I'm neighbors with the guy who uses this tactic," I replied in a deadpan tone.

Lacey bit her lip. It took her a minute to reply a nod, and it was a subtle one. "That... is not exactly how my conversation with Clark goes, but I get your point," she said quietly. "I'll... I'll think about it."

"Good."

After wiping her eyes again, she took out her phone to check the time. "Oh, I'd better get going. My next class is about to start."

"Are you okay now?" I asked as she stood up.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and murmured, "I'd be lying if I said yes."

"Lacey..."

She walked away before I could finish. When she was out of earshot, Julianne glared at me. "What was all that about?" she asked.

"I'm just protecting her," I answered.

"Protecting her? Who are you kidding?" she said bluntly. "You're actually limiting her freedom to get the guy she likes and have her own happily ever after!"

I scoffed. "What, a happily ever after? Jeez, she's only sixteen. Besides, does that thing still exist in this world, particularly in high school?"

"So, what are you trying to imply? That you'll let her have her first boyfriend when she's eighty?" Sighing, Julianne shifted her gaze toward the field. "I bet she'll never forget this experience."

"But she can suck it up and get over it soon," I said. My insides started to twist as a vague memory came to me.

"It's not that easy. Hello, Lacey has been into Clark since freshman year! I even think she's falling in love with him for real."

"Pathetic."

"Oh, trust me. You would think twice before saying that word again once you know how it feels."

"Feels what?"

"Oh, Kylie, you naïve..." Julianne smirked. "I mean, when you finally find the guy who not only can give a smile on your face but in your heart as well."

I only emitted a monosyllabic laugh, pretending I didn't care. But deep down inside, I couldn't help wondering as to whom she was pertaining.