***
"Kaycee wake up." Bailey shouted, pulling the covers off Kaycee.
"Mmmm...Bailey, what are you doing here, this early?" Kaycee asked sleepily, as she sat up and checked the time on her alarm clock on the bedside table, which showed 7:05 A.M.
"What do you think, I am doing? Trying to wake you up, of course." Bailey said, as though if it was the most obvious thing in the world, making Kaycee roll her eyes.
"Why did you left early, last evening?"
Bailey asked Kaycee, looking at her closely.
Kaycee looked at Bailey, rubbing away the sleep from her eyes. "You noticed? I thought, you had already forgotten about me, the moment you stepped on the dance floor, with that boy." Kaycee said, with a smirk on her face.
Bailey blushed furiously, hitting Kaycee on the arm, good-naturedly.
"Don't try to change the subject, Kaycee. And look, whos talking, the girl who was in the arms of second hottest guy in the city." Bailey said mischievously.
Kaycee felt confused at this.
'Second hottest? I think he's the hottest.....wait..... why am I thinking like this, about him? It's Francesca's job, after all she was the one, fawning all over him, last evening.' Kaycee thought dryly.
Kaycee pulled herself out of her musings, with great difficulty.
"Second hottest?" She said, looking at Bailey, with a quizzical look on her face.
"Yes, Ken is the first on the list." Bailey replied, with a lazy smile on her face and faraway look in her eyes. Then she again looked at her best friend.
"So why did you left?" Bailey asked again.
"Err... Well I was not feeling well." Kaycee said, faltering a bit.
"Really?" Bailey asked, with the raised eyebrows, as she sat on the bed, in front of Kaycee.
"Yeah" Kaycee mumbled, trying to avoid Bailey's eyes.
"Hmm...Because if I remember, you were dancing with Sean Lew,
and next I saw, you were not there.
Did something happen between you two?" Bailey asked teasingly, with a mischievous look in her eyes.
"Of course not. You are insane to think, that something happened." Kaycee said crossly.
"Relax Kaycee. I was just joking.
Now seriously, what happened?" Bailey asked, looking serious.
"Nothing happened between us. It's just that, all those feelings of being close to a boy, for the first time, were just so new and unfamiliar for me. I mean, I have never been in the close proximity of the opposite sex before, who's not a family. It was just a bit odd, I supposed. That's it." Kaycee said, trying to sound sincere. Bailey nodded with understanding.
"Anyways, since my so called best friend left me to be with someone else. Care to tell me about our dear, Mr. Kenneth San Jose?" Kaycee said, trying to change the subject, which Bailey didn't seem to notice, as she lost herself in thoughts about the boy she had met last evening.
Bailey smiled brightly. She lay back on the bed, looking at the ceiling dreamily.
"It was amazing. He was so sweet and considerate. He listened to me, I mean really listened to me. He didn't make fun of me, like some others did with me in the past. And also he has very beautiful eyes. He asked me about our school. He even ignored my unskilled dancing, though it was him who stepped on my toes most of the time. And he loves and doesn't hesitate to show it. And..." Bailey looked at Kaycee "I have never felt anything like this ever before anyone." Bailey finished in her trademark dreamy voice.
"Wow Bailey. That sounds really deep." Kaycee said with wonder in her voice.
Kaycee had always known that her best friend was capable of loving somone with deep passion and full commitment, even at the mere age of 16. Nevertheless, to see Bailey feel so deeply, in reality, right in front of her eyes, scared her a bit. She didn't want her best friend, to invest herself deeply in a relationship, at such an initial stage, where the chances of getting hurt were very high.
"Just be careful." Kaycee said cautiously.
Bailey propped herself up, on her elbow and looked at Kaycee curiously. "What do you mean?" She asked, looking anxious.
"I mean that...Look, don't take me wrong, but we don't know anything about Ken. He seems like a decent guy, but still be careful about your feelings. I don't want you to get hurt." Kaycee said earnestly.
