Pomp And Circumstance [COMPLETE]

Chapter One

"It is a universally known fact that all high school girls must attend at least one of their school dances."

Aunt Lois's voice rang in Darcy's ears as she slipped between the parked cars of the school parking lot, her neat black heels clacking against the asphalt underfoot.

Charlie was the only thing keeping her from turning and running right back to the car, even stooping so low as to slip off her heels and run barefoot in tights across slushy pavement if she had to. Instead, Darcy Williams tightened her grip on her friend's hand.

If Charlie Bingley noticed, she didn't say. Her face was bright, excited, her dark auburn hair shining in the yellow lighting of the outdoor flood lights as the two of them followed the crowd into the squat building of Meriton Charter Academy.

It looked different in the nighttime then it had the Monday before. You could see the faded red bright in the morning light, spot where the snowplows had left their loads to clear away the parking lot. What had once been snow was now piles of dirty grime. They looked like mounds of dirt in the dark.

As Darcy looked up at the school's facade, slowing to prolong entering into a group activity she had no interest in attending, the long red brick building almost looked tall, regal. But it was the shadows playing tricks on her eyes. Darcy knew that. She also knew that it was nothing compared to Netherfield Prep.

It was Charlie's tug on her hand that forced Darcy to keep moving. She didn't want to let go of her only tether to sanity and yet that tether was pulling her ever closer to the gym.

Darcy was grateful for Charlie's boundless energy and excitement. It had helped keep Darcy distracted while they had spent the day getting ready. That and trying to help Charlie do her hair up for the dance. All Darcy had to do was slick back one side of her jet-black short hair and put her only accessory in place: a shining crystal butterfly clip that glistened when it hit the light.

It didn't exactly match her black dress, or her black tights, or her short heels for that matter. It would have been hard for something so glittery to match the outfit Darcy had been wearing to all of her college interviews. But Charlie had insisted Darcy wear something that matched the occasion. The butterfly clip was all Darcy had that fit the criteria.

The gym was as bad as Darcy had expected and she could feel her heart squeeze inside her chest as Charlie led her into the humid room. The wooden floorboards underfoot were already slick with sweat and Meriton Charter's Valentine's Day dance had only just begun.

What had been a mediocre gymnasium now looked as if someone had ingested too much love and romance and then had to throw it up all over the walls. Bright, cheap pink and red hearts were everywhere, perfectly matching the pink and red paper tablecloths that were doing a poor job of covering up the folded tables and chairs that sat around the perimeter of the dance floor.

Not a thing in sight even close to resembling the elegant formal dinners of Netherfield Prep. Darcy's heart ached while her stomach threatened to follow the lead of whoever had decorated the gym.

"Come on, Darcy. It's not that bad."

The way Charlie's smile spread across her face, anyone would have thought she had never been to a dance before in her life and that this was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Darcy knew both were false and rolled her eyes at her god-sister.

"Hey! Look! They've got food! I'm starving."

There Darcy drew the line. As Charlie pulled on her hand to take her past the crowd of swaying bodies, Darcy finally let go. Her feet would not let her get even an inch closer to the crowd of dancers.