Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Ball ❯ Arrival ( Chapter 1 )

The Ball

 

The music reverberates through the foreboding building. I'm so nervous I can't think straight, standing out on this cold curb, trying to gather the shreds of my courage and approach the hall's gaping mouth. It pulses with sound and life, a stark contrast to the bitter, bereft stillness of the street. My gown crinkles stiff and awkward around me. I feel so out of place swathed in the night's solemn darkness, like an interloper insolently intruding on something deep and secret.

 

I breathe deeply, the chill air rushing into my lungs and animating me once more. The first step is always the hardest. I don't want to move at all, don't want to face that nightmare auditorium yet. I just want to stay still and silent in the safety of the night.

 

But my friends are in there, waiting for me. I try to talk myself into motion, but my rebellious legs refuse to cooperate.

 

He'll be there too. He'll see me in this foolish, frilly dress - and he'll laugh. I may as well just go home. It would be kinder to everyone than attempting to continue this farce. I'd much rather be at Eva's Anti-Ball party anyway, laughing and chatting with sane people.

 

And yet here I am. About to mix and mingle in an unfamiliar venue with people about whom I couldn't care less. About to show, after several weeks of mandatory lessons, how utterly hopeless my dance skills are. About to make a complete idiot of myself in front of Seth.

 

I can't stand here forever. The cold is beginning to seep through my skin. I can't go back. Sara already left with the car. I can't go anywhere else in a formal ball gown. There's no escape.

 

I step forward.

 

I can feel the music's vibrations in my chest. I try to control my breathing, but every step makes the butterflies currently residing in my stomach flutter painfully up my throat. Or maybe that's the music. It's difficult to tell.

 

I'm half-aware of a dark entryway, of handing my crinkled ticket to the `bouncer' (who I recognise from Bio class). I feel like I'm floating in this dark, unfamiliar territory, being mentally buffeted by this musical overload.

 

And just like that, the music seems to die away. Strategically placed pools of light illuminate the spacious room before me. I blink wildly, trying to see through the unexpected glare of my own personal spotlight. A few pairs of eyes meet mine; including a startling blue gaze that I'd sorely hoped wouldn't be present. Seth.

 

A delighted voice shrieks out, “Lily!” making me jump and break eye contact. I spin around and am immediately swamped by my friends. They pull me away from the gracefully arched doorway and over to a table stacked with their bags.

 

My temporary blindness is wearing off. Everyone looks gorgeous. Anabeth's wearing her Grecian style champagne dress, the sophisticated halter-neck showing off her enviably swan-like neck. Hannah has a flowing tangerine gown, radiant with sparkles - just a bit lighter than her honey brown eyes. Jenna's got a slinky black number and looks like a movie star. Ever-trendy Maddie has gone for her signature vibrant purple. And it looks like Sophia's mum actually managed to talk her into wearing pink! The light pastel shade does look awesome with her skin tone, and the figure-hugging cut hints at her dancer physique.

 

I feel a bit ungainly in my own dress, the skirt's folds crinkling around my ankles and making it difficult to walk in high heels (though these shoes are a foreign concept to me in any case. I'd previously suggested wearing Chuck Taylors under our gowns - since they're floor-length anyway and no-one would see our feet - but my friends evidently thought I was joking. Oh yeah. I'll bet that my fumbling around in totally unnecessary high heels is absolutely hilarious. Thanks, guys).

 

And Eva's absence is conspicuous. It makes me wish all the more that I wasn't here, that I'd had the good sense to stay away from this delicately lit, artistically decorated chaos. I wonder how her Anti-Ball is going. Eva's so much better at keeping her mind made up than I am (Anabeth and Maddie call her stubborn, but I admire her strength). They didn't manage to pressure her into attending this dance the way they did me. Not that I hold it against them. Much.