Bailey squeezed her hand. "Don't worry Kaycee. I understand that you are worried about me and I'll be careful but I don't think he would hurt me. He's really a very nice guy." Bailey said, with a sincere smile on her face.
"I hope you're right." Kaycee said.
"So, are you two dating?" Kaycee asked Bailey.
"No, but he asked me to be his date, for the New Year Ball at the Lews." Bailey said cheerfully.
"Ugh..." Kaycee grumbled,
remembering the conversation with her parents last night.
"What is it?" Bailey asked, looking hurt by Kaycee's response.
Kaycee looked at her, seeing the hurt expression on her face, she quickly corrected her mistake.
"Bailey, its got nothing to do with you and Ken, trust me." Kaycee explained.
"Oh! Well then it's okay." Bailey said, her eyes clear of any feelings of hurt.
"But you won't believe, what's happening. Mom, Dad, Francesca and I, we are invited to the Lew Manor for the New Year Ball." Kaycee groused.
"That's great Kaycee. We can go there together. It would be so much fun. You can dance with Sean Lew and I would dance with my Kenneth. It would be just so romantic." Bailey said abstractedly, having a faraway look in her eyes and therefore, completely missed the shock expression on Kaycee's face.
Kaycee groaned and got up from her bed, to get ready for the day and to try to stop herself about a certain black-eyed monster.
'Exactly, that's what he is, Sean Lew... a black-eyed monster.' She thought, making her way to the bathroom.
Kaycee wasn't going to tell Bailey,
but last night she had thought about, none other than Sean Lew and how pleasurable it was, to be in his arms.
And how her thoughts and imagination had taken her to the world, where she wanted to kiss him and dance with him.
When she saw him for the first time at the flower shop, last evening, she was stunned to see him. She felt attracted towards him, just at the first sight. She could see why girls threw themselves at him. He was freaking gorgeous. But the best two parts of his overall personality where his messy black hair and his penetrating chocolate-brown eyes. She remembered staring into his eyes, the way he held her during their dancing and the way he had pulled her in his arms.
Kaycee was having conflicting thoughts about him. At one side, she didn't know why she was so short with him last evening. He talked alright, it didn't really make any hurtful remarks like she was expecting from him, but then he did mentioned Jenna and whatever rumors she had spread. It was hard to understand his motive, from the last evening.
And now that she thought about it, why he came and sat on the table, she was already sitting on. Surely if he wanted to spend some time with Francesca, he would have taken her to some other table. He definitely couldn't be interested in a plain old Kaycee Rice, when he had already had a stunning girl like Francesca in his arms.
Kaycee was feeling incredolous. She didn't want anything to do with Sean Lew, yet in some corner of her mind she knew that she would like to have another meeting with him.
And if she would have been honest with herself, she was looking forward to the New Year Ball, though she wasn't going to admit it. She was just in denial, refusing to believe that she wanted to see him again.
***
After having a full house full on the Christmas Day, it was again filled with just 4 members; Kaycee, Francesca, Laura and Brad. While Francesca spent most of her time, outside with her gang, Kaycee spent her time with Bailey, at her home. Another purpose of spending the time with Bailey was, to give some quality time to her parents, to spend together.
It was already 30th December.
Kaycee was getting more and more agitated due to the upcoming New Year Ball. She hadn't told about her fears to anyone, not even Bailey. She was anxious to see Sean Lew again. She didn't know how she was going to react in front of him. She still very clearly remembered the feelings she had, when she was in his arms. Her heart had beaten faster and she had felt so jumpy at that time.
One part of her was hoping to get a chance to dance with Sean Lew at the New Year Ball. But, another, the more rational part of her, was saying her to stay away from all this stuff. She knew that in the end, all these feelings
would only cause her pain and nothing less. After all why Sean Lew would be fascinated with, her when he could have any girl he wanted.
