༺ MIRRORBALL ༻

I know Mom is somewhere in the crowd. With Dad. Newt and Sonya are there. Vince, Mary, Chuck, Minho (who almost got sent away because he kept whistling), Teresa, and mostly importantly... Thomas.

They're all watching Aris and I dance before I, as Clara, am supposed to wake up and realize it was all a dream, but then Aris appears as the prince, and that'll be the last thing before the curtains close.

I've trained hard the past months. I've eaten as much as my mind allowed me to. Vince told me not to force it too much, or I might fall back into old habits later. So I took it easy. I don't think I've recovered yet. I can't just do that in two months. But at least my body is in a better state. I can dance.

Because yup, I eventually took the NG tube.

And it was awful, but I did it just to do this tonight. I can say it was worth it.

Janson's gone. My old ballet teacher, Ava, was included too and is also gone now. Henry is gone. Whole Sports is gone. But they made enough money out of past stars to create a new building with a new owner, who will be Jorge. The hockey team's coach.

Gally is struggling with the aftermath of it all, but they told me he will be alright, eventually.

But I have to stop thinking about it now, before I make a mistake. Lights are blinding my eyes. Reminds me of the mirrorball. But it's full on shining now. Not broken, not red, just glinstering and being beautiful.

I can no longer see it. I guess it just made some kind of imprint in my mind, and I'm stuck with it now. A nice... symbol?

Before I know it, it's over. The curtain close to Aris and I holding each other's hands, our faces inches away from each other. Once we're completely apart from the crowd, somewhat everyone just drops to the ground from exhaustion.

But I've got to see Thomas. The applause lasts super long, yet I just know he's making his way to me, no matter how many people try to stop him.

"Teresa!" Aris jumps up so fast that I wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for the name he just called, and I watch him run over to the girl.

I only watch a second of their kiss, not wanting to disturb. Besides, someone forces me to look at him by pulling me up by the waist, and I'm kissing Thomas before I know it.

"You did it!" He makes a little jump after the kiss. "Oh, it was amazing, Blondie. I almost got tears in my eyes! You were beautiful," and the compliments continue until Newt pulls me away with a glare at Thomas.

He's no longer angry at him after the explanations, but I think he's holding a bit of a grudge until he knows for sure Thomas won't do anything again.

"Now that's my sister." He grins, pulling me into a hug before he hands me a bouquet. "From Sonya, Mom, Dad, and I."

"Thank you." I smile at him. Then I hug my family, followed by Teresa.

"Mistake," Minho calls out. "You always got to keep an eye on Thomas before he— yup."

I turn around. Groan when I see him sticking his head through the curtain so he can speak to the crowd.

"That was my girlfriend, you assh—" Luckily, Vince got him pulled away before he can finish.

"Thomas!" His mom peeps.

"What? I was just letting them know how lucky I am!" He kisses me again. "Wish it had been for my eyes only, sometimes."

"There's enough things for your eyes only. Don't act like a brat." I chuckle. My arms automatically wrap around him again. "Wanna eat dinner at mine tonight? To celebrate?"

"No."

I pull a face.

"We," he makes a movement between us, "have our own dinner planned."

My face lights up. "Really? Ohh! Where to? What time? Is it far? What are we eati—"

He presses a finger to my lips. "That's a secret, Blondie."

✵

"Wow." I spin around the place.

We're on the same hill he asked me to be my boyfriend. The flowers have now grown completely, and the lights of a small village in the distance give the place a nice vibe. Grass surrounds us. We're safe from the bugs by a blanket on the ground and candles in between us.

They stink since they're supposed to get mosquitos away, but we'll pretend it's romantic.

To my surprise, Luca appears with a tray in his hands. He doesn't speak as he places the bowl of bread pieces, lasagna, and extra cheese down. Then there's a wink at me, "Enjoy it," and he has disappeared.

"I asked if he could do me a favor and he agreed." A small smirk grows on Thomas's face. "So here we are."

"It's perfect," I tell him. "Thank you for all this, Thomas. I love it."

He smiles, nodding. "I'm glad you do. Here, try it."

I take the lasagna. There's a voice yelling at me in the back of my mind. That I shouldn't be eating it. That I'll gain weight. That I didn't bring my laxatives.

But I ignore it and take a careful bite. The food's hot, but not burning. It's... awesome. And that I tell him.

"Amazing." He kisses my forehead. "I'm proud of you."

"I know." He tells me like three times a day. "Thank you." Yet it means just as much every time.

For the rest of the night, we eat and talk about everything. From the basic things we might not know about each other yet, to stories from our childhoods, to our feelings and experiences lately.

Eventually, we end up on our backs, both staring at the stars. They're beautiful, dotted in the dark night. Bigger and smaller ones. Some form figures, and I'm pointing them out.

"Those look like a sheep together," I say.

"Mhm."

"And those," I point at them, "are like a heart. You see that one big star?"

"Mhm."

"You're not looking, but alright." I chuckle under my breath. "It's beautiful."

"It is."

"And the ones next to it form a circle. Like a mirrorball. I like them. Out of nowhere, I do," I tell him.

"I like them, too."

"Are you even listening?"

He sounds bloody dreamy. Like, yes, his voice is dreamy, but I mean his tone. As if he's murmuring some things in his sleep.

"Mhm."

"What'd I just tell you?"

"That you like..." He pauses. "Well, I don't know."

"But you agreed to liking it too."

"I was busy staring at you, alright?" He scoots closer. "You're more beautiful than stars."

"Cheesy."

"It's true, though."

I finally turn to him, my heart jumping at the sight of his smile. "Thank you, then."

"You're welcome," he whispers. "I love you."

I kiss his forehead. "I love you."

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I should start thinking about buying a ring."

"Perhaps you should start thinking before you say something. Now I might know you've got something planned."

"I never have things planned, Blondie. Not good, at least. So there's no plans to worry about."

I let out a laugh. "You planned this, though."

"Well..." He's silent. "Alright. Fair enough."

"If you're gonna buy a ring, make it shiny, though."

"Let me guess, like a mirrorball?"