 

I look around. Anabeth is beaming like a madwoman. I guess she's pleased that everyone turned up, even though I'm `fashionably' late. Hannah exclaims, “I'm so glad you made it! We thought you might have gotten lost,” but her gentle voice is almost lost in the music that's suddenly assaulting my ears once more. I manage a smile through my anxiety. “Who, me? I've never been lost in my life.” - Unless you count `in Seth's eyes'. “You all look stunning, by the way.”

 

Maddie grins. “I know, we're gorgeous. And look at you, Miss Reluctant! I love your dress. Where'd you get it?”

 

Pulling self-consciously at my skirt, I say, “Isabella's. I feel sort of overdressed.”

 

Jenna scoffs at me, “You are not! In fact, I think I'm underdressed in comparison. Wanna trade?”

 

“It won't fit you, skinny,” I snort. “And yours most definitely won't fit me.”

 

She sighs dramatically. “Ah, well. Can't blame me for trying.”

 

“Actually, we can,” Anabeth remarks. “Sorry Lily, looks like you're stuck with your peacock dress.”

 

My gown suddenly feels more comfortable as I rise to its defence. “Ha, ha. Ironic, coming from you, Bubbles.”

 

“I maintain that champagne is a dazzling colour for what could possibly be the most important dress of my life.”

 

She spins around suddenly, remembering something. I see the mischievous glint in her eyes. Uh-oh. “He-ey, I wonder what else here is that exact shade of peacock blue? Could it be - someone's eyes, perhaps?”

 

My face heats up immediately, resembling a ripe tomato - and clashing horribly with my blue gown. “Shut up, Ana! It's just a coincidence.”

 

Jenna looks a little panicky. “What? Whose eyes? What, Lily? It's not who I think it is, is it?”

 

I glance between Jenna and Anabeth, wishing all the more that Eva was here to help me deal with these lunatics. I can tell Maddie's caught on by the cheerful, knowing nod she's giving me.

 

“Coincidence? I think not!” Anabeth crows gleefully. Sophia looks really confused. I don't blame her - she's new in our little band of merry misfits, so she doesn't know the identities, codenames, or defining features of our crushes yet. Unlike Anabeth. Unfortunately.

 

“One word, Lily: Asphyxiation.”

 

“Dammit, that only happened one time!”

 

“Oh, but what a time!”

 

I'll never be allowed to forget that day. Fate must hate me.

 

I was standing and eating with my friends during our lunch break. I'd just taken a big bite of my chicken sandwich when I heard, “Hey, Lily, right?”

 

I turned around in surprise. And came face to face with the one guy I can never talk to, no matter how hard I try. Seth himself.

 

I opened my mouth to attempt a response, when I remembered my sandwich - just a few milliseconds too late. The mouthful lodged neatly in my gullet and I started coughing like a cat with a particularly stubborn hairball. Seth had actually talked to me, and that damn sandwich had ruined it! I very suavely did my `beetroot' impression, before running off to collapse next to my bag, pounding on my chest and fumbling around for a water bottle. Seth looked over at me. “Is she … okay?”

 

That soft American accent definitely didn't help my urgent quest to suck in some more air, ASAP. I couldn't look at him. I sat there gasping and coughing until Maddie took pity on me and whacked me hard on the back. One last inelegant choking noise escaped me, and then I could breathe again. Perfect. Now I had to face him. I'd rather have passed out from oxygen deprivation.

 

Of all things, he asked to borrow my Social Sciences booklet. My face flaming, my head hanging low in ultimate shame, I handed it to him. A muttered, “Thanks,” and he was gone, off to photocopy my spidery scrawling (slash `flee from the insane people').

 

Jenna was in shock. “Uh - what just happened?”

 

My cheeks were approaching supernova. “Why me? Why me, why me, why me?!”

 

Hannah very kindly sat down and patted my back supportively. “It wasn't that bad.”

 

Maddie was trying desperately not to laugh. “It sort of was.”

 

And Anabeth sat close by, taking notes. She said, “I want to make sure I remember what not to do next time I talk to Dylan.”

 

I twitched.

 

That particular incident haunts me to this day. I'm Lily, the girl who almost died because her crush said three words to her. Literally three words.