Ember slumped in a bean bag and stuffed a pillow to her face so her groan wouldn't be heard.
Rehearsal had ended badly today. At least from her point of view.
Because of her fight with Jaden the day before, she couldn't concentrate with him around as DJ today. She went off-beat twice and actually forgot parts of the routine. It was only their second rehearsal so everyone was fine with her few mistakes but Ember felt terrible.
Even at school, he walked around with friends who either gave her that snobbish look or actually sneered at her. It rubbed her the wrong way that after all was said and done, he could still watch her dance while being the popular guy and she was the one who felt and was treated like crap. It sucked.
When she tossed the pillow away, she saw that everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing and openly stared at her.
"I'm just tired from rehearsal. Ignore me," she told them.
Jess shrugged and continued applying her make-up at the vanity. Her blond hair styled in a chic bob was perfect as always and the purple highlights added that spark to the mature look. She was always the mature one among the rest of them. Along with Drew, they doted on them like parents would to children. Jess was the one she would turn to when she needed advice from someone with experience in the roughest times of life.
Shay and Bryce were at the far corner of the room, continuing their argument on God knows what this time.
You would think that Shay's volatile anger and tendency to piss of more people than wise, will make her tower about 6 feet tall. When in actual fact, she barely hit 5' 4". Oh, the irony of it. And then she decides to pick Bryce as her verbal sparring partner who's practically a giant next to her.
Her long red hair was flipping all over the place while she animatedly hammered away with Bryce who looked down at her from his high vantage point. Ember thought she heard the words 'short' and 'midget' strung in together with Shay's name. Oooh, Bryce was in deep trouble.
Ember turned away from the hurricane that would happen of the two lovebirds. She heard a thud and winced. Bryce was going to have to put some ice on that.
Her eyes found Drew who was lounging on the couch, iPad in hand. Amber eyes shaded by dark lashes were trained onto what looked like dance videos. He also had his earphones on, probably to block out Shay and Bryce's bickering. It could get annoying at times but it felt boring as hell if the two of them weren't around.
His copper head of hair had been shaved off on both sides of his head which left a thick strip of hair in the middle that seemed to defy the laws of gravity. Her head tilted, Ember contemplated on how many handfuls of gel he used this morning just to get it to stick up like that. She had an itch to sneak over and touch his hair to see if it was really as hard as it looked.
Just when she got the guts to do just that, Devon ambled into the room and immediately had eyes on her. His brown eyes twinkled mischieviously when he saw her which didn't really do good for her pounding heart.
"Hey Emmy, there's a kid out there who's asking for you," he told her while flipping out his dark hair from a Nike cap. "And judging by the ride he came in... Girl, who have you been messing with?" He grinned cunningly and slipped through the connecting door that led to the guys' dressing room.
Ember stared. And stared.
Jess entered her line of vision and still she stared.
She held on to her upper arms and shook her a little. "Emmy, breathe." She dragged out every letter in those two words. Since did when she stop breathing?
Ember took in slow breaths so she wouldn't start hyperventilating. She had an idea of who was looking for her but she got rid of it as fast as it came. She was not going to freak out.
She shook off the feeling and jerked to her feet, making Jess stumble back a few steps. "Sorry. I'm going to go see who it is."
Bryce tried to block the doorway with his body but only achieved to look like a cartoon with the way his arms and legs were spread out. He tried to look intimidating but failed miserably. "You're not going anywhere, young lady. Not until you let us know what's going on."
She rolled her eyes and put her hand on her hip, just to show how annoyed she was. "Fine, follow if you must. I'll explain later."
Bryce moved away and she sped up the hallway towards the front entrance. She stumbled into Xyler as she rounded a corner and he had to steady her before she fell flat on her butt. "Steady, little angel," he said with his usual grin and a wolf-whistle this time. "I don't know what or who you've been hanging out with, but you sure know how to pick 'em."
Before she could ask what he meant by that, he threw his head back to let out a booming laugh then walked away, laughing the entire way. She shook her head at him and made her way to the entrance.
