Hey guys! Well, two things. One, GOOD GRADES! YAY! Two, NEW STORY! YAY! This is dedicated to Anna Banana!!! LOVE YOU BABE!
"B-but," I begged. Hiroki-sensei sighed a stiff groan. I knew that his anger had been supressed because of his boyfriend beside him, holding his side gently. I really didn't want to go to this ball that he was talking about. It meant that girls were going to want to dance with me. I'd also have to know about proper etiquette and dress clothes! I couldn't handle that, I could barely handle sensei's classes, and this was even more painful! Hiroki-sensei surpressed a growl from his clenched teeth without being scolded by Kusama-san. I sighed unsteadily and closed my eyes.
"Fine," I sighed. Sensei's anger boiled down into his usual gruff self, and he simply nodded. I stood up, about to leave his apartment. While I was walking out, I felt my cellphone buzz. It was my brother. I closed the door behind me and began to talk.
"Hey nii-chan," I greeted.
"Yo Misaki," he chanted. I didn't know why he was in such a splendid mood, but it made me happy to know that he was doing okay with Manami.
"Hey, nii-chan, I'm going to a ball..." I didn't realize how unfortunate that sounded until it came out of my mouth. Nii-chan said nothing. "It's for a writer, Usami Akihiko. Anyways, he's good friends with sensei so he allowed Kamijou to allow two friends, being myself and Kusama-san." Takahiro made an "Ahh" of contentment.
"I've read his most recent book, and I've heard of this ball. It's supposed to create the essence of the whole 'Romeo and Juliet' theme in his novel. Manami loved it," he sounded glad. "I'm so happy that you're doing something to get yourself out of that stuffy little apartment Misaki!" I groaned. Takahiro didn't like me being trapped in my little world back at my house, but ever since I got drunk with Zero-sempai, I've been too afraid to go out with friends again. I know it was partially my fault to have been the one to give into peer pressure, but I couldn't disappoint him. He was bragging to that guy Sumi that I could hold down my drinks, which did not end out well.
"Arigato, nii-chan," I told him sourly.
"Ah! Welcome! Oops, need to go. Manami says 'hi', bye Misaki!" he hung up. I smiled and ended the phone call. Takahiro was so overprotective sometimes, but he really cared so much for other people. I entered my apartment and yawned. Tomorrow was the night of the ball. I didn't know what I could wear, what I had to wear. It was a ball. A ball meant a suit. I didn't know how to pick out the correct suit. I also had no idea about how to wear a suit. I sighed and hung out on my couch.
I'd go shopping tomorrow. My thoughts traced back over to Usami-sensei (Akihiko-sama). He was an odd author. I've seen his BL novels, Hiroki-sensei has three copies of each one at his apartment with Kusama-san. I remembered it using his name over many times, and a man named Kyo. I didn't know if he was really gay or not, or if he just wrote the books to have girls crawl all over him, but it still creeped me out. He seemed decent enough though. Every time I saw him on TV at an award ceremony he would greet people with that graceful smile and light personality. I didn't see how someone so calm, sweet and easy-going as him could even try to be friends with Hiroki-sensei.
He really wasn't someone to be an easy person to talk to, except with Kusama-san. I didn't know how he did it, either. He was so sweet, and even when Hiroki-sensei pelted him with books he didn't seem to mind. It still set off a tiny bell in my head when I saw Kusama-san touch sensei or give him a light kiss when he thought I wasn't looking. I guess, I just never really thought men could be together. I might've never had a girlfriend, but I sure as hell knew that my friends wouldn't let sensei live his life down if they knew he was gay. I was thankful he trusted me. It felt good to be trusted.
What if I never got a girlfriend? I didn't know how that thought digressed from trying to figure out what to wear to a ball, but it had. I wanted to love someone, only now did I understand that I really wanted someone. The fact is, though, I'd be too scared to do anything. And men are supposed to lead the relationship aren't they? Girls that take control seem... well... controlling. It was always the right sense of mind to have the man lead, so I never really thought I could handle a relationship. I'll probably do it someday... but not soon.
And with these thoughts running lucidly through my mind, I drifted off to sleep.
The next day I went to a nice dress store. A blonde girl stood behind the desk, working animatedly on writing something. I didn't want to disturb her, so I just walked over to the nicely dressed manikins. I looked at the black suits with different colored ties and black pants. Those were, at least, the majority of the suits. A fraction of them were colored or had some sort of fun added to them. I walked over to a red suit with a red mask. My heart suddenly dropped into the pit of my stomach as I remembered one last detail to the Romeo and Juliet Ball... it was a masquerade ball.
"Hey," a bubbly voice came from behind me. I turned around and saw the blonde with a puffy, multi-color, skirt and tight white shirt with a Roxy symbol on the corner. I nodded towards her and she smiled, popping a bubble of gum that she had blown. "So, what's the occasion?" she questioned, studying my figure.
"Uh," I stuttered, "I- I, uh, the Usami Akihiko novel, new one, the ball. I'm going there," I stammered. The girl's eyes lit up. She looked up at the suit and shook her head, as if to say that she was disgusted with my taste.
"Masquerade..." she began to herself. "I'll need something to compliment those beautiful green eyes of yours. I also need something that will completely make a statement for you." She flashed a wink at me and danced with me into the back of the store. In the back were more than suits. They were actually like ringmaster outfits. I felt a blush come to my face when I saw the female ones. I looked down as she pushed a suit in my face. It was made of black satin with patches of red scattered on the elbow, arms and waist with a white shirt underneath and ripped blue jeans. I didn't understand that outfit too much. It was very 'bad-boy, professional' at the top and then 'bad-boy, cool' at the bottom. She then tossed a hat on my head, giggling out of control.
She shoved a red mask in front of my face and then pulled me into a room with three mirrors. She put the clothes on the side and told me to change. I obeyed and looked at myself in the mirrors. I looked... well, I looked okay. I wasn't so great, but I wasn't too bad. Seeing as though I wasn't the professional, either, I decided to go with her on the decision.
"You look adorable!" she exclaimed. I followed her out to the cash register and payed for the outfit. The ball was tonight. I felt myself choke up on the thought. I really didn't want to go to this, but Hiroki-sensei was definitely going to make me when Kusama-san wasn't looking.
"Arigato," I thanked as I walked out of the store. She was pleasant. I wondered... if that was what it was like to flirt... even if indirectly.
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We danced for what seemed like hours. I knew this was a man. Was it wrong to have feelings for him? I could only really remember the night we shared just after the dancing... our masks still attached. This... this man... was Usami Akihiko.
Ok, HERE IT IS!!! Love it? Hate it? It's gonna get better. SO much better. To a point were fluff is an understatement, but ... idk.