***
Sean Lew couldn't believe it, what
was happening with him. It was just
a freaking dance and it had left him, completely out of sorts. He had danced with many girls, before he danced with that brunette. Then what was so different about dancing with her.
Kaycee Rice. He had heard about her, from his former girlfriend, Jenna. When they were together, he heard her lots of times, complaining about mousy, ugly weirdo Kaycee Rice, as Jenna used to call her. According to her, Kaycee Rice was a shrew, know-it-all and didn't deserve to exist in the world, where beauty pageant, Jenna Alvarez, lived. But inwarldy Sean appreciated the girl, who had the guts to stand against Jenna Alvarez.
When he saw Kaycee at the flower shop, first thought that came to his mind was that, so she's a girl, Jenna hates so passionately.
She was looking beautiful, not like a supermodel or a glamorous female tennis player, whom you could see on the famous magazine covers. She looked natural. She wasn't thin, like most of the other girls of her age. The light blue dress that she wore showed her curvy body very nicely. He couldn't get the feelings out of his mind, which he felt while holding her soft and curved body in his arms.
Looking at her closely, he realized that her face was devoid of any kind of make-up, which was a very noticeable thing for him. All his previous girlfriends and other girls he had seen in his school, always wore heavy layers of make-ups on their faces. This Kaycee Rice definitely didn't seem to care much about her looks and all, which her cousins definitely did. It was so obvious that Francesca was trying to impress him throughout the evening. She had actually asked him to dance with her, which continued to full three songs. Can someone be really that desperate?
And the way she shot out of the car, after they reached her home, it just made him laugh. Though why she acted like that, was beyond him. While dancing with Kaycee, he noticed the brunette, sitting alone and looking at his best friend, Ken and the girl in his arms, at the dance floor. He didn't know, what possessed him to go and sit with her. It looked like she wasn't very attentive of her surroundings, as half of the time she looked lost in her thoughts.
What infuriated him the most was, her behavior towards him. She had been acting indifferent towards his closeness, but he could see that she was affected by him, which made him feel strangely better and in control. Teasing her was fun. She was witty, he could tell, because of her responses. After she ran away from him, he had hoped that she would come back, but she didn't.
And now he finds, through his parents, that he was going to see her again on the New Year Ball.
Sean was just so lost in his thoughts, that he almost didn't realize, his best friend yelling at him.
"Sean" Ken yelled, shaking him hard.
Sean jerked out of his deep thoughts. "What?" He said, looking at Ken with an alarming look in his eyes.
"I have been trying to get your attention for the last 15 minutes and you are, god knows, lost in which world."
"Sorry what is it?" Sean asked, trying to pay more attention to Ken.
Ken and Sean were at the San Jose's house. They were sitting out on the ground, under the tree. It was the noon of 31st December.
"I was asking, who your date for the evening is." Ken said annoyingly.
"Date?" Sean asked in confused manner, but then he remembered about New Year Ball and replied.
"No one yet. I am not sure if I want a date." Sean said moodily.
"Why? Aren't you taking that girl with you? I thought you liked her." Asked a bewildered Ken.
"She asked me, if I would take her as my date. Justin had already asked her and when I say no, she accepted his offer." Sean said distractedly.
"Well, you better arrange a date for yourself. That should not be difficult for S-E-A-N L-E-W." Ken said smugly. "Or you would have to dance with that Rice girl again." Ken said, laughing at his friend's stunned expression.
"I am not going to dance with her." Sean said indignantly.
"Why? Was she so bad?" Ken asked in a amused voice. He was surprised to see how Sean was reacting to that Rice girl. Usually, he was very smooth while handling the girls and rarely lost the control, on his behavior. He had never acted like this with any girl before.
"No" Sean almost shouted.
At Ken's raised eyebrows "She's just not my type." Sean said in a calmer tone.
"Yeah I can see that. She wasn't pretty and looked more like a weirdo. "Didn't she?" Ken said, with a teasing look in his eyes, trying to provoke reaction from his best friend. Sean just ignored the double meaning of Ken's words.
