Song: Starlight by Taylor Swift

.

Chapter 2: Starlight

...

Don't you see the starlight?
Don't you dream impossible things?

...

The room was defiantly getting smaller with the minute.

Or at least that was what crossing Anne's mind as she crusted to the young man she's just danced with—or the one her mother made her dance with. If it was up to her, she would have suffocated herself before she had to move from where she stood by the wall with Laura, but she knew she wouldn't hear the end of it if she didn't dance. So far there have been five dances.

When the new song started Anne was already on her way to the wall she stood by earlier, she had looked for her mom with her eyes till she spotted her on the other side of the room, she was busy talking to someone she couldn't see. Anne sighed with relief. Five dances would at least get her off the hook, wouldn't they?

"If someone is watching they'd think you're on a secret mission to spy on your mother." Anne heard someone whisper and turned to find Trieze behind her leaning in to whisper in her ear. She shivered as his breath tickled her neck. She turned with her hand on her chest.

Trieze lent back with a crocked smile on his lips, "Didn't mean to frighten you, my lady." He said.

Anne stared at him for a second with half open mouth. She didn't expect to see him tonight. She thought her mother mentioned in one of her lectures that the 'young Mr. Khushrenada' didn't like attending much of Romefeller balls. In truth she envied him for that, but it relieved her a little to know she wasn't going to run into him, especially after their first meeting.

"Dare I say it's my presence that struck you speechless, my lady?" He said after a while and she realized she hadn't said anything to him, just stood there staring. She blushed.

In a second, Anne recovered, if she played it right, she can be out of his presence with just a few words. As much as she hated following etiquette rules, she was an expert in them and no matter what's happened between them before, she could still get out of it. She crusted to the young lord, "I'm sorry, my lord. I just didn't expect to see you here tonight that's all."

"Please, my lady, call me Trieze." He said as he took her hand and kissed it gently, Anne smiled politely. "You look lovely tonight."

"Thank you, Trieze." She accepted his complement, "I'm sorry, but if you'd excuse me I have to—"

"I'm afraid you won't find Miss Mason where you've left her." He answered her with a knowing look. God, was he watching her? For a second, she wanted to laugh, but when she turned and indeed saw the place she left Laura in to be empty. She thought she might've decided to dance too. When she looked at the dancing couples, Trieze chuckled.

"No, no, no." He said as he placed his hand on the small of her back, "there," he added pointing to wherever he was turning her. She wanted to tell him to remove his hand but he took it off once he turned her to be facing the balconies. Then she saw it, Laura was sneaking out with someone Anne couldn't see. She sighed.

"Sneaking out, I believe?" Trieze said from behind her and she turned.

Oh, not again. Anne thought before rolling her eyes. She could hardly hear what Trieze's said and she frankly didn't care. Laura was just going to get herself into trouble again, but Anne wasn't about to let her.

"Excuse me," she said with hurry scarcely remembering Trieze standing beside her, "there's somewhere I need to be," she added with a smile and took off behind Laura and here secret companion immediately, without even waiting for an answer.

...

The cold air hit Anne's face as she stepped out on the balcony she saw Laura going out from. She didn't see a single thing as she squinted her eyes and looked through the dark garden. The balcony opened directly to the gardens surrounding the manor they were in. It wasn't a big one, but it was enough to get lost in if one wasn't careful. Oh God, what was Laura even thinking?

Anne moved a little closer after her eyes got used to the darkness towards the stairs that led to a small lane surrounded by trees on one side and the manor's stone wall on the other. She knew she would've found the place so intriguing to discover under different circumstances, now all she could think of was how cold she felt and how mad she was. Oh the things she does for her best friend! And why was she circling that lane around the manor anyway?

It was then when she was about to turn between the bushes thinking she saw someone move there that she heard the steps behind her. She felt frightened, to say the least, and she turned with every intention to hit whoever was following her.

"What are you doing here?" Was the first thing that left her mouth once she recognized who it was.