She didn't want anyone to find out she was working here. Least of all, someone whom she knew from school. How did anyone even find out?
Shhh, it might not even be him. Just stay calm and think everything through. Baby steps.
At least the tinted one-way glass was handy for times like this. Even so, she didn't stray any nearer to the windows, just in case.
As she looked at the almost empty street outside, she was greeted to the sight of a gleaming Maserati GranCabrio Fendi which was a one of a kind out of 50 in the world, parked in front of the entrance.
So she was a car junkie, who could blame her? No harm in admiring what you can't have.
She was salivating at the mechanical beauty... until she saw who it was that was leaning against it.
Oh, Lord above, please save me from this.
Jesse slipped off his Aviator shades and hooked it onto the open collar of his navy blue polo shirt while pushing away from that drool-inducing car of his.
Ember never knew she could say so many colourful words or make up new ones.
The only way she could escape from him is to dig a tunnel all the way to China. Which would take... oh, only between forever and infinity.
"Well, look at that. Who's tall, dark and handsome over there?" said Jess from behind her.
"My worse nightmare," Ember muttered.
"Tie me to a hog and set it loose! Is that a freakin' Maserati I see out there?" exclaimed Bryce.
"Get your expressions straight, you idiot. What does that even mean?" Shay retorted while pulling back an arm to supposedly land a punch on his arm.
"Hey! Hands off. You already landed a hit on me. One per day, midget." Bryce held his hands out to Shay to protect himself from yet another hit. He just had to push.
Ember looked away because Bryce was just asking for it this time. They really had to get both of them to admit their feelings each other soon or they were gonna drive everyone insane.
"Out of curiousity, does Devon know him or something?" Her eyes were closed and she was massaging her temples, trying to get rid of an impending migraine when Drew had asked that.
Unconciously, she answered, "No, why?"
"Because he's right there speaking to the guy. And by the looks of it, seems like they're coming inside."
"Yeah, sure." It took her a while but... "What?!" she screeched.
True enough, Devon was leading Jesse inside by the front entrance. Sonofagun, was he trying to make her get a heart attack?
She tried to run but Drew snaked his arms around her waist and prevented her escape. She wiggled and struggled to no avail until she heard the sound of doors opening and slamming close.
She gulped and took a deep breath before looking up.
And immediately wanted to wipe that annoying smirk off Jesse's face with a classic roundhouse kick.
"Hello, Ember. Nice to se-"
"So you're stalking me now?" His niceties were wasted on her, especially when he resorted to stalking her to her workplace.
She thought that it was probably quite embarrassing to stand there with another person's arms wrapped around her so she gently pushed away Drew's arms and stood on her own two feet.
Jesse cleared his throat and slipped his hands into the pockets of his cream capri pants that probably cost half of her paycheck. "Actually, I'm here to ask a favour from you."
She shot him a disbelieving look then proceeded to say, "I'm already helping out with your routine and now you want another favour? Well, you can go to-" The rest of her words were muffled since Jess covered a hand over her mouth.
"And what is this favour you want to ask of our dear Emmy?" Jess had on a wide smile. Which was about the most fake smile she had ever seen on her face. Ever.
Jesse didn't even hesitate. "I need her to accompany me for the day."
"I'm not a hooker. I'm not going anywhere with a bas-" Jess covered her mouth again.
"For what purpose?" Jess finally snapped some sort of nerve in her brain. What in the world was she doing?
"I can't tell you that for now. All I can say is that I am not going to sell her organs to the black market and she will be back in one piece. She may even thank me for taking her today."
"Hello, I'm right here you know. And I'm still not goi- Jess, get that hand away from me or so help me, I'll bite it off." Ember slapped away Jess' hand which was in midair to cover her mouth again.
Jess gave her a sheepish look then switched it back to calm and polite. She actually looked genuine this time.
"Alright, then I trust you'll keep her in good hands."
Who said what now?
