Hey everyone!! I pictured the dress Kristina picked out as the one Ariana wore to the awards. It's just so gorgeous!! Hope you have a good day <3
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Though we had debated on the subject for some time, I was surprised at how quick Hero gave in to going to the event. He was moody like some small child every time he texted or called me to update but was willing to participate.

We both knew how much of a hassle it would be to make his mother satisfied, so we agreed on Hero lying to his parents about taking another girl to the event and they had given him cash for us to buy outfits.

I hadn't received a text from either my mother or father which worried me, but I figured it was a sign that they didn't want to be a part of my life again. If I was lucky they were ghosting. It gave me time to think things over.

I was fortunate enough to have my classes in the morning before we headed to town to shop. I was surprised at how smart Hero was in terms of places to shop for dresses. He first took me to a vintage shop, asking the clerk to pick out some "flashy and extravagant" pieces.

He stood by idly, while I tried on all sorts of gowns ranging from maxi to cocktail dresses.

He nodded his approval at many dresses that I wouldn't be caught dead in. One cocktail dress went strapless and bared most of my back, which Hero told me he'd love to strip off of me during the event in secret.

Though I did want to impress him, I decided to throw it out. There was a chance I could have been sporting back acne and I didn't want to put them on display.

Another was a short skater dress that made me blush. It barely went over the knees and had a deep V-neck that made my breasts pop out. Again, Hero loved this one, but I wasn't about to take the bait.

It wasn't until I set my eyes on the most gorgeous ball gown I had ever set my eyes on. It had to be three-hundred dollars, max. It was like a silver waterfall, pooling to my knees in a poofy mess. It was strapless but covered me just enough that I didn't look indecent and they had satin gloves to match.

I needed it.

Once I stepped out of the dressing room with a wide smile, Hero raised an eyebrow, as if to ask: You sure about this one?

I nodded enthusiastically. "I definitely love this one, but we can't buy it."

"Why?" Hero asked.

I frowned. "I took a look at the price tag. It's two hundred even."

The clerk that had helped me appeared from behind a mannequin.

"My dear, I will tell you that you will regret it if you don't buy this dress. We only have this dress in stock once a year and it goes so well with your red hair."

"I don't care how much this is baby," Hero laughed. "I'm getting you the dress you want."

"What about your tux?" I asked worriedly.

Hero rolled his eyes. "I have it worked out. Don't worry about it."

As Hero handed his dollar bills over to the clerk, I noticed that she didn't seem affected by him at all like so many girls on campus. She leaned in and said,

"She's a stunner, mister, You better not mess it up."

And with a wink, she ran behind her counter.

The event was only a mere four-minute drive away from the campus dorms. My heart was in my chest the entire way there. I didn't get much warning about it except that there would be a bit of activity and dancing.

I was expecting a small church with fold-up chairs and a small linoleum stage. I was shocked at what I saw when we pulled into the parking lot. Standing wide and tall was a white victorian styled building, with many glass windows and doors.

"This is an event?" I asked in amazement.

Hero scoffed. "More like a ball."

As he said this, I looked at him in his crisp black tux. For a moment, he looked vastly different than he normally did.

Though his piercings were still on display, it didn't keep him from looking immaculate. I, on the other hand, remembered my long dress and hoped Hero didn't have a hard time helping me out of the car as he did earlier. I patted my perfectly curled hair styled atop my head, hoping for it to stay.

"What do you mean a ball?" I asked.

Usually, when my parents had an event scheduled, it was a simple affair. There were lots of people, but it was a small quaint space, that held conferences that ended in an hour. I picked this very dress because I wanted something that made a statement and spoke volumes of my character. I didn't think it was an actual gala.

"You know, like a dance or whatever. We'll have an auction and all that." Hero replied in a bored tone. "Why do you think I took you shopping?"

I huffed. "Well, I suppose we should get going."

Hero made quick work of rushing around to my side, gathering my skirt in his arms. As we approached the center's front doors, I noticed just how many floors the building really had.

When we stepped inside, we were greeted with a vast ballroom with what must have been hundreds of men and women dressed elegantly, sitting at dining tables. Across the way was a velvet rope barrier guarding a grand stage.

At last, Hero let go of my skirt huffing dramatically. Before we could go find our seats, four people made their way for us. Two of them I recognized: It was Hero's mother and father, looking as fake as ever.

The other couple, however, didn't ring a bell.

They looked much more friendly. The woman looked young and carefree, with luscious brown hair in contrast to Hero's mother's blonde hair, and the man had an infectious smile and was short and stout, dressed in a penguin suit.

"Oh, hello," Hero's mother still had her nose upturned, but looked somewhat relieved to see me, "You must be my son's date. I must say, he's done well for himself. This time."

"Um, mom," Hero began, covering his mouth so he could laugh, "That's-"

His mother held up a hand. "Silence, son. Let your date say something." She broke off in a laugh.

"That's the thing." Hero finished.

"It's Kristina." I finished, reveling in this perfect moment. "It's nice to see you."

"Oh," His mother's nose scrunched in disgust, "How unexpected, my dear. You seem to clean up well."

"Indeed she does," The second woman smiled eagerly, holding out her hand, "It's nice to finally meet- I've heard quite a bit about you. I'm Niall's mother, Tawnee, and this is my husband, Garrick. Niall should be around somewhere-"

"Oh, don't bother with formalities with this one!" Hero's mother chuckled. "She's simply-"

Tawnee held up a finger, silencing Hero's mother. "Oh, Dorinda, enough with your obvious qualms! You and Chester can go take a seat. Oh! My dear Kristina, I love your gown! Where did you get it?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dorinda and Chester heading towards a nearby table where a few postcards were laying. I hoped with everything in me that we weren't seated together.

I blinked, remembering I'd been asked a question. "Oh... It's by the designer, Ellen Hayward. Actually found this last-minute at a vintage shop."

"Well, you did good- Oh!" Turning around we all saw Niall and Jo making their way towards us.

I was taken aback by how clean they both looked. Niall looked just as good as his father with his normally wild blonde hair combed back. Josephine, on the other hand, looked like she'd spent the day berating shops and cosmetic stores. I knew this wasn't the case because she'd had Math with me.

Her brown hair was now glossy, a portion of it tied into a small bun on the top of her head, with the other portion hanging down in small ringlets down her back. She wore a black flowery dress with a slit near her thigh, completed with a smokey eye look.

Tawnee surprised me by enveloping Josephine in a tight hug as if she was one of her own.

"Oh, finally you two get here! Let's go sit down! The bidding is starting in five!"

I frowned as we approached Dorinda's table.

How are you all doing today?

How do you think the ball will go??? Lmao.

Ps. I loooove Tawnee. She's a doll.