Trieze chuckled and actually moved back away from her hands range. "Hey, hey! I'm only here to help!" He started, "You weren't about to go in the dark manor grounds alone, were you?" He added when she dropped her hands and sighed.

"How did you even—" she started but cut herself, "you know? Why do I even bother? You're just going to follow me anyway." She murmured under her breath and turned again to continue in her way, deciding to ignore the young man following her completely. Trieze didn't say anything but she could perfectly hear his chuckle and feel his crocked smile even if not see it. She knew, if it was someone else, she'd be making up excuses in her head for being there already, but the guy has already seen her drunk and sneaking into her parents manor. How much worse was following her there could possibly make things?

"So, what's the plan?" She heard him say in a hushed voice from behind her. They were now by the manor's back entrance. It was still a bit far from the main gates, but it was clear that Laura and whoever was with her had gone through it already. She sighed.

There were a guard, sitting beside the gate, reading something. Anne sighed again and looked around. She knew the guard wouldn't see her and Trieze sneaking out if they were careful not to make a sound and the guard kept on reading. It wasn't like she was a prisoner here, but if he saw them, then she'd have to explain and she didn't want anyone to know she was leaving.

"Just follow me silently, okay?" She finally answered obviously amused Trieze as they got by the iron gate.

The iron gates of the Beletezar family estate stood high and tall before Anne and Trieze, with a giant letter B on each gate. From where they stood, the gates seemed locked under the yellow lights of the estate's high lamplights. It took the two of them a few steps forward to see they were left ajar. They both looked each way careful for a guard or anyone watching, but there was no one. So they kept going till they got outside and only then they let go of a breath they both realized they were holding and that all it took for Trieze to burst into laughter.

"Shhhhh... He might hear you." Anne warned but couldn't help a smile herself, in all honesty, what she's just did has been the second rebellious act she made in one week which was kind of a record for her. It made her want to laugh just thinking of how Laura's reaction over it would be like.

"You know you'd make a brilliant strategic planner with plans like that," he said when he stopped laughing. Anne could see his face now under the fluorescent light, he was really amused of her, not mocking as she expected, but amused, it made her relax and even take his joke with a little giggle instead of the frown she was preparing.

"Okay, once I finish the thousand classes plan my mother has prepared for me for the next few years of my life, I'll think about joining the army." She answered sarcastically and then looked around her as if just noticing where they were. "We need to hurry. I think they went that way." She pointed to the other darker road from where they stood, "that's if you still want to come," she challenged .

"A tough choice indeed." He answered with a chuckle, "let's go before someone catches us."

That answer was all it took them to start walking through the road. Anne walked slowly now allowing Trieze to keep up, feeling somewhat safer that he was with her, not that she would ever admit it to his face, but he was right by following her.

"Thinking about how it was a good idea you brought me with you?" She heard him say from behind, reading her thoughts. She snorted.

"You were the one that followed me if my memory serves." She answered.

"True." He said, letting her win that one, "so what rumors have you heard about me that got you to believe I'm so bad?" He asked a minute later. It took Anne by surprise how direct he was, but she chuckled.

"What makes you think I want to know anything about you?"

"Ah, answering questions with questions. You know you can't believe everything you hear, right?"

"Then why don't you correct those who say bad things about you?" She answered seriously now.

"You can't correct everyone. There are simply things you can't change; people you have to deal with based on a prior picture they've painted of you in their minds. Else you'll spend your life lost, looking for approval from people who don't simply matter."

"By that logic, why does my picture of you matter?"

He was silent and didn't answer for a minute, it made her stop and turn around to face him. It was completely dark now that they were far from the manor's lights, only starlight dimly lit both of their faces. Trieze seemed speechless with only his mouth open trying to say something.

"Dare I say that you were struck speechless by my presence, my lord?" She joked when he didn't answer.

