Sleep? What was sleep? How to sleep? Sleeping was impossible at this time, but I knew that I had to, or else I might risk dark circles over my eyes at my Winnowing Gala, which just could NOT happen.
Tossing and turning in the room that us girls used for sleepovers, I whispered to my friends, who were sleeping all around me. Sophie on the other bed across the room, and Linh and Marella together on a huge mattress on the ground.
"Guys! My gala is tomorrow! I'm freaking out! Guys?"
I looked over the side of the bed and found all my friends sound asleep. What time was it? I checked my clock on the wall and saw that it was...two a.m? Already? Why did the time go so quickly?
I tip-toed out of the room and into the boy's bedroom, ignoring all of them due to the fact that I knew Keefe slept naked, (due to an.... unfortunate situation) and reached into Dex's bag and pulled out a bottle.
Sleeping drought.
I knew Dex always kept it in his bag because sometimes he had trouble sleeping. I took the bottle back to my room, and took a small swig of it before setting it on the nightstand. Suddenly, my mind felt woozy and my gaze blurred and the last thing I remembered was collapsing onto the bed, trying to pull the blankets over me, before my gaze went black.
"BIANA!!! IT'S MORNING IT'S MORNING WAKE UP WAKE UP IT'S THE MORNING OF YOUR GALA CAN YOU HEAR ME?! BIANAAAAAA!"
I woke up to Marella's shrieking voice and was jostled awake by her hands on my shoulders. "Huh?" I asked groggily.
"It's the day of your gala sleepyhead!" Marella said. "And we're supposed to help you get ready! Decorating and preparing has already begun downstairs! Linh and Sophie went to help and left me the job of helping you wake up." She shrugged and looked proud. "I think I did a pretty good job."
"OH MY GOD!" My sleepy mind had finally processed what was happening. "MY GALA! IT'S TODAY!"
"YES!" Marella said and we did a little squeal together.
"This is the day I choose my future partner for possibly forever," I said, suddenly realizing the grave importance of the event.
"Don't be so down!" Marella said. "Come on! We have to get you ready!"
Marella lead me to my closet and I picked out a "casual" dress with gold embroidery on white silk that hung down past my knees, and pulled on a pale golden cape and white ankle boots to complete the look. I placed the Vacker crest firmly on my bodice, and took a deep breath before turning to the vanity. My hands shook so badly that my eyeliner wasn't even on both sides, and I gave up trying to put on mascara.
Marella held my arm tightly as we walked down the huge staircase down into the ballroom. My mouth fell open when I saw the transformations that were happening.
Mom was standing in the middle of the room staring down at a clipboard barking orders around at people. Everyone thought the Dad was the boss of the family, but anyone who actually knew us knew that it was all Mom.
Fitz was standing at the very top of a huge ladder trying to change the lights out on the roof and replace it with the huge rose gold chandelier I had picked, with thousands of tiny crystals. We would have used telekinesis to lift it, but the whole thing was so delicate and so hard to attach that we decided we couldn't, so Fitz had been nominated for the task. I was actually kind of amazed he was even holding it. It was about three times wider and taller than him.
Keefe was holding the ladder, which was wobbling precariously. Keefe didn't seem very concerned by this though, so I decided I wouldn't be either. I turned around and saw Dex working on hooking up some cords, and talking with four guys in black suits that looked like bodyguards, although I knew they were only there for music work.
Linh was in the center of it all, face screwed up in concentration as she created elaborate fountains in different shapes and sizes inside the already prepared circles on white stone that Dad was setting up. Dad was getting soaked, as he had to step inside the fountain to hook up the glowing lights inside the water, so that the fountains would glow different pastel colors.
Sophie was at the food station, helping place out giant, but still delicate looking plates with golden trim around the edges, and helping spoon out giant portions of soup, vegetables, breads, and desserts onto the trays before covering them with large golden coverings. Than they went to work on the placements of napkins, and utensils. I watched their hands shake as the carefully folded them, making sure every single one was symmetrically placed and folded on top of each other.
I caught a glimpse of Tam talking to some of the cleaning workers, before rolling up his sleeves and grabbing a paint roller and set to work painting layers over the slightly chipped pieces in the ballroom. I stretched my neck, hoping to catch his eye but then Mom had spotted us and waved us over.
"Biana! It's finally the day! Are you excited? Nervous? Did you apply all the different lotions I told you to? Your face has to be perfectly smooth for this. Marella? Did she?"
Marella held up a list that I didn't know she had, with red check marks next to the various different items, the check marks slowly getting messier and messier as they went down the list. She scanned it, eyebrows furrowing. "Mhmmm, Yeah, Did that, hmmm, yup, yes! All done Mrs. Vacker!"
"Good! Now Marella, would you be a dear and maybe help with the cleaning? The managers are over there by Tam."
I saw Marella's nose crinkle a little at the task, but then Mom shook her head. "Oh! I completely forgot! I need your help assisting with the lights and decorations. Do you think you could create flamed candles with real fire inside of them and hang them up around the wall?"
"Oh yes! Yes I can do that!" Marella said, eager to get out of a cleaning task and headed toward the large pile of candle holders that Mom was pointing at in the corner.
"I'm nervous Mom," I said, staring up at Mom with nervous eyes. "What if I mess up or something? I don't want to sound like Sophie, but I'm just really scared that nobody will like me or something. What if I trip? What if I spill a drink all over my clothes? What if I-"
Della placed a hand on my shoulder. "Biana sweetie, everyone gets pre-gala jitters. Everything will be fine, you'll see." She squeezed her shoulder in the typical supportive mom way. "How about you go upstairs and calm yourself down? Have some fun. Your gala will be in evening!"
She sent me upstairs and I caught one last glimpse of the ballroom before it disappeared behind the corner.
Time skip...- Evening
I was sat on the bed, listening to the commotion downstairs. I heard some peaceful music and the chattering of crowds, the clomping of shoes and dinging noises as people went to get food from the stand table.
I had managed to get some time before the gala when I said my stomach was feeling queezy, but I was going to have to go down soon. I laughed to myself. Who thought that I, Biana Vacker, would someday start becoming Sophie Foster?
I heard a gentle knock on my door, and it opened revealing my friends, in their beautiful dresses I had picked, their hair done up, and makeup sufficiently applied, (Linh and Marella's were nice, Sophie's... not so much).
"Biana? It's time." Linh said softly, taking note of my nervousness. "You should get your dress on and go downstairs now."
I closed my eyes, took a breath and lifted my head up. "Okay. I'll be fine guys, thanks for checking up on me." I gave them a smile to prove it. "Let's do this!"
Another time skip...- 30 minutes later
I put a hand on the railing to steady herself as I walked down the grand staircase, Sophie and Linh by my side, Marella is front. I took deep breaths as the music became louder and the smells from the food became more intoxicating.
Linh and Sophie pushed the grand double doors open dramatically and I walked in.
The music stopped and I watched as 50 extremely attractive boys turned their heads towards me. I spotted blonds, brunettes, auburns, black hairs, and everything in between. I swore I saw a boy with bright pink hair, but that might have just been the rose gold glow of the lights.
As per tradition, my father took my hand and walked me down the staircase into the ballroom. Mom stood at the top of the stairs, and I could see her tears welling up. Then, they both turned around and left through the doors, and I heard the click as they closed behind them.
And then it was just me.
And my friends.
And 50 hot boys.
One who would soon be my future husband.