Another Broken Smile

42- "Well, if this isn't fate trying to send a message, I don't know what is"

I walk aimlessly around the beautiful garden with the cold wind blowing furiously and making my hair fly behind me in a dramatic fashion. I shiver as the breeze hits my bare arms and I immediately curse the strapless white gown that I am wearing. There is something wrong with my shoes because one of the floral decorations on the shoe starts hurting me, deciding to take a break I go and sit on an empty bench.

My thoughts are scattered everywhere instead of taking the beauty of the surroundings that I am surprised when someone comes and sits by my side on the bench.

"Hello" the boy greets me and I jump in my seat for a second startled by his presence.

"Hey," I greet back after a while.

"What are you doing alone here?" he asks me. He is dressed in a handsome black suit and has a mask shielding his identity.

"Wasn't in the mood for dancing" I tell him. White lies don't hurt.

"You should come inside." he urges.

"No thank you," I say after a little debate in my head. The last thing I want to do is watch Daniel dance the night away with another girl while I sit around and curse my life.

"Any problems?" he inquires.

"No, thanks" I reply back. What the hell? What does he expect me to do, sit here, and cry and tell him my life story?

"I'm just asking. I mean, it's not like we know each other or ever will, we both are wearing masks" he tries to persuade me and something about his eyes and the soothing voice convinces me. I don't even know his name but I feel inclined to tell him the doubts that have been dying to be voiced for a long time now. But, my brain disagrees and I decide to only give him bare minimum information.

"My boyfriend's just being a jerk," I tell him and then realize how it is not the truth. I mean Daniel is a jerk sometimes but today, even if we tried dancing, it only screwed both of our emotions.

"So, let's have a dance," he says spontaneously and I look up at him in confusion.

"Yeah, let's have a dance here," he says confirming my suspension. "I mean c'mon, your boyfriend's not here dancing with you right now and besides it is okay to dance with someone else, it's not a crime, just a dance" he explains. I am extremely reluctant to the idea but the boy is insistent and gives me a whole lecture about how one's own happiness is very important. So I agree. 

And we dance.

In the middle of the distressed night, we steal a moment of happiness from fate. The fairy lights radiate a heavenly look around, while we dance on the soft grass to the faint echo of music coming from inside. We don't need music because our feet already know the steps. We gracefully just cherish each other's company as he holds me in his arms and I feel safe for the first time. I feel needed when his grip tightens around me as if he is scared that I will vanish. And in the dim of the night, I have my actual first dance of the night.

"Thank you," I tell him once the song ends breathless for the first time that night.

"You don't have to thank me," he tells me nervously. "Do you still want to stay outside?" he asks me once again but then after summoning a lot of courage, I follow him inside. After having an awkward conversation, we bid each other a goodbye and walk in the opposite directions of the gym. I decide to go and look for Adeline. I can't find her in the crowd, so I keep searching until the light is focused on the stage where a junior stands with a mike in his hand. I pause my wild search to listen what he has to say.

"We have a small game to keep you entertained guys!" he announces and everybody hollers in excitement. I am lost again as the crowds move around to surround the small stage the host is standing on. I give up on finding Adeline.