Chapter Seven
Dinner that night went as usual. Trent smiled and waved a flirty wave at Skylar, but sat with his friends, and Sky sat with hers. Sky was wary of the talk that should follow a 'hook-up' between two students; but then she realized that no one knew about it, and was relieved. She wasn't ashamed of liking Trent, in fact many of the girls made their opinions of him quite clear—that if Sky didn't hurry up and take him, they would—she just didn't want to deal with the random questions of people who she didn't really know. Apparently it didn't matter quite yet if they had hooked-up; there was other better news to hear.
"Attention, ladies and gentleman, attention! I have an important announcement to make," Headmistress Pattinson said from the podium. "You all remember the field trip into town that our upper classes took a week ago. Well, that trip was not entirely pointless; they found the information about a town dance this weekend—actually tonight—as if they were going to attend. Well, they're not going to attend." She paused for the groans before continuing. "You all are." It took a moment for it to sink in before the excited chatter began. "So, since there will be food there, I'd suggest you all go and get ready for the dance. When you are through, return to the Grand Hall to get your assignments." In a clatter of squealing girls and noisy chairs everyone exited the hall and hurried to their respective rooms.
"Hey, Sky, think you and Trent will go together?" It was Tiffany, in for her daily gossip, and Sky wasn't in the mood. She was still a little giddy from her talk with Trent, and wasn't entirely sure where Tiffany was going with her question.
"Um, maybe. I don't know," Sky stuttered as she headed up the stairs to her room.
"So, would you mind if I asked him?"
"Um." Did she? Technically they weren't really going out, they hadn't been on a date, but he did tell her he liked her. She was saved from answering by Cammie.
"Hey, Sky, would you mind if I borrowed that cute top you wore a couple of weekends ago? You know, the one with the sequined neckline, and cuts kinda low. The bluish-greenish one."
"Oh, yeah. I remember, yeah sure, you can borrow it. Come on up and I'll give it to you." The entire time they had been talking Cammie had been subtly edging Tiffany away until she was no longer a part of their group, and was left behind.
Trent was excited to hear about the trip; it would be the perfect time to be with Sky without out all the expectations of a first date. If they were on a mission, it wouldn't be awkward for him to stick with her, and get to know her, without the weirdness.
They were going to the town dance. She would be surrounded by people. Those who knew her and those who didn't. Even the people who knew her didn't know what she could do; the destruction she could cause. It wouldn't be hard to get her away from all off them; it was easy to get lost in crowds, and he knew here every move. He'd been watching her since she'd started at that stupid school, waiting, watching her grow and learn, waiting for the right time to take her. When she was well-trained, but still young enough to mold into what he needed her to be. It wouldn't be difficult to take her, she wouldn't be missed, she hadn't even confided entirely in her friends.
An hour later everyone was dressed up, and ready and waiting to go to the dance. Sky was sitting nervously with her friends; she didn't know how Tiffany took her shrug-off—as a yes or no. They had all dressed up; though Sky knew she looked the best. She had a pale blue tank-top with sequins across the bodice, that hugged her body in all the right places. She complimented that with a pale pink jacket, and a jean mini-skirt and black tights. Across the room she watched Trent find his folder, and noticed once again how good he looked. He wore a semi-tight shirt that accentuated his washboard abs, abs that she saw first in the work-out room, and a pair of checkered shorts held up at his waist by a belt. She was glad to see the belt, and not his boxers; she never understood why guys would wear a belt, but keep it around their butts, not their waists. And she promised her parents that she wouldn't ever date someone who insisted on showing his boxers everyday, so she was glad that she could like Trent without breaking her promise to her parents.
Her cover identity was a girl named Allie Shields, a Capricorn who attended Samhigh private school, where she was a junior, and an only child. Because it was supposed to be a relaxing outing, she didn't need to know Allie Shields' likes and dislikes, they would be her own. Tonight would be exciting; if she and Trent did end up getting together, she would get to be herself and get to know Trent, all while not really even being herself.
While she was busy memorizing her cover, and fidgeting with her jacket, Trent found her.
"Hello, my name is Cameron, what is yours?" Trent bowed, gallantly, and stuck his hand out for Sky to shake.