Trieze grinned but before he could say anything, Anne found herself looking into his blue eyes that seemed dark under the silver starlight. She realized she might've looked too long but couldn't help it. It was a moonless night. It seemed they stared into each other's eyes forever before they both heard a loud bang.

Anne jumped immediately and clung to the closest thing that stood beside her; Trieze. It took her a minute to realize that she was actually hugging him and him hugging her back. She stood back when it was clear that the sound was only a door being shut loudly.

"What was that?" Anne asked, half panicked by the sound and half panicked by what she's just did.

"I think—" he cleared his voice, "I think it was a door,"

"Oh," Anne only answered.

"Yeah," he answered back, "come on, let's see who's there. I bet your friend and whomever she's with has gone there."

Anne hesitated for a second, when Trieze realized she wasn't following he looked back at her and just took her hand in his. Anne didn't fight it, she just followed silently as her grip into his hand grew warmer.

The two of them were by where they suspected the sound came from by a few steps. Anne held her breath when Trieze held the door's handle and opened it slowly. However, neither of them was ready to what they saw once the door was completely open and the pair stood on the threshold of the room blinking to protect their eyes from the strong lights coming from inside.

In the time it took her to see clearly, Anne managed to recognize where they were. The room was large, the size of a basketball stadium, but crowded, with a Dj busy picking songs on of high stage on one end and a huge dance floor that everyone was dancing by. Anne stared, baffled, while Trieze just dragged her in. There were someone handing beer bottles around that Trieze took one from. Anne had no idea why she didn't make it up already that that where was Laura heading. She saw her going in the middle of the crowds dragging the guy with her behind. It was impossible to follow her, but she at least knew where she was.

"A party?" Anne sighed loudly, "God, I should've known!" She added almost too angrily, dropping Trieze's hand and taking a beer for herself.

"Well, gotta say, your friend knows how to pick them," Trieze answered looking at her opening the beer bottle and drinking half already.

"Hey, hey," Trieze said once he realized what she was doing, picking the bottle from her hand.

Anne looked at him with an agitated look that he raised his arms in surrender as he did when she tried to hit him in the garden earlier. "Last time I remember you didn't handle alcohol very well" he answered and smiled when she only lent back on the wall they were standing by.

"I can't believe I left the ball like that and just—" Anne started babbling after she finished her bottle with Trieze beside her, "agh.. and to think I was worried about her! I can only imagine what my mother's reaction would be when she realizes I'm not there!"

Trieze listened with a small smile on his face but didn't say anything, so Anne looked at him, "why are you so amused?" She suddenly asked.

Trieze seemed surprised that she noticed him during her rant, he turned to look at her, "Anne, look around you. Do you really want to go back to that ball? There's a reason your friend came here." He said pointing to the whole room with his hands.

Anne didn't answer only looked at him suspiciously but he only shrugged and smiled. A minute later he held her hand again, he started dragging her to the center of the room before she could even register what he was doing.

"Trieze—What are you—?" She started asking though going with him either way.

Trieze didn't answer until they were in the middle of the dance floor already, he let go of her hand only to place his arms around her waist. "I'm dancing," he answered her question seriously and with a smile.

The dance was slow but the music was loud either way. Anne looked around her briefly to know what dance they were performing only to realize everyone was simply swaying to the music. It wasn't a calculated dance with steps and postures, they were simply dancing and laughing. It felt relaxing. She looked back at Trieze with the same suspicious in her eyes. He laughed.

"What, am I not allowed to dance?" He raised his eyebrows at her and she shook her head,

fighting a smile.

"You know you could've danced with someone else who is here to enjoy this, right?"

"Well, too bad I only know you here, so..." he answered as a matter of faculty and Anne only shock her head with a laugh.

"Come on, Anne. Enjoy the night!" He said a little too cheerfully, "We're here so why not simply take a timeout? Only five minutes? Your mother would still be there when we get back." He narrowed his eyes slightly and held eye contact with her, delighted when she blushed slightly.

