A Surreptitious Relationship

:A Surreptitious Relationship: Chapter Eighteen

"Hannah?"

            I turned around as I felt a tap on my shoulder. Some guy in a blue and white glitter mask was standing there, his eyes piercing into mine. After a moment I shook my head. "No, Holly."

            "Sorry," he apologized, raising a hand to scratch the back of his head.

            "No problem," I responded wearily. "You're not the only one looking for someone."

            It was true. The dance had been going for half an hour now, and I had yet to find anyone— not even Jeremy or Casey, and I knew what Casey was wearing. I sighed, moving towards the back of the gym, keeping an eye out for anyone that looked familiar. Masquerades really weren't the best choice for school dances if you didn't arrive with your friends. It was incredibly difficult to locate anyone. I grinded my teeth together in irritation. Tonight was supposed to be a fun night, but how could it be fun if I was alone the whole time?

             Much to my chagrin, the song blasting from the gigantic speakers at the front of the room changed from fast to slow. Couples began forming in the front of the room, making me feel more like an idiot. It was so depressing to stand out on a slow dance. My eyes wandered around the room again, looking at all the people not forming couples on the dance floor. To my surprise, there were quite a few— probably because no one could find their partners with these stupid masks...

            "Holly?"

            My eyes snapped to my left, where a person I didn't recognize (surprise there) was standing, holding out a small white card to me. I took in the girl, who was wearing green sequined dress and silver mask, and realized I actually didn't know her. However, the card was addressed to me.

            "Some guy told me to give this to you," she told me, pushing the envelope closer to me.

            I took it immediately, recognizing Chris's refined handwriting. "Thanks. Do you remember what the guy was wearing?"

            "I'm not supposed to tell you," she responded slowly, sounding unsure. "Sorry."

            "It's fine," I said dismissively, pulling a small piece of paper out of the envelope. On it was a short note:

            I can see you. Can you see me?

            I frowned, looking back up again. The girl in green was gone, giving me a clear view of the area around me. If Chris could see me, that meant he wasn't hidden behind anything or anyone. My eyes scanned the crowds, but I couldn't find anyone that resembled him in the slightest. I looked back down at the card in my hand. How did he know who I was?

            I blinked. Stupid question.

            "That little sneak," I muttered, glancing down at the bangles on my arm. "So that's why he gave them to me during school..."

            Ms. Elliot walked by, her face unmasked. A scowl crossed my face. As it turned out, chaperones weren't supposed to wear masks, nor were they allowed to dance with students. Luckily, or unluckily in my case, Chris and Jeremy had both decided to still wear the masks. Or at least Jeremy did. Chris was either wearing one or was awesome at spying on me without being caught.

            Suddenly my hand was yanked on and I found myself being dragged toward the dance floor. I glanced at the guy in front of me, my heart leaping into my throat. Disappointment washed through me when I stared at dirty blonde hair instead of Chris's umber hair. When the person turned around, I realized it was James. He placed his hands on my waist, a grin crossing his face. "Care to dance?"