"I think that cousin of Rice, what was her name? Yeah, I remember, Francesca Cruz. She would just suit you fine. Blonde and beautiful are your type. Aren't they?" Ken asked in an amused voice.
"Look who's talking? If I am not wrong it was you who looked so enamored with that girl, Bailey Sok." Sean said, giving a questioning look to Ken.
Ken turned red. "Well she is really cute. She talks about strange things. But once you get past that, she is a very pleasant company. I mean.....I haven't met anyone like her before. Firstly I thought that she was some crazy girl, but then she looked so sad, after talking to the Rice. So I asked her to dance with me. You should have seen her face. She had quickly brightened up, when I asked her. I asked her to be my date for the New Year Ball. And she didn't mind my eating habits." Ken finished with a smile.
Sean looked at Ken with astonishment. "That's cool Ken. You must really like her, to say something so meaningful, which is a very rare thing for you." Sean said with a laughing voice.
"Just shut up Sean. And it was not just me; you also looked so charmed by that Francesca." Ken retorted back.
Sean glared at Ken but didn't say anyhing. Ken started laughing and patted Sean on the shoulder.
"Don't worry Sean; your secret is safe with me." He said with hilarity.
Sean frowned at Ken. "What's got into you today? I don't have a thing for that Rice, neither for her cousin. And she is pretty." Sean mumbled towards the end.
"What? Who's pretty? Francesca? Of course she is." Ken said, feigning ignorance. He knew very well, that Sean was not talking about Francesca but Kaycee. Sean chose to ignore him and lay down on his back, looking at the sky.
Sean had been confused since the Christmas Day. Kaycee Rice, she wasn't like other girls he had known in his life of 17 years. She was an odd girl. He didn't know how else to describe her. She didn't act like the way, other girls around him. She made him feel something, he couldn't describe.
Was it attraction? But it couldn't be, sure he had noticed her natural beauty, but she wasn't his type of girl.
Despite every confusing thought in his mind, Sean knew that she was going to be there at New Year Ball. And a part of him was eager to see her again, this evening at the ball.
"Argh... What the hell is happening?" Sean muttered frustratingly and closed his eyes. He could hear Ken, laughing and saying that he was going inside. When Sean didn't reply, Ken got up and left, leading Sean alone, lost in his own thoughts about Kaycee.
***
"Mom I look so awful in this dress.
Why can't I wear my normal cloths?" Kaycee said in an unhappy voice.
Kaycee was getting ready for the ball, or more like Laura was making her dress up for the ball. Laura had brought a new dress for Kaycee, to wear for the ball. It was an emerald green, knee length, halter design V-neck dress, which hugged Kaycee's body nicely, shaking her curves.
"And why did you have to bring an emerald color dress?" Kaycee asked irately.
"Dear, it looks good on you. Why, do you have some problem with emerald color?" Laura asked innocently and according to Kaycee, too innocently.
"No I don't have any problem." Kaycee mumbled, as Laura combed her hair. Her hairs were left open, falling down to her waist in soft curls.
"There now, you are ready for the ball. You look absolutely beautiful love." Laura said kissing Kaycee on the forehead.
Kaycee just rolled her eyes. 'Of course she will say this. She's my mom after all.' Kaycee thought.
"Are you ready?" Brad asked, as he entered Kaycee's room, where Laura and Kaycee were.
"Yeah Brad. We are ready. Look at Kaycee. Doesn't she look beautiful?" Laura asked, looking at her husband. Brad looked at Kaycee and frowned a bit.
"Does she really have to wear that?
I would be worried for the whole evening that boys would be hitting on her." Brad said.
Kaycee burst out laughing at this.
"Honestly dad, like that's ever going to happen." She said and left the room leaving her bewildered parents behind.
Laura smiled and said "Well see."
"What?" Brad asked in perplexed manner.
"Nothing, now c'mon let's go or we would be late." Laura said as she left the room with Brad to go to the ball.
***
:)