Playing Perfect

07. Danser

Theo hadn't come over on the weekend, and since she was busy with her co-curriculum activities and prefect duties, she hadn't seen him since Friday. And even then, he'd only dropped her home and left.

She'd confronted him that morning, but he'd insisted he was only busy with rugby practice. She supposed he was right. He had a huge game this weekend.

Still, she couldn't help but feel guilty, as if she were the blame.

"You're so lucky, Alice," Emily said, smiling. Her blonde curls formed a halo around her head. "You get to attend with the hottest boy in school. And he's going to present you at the Debutante in front of everyone."

Alice furrowed her brows. "Who?"

Emily looked taken aback. She paused for a moment, as if to see if Alice were telling a bad joke, before saying, "Theo, obviously."

Alice blinked, then chuckled awkwardly. "Right. Of course."

They made it to the other end of the Library Lawn and began up the steps to the Great Hall. It was the biggest building in the school – towering and almost like a chapel on its own. The two large double doors were held open, and the trio paused outside it.

"Well, see you Grace," Emily dismissed, turning to enter the hall.

Grace pouted. "I wish I could come."

Alice smiled at the petite girl. "You know what? I'll see if I could get you added to the list at my parent's debutante later this year. One extra person couldn't hurt."

"Really?" Grace squealed with wide eyes.

"Really."

Grace squeaked a thank you, pulling Alice into a tight hug before turning and sprinting down the steps, probably to spread the news.

"You didn't have to do that."

Alice glanced at Emily, who raised a brow at her.

"Yeah?" She joined her and began walking into the hall, tilting her head in confusion. "And why not?"

"You have a reputation to upkeep, Miss Travers," Heather stated matter-of-factly, spitting out Alice's name sarcastically in that tone teachers tended to overuse. She threw her an incredulous smile like Alice was a hopeless case. "Seriously. What would your parents say?"

"She's right." Emily shrugged timidly. "She won't exactly... belong."

The trio entered the hall. Their shoes clicked against the wooden floors. The ceiling towered high over them, a painting stretching across the old wooden planks in faded colours of blues and yellows. Alice could smell the familiar scent of creaky wood. Almost all seniors had already lined up against the walls.

"Grace is nice," Alice said simply as they joined the other students.

She placed her bag on the floor and switched out of her school shoes into her dancing shoes.

"Yeah, but her parents are artists." Emily scrunched her nose. "And not even the collectible kind."

Heather nodded in agreement. "She won't fit in. She'd just feel... embarrassed. Left out."

Alice stayed quiet. They were right. Even though Grace's parents were well-established artists, displayed in galleries across the country, they were still only artists. Artists with no background or familial ties to speak of.

They weren't the kinds of artists that Alice's parents would buy from, much less invite to parties.

Travers' parties were very exclusive, and Grace would normally not even be considered to be placed on the guest list to an event as large as their Christmas Debutante.