The Only Exception

Book 1 Part 3

I was completely flabbergasted. Meet him? At the RAVE? That has to be the most exclusive, expensive formal dance hall in Chicago! Oh. My. GOD!

I didn’t answer his request. I logged off and shut my laptop off. I plopped down on my bed and sighed loudly. I texted Desiree, to see what she would do. Oh yeah, she knows about my plan. I told her like this:

“Desiree, you know about the incident that happened a while ago? The one where I was kidnapped?”

“Yeah, Celeste, I do recall that. I was at Dylan’s house that night. Why?”

“Well, you know the guy that saved me from being murdered? I found him on FaceBook and I created a false account so I can meet him at the right time.”

“Oooh! That is so romantic, Celeste! What’s his name?”

“His name is Noah Christensen. He works here at the hospital, too. But when I see him, he’s usually looking somewhere else.”

That was about three months ago. When Noah saved me, it was in October. Now it is April. Desiree answered my text message with,

Celeste its about wat u want. i would wait. tell him that u r busy and cant make it.

Oi! That is hard, but she is my best friend, I can take her advice.

I hear my mother’s new trio, two boys named Shane Michael and Tanner William, and a girl named Genevieve Elizabeth. I hopped down the stairs lithely and help my distraught mother feed the triplets.

I went shopping for a dress at my favorite dress shop, and they had the most beautiful one, but the one they had was too small. I may be skinny, but this dress for like a midget baby or something. It was too small!

So I gave up on the dress for this week, feeling sad that I have to decline his request for me appearing at the gala. Sad isn’t even a large enough of a word to explain how I felt. I walked back to my car and locked myself in it. I cried until I thought I saw him walking into the mall. I quickly wiped my eyes and followed the look-alike inside. Turns out that it wasn’t him, like usual.

I felt a buzz in my pocket. I opened my phone and it was an IM from Noah:

hey, whats up nm here im soooo bored and felt like talkin 2 u.

I couldn’t even think of a logical enough answer and ignored it. It felt wrong to, but I’m such an imbecile, I might say something completely ignorant or stupid.

I felt another buzz. Desiree this time, only it was in text form.

wherever u r, get out of it. get down to the hospital NOW!

I freaked out and ran out of the mall, causing security guards to chase me and slam me against the wall, probably thinking I was stealing something. They searched me and came up empty handed. I walked out of the mall, then running through the pouring rain to my car and driving to the hospital, soaking wet and scared.

Once I got up to the hospital, Josh’s family and my own were in the lobby, waiting for me obviously, and they appeared to be crying.

They then spotted me and Mom came to me, rested her hand on my shoulder, and tears brimmed in her eyes. I asked her what was going on, and she said,

“Tanner is in the emergency room for brain surgery. It appeared to the doctors, that he has been having mini seizures. They said he most likely not make it, but we don’t want him to have seizures. Nor do we want him have a form of brain cancer or something on the order of that.”

“Mom, I’m so sorry. Would you like it if we all gathered in a circle and prayed for Tanner?”

The others’ voices mushed together to sound like a wave of agreement. So, we prayed for Tanner and we all ended sleeping on each other outside of Josh’s room. The doctor who did the brain surgery on my youngest brother came out from the operation and found us al sleeping, but woke us up with,

“Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, your son is in incredible condition now. He’ll be able to go home in a few days.”

We all squealed in delight and we treated ourselves to breakfast at IHOP. I left the restaurant after we all ate and checked my messages on FaceBook.

Hey Viv, where were u? i didnt c u there last night? i was purdy bummed.

I thought about it for a while and came up with the most logical response I have.

There were family issues. im sorry, can i come another time?

I went to change my stale clothes and came back dressed in my dark green tank top and my grey sweats. While I was walking back to my laptop, I tied up my thick hair in a messy bun that I never would let anyone but my household family see. I don’t really like looking like a caveman or something in public. It makes me uncomfortable.

I find a new message, reading from my saviour,

Yes, but not for a while. its on halloween. but u have to dress up in a ballroom outfit. its not a normal halloween costume party.

Huh?

Wait. so its more like a masquerade than a halloween?

That doesn’t even make sense, how can you not have a Halloween party without the dressing up part of Halloween?

Yes. thats exactly it. a masquerade. remember, purple. you’ll find me dressed in a black suit with a deep purple tie.

I had to be careful on what I say to him. I don’t want anything revealing the real me to him.

Ok, halloween night at the rave. wear purple. its a masquerade. i think ive got everything covered. well, im tired, i g2g 2 bed.

I almost logged off before his chat window popped up saying,

Vivienne, have sweet dreams. don’t let anyone ruin them for u. :)

I logged out and shut down my laptop, breaking down everything he said to me, eventually falling asleep, curled up and hugging my pillow. I dreamt of Noah, holding out his hand for me, and when I get a hold of his hand, I get snatched away like in the animated movie ‘Anastasia’. Then he comes and tries to save me, but we both end up getting killed and I woke up feeling oddly eager for shopping with Desiree.

As we walk into the mall, Desiree asks me where we want to go first and we end up going to our favorite store together, Hot Topic. We find some great swag, but I’m not as connected into this trip because I need to find a deep purple dress for that masquerade ball Noah invited me to. Also, Desiree can fell me being more distant than usual and realizes about me worrying about the ball.

We walk into the dress shop and I immediately find a few dresses that catch my eye and try some on. The one that I found was perfect was deep purple, nearly strapless, flows to the floor, and it is made of silk. I bought it and then searched for high heels that could match, but also couldn’t kill me either.

At the end of our shopping spree, I ended up with my dress, strappy purple stilettos, and purple makeup. When I got home, I ran up to my room to check to see if Noah had written anything to me on FaceBook. I find a message saying that:

Vivienne, the gala is 2nite and i will c u there! ;)

I rush in the shower, blow dry my hair and find Desiree in my room, perched on my bed.

“So, Celeste, am I guessing that the party is tonight and he expects you there at what time?”

I grab my dress and push-up bra and rush back to my room replying, “The party is tonight and he expects me there by nine o’clock, or he will think that I’m blowing him off. I don’t want to screw this up again, Desiree. Oh, shoot, can you zip me up?” I walk out and turn my back to her and she zips me up.

I comb my hair and curl my hair and make an elegant down hairstyle. Desiree stops me there and says, “Celeste, let me do your makeup. I’ll make you look ah-mazing, so don’t worry. Just close your eyes and you will be stunning.”

Twenty minutes later, I turn around and look into the mirror, and don’t see Celeste Nichole Thomas. I see a Gothic Greek goddess staring at me. But I wake up from my fantasy to Desiree saying,

“Hurry up! You only have thirty minutes before you have to be there! Now put on a silver necklace, hoops, and a ring or two, then you’ll be good to go! Now hurry!” Then she dashes out of my room and appears a few minutes later, dressed in a red spaghetti strapped cocktail-style dress that complimented her well.