"Fine!" She answered a moment later. Only then the music seemed to change to something way faster and Trieze held her hands to start the new dance. She laughed.

After a couple of dances, Anne found herself grinning widely to her partner, sweaty and tired, but happy. She felt way happier here than she had felt in a long time and she wished she didn't really have to go back. Unconsciously, she found herself looking in the direction she previously saw Laura dancing in. She lost her smile for a moment.

Trieze seemed to notice and he looked at her, "Anne?" He called but she didn't turn back, "Anne, what's wrong?" He repeated till she looked at him. He seemed worried and stopped dancing when she did, but still had her hands in his.

"We need to go back," she answered his worried look. Trieze didn't answer but turned his gaze to where she was looking, he nodded.

"Wanna call your friend?" He asked again. Anne seemed surprised by the way he agreed right away but nodded to his question. "Wait for me by the door. I won't be late." He ordered before she could say anything and was out of her sight immediately. Anne looked at his direction then walked to Laura.

Anne knew it was weird the way she stopped and asked for them to leave, but was grateful that Trieze for once didn't argue. He seemed to understand what troubled her. It was a beautiful dream, hadn't it lasted longer, but that was it; a dream. She used to dream about losing control before, and it was nice to taste it, but she had to wake up. She had to go back to reality.

"God, where is your boyfriend already?" Laura called Anne from her thoughts. They now were waiting by the back door, where Trieze told them to.

"He said he won't be long," she answered with a sigh, "and he is not my boyfriend."

"Right, he is not." Laura said drunkenly, wrapping her arms around her to keep herself warm and leaning back on the wall beside them.

Anne sighed and kicked a stone that was by the dark road she and Trieze used to get there. She didn't want to talk so she tried to move away from Laura as much as possible without going too far. The only reason she hadn't started the long lecture she was preparing for her best friend was this. Laura was impossible to argue with when drunk and even more impossible to be reminded of anything. It was best to leave it when she's sober and hungover.

God, where was Trieze? Anne sighed again in the cold air. She hadn't thought about why he was being good to her, or why she even let him. Wasn't she supposed to stay away from him as possible? Or was he getting to her? Was he manipulating her so that she would like him? She hadn't even questioned his intentions of leaving them there. What if he just left?

No, she was just reading too much into things, like she always does. If he wanted to leave them he wouldn't have told her to stay and wait for him. He'd be back. Besides, she need not worry that he wanted something from her, he was probably just bored and wanted to find something to do. He saw it a good opportunity by following her that's all. She was certainly to see him again, and she was grateful for his help, but when a situation like the one they're in would happen again? She could easily avoid him with a good reply in the future when they'd have to interact and see no more of it. She had promised herself to not be like those dumb girls who threw themselves on rich boys and she wasn't about to change her mind. Regardless of what her mother would have to say in it.

Anne looked back at Laura the moment she made her mind, as to end the discussion heating in her head, only to see her friend almost asleep. The only thing that stopped her from going to her was the noise of what sounded like a car she heard coming from far. She turned to the other direction to see a car's light coming in their direction, it was so strong that Laura opened her eyes and tried to shield them with her hands.

When it was close enough, Anne could see it was a Jeep. It continued in their way despite Anne's thought that it'd turn away. It finally stopped by where the girls were standing and a door was opened before Anne could think of what to do.

"Care for a ride?" A voice she knew too well asked and Anne knew to whom it belonged before her eyes managed to recognize the ice blue eyes of Trieze Kushrenada, who rode in the backseat with two coats in hand and a wide grin on his lips.

"Thank God. Finally!" Laura cheered before Anne could move and turned to the other door and rode next to Trieze. Anne stood where she was. It seemed silly how her resolve to treat him as any other just vanished when he kept staring at her with his crocked smile. He moved out of her way when she walked towards him with a grin of her own.

"What? Thought I'd leave you here?" He asked when she settled in beside him. He handed her one of my the coats he was carrying and put one on Laura's shoulders. Anne murmured a word of thanks.

