I'm No Cinderella

31. Could I Lock On Your Love?

It was almost like the dance from before Spring Break. But it wasn't at the same time. The theme was a Night in Paris. The walls were painted a nice blue starry night. The floor was designed to look like a bunch of cobblestone pathways, surrounded by a soft river, leading up to a papermachet Eiffel Tower. Tables were scattered along the pathways and on each table was a mini Eiffel Tower and plates. The decorating committee outdid themselves.

People were on the floor slow dancing together and I have to say Goode High looked pretty damn good. The first person I spotted was Piper, dancing with Jason. She looked amazing and was wearing her dream Prom Dress, the one we picked out when we were freshmen. A beautiful burgundy off the shoulder dress. Piper always looked amazing in red.

I assumed Thalia didn't come. She was never a dance person but still, it's our Prom.

That is why I came in the first place. Prom isn't about the dresses, the make-up, finding the right shoe, or being the best dressed in the room. It's not about trying to get a crown. Yeah, those are all okay things but its the bigger picture. I may not be friends with the whole school—in fact Reyna is my only close friend right now besides the occasional "hi" from Percy's friends—and I may have showed up alone, but this is the last moment we'll all have together. Be in one spot to have fun together before graduation.

Graduation. That was tomorrow. In just  two days, I'll be leaving for Standford's orientation, and then soon after there was the study abroad program I was invited to. There were big changes coming along. I'll be out of New York soon, and I won't be around anyone here. Reyna didn't apply for any out of state colleges because it was less expensive. So I'll be by myself. Like I am now in the gymnasium.

I walked inside, headed for an empty in the back corner, by the fake Eiffel Tower. A couple of heads turned towards me and I tried my best to ignore them. Almost everyone knew me as Percy's ex-girlfriend. The girl who got her "heartbroken by the player", but they don't know the whole story. They don't know me or him. And that the breakup wasn't like that at all. In fact the more I think about it, things went bad because of my reactions.

We didn't trust each other, but that is something that is built. And I let whatever amount we had for one another crumble.

I sighed as I sat down in the chair watching people dance together. I didn't bother getting up to vote for the Prom King or Queen or the Prince and Princess. Reyna said I was nominated for one but I don't care.

"I knew you'd look amazing in that dress," Reyna's voice came from beside me. She was wearing a short dark purple cocktail dress. Her midnight hair was still in her usual braid, except it had pearls pinned into it. She sat down in the chair and handed me a green corsage.

"Thanks. You too. What's this for?" I asked, slipping it on my wrist anyway.

Reyna smirked. "So you look taken. Apparently half the guys in this place want to ask you to dance and I had the feeling you wouldn't want to."

I frowned. "And how would you know that?"

"I have ears...and I had to punch two guys I heard sexualizing you."

I groaned and rubbed my forehead. "Thanks."

Reyna shrugged. "I'll always be here for you. Just can't wait for you to do the punching on your own."

I chuckled. "You're so violent."

Reyna shoved my shoulder. "And don't you forget it."

"Annabeth." Piper stood before the two of us, Jason on the other side of the gym with a group of friends—including Percy.