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Chapter 17: Like you are the last two pieces of brownies on earth
"I'm not going." I said for the hundredth time.
"Anna-" Trisha began.
"I'm not! Okay! I can't!" I yelled.
"Brianna- look, I know-"
"No, you don't! You don't understand! I want to go, but I can't go! I can't! I can't do anything! I can't go out without people whispering and pointing at me! I can't date a freaking guy! I can't even inherit Cordelia's stuff without being on the news!" I cried, picking up the news article, shoving it away and burying my head into my teddy bear.
It's just been two weeks since I received Cordelia's Étoiles du Ciel, and rumors were flying already. Someone even wrote an article, a theory. According to his theory, I went to get close to Cordelia and sweet talked her into putting me and my family into her will and letting us inherit a lot of things, including Étoiles du Ciel. Then, I killed her so she wouldn't see the real me and write us out of her will. And the worst part of it all? The public was eating up that theory.
"I don't? I may not suffer as much as you do, but please remember I'm your best friend and my dad's your lawyer. I get whispers and pointing fingers too. But, instead of hiding in my house like you are now, I chose to face them. I chose to hold my head high... Look, I'm not saying you are wrong or anything, but Brianna- You can't keep avoiding stuff or escaping stuff. You have to face them, especially when it's not your fault. Right now? You're just doing exactly what the murderers of Cordelia wants, for someone else to take the blame and suffer because of them. Hiding isn't a solution, Anna, it's a selfish act. You're blocking us out, shutting us out... That won't do you or any one of us any good. We need to know how you really are to help you." Trisha said, throwing her hands up in frustration.
"I'm not shutting you guys out..." I mumbled into my pillow
"Yes, you are. Tell me, have you ever told us how you really are? All you've told us are stuff like, how the questions are annoying, how you hate it when people write stories about you, how your life sucks... But you've never told us about how you really felt!"
"Dont' you think I want to? But how can I tell you how I am and how I'm feeling when I dont' even know how I am or how I'm feeling. I don't know anything anymore! I... I just want to be a normal 16-year-old. I..." I said, pulling away from my teddy bear and hugging it instead.
"Oh Anna." Trisha cooed, moving forward to hug me.
"Okay, so may be you don't know how you are feeling. But you want to be a normal 16-year-old? Then the first thing to do is to face the public. And that-" Trisha pointed to my costume hanging outside my closet "is the first step. But, if you still need more time, you don't have to go tonight. You-"
"No, you're right. I need to stop hiding, we're going." I announced, putting away my teddy bear.
"What? You mean, you're really going?"
"Yeah, I am." I replied, getting up.
"Good! We'll make sure no one will recognise you tonight, not even your brother, Ashton or your crush, Jason." Trisha said in delight.
"Make that an us." I said, seeing Trisha's confused expression, I added. "I mean, if people can recognise you, they'll know I'm me, right?"
Trisha smiled and pulled out her phone,
"Cara? Yes. Your lady agreed to go to the dance! Yes! I know right! Okay, well, tell them to get ready, we're coming! K, bye!"
"Cara?" I questioned Trisha.
"Yes, she's been dying to see her lady in her costume." Trisha said, beckoning me to follow her.
"Wait, where are we going? Who's they? Why do they have to be ready?" I asked, refusing to follow her.
"Oh, come on! You ask too many questions." Trisha rolled her eyes and pulled me along the way.
Turns out, we were going to the makeup room. We walked in to see a lot of people there.
"Oh my god! You are all here!?" I squealed as I hugged all of the people. The 'people' were my make up team which helped me to get ready whenever I had some important events to go.
"But... this is not an important event! It's just some high school dance!" I asked.
"Oh, your grace! But it's important to you! You need us! Now sit down, both of you and let us work on you." Delilah, my hair stylist said.
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"Okay, you can open your eyes now." Suze, my stylist said. Trisha and I were standing in front of the mirror. We opened our eyes obediently.
Oh my sparkling jewels! Is that me?
I was wearing a simple white and pink dress that reached my mid thighs, my mask was silver and pink that matched my dress perfectly. I had silver heels on. My hair, instead of its usual brown, was also temporarily dyed to a light brown and blonde color and it was put in a gorgeous fishtail braid. There was also glitter on my hair and upper body, not a lot, just enough that it looked natural. I was not an arrogant person, but I had to say I looked dazzling.
Trish, on the other hand, was wearing a gorgeous blue dress, there were fake diamonds on her bodice that caught the light. Her mask was black and blue and she had black heels on. Her blonde hair was temporarily dyed to natural red and was curled beautifully.
Oh and did I mention we both have tiaras on?
"Wow, you did a great job! I... We look dazzling! Thanks!" I said as we hugged my team.
"But what's with the tiaras?" Trisha asked as we pulled away.
"Oh, that. Well, we just want everyone tonight to think that you guys are princesses. Sweet, pretty and innocent." Suze said, stressing on the last word. I smiled.
