Finding Cinderella

ღ Finding Cinderella (6)

"Oh, Jules," I groaned. "You might find this crazy, but a few days ago, I ran into Erik in the city."

"The Erik?"

"Yes. The Erik. And I literally ran into him."

For a split second, a strange look of discomfort appeared in her eyes before it was replaced by a gleam of excitement. "Whoa. That's not just crazy. That's crazy interesting! Just imagine—after all these years, you met him again!"

I gave her a dead stare. "You've always known that he's back, haven't you?"

Her look of discomfort came back, it took her a moment to come up with an honest reply. "Er, actually... yes. He's in my Mandarin class. I just didn't have the heart to tell you because the last time you faced each other, it was a catastrophe."

Ugh. So both Julianne and Tristan were keeping the same secret from me. "I know. I get it," I said with another groan.

"But anyway, what happened next? Did you guys talk?" she asked.

"No. I freaked out and ran away. It was embarrassing."

"Oh my. Does that mean you still haven't moved on from him?"

I couldn't help but be flustered. "No! Shut up, Julianne."

Crap. Was I really still into Erik? No way! I had been on the verge of success, almost forgetting everything in the past, but why did he have to come back? A part of me desperately wished I had never bumped into him. It was obvious that he was still not interested in me. If he was, he would have talked to me the day he had come back to school.

I shut my eyes and shook my head, trying to push the memory away.

"Let's stop talking about this. I'm uncomfortable with emotions," I said and she only smirked in amusement.

We reached the cashier and paid for our snacks. I looked at Julianne's tray and rolled my eyes. I wouldn't be surprised if one day she bought all the goods on the menu. After all, she was quite well known for buying nearly the entire cafeteria without thinking about the price.

We started eating our snacks all the way back, and then I said, "Hey, why don't we check Lacey, see how she's doing?"

"But we might interrupt their rehearsal."

"We're just gonna take a quick peek. Come on. I think she's in the dance studio."

As soon as we arrived, I poked my head through the half-open door. The room was huge and a bit dim, and the warm air was mixed with the scent of sweat and perfume, making my nose itch. There was Lacey on a chair near the wall mirrors. She was alone. I waved my hand and she motioned us to come in.

"Hey, how's the practice going?" I asked.

Lacey had her hair pulled up in a bun, and I could see the beads of sweat rolling down her face and neck. "It's okay. Just a few steps to master and we're done," she answered with a lazy smile.

I grabbed a towel from her bag and slid it under her damp shirt on her back. "You have to change your clothes as soon as you're done, okay? Otherwise, you'll catch another cold." I noticed that her skin felt too warm.

Lacey rolled her eyes, amused. "You're such a worrywart, Mom."

"Why are you alone here, Lace? Where are the others?" Julianne asked as she walked around the studio, observing.

"They went out to eat. I stayed here to rest. I feel kind of dizzy." Lacey rubbed her temples. I offered her my food, but she shook her head. "Thanks. I'm good."