"No," she lied, "I just didn't think you'd get back with a car that's all," she answered avoiding looking at him. He sat too close to her in the wide car while Laura just lent on the blackened glass window and seemed to instantly fall asleep. It was the closest they'd got since the night of her mother's benefit party. "Where did you get it from, anyway?"

"It's my mother's. She's put it under my disposal while I'm here from the academy. I just thought you didn't want to go back to the ball by that road. I had to find a phone to call home first and waited for the car to arrive, that's why I told you to wait." He answered, cracking his head in her way, even as she still looked forward, away from him.

"Oh, good thinking." She admitted, "and thanks."

"You're welcome." He answered and looked from his window sensing she was uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Not just for this, but for coming with me too." She added a minute later, almost whispering, she hated admitting this, but had to thank him either way. She didn't know what she would've done with Laura alone, even if he's got other reasons to help, he still did.

He looked back at her, she expected his mockery but he only gave her a smile. They seemed to look into each other's eyes a bit too long before Trieze nodded slightly. "Yeah, glad I could help." he said and cleared his throat, Anne looked away, feeling her cheeks flair red, pretending to check on Laura.

"So," He said, "where'd you like me to drop you? The ball or your parents' estate?"

Trieze's question seemed to get Anne's mind to work again on the trouble she was in, "my parents'. No point going back there I guess. My mother's probably known I left by now and—" she pointed at Laura, "I don't think Laura's state really allows us to do that, ha?"

"I guess," he answered with a nod then addressed the driver with instructions on where to go. "I could go with you and explain to your mother, if you liked?" He offered but Anne shock her head.

"No need. I don't think my parents are back anyway. I'll sneak Laura to my room and figure out a lie to tell them when they get back." she answered quickly. She didn't want to get him into this too, he's done enough already and she didn't want to think of what her mother would have to say if she saw him there either. Though she knew that there were another reason but ignored it all the same. She just didn't want to be grateful for him for anything else.

"I keep forgetting how good you are with plans." He answered referring to his joke from earlier.

Anne laughed, "that's a pretty name for a lie."

"Lies. Planes. What's the difference really? There's nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so." He quoted as the car stopped and the driver opened the door on Laura's side.

"Spoken like a true politician." That got him to laugh, "nice quoting on Hamlet too. It's my favorite play." She added the last sentence as answer to his look. It was true, Hamlet has been her favorite play since she started reading Sheckspere, she pretty much had it memorized by now.

Trieze nodded with a smile and Anne smiled back to him, looking into his eyes, trying to find something under the humor he tried to project. She gave up when she heard Laura stir beside her, she turned and helped her friend out without looking back at him. When she was closing the car door, however she felt Trieze beside her supporting Laura on the car.

"Thanks," Anne murmured surprised that he left the car to help, again. Before she could say anything he signaled to the driver to go knock on the door. A maid was out and Anne asked her to help Laura who, thank God, started to walk to the opened door of the manor on her own after saying a goodnight in Trieze's direction which he returned with a nod. But still, Anne told the maid to make sure she's gotten up safely to her room.

"So," Anne said when they were alone by the car. "I guess I better get in and start working on that lie," she tried to joke but still avoided his eyes. She was moving to the door when he called.

"Anne?"

"Yes?" She turned back to look at him.

Trieze seemed about to say something for a moment before he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, when she was close enough that she could see his blue eyes clearly in the dark entrance, he whispered, "I just wanted to tell you that I asked you what you thought of me, because I think you matter. Even if no one else does,"

Anne didn't know what to say but Trieze only nodded before turning and riding in the car that started driving right away. Not looking twice back. Anne stood for a few moments thinking of what in the world just happened before the cold made her go join her friend in her room.

...

And we were dancing
Like we're made of starlight
Like we dream impossible dreams

A/N: Thanks for reading, please don't forget to leave a review ;)