"You guys really are the best." I said, smiling.
"Okay guys, the boys are here." Cara said, putting away her phone. Ashton had gone to Jason's for a guys-only-day.
"Ready?" Trisha asked me. I was too nervous to say anything so I just nodded.
"Okay, I'll announce you." Cara said, walking out the door. Trisha and I looked at each other for a second and held eachothers hands as we followed Cara out.
"Are they done?" I heard Ashton ask.
"Yup! They're on their way." Cara replied. We had arrived the grand staircase and were standing at where the guys can't see us. I saw Cara peeking at us, winked and turned to the guys, which we couldn't see as well.
"May I present, Lady Brianna of Thelisia and Lady Trisha!" Cara said, giggling. I gripped Trisha's hand tightly and started descending the stairs. The room was silent as we walked down. I stole a glance at the boys and almost laughed at their awestruck faces. Suddenly Ashton wolfwhistled.
"Wow, I never thought you guys would take Masquerade that seriously." Ashton said as he hugged me.
"Well, I wasn't exactly ready to face everyone. Besides, where are your masks?" I asked the two of them, pulling away from my brother. Ashton rolled his eyes and pulled out his mask from his pocket. It was a simple silver mask that matched his black tuxedo. Jason did the same. His was gold though.
"Dude, you're really quiet tonight. Cat got your tongue?" Ashton asked Jason.
"Wh...what? No, uh. Well, that reminds me. Here." Jason said, giving me a box.
"Oh, right!" Ashton said, taking out a similarly looking box and giving it to Trisha. "Corsages."
Mine was pale pink and Trisha's was dark blue. We said our thanks to them and then Cara, since she was obviously behind all of these, and went out to our limo.
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"You ready?" Jason asked. They had all gotten out of their limo and were waiting for me to get off.
I could still slam the door shut and tell the driver to take me home.
"Yeah, I am." I plastered a smile and, with Jason's help, got out of the limo.
The four of us stepped onto the red carpet and was immediately surrounded by cameras. We took our photos and went into the ballroom.
"Woah." I whispered. There was a stage where a band was singing and on top of the stage was a huge banner with the words
Sofiana's Collin School's Junior x Senior
WINTER MASQUERADE DANCE
There were fake snowflakes everywhere and the room was decorated into a winterwonderland.
"Come on. Let's go get some drinks." Jason suggested as we went towards the bar.
We got our drinks and started walking to the tables.
"You know, it's nice to be back. I mean, this may not be school , but it's nice to see all these faces again. Even though, with the masks on, they may not be who I thought they were." I said, sitting down.
"Oh, Bri. I know Tessa, Luke and the others haven't really contacted you, but. I don't know, but um... I think at the bottom of their heart, they believe you. But they can also see al the newspapers and stuff saying that you're not innocent and they're scared, no worried that, you know, you're not, um, innocent. I just... I just think that many of these people here know you're not guilty, they just don't have the guts to say it out loud. Since, well, Genevieve is still the queen bee and she's totally into proving you guilty." Trisha said.
"I know." was all I could think about. I looked around the room, I could totally see guys checking Trisha and I out, girls giving us once-overs, but I was sure they still hadn't figured who we were. However, I could still totally see girls checking my brother and Jason out. There was this girl, wearing a really low cut and really tight black mini dress talking to her friend, who was dressed as a rabbit, the dirty kind. The slutty girl looked at Jason and Ashton's direction a few times, her bunny nodded and the two of them, with their boobs almost spilling out, started walking towards our direction.
I glanced at Trisha, she seemed to notice them too, unlike the boys, who were busy talking.
"I'll dance with your brother, if it means you can save your crush." Trisha whispered. I smiled. I glanced at the boobs spilling girls and turned to the boys.
"Hey guys, we're bored. Let's dance." I said, pulling Jason up. Jason stood up and gave me a smile, a smile that sent shivers down my spine, in a good way.
"Okay." he replied, pulling me to the dance floor, Ashton and Trisha followed us. I stole a glance to the girls to see them fuming.
"What is it?" Jason asked.
"See those girl? They were about to come and drool over the two of you like you are the last two pieces of brownies on earth. We saved your lives."
"Yeah? Well, I couldn't help being hot, can I?" He smirked. I rolled my eyes as I leaned onto his shoulders and swayed to Lifehouse's You and Me.
For a moment, all of my trouble were gone and I was just a normal 16-year-old dancing with her crush to a song, a song with lyrics that the girl wished would one day apply to her crush and her.
Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you
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Author's notes
so, what do you think?
Trisha's and Brianna's dresses on the media bar, along with Lifehouse's You and Me :))
Happy Easter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The next chapter will probably still be the winter dance. So, stay tuned!!
pls comment and vote!! Don't be a silent reader!
Thanks
lots and lots of love and brownies,
~Bethia♡