"Hello Cameron, it's nice to meet you. My name is Allie," Sky/Allie played along with Trent/Cameron's little act.
"Why, Allie, what a lovely name. Would you like to be my partner for the evening?" He took Sky/Allie's hand and kissed it lightly.
"And by evening partner, you mean…?" Her hand tingled where Trent/Cameron had kissed her.
"Well, date." Yes!
"I would love to be your date tonight."
"Trent! So glad I found you. Do you wanna be my date tonight, I never go to these things alone." Tiffany pushed her way through the crowd over to Sky/Allie and Trent/Cameron's little group of friends.
Trent/Cameron lifted his eyebrows at Sky/Allie, and then arranged his face into a confused expression. "Who's Trent? My name is Cameron, and I already have a date for tonight."
"Right, not Trent. I forgot. Well, Cameron, who exactly is your date for the evening?" Tiffany shot a mean glance at Sky before arranging her features into a pleasant expression.
"Allie here is. I've heard she's a great dancer."
"Okay, well, maybe Grant-I mean John-is free." Tiffany curtsied and made her Grand Sortie (exit in French).
Five minutes later they were in the vans on their way to the dance; and fifteen minutes after that they were at the dance, blending in and introducing themselves. Big gatherings were a spy's best friends because they allowed the spy to blend in, and provided an excuse why people didn't know them. For Sky and Trent it provided a friendly atmosphere for them to get to know each other and not be weird.
There they were, the two little lovebirds, flirting and dancing like they had no cares in the world. Actually, they didn't have a care, they didn't know what they were up against, and they didn't know what was happening—tonight, it was happening tonight. He had no other choice, he waited long enough, she was strong and well-trained, and Le Patron demanded that he get her now.
Trent took Sky's arm and led her onto the dance floor. The band was playing some hometown country song, with a catchy chorus, but Sky wasn't really paying attention to the music, she was more distracted by Trent. He had grabbed her hips, and was swaying them in time to the music while pulling her closer to him. She let her hips move and put her arms around Trent's neck while allowing the music to move her body in time with his. It would have been a sexual experience, dancing this close to Trent and feeling his hands on her lower back, had it not been for the many people surrounding them on the dance floor.
They were now in the middle of the dance floor, with the people around them pushing them closer to each other. It was such a good feeling, letting her energy free on the dance floor with Trent. It was similar to fighting her, the same energy needing to be released, but instead of fighting against Sky, he was working with her to make something more beautiful than fights.
They danced like that for a few songs before Sky needed a drink. Trent watched her go, loving the way her hips swayed to the music, even though she wasn't dancing, before Tiffany's head filled his view.
"Wanna dance?" Without waiting for his answer, she grabbed his hands and placed them on his hips. She began swaying her hips to a beat faster than the song, and pressing her hips to his groin. Trent saw Sky out of the corner of his eye, and she smiled at him over her cup. He returned his attention to the dance, and when the song was over excused himself for a drink. He looked around for Sky but couldn't find her. Shrugging he figured she was lost in the crowd or that one of his guy friends had cornered her much the same way that Tiffany had cornered him. Then movement in the darkness caught his attention; turning he caught what looked like Sky being dragged by a man twice her size, and she wasn't moving.
Skylar—or Allie as she pretended to be—made the dire mistake of separating herself from the crowd. She excused herself for a drink and didn't stay with the party; trying to clear her head, she walked a little away from everybody into the darkness. It was the only thing he needed to take her down. Now she was unconscious, and on her way to Le Patron.
Blast it! The one time I let my guard down for one minute, and I get taken! LITERALLY! Groggily Sky opened her eyes to see that she was somewhere in a car. Her captor had pushed her down in the back seat, and tied her hands and feet. She was able to wiggle herself so she could see out the back window. She saw the dance, and all her friends, and the people she didn't know, dancing and having fun. She saw Trent at the edge of the dance, watching two people walk into the woods. She wanted to bang on the window, and scream and yell for help, but instead she grunted as the car hit a particularly large bump and she fell down again. Her captor pressed a cloth laced with some depressant, and she fell asleep once again.
