A picture of Charvi's dress is above.

If you don't like it, you can imagine it how you want. This is just my opinion.

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Song: Slow Dance by AJ Mitchell featuring Ava Max

Chapter Sixteen: They won't stop canoodling

"Okay." He nodded when I showed him the tuxedo. He wasn't bothered at all it cost about $2500. I think. He didn't see it before we paid for it, so I showed him in the car.

What if he didn't like it? He would have just paid for it just like that?

I know right.

"Excellent choice. Issey Miyake tuxedos are the most expensive, I mean best there is. It is a high quality satin notch lapels tuxedo with vest." Raphael had ranted. And all he said was okay.

"Okay?"

"Yeah, it's okay."

I nodded in disbelief. "Okay. It's okay."

"What?"

"Nothing. Everything is okay."

"Okay."

"Okay. You can start driving now."

At that moment my phone rang.

Kai? Why's he calling me?

Maybe it has to do with the fact he didn't see you after school and he's the one that drives you.

Yeah right.

"Who's that?"

"It's one of my friends."

"Is it Axel?"

"He's not my friend."

"He's not?"

"Yeah. We have like an 'I can't stand you' but 'I don't hate you' sort of relationship."

"Yeah sure."

"Yeah and sure mean the same thing."

"Yeah sure."

I rolled my eyes before picking the call.

"Where are you?"

"Is that like what people used to start conversation these days cos you're not the first to say this to me?"

"Maybe it's cos you're always disappearing. What's going on Charvi?"

"You wanna know?"

"Yes."

"You really wanna know?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure? Cos I'm gonna tell you. And once you hear it, you can't unhear it. It'll be stuck in you cerebrum forever and ever and ever and......"

He cut me off. "Charvi!"

"Hmm?"

"Get to the point!"

"What point?"

"You're doing that thing again when you pretend to not know what I'm talking about."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm in your house. And so is Leyla and Zahra. And so is Axel."

"Did I forget I'm throwing a party?"

He teased. "Yes you did. It's my Quinceañera. And I'm supposed to host it in your house."

"Oh yeah! How could I forget? Happy Quinceañera to you, the boy that is a girl turning 15 after he turned 18 about 3 weeks ago!"

"Just get over here! School ended about an hour ago and the only information we have about you is from Axel. He said you and Zane got kicked out of Spanish class. Really?"

"It was unnecessary actually. We were just talking. Why are you all at my house anyways?"

"The girls said your dresses were done early and you're supposed to go check it out. Axel said you wanted to talk to him after school. And I just dropped Reveka and saw them all on your porch. The girls just got there anyway."

"Why didn't any of them call?"

"Zahra said she wanted to when she came, but Leyla stopped her because she wanted to spend time with her boyfriend. For some reason, they won't stop canoodling."

"Canoodling?"

"Kissing, Charvi! Kissing."

"Why did you say canoodling then?"

"Just get over here!"

"I'm coming. I'm coming." I cut the call before he could yell at me some more.

"Good thing we're done. I need to get home."

"Really?"

"Awww. Don't sound so sad. You need to share my company." I teased.

He scoffed. "As if it's not the other way around."

"Yeah right." I snorted.

"So Axel and Leyla?"

I turned to see his expression, but he was just facing the road.

"What about them?" I asked.

"You're okay with it?"

I shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be? It's just a shock."

"It really is. He's her date to the ball then."

"Yup."

"Who's yours?"

I turned to him. "Do I need one?"

"You may not, but I want one."

"Well good for you then. Skyler or Anastasia?"

He didn't reply.

"I think you should go with Skyler. I know you're like 'Why Skyler?' or 'Aren't they the same?' but Anastasia is more of a bubblehead. She reminds me of Paisley from A.N.T. Farm, but Paisley has blonde hair and you know, a heart. Paisley is sweet and all, but her brain capacity might be even lower than Anastasia's. What I'm trying to say is pick Skyler, apart from being mean, she's pretty, elegant, smart enough. She's the perfect date. Don't you agree?"

"Wow. That's a lot to take in. Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"

"It's one of my specialities. But you agree with me, right? Don't think I'm supporting Skyler because I hate Anastasia more, because honestly, I hate Skyler more. She's like a............"

His groan cut me off.

"You're making this so difficult."

"What?"

"I'm asking you, idiot. I want you to go with me." He paused. "As friends though."

"Why?"

"I was thinking, if you go with me, maybe Anastasia and Skyler would stop clinging to me like I'm..." He trailed off.

"Like the last Jimmy Choo shoe on sale?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"They won't even need it to be on sale. They'd buy it either way. So it's more like the last designer shoe on the planet."

"Cherry I get it."

"Okay, okay. I'll stop."

"So, will you be my date to the masquerade ball?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to be some pawn."

"You won't be. We'll be going as friends."

"Yeah. To get rid of them. Plus, why would I even want to help you? I rather see you trying to escape their clutches."

"What? Why? I've been very nice to you."

"So that's why. You wanted to use me from the beginning, that's why you were nice to me. Why don't you just blackmail me with my secret instead?"

"Why do you always think so lowly of me, even when I try to prove you wrong? I mean you don't even know me."

"I know what you're supposed to be."

"Not all rumors are true."

I scoffed. 

"I'm not going to argue with you, but remember this. I didn't blackmail you. I had the chance to but I didn't."

"Why not?"

"Because there is nothing you have that I want."

"Is that a jibe?"

No, it's the truth.

"Depends on however you want to take it." He parked in front of my house. "See you tomorrow Cherry." 

I opened the door and got out.

