•Maeve Grey•

•Past•

The Gala is indeed the limelight of my school, a memory I'll engrave in the deepest part of my mind, its spectacular moments in my heart.

Miss Lawrance appears near the buffet while Ruby and I are checking off the list for the whole menu in front of us. Upon noticing my presence, she compliments me for my dress, and while I struggle to even muster the word thank you, Ruby, in her attempt to be a good friend, starts blurting out how the dress is made from scratch and how much effort I put in redesigning it. Her voice gets a pitch higher at 'if Miss Lawrance would prefer to write a recommendation for me.'

At that Miss Lawrance decided to depart, eyeing her with a scrawny look at my friend's brazen requests.

"I'm sorry, I messed up," Ruby bites her nails, looking apologetic.

"It's fine, really," I assure her. "I don't think I would have been able to say that anyway."

The theme music for the event booms around in the hall, swirling in every direction of students who are donned in suits and gowns, throwing compliments here and there.

Ruby keeps fretting over the party, making sure nothing is out of place, eyeing Lydia in every two minutes to make sure she's not causing trouble. However, I hardly see Lydia focusing on Ruby. While she's blooming now under the grace of Miss Lawrence, I can't help but think she's actually more focused on me.

I glance down at my dress and feel exactly what has Lydia vexed. I wish I could tell her to chill down as my opportunity is gone.

The music takes a slower and more romantic turn and the couples for the ceremonial dance begins, the designated participants lining in the middle of the hall.

Other students, including me back away, letting them have the space. Ruby instructs the students, helping them out with the position at the stage when her eyes crinkle in tension and she runs at me, looking fussed.

"What now?" I inquire.

"Alistair's partner didn't attend the Gala. Please help me out."

Taken aback, I put my hands up in no. "I look like Mr. Bean when I dance," I tell her, the same fretted look on her now taking over me. "Please just no."

"You know the routine. It's like a minute dance. Then everyone will join you."

I look at Lin who's paired up with Keiran. "Can't you do it?"

"You know I can't," she says in a low voice. "I feel like if I take my eyes off for one second at the party, something will go wrong."

I bite my bottom lip, feeling more discouraged. Still, I agree for my friend's sake, for being so kind and thoughtful to me. I amble on my way, praying to keep my gown in check so that it won't trip me over, leaving my phone with Ruby who's going to put it in Lin's camera bag for the time being.

Walking up to Alistair, I stop in front of him, a hand distance between us. He's wearing a deep brown suit, complimenting him generously. Seeing me up so close to him, he smirks down, his smile dead silent rather than welcoming.

Every couple bow down to each other.

Hands are shot in the air, matching the distance with our partners, a few inches apart and untouched. We move in a circle, keeping our hands closer without touching one another, the soft ambiance music matching our footsteps.

As soon as the orchestra picks up the tempo, all of us entwine our fingers, closing our distance, my other hand on Alistair's shoulder and his free hand on my waist. We start stepping left-right and back-forth, dancing gracefully.

Alistair opens his mouth as soon as I know the music will protect his voice from eavesdropping. Something I saw coming. "So you and James, huh?" he tightens his hold on me. "How does it feel like to be this special?"

"None of your business," I seethe, hating every second of this.

He twirls me before staring right into my eyes. "I knew this girl once before you. She was also just as special as you are now to James," he says. "How do you think this is going to last?"

"Why do you care?"

The same smile appears on his lips. "I have a debt to collect," he deadpans, leaving me to dissect the layers of his words.

"If you can't speak clearly," I say. "Then don't speak at all."

He sharply sizes me up. "I'll tell you one thing clearly," he says. "Lydia has been asking me what his brother does these days. She asked me if you were roaming around him. Or perhaps he took you at the Beaufort Gallery." he expels a breath when my own is hitched midway. "Relax, I said no."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Be wary of them," he answers. "Both of them. Lydia and James."

But right now, I should be wary of him. His concern doesn't come from a good place.

His eyes flick at me for an awfully long time before he averts them behind me and a sly smile forms this time. Before I realize what's going on in his mind, he spins me around with a shove and I land right in someone else arms, raising my panic which subdues the moment I find James in my proximity.

The hall is now filled with other people as well, the customary dance ended a while back. The orchestra was now catering to everyone, the music kicking up, the Victorian music blending perfectly with our gowns and suits.

"What's wrong?" he asks, scanning my face.

"You're late," I say instead.

Having James right in front of me, this close and his brilliant smile shining over me leaps my heart. I push every second I spend with Alistair out of my head and fix my eyes and heart on him. "Let me make up to you," he assures me and treads out fingers. Spinning me several times in every graceful step possible, his cheeks warm up, his eyes raking all over me, we are immersed into each other.

I know one of the James' fans is bound to spot me and ceremoniously, my instinct to loosen my hold kicks me, but I fight back, grabbing onto my happiness harder.

For once, the world is lost on us.

"You look beautiful," he says.

I purse my lips. "You already told me that."

"There are few things I can never tell you enough."

"Oh really?" I tilt my head. "Then tell me what else are those things?"

"You'll know soon enough." He cups my cheeks, caressing them gently.

.............

As soon as Ruby and I walk out of the basement, I find grease in one of my gloves, smeared in a couple of huge splotches. There was a slight mishappen when the power went out and Ruby and I hurried to the main circuit box down here, helping her sort out the problem. I must have gotten from there somewhere.

I hand Ruby's phone to her, informing her to join her in a couple of minutes, and head to the girl's bathroom. There's no point in even considering going to the first floor as they are mostly preoccupied so I move to the second floor, and my chances of crossing paths with Lydia are minuscule.

The second floor is mostly vacant as I hear distant footsteps, a few hushed voices followed by giggling which dies down the moment I enter the bathroom.

Two girls are busy fixing their makeup in front of the mirror eyeing me for a second before resuming back to their thing. I take the other sink, next to them, take off my gloves, and squeeze some soap, targeting the stain.

I am halfway through, knowing it won't get rid of the stain fully but whatever helps for now when the girls clear out in hushed voices but I did decipher the words 'James and her' in them.

Only a few more days of nonsense and then the school will be officially over. When I accepted James as a part of my life, I signed up for this as well.

Pumping a little more soap alone in the bathroom, the door opens up once again, making my head turn up, finding Elaine a few feet away from me. She's wearing a red gown with an artful hairstyle, and her eyeshadow—a little bold for her look—brings out the color of her eyes.

"Hello Miss nothing more and nothing less," she smiles, reminding me of his brother.

Lydia. Alistair. Elaine. One of them is gonna be the death of me.

............
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