*********
If anyone ever asked Ember why she burst into tears whenever she saw hot pink, she would describe in minute detail about this day.
"You have got to be kidding me," she growled in front of three full-length mirrors in a dressing room that was as big as her apartment. She pulled open the curtains that parted her and the rest of the ridiculously gigantic room.
Immediately, two attendants came to adjust the puffy, frilly dress that just made her want to throw up her lunch. Jesse was adjusting the cuff links on his black shirt when he looked up and didn't even bother holding back his laugh.
"You did this on purpose. This is about the fourth dress I've tried that makes me look like a train wreck in the making."
Ember was not amused. After snapping out of the shocked coma she was in for a few seconds, Jesse had already managed to drag her outside where she was within a metre of his magnificent car.
It took all her willpower to plant her feet on the pavement and not succumb to the temptation of smooth, custom-made leather seats and 560 horsepower engine.
"This is kidnapping. No matter how much you tell yourself it's not." But I really want to be kidnapped in that car of yours.
She discreetly pinched herself to stop thinking about the car and focused on Jesse. His mouth was moving but it took her a while to digest the words. And when they did, she thought that he was certifiably insane.
"Fine then. I am not kidnapping, I'm teen-napping."
If she could get her hands on a cellphone, she could have him committed in a snap.
"I'm still not coming with you. You're crazy if you think I am." She turned on her heel and was about to head back inside when he said something that made her stop her tracks.
"I recorded it."
She hoped he didn't hear the quaver in her voice when she said, "Recorded what?"
He had his shades on again and so she couldn't see the colour of his eyes but she bet they were stormy again. "Your dance rehearsal with Rush. I can have it spread on the internet and it would spread like wildfire with your name and face plastered in the headlines. You'd just be asking for more trouble with that attention." True to his word, he held out his phone which showed a very clear video of Ember dancing with Rush. His smirk was back in place now.
How did he even know that she hated people to know she danced? How did he get that darn video?
She tried to pull off the confident and cocky grin when she felt anything but. "Why would that even bother me? Go ahead, post it. See if I care."
"You sure about that, honey-bun?" He had an eyebrow raised and arms folded across his chest. The smirk never wavered.
Shoot, he called on my bluff!
And that's how they got to this stage. With her fuming on a platform dressed in hot pink and him laughing like a crazy person.
Arms akimbo, she tapped her gold-heeled clad foot and waited until he sobered.
She had no idea what he was up to with dressing her up like his own personal Barbie. If he was bringing her home to meet his parents, the only thing they would see was the cloud of dust she left behind when she got out of there like the wind.
As he wiped the tears away from his eyes, he let out a few more stray laughs before waving his hand at the two attendants. One of them left the room and the other handed her another dress, white this time.
The curtain swished close and she let out a sigh.
"Try this last one then we can leave. We don't have much time left to make the party," she heard him say.
"I'll make something out of your arse alright," she grumbled while pulling off the horrid pink fabric.
"I heard that."
She ignored him and slipped on the dress the attendant gave her. Then gasped when she saw what it actually was.
The bodice of the dress was layered with beautiful white lace and had glittering gold sequins arranged in an intricate floral pattern. It flared out into a beguiling skirt that looked like something out of a dream.
The curtain was pulled open by an attendant who then slipped a thin, white belt around her waist that completed the look. She stepped away while Ember turned this way and that, not believing that she was wearing such a beautiful dress. Unbiddingly, a smile crept up to her face
She met Jesse's gaze in the mirror and he nodded once. The attendant who left earlier stood beside him with a make-up case in hand, if she was correct. And she was.
The attendant whose name she found out was Shirley and the other, Fiona, had handed her a white clutch adorned with diamonds that contained a sample of Gucci perfume and lip gloss. With that, she probably had about a thousand dollars on her body right now. She mentally shuddered at the possibility of being mugged if she ever wore this around her neighbourhood.