You were judgmental and stereotypical.

He wanted to use me as his pawn. 

Why does that bother you so much?

I don't know.

Maybe it's the fact that it's the only way you'll ever go with someone like him.

I walked into the house without so much as a goodbye.

They were all seated in the parlor when I walked in.

"So, where's Kai?" I spotted him on the couch. "Happy Quinceañera doofus."

"Thank you, Char." He smiled at me.

"Huh?" Zahra asked. "I don't even want to know. Thank God you're here." She rushed to me. "Those two." She pointed to where Leyla was sitting on Axel's crossed legs on the floor. "Do not understand the meaning of too much PDA. You won't even be able to believe that this is her first boyfriend. Help me!" She grabbed my shoulders and shook me.

I removed her hands from my shoulders. "Fine."

I walked over to them and bent a little with my hands on my knees. "When two people smooch a lot in public, or show too much affection, it's called PDA. Capeesh?"

They just looked at me, looked at each other and continued kissing.

I turned to Zahra and shrugged. "I tried."

"I'll handle this." She walked up to Leyla, pulled her up and dragged her away.

"You could have done that before I got blinded." Reveka remarked as she walked down the stairs. She turned to me. "You were with Zane, weren't you? You two are sure getting cosy."

Before I could tell her it was quite the opposite, Axel spoke up. "You were with him again? I thought he said it was just one date."

"It's not like that."

"How is it like then?"

"We're friends." I paused. "I think."

I'm not sure he's my friend after the way I reacted.

He still called you Cherry.

He scoffed. "So you're not sure if you're friends or more than?"

I'm not sure if we're friends or less than.

"How is it any of your business?"

He was quiet for a while. "It's not. I just don't like that I've been waiting for you over an hour."

"You didn't seem to mind when I walked in."

It was silent for a while.

"I'll be going then." Kai said and turned to Zahra. "Since Charvi is here, you don't need me to keep you company anymore." 

"Yeah, thanks Kai." Zahra said.

He grabbed his bag. "Bye guys." 

He waved to us and left.

"We should go to Char." Zahra pointed out. "I think we've kept Ellie and Amara waiting long enough."

"Okay. Let me just drop my things." I turned to walk up the stairs.

"Charvi." Axel called out.

"What?" I snapped. 

That wasn't intentionally. It's just instincts when replying to him.

So it's my fault?

He looked taken aback for a little while. "It's Tuesday."

Ohh. That's what I wanted to talk to him about anyways.

"What happens on Tuesday?" Leyla asked.

"Nothing. I just ask Axel to tell me what day it is usually. He's like a calendar."

I shared a look with Zahra.

"Leyla. I need you to help me carry something from the car. I brought something for Charvi."

"You did?"

"Yup." And she dragged her out.

Thank God for Zahra.

I turned to Reveka.

"I'll just be in the kitchen." She left.

I turned back to Axel.

"Are you going to skip the lessons again?"

"Do we need to do that anymore? I mean the deal's off."

"Why?"

"Because you and Leyla ended up loving each other, so I don't need to tutor you anymore."

He looked to be deep in thought.

He mumbled to himself.

It sounded like something along the lines of "I didn't think about that." 

"You're welcome." I told him.

"I'm welcome?"

"Yes. Because of me, you found a girlfriend. And you two seem to be deep in love."

"We don't, don't we?"

"Yup."

"What now?"

"Nothing. We can go back to our 'We can't stand each other' relationship."

"And you're okay with that?"

What is he getting at?

"Aren't you?"

"I don't know."

I was about to question him some more when I heard Leyla's voice.

"You forgot what you brought for Charvi at home?"

With one last glance at Axel, I turned and rushed upstairs.

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"They're beautiful." I gushed over the dresses on the mannequin. 

"I know right." Leyla said. "Which is mine?"

Amara pointed to the one in the middle. It was a black and silver long sleeve lace ball gown.

Leyla squealed and went to look at it from the back.

"And that" She told Zahra as she pointed to the first one. "Is yours."

It was a burgundy halter plunging high neck tulle dress. It wasn't as puffy as the remaining two, but beautiful all the same.

She gushed over it as I turned to Amara. "I'm guessing the last one is mine."

It was a gold and black off shoulder ball gown with sequins. "It's absolutely stunning."

"It'd look more stunning on you than the mannequin. Why don't you girls go and try it on?"

"We will." Leyla said as she walked over to Amara. "But first, the mask and the other accessories I asked for."

"Oh yeah." She rushed over to some boxes and pulled out different cases.

"The tiara for you and diadems for Charvi and Zahra. The masks. The necklaces and earrings. And the heels."

We scrutinized all of them. Each of them matched our dresses.

After trying them all, and seeing they fitted perfectly, it was packaged neatly and stuffed in Leyla's car.

"I'll take them to my house. We can meet there before we go to the hall on Saturday."

"That's okay." Zahra said.

"Charvi you can go with Zahra since my house is farther from yours."

"Cool."

"Bye guys." She waved at us before she entered her car.

Zahra and I walked over to her car. After we entered, she didn't make any attempt to start the car.

"Zahra?"

She turned to me. "Please don't tell me that now you made a deal to spend time with Axel on Tuesdays so he'll ask Leyla to be his girlfriend."

Really?

"What do you take me for?" 

"I dunno." She shrugged. "It's not any different from the deal you guys made."

"There's a big difference. The deal I made with him is harmless. That's not. That'll be playing with her feelings."

She was quiet as she started the car. 

"You're right. That means you've ended the deal with him right?"

"Yes."

"Good."

We drove to my house.

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