Stellar Spectrum Book One: The Faceless Ghost

Chapter 3

Suddenly, the music was changed into a more romantic tune so the students were slow dancing with their dates but since Jake and Holden had no one to slow dance with, they walked out of the dance floor but then Holden saw his step-sister and her friend by the photobooth so he nudged Jake to just go there instead, they walked to them. 

"Hey, mind if we join in?" Holden asked.

"Not at all," Perfida said so the four of them took about dozens of different photos of themselves and even used the props and made some silly prom style poses like the boys putting their hands on the girl's waists from the back. Perfida and Jake paired up and Holden and March since they were just having fun, also that the two boys were giving them roses and the two ladies were pretending to reject them.

"Hey.. uhmm Perfida, since you missed taking pictures at home to be here, why not take some just the two of us?" Holden suggested.

"Of course," Perfida agreed, so March and Jake got out the booth, Perfida and Holden then started smiling in front of the camera, Holden piggybacked Perfida and made some funny faces then lastly used the props.

Perdita saw them from the distance as she stopped dancing, she smiled that Perfida and Holden were having fun like the step brother and sister they are but she did wished that she could've been alive to do that with them.

Holden and Perfida got out of the photobooth, March and Jake were at the side talking and Perdita was standing beside them, Perfida took their printed pictures.

"Hey, let's get out of this place," Holden suggested, Perfida, March and Jake were taken aback at what he just said. "I mean, look, some of them are going home and you guys are done for the night, let's just go somewhere and besides, our parents doesn't expect us home until two."

"I guess, you're right," Perfida agreed.

"I'm in," March agreed as well.

"Jake... come on," Holden insisted, Jake seem unsure. "This is our last night together."

"Okay, let's go," Jake reluctantly agreed.

"I'll just get my fanny pack," Perfida said so she ran back to the buffet area. The four friends and Perdita ran to the Rudero family car, Holden was driving, Jake called shotgun so the two besties and Perdita were at sitting at the back then they drove away. "So, where are we going?"

"Just outside the city," Holden said and the rest of them cheered.

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They got to a cliffside not far from Ares city which had a nice view and a full moon which Perdita was in awe, there was a bench but only for three people. They took of their blazers, vests bow and neck-tie and left them in the car and untucked their shirts and messed their hair a little since they were not at prom anymore then got out the car and brought their take-outs. The two boys sat on the grassy ground and the besties were at the bench. "Don't you two want to sit on the ground instead? it's soft, it's like being on bed that you can eat on."

"Yeah, come on," Jake insisted.

"It's okay," Perfida replied. "We have to return our server uniform clean anyway or else we'll pay for any stains and damages." 

"This place is nice, you guys been here before?" March asked.

"Yup, Holden and I would just hang here sometimes," Jake said.

"We came here for a family picnic," Perfida was familiar with the place ."Only this was the first time, I came here at this hour."

"It does have a great view," March expressed.

"So what do you guys do when you're here?" Perfida asked.

"We just hang and sometimes camp, it's just the things we do... erhm..did," Holden sulked, Perfida and March looked at him with pity and Jake felt bad too since he didn't have a choice but to move away.

"Come on, it's not like you guys won't ever see each other again."

"You two can always elope," March joked just to lighten up the mood.

"Yeah, that's a great idea," Perfida added to that joke then everyone laughed. 

"We could've just been here than being in prom," Jake expressed.

"It wasn't that bad," Holden said.

"Maybe to those who had dates, you guys should've gotten one," March reminded. "I thought you'd asked Ciarra to be your date."

"Yeah... but she was with Trey, didn't you guys see her with him?" Jake said in frustration.

"We were enjoying the free food and photobooth," March sheepishly said.

"Women... am I right?" Perfida joked to comfort him. 

"Thanks, Perfida," Jake did felt a little better.

Suddenly, there was something coming out from one of the building and Perfida saw it, it was fireworks "hey! look over there," she pointed, the boys saw them too and was mesmerized by it so did Perdita as she sat on that bench and watched the colorful explosives giving this light and beauty into the night sky.

"I wonder what they are celebrating?" Holden asked,

"Maybe a new chapter of their life," Perfida replied then she turned around to Perdita and smiled at each other then turned back and watched the fireworks getting bigger and more impressive, it was the perfect way to end the night together.

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The next day, it was graduation day, Perfida, Ophelia and Holden and Perdita, of course, were in the living room, they still had time to take some few pictures of her step-son with her phone before going to AII, Holden was wearing ferrar red buttoned-down shirt, and navy pants with a pair of black formal loafers underneath the off-white graduation cap and gown and his mood got more elated again. "Look at you!" Ophelia expressed. "Too bad your dad has to be in school to prepare for your graduation."

"He is the principal," Perfida jokingly sighed.

"Well, we'll have to take bunches of pictures in the ceremony then," Ophelia as she stopped taking pictures then her phone rang. "It's your aunt Marley, let me just take this," she then went to the other room, Perfida and Holden were left alone and Perdita.

"It's 'the' day, are you excited?" Perfida asked.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be in AIU."

"Just don't forget about me, okay?" Perfida chukled then gave him a friendly nudged on the shoulder.

"Of course not. Just one more year and we'll be training as a cadet together."

"Yup..." her voice got a bit lower to hide that she was lying, Holden was too excited to graduate to notice it but Perdita knew her sister's secret and just felt bad for her.

"I know we had a lot of picture taken last night but let's take a selfie," he took out his phone from his pocket.

"Sure," she said, Holden hold out his phone and put it on selfie mode, they stood next at each other and Holden put his arm around her and started smiling in front of the camera.