She finally took a good look at Jesse. He had changed from his casual polo tee and loafers to a suave black Burberry shirt paired with black slacks and topped off with a form-fitting grey vest that matched the colour of his eyes. He fit the image of the typical rich and wealthy kid.
And she was just pretending to be one.
"Why did you want me to come along to wherever you're taking me? You could've had someone better by your side. I haven't even attended a party in ages. And clearly you need someone who has actual experience with mingling among the rich and famous," she told him while seated on the cool leather of his car. She had to sit on her hands to avoid from letting them run over everything in the car.
The dark night had set in and they were driving up a hill of a neighbourhood exclusively for wealthy families.
She was him shrug in the dark interior of the car. "I needed an escort fast and I knew you were in the area so it was convenient for me to come get you."
That raised her eyebrows. "But there was no guarantee that I'd say yes," she said with a little suspicion in her voice.
"But you said it anyway so what's the point of the question again?"
Typical of a guy. Never bothering with how's and why's. Ember rolled her eyes at him even though he couldn't see it while driving and looked out the window.
Bright streetlights revealed perfectly manicured lawns and huge mansions that lined up in never-ending rows. To others, it might be a jaw-dropping thing to visit a neighbourhood like this but to Ember, she was freaked out by the ostentatious show these people put on to parade around their wealth. To her, if you had a lot of money, the only place it belonged in is your bank account.
Ember felt the car slow down and she faced front to see that they had arrived at a huge but beautiful gate. Jesse rolled down the window and gave his name to the guard at the small sentry building.
The gates opened silently, surprising as that was and they drove up the long, paved driveway. The landscape was manicured to perfection despite the fact that it was atop a hill. In the distance, she could see the bright lights of the gigantic mansion and people arriving in shiny, black limos.
Calm down, calm down, calm down.
She kept chanting to herself and tried to keep the butterflies in her stomach under control. Somehow, this was a lot more nerve-wrecking than dancing in front of a crowd.
The car stopped at the entrance of the mansion and she could see people trying to peek through the tinted glass to see who had arrived. The odd thing was that they were all wearing masks.
Jesse chuckled at her confused expression and reached over to open the glove box. He took out two masks and handed her a gold mask adorned with intricate black swirls.
"It's actually a masquerade ball. That's why the masks," he explained.
It was so pretty, attached to it were two black ribbons that allowed her to tie it around her head. As she put it on, she realised it only covered part of her eyes but she felt safe with it on. Like nobody would be able to judge her because they couldn't fully identify her face.
Jesse slipped on his mask that was a plain black that also covered part of his eyes but flared out at the sides giving him the seductive, forbidden phantom look.
He exited the car and a valet opened her door while holding out a hand for her. She smiled and thanked him. He flashed her a grin and she thought he held onto her hand longer than necessary.
When she reached Jesse's side, he grabbed her hand and used his hold to pull her close before hooking it to the crook of his arm. Since she was so close, she could see him glare at the valet who scurried off to drive the car away.
She really hoped he wouldn't wreck it. He looked so scared, she thought he would pee in his pants.
"What was that for?" she whispered as he led her through the large mahogany doors of the mansion.
"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure he wouldn't mess with the car," he said non-chalantly.
"Well, the glare might have caused him to do just that."
He scoffed. "If he knew what was good for him, there better not be a single scratch on it."
She shook her head and decided to drop the subject. Who was she to tell him how to treat his hundred thousand dollar car?
Ember looked around and her breath caught at the beautiful interior of the home. Polished marble floors and statues, exquisite paintings and amazing crystal chandeliers that had to span over 20 feet in length and height.
They passed by many people dressed in elaborate and expensive clothing who greeted them. She put on a polite smile and nodded back at them because she didn't even know these people.
"Do you know all of these people?" she murmured.
"Not really. My parents wanted me to be here because it was very important that I show my face. Or so I was told."
"But everyone's wearing masks. How will people even know you were here?" There was disbelief clear in her tone.
"Exactly what I said," he replied dully.
She chuckled which prompted him to do so as well. After maneuvering through many corridors and climbing up a flight of stairs, they finally arrived at what looked like a ballroom where most of everyone were gathered.
Tables were arranged all around the room and couples were already dancing in the middle of the room. Others were mingling around inside and few were enjoying the fresh night air out at the balconies.
"Come on, let's dance." Jesse grinned and pulled her over to the dance floor. She hesitated and dragged her feet a little so it really looked like Jesse was forcing her to dance.
Couples tossed curious looks at them. Probably wondering why she looked so unwilling to dance with a guy like Jesse if they could even recognise him. She doubted it was proper etiquette of the rich and wealthy to refuse a dance.
She unwillingly placed her hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand. His hand was heavy and warm on her waist as they swayed to the slow music playing through the speakers.
If the rest of the members of Rush were watching her right now, they would probably skin her alive or laugh out loud at the way she was dancing with Jesse. She was standing about three feet away from him when other couples were constantly brushing against each other. Not that she didn't know how to slow dance, but it was so darn awkward to dance with someone she mildly disliked.
Okay, so Jesse had been upgraded a level from loathed to mild dislike in her book. He made some improvements but he still had a long way to go if he wanted her to genuinely like him.
"Hey," he hissed under his breath. She turned to him and she could see his eyes had turned stormy again. "Were you born with two left feet? Why are you standing so far away?"
She stepped about an inch forward and raised an eyebrow at him as if to ask, 'Is this enough?'
His eyes rolled and he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her forward until they were a breath apart. She had to shift her hand from his shoulder to his chest to keep herself from stumbling into him. "There, that's better."
The smirk returned to his face but she this time she thought it looked less smug from the fact that he won and more of proud that he got her closer to him. Or maybe she was just deluding herself.
Standing this close to him, she couldn't really see much because of the mask except his mouth and eyes. Her eyes drifted down to his lips that held that smirk which she noticed was slowly starting to fade. When they weren't twisted into that arrogant smirk, she saw that his lips looked soft and vulnerable on the hard edges of his face. Then she realised they were getting closer and closer. Her heart was beating a tattoo through her chest and she decided she needed to stop this for her own good.
"You know we aren't a real couple right? We could just skip the dancing part." She shifted her gaze back to his eyes and noticed the hard edge had returned to them.
"But what fun would that be?" He let her go so abruptly that it almost did make her stumble, then proceeded to disappear between a few dancing couples.
Did he just ditch her in a middle of a dance? In the middle of the dance floor? Over a pathetic reason of not wanting to - maybe - kiss him?
She felt her face flush in embarrassment as other couples looked at her with expressions of pity or amusement. Not even the mask could hide the two red spots on her face. Right, the pauper was always destined to be ridiculed by the royalties. She knew she was supposed to feel angry but right now, she just wanted to get out of here and away from those judging eyes.
As she turned to leave the ballroom, she felt a hand on her elbow and spun around to give Jesse a piece of her mind. If he thought she was going to stay, he was sadly mistaken.
Except it wasn't Jesse. It was another guy dressed in a tailor-made suit with a long tailed jacket and a red shirt and black vest. His white mask covered half of his face but his eyes and hair gave him away. She would recognise them anywhere.
Her heart leapt even more at the sound of his voice than the expectation of being kissed by Jesse.
"Ember, what are you doing here?" Jaden asked.
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What is ten times four? TEN-TEN-TEN-TEN! Hahaha, just when you thought Emmy was going to fall for Jesse, BAM, Jaden comes back in the picture. Hmmmm, both names start with J so which one will she prefer more? >;D Teehee! We shall see what happens next. Wow, such a long chapter! Hope you won't get bored by this. :D PLEASEPLEASEPLEEEAASSSEEE COMMENT! I'm begging here *on my knees* With love, cherylxo. <3 :)
PS; The picture is the dress Ember was wearing to the masquerade. I finally found Jesse! <3 :D Will be revealing his identity in the next chapter. Nyehehe. 8D