Chapter 9: The Day of the Dance
For the rest of the day Jann and Leifang hung out around the school. Students were allowed back into the halls and every single poster hung up on the walls were crowded with over-exuberant students.
But no one seemed to notice the pair who wandered the halls freely, going to lunch together and studying together.
A couple of times Leifang saw Lisa and Amber spying on her during the day, which caused Leifang to blush every time she caught them, because they always seemed to be there right when Jann would bend in to kiss her.
He would ignore the girls even though he too knew they were there and tried to obstruct their view by blocking Leifang with his body. Later, they would laugh about it, hearing the 2 swear and grumble.
And to Jann's annoyance, they saw Andy throughout the day too, who always gave Leifang a sunny smile that was never returned. Instead, Jann would always try to steer away from him in the other direction and Andy, as if he hadn't noticed Jann, would casually call out to Leifang who would give mumbled replies back.
None of them talked about it afterwards, but Jann's grip around her hand would tighten and then eventually relax. They explored the rest of the school alone and then went to dinner later in the afternoon.
They entered the courtyard which was packed as usual with excited murmurs about the dance tomorrow and Leifang tried her best to ignore them, her shoulders slumping at the thought of not being able to go.
And I still have to cancel my pairing with Andy. Don't want to give him the wrong impression. Come to think of it…maybe that's why he was smug before. Oh man, I have to cancel soon before this gets out of hand.
Apparently Jann noticed her change in mood as they grabbed their food from the dinner buffet which was located all around the room. They found a seat to themselves and settled down. Leifang was just biting into her ravioli when Jann spoke.
"I'll talk to Mrs. Xu about it." He said simply.
"What?" she paused in her eating, looking at him in surprise.
"You want to go to the dance right?" he stared at her with intense eyes.
"Um," she bit her lip, her cheeks turning pink.
"I'll talk to her about it and see if she can get us in."
"Okay." She said, her face brightening, causing Jann to smile also. She frowned suddenly. "But do you want to go? I mean if you don't want to go then we don't have to. I was just thinking that perhaps maybe you wanted to go. I'm sorry, I'm being selfish aren't I? I should have thought if you wanted to go then…" she trailed off, noticing her rambling, and blushed scarlet. She ducked her head down out of embarrassment.
Jann smiled and lifted her chin so that she was forced to meet his eye. "Then can I ask if you would want to go to the dance with me? Since it is my responsibility to ask the girl, am I right?" he smirked and she smiled too, laughing softly.
"You're right. I would love to go to the dance with you Jann." Her smile glowed with happiness.
"Well, I guess that's settled then." He said, grinning.
The 2 ate slowly, enjoying each others company until finally it was time for the 2 of them to go to bed. The courtyard was almost empty except for the 2 of them and they walked hand in hand back to Leifang's room. Jann dropped her off right at the foot of her door. He kissed her, bringing her closer to him, and wrapping his arms around her. She draped her arms around his neck and they kissed more deeply until they heard a cough behind Jann Lee.
The 2 of them instantly pulled apart with a security guard watching them in amusement with his arms folded across his chest.
"Please restrict yourself from showing PDA again Mr. Lee." The security guard growled.
Jann sighed but nodded respectfully.
"What are you doing down here anyway? The girl's hallway is restricted."
"Sir?" Jann raised his eyebrows, staring at him pointedly.
"I'm a security guard." The man snapped and turned to Leifang who was hidden behind Jann Lee. "Goodnight Miss Leifang."
"'Night." She mumbled, turning even redder then before. She ducked into her room and locked it, pressing her ear against the door to listen to their conversation.
"Mrs. Xu will like to speak to you."
"Again?"
"Again." The security guard snapped irritatingly. With that, she heard him and Jann march down the hallway toward the office.
Smiling briefly, she quickly undressed and got into bed; the feel of Jann's lips still fresh on hers.
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The morning was absolute chaos in the girl's hallway.
They were running up and down the hallway and into bathrooms, trying to prepare for the dance at 7 pm. Groggily, Leifang remembered getting up and heading for the bathroom, but every thing after that was a blur.
She had returned to see all 5 of the girls crowded in her room again, all of them wearing different facial expressions ranging from pure happiness to pure frustration. They had their make up and outfits in hand, ready to dress up and experiment.
"What's the big deal anyways?" Hay Lin muttered, turning annoyed. "It's just a stupid dance."
"It is not just a stupid dance!" Amber exclaimed. "It is also a time of fun and excitement. A time where you finally get your flirt on!"
"So you're basically admitting it's stupid?" Hay Lin muttered drily.
Ella rolled her eyes at their quibbling. "I get to go with Andrew! He is so cute! I can't believe I actually get to go with the person I've always dreamed of going to a dance with. This is just too good!"
"Easy for you to say," Lisa muttered. "I'm going with some guy I've never even heard of. I bet he's ugly. And his name is just eew!"
"His name?" Melody asked incredulously. "You're worried about his name?"
Lisa gave her a 'what?' face.
"Oh my gosh." Melody said, turning away from her to look at her eye shadow selection. "Who knew putting on make up could be so much fun?"
"Wow." Leifang said, smiling at her friend. "I never thought I would ever hear you say that Melody. You of all people. I just wish that you could get Hay Lin to say that."
"In your dreams." Hay Lin sneered, hearing their conversation.
"Darn," Leifang said quietly and Melody laughed.
"So?" Melody asked, jumping a little with excitement. "What are you going to wear?"
"Well I have my dress already picked out and stuff." Leifang answered, opening up her walk-in closet and pulled out her dress which was a beautiful silky white dress in a kimono style.
"Ooh!" Melody gasped, touching the fabric. "Wow, it's beautiful!"
She smiled at her friend's admiration. "I thought that I could possibly dress to impress other guys if I didn't like the person I would be going with."
"Oh, right." Melody said, smirking and putting her hands on her hips. "Well we all know you like Jann, so there's no problem in that."
She rolled her eyes. "You know, you're starting to scare me Melody. You're turning more into Lisa and Amber as we speak."
Melody just giggled. "Whatever!"
All 6 of the girls dressed and redressed with each of them admiring each others dresses and make up until they ordered lunch to Leifang's room and ate their subs, chatting nonstop.
Finally, the time had arrived and the girls departed, going back to their separate rooms to change and to get ready.
Leifang was busy fixing her hair into its original braids, tying the loose strands with white ribbon Lisa had forced her to wear. Satisfied with her appearance, she put on the necessary make up, trying not to overdue the makeup when a knock was heard at her door.
Finishing up her make up, she opened the door to find Andy standing outside. He was carrying a bouquet of roses, wearing a dressy yet simple white shirt with a bold red tie and black pants.
"Hey Leifang!" he greeted her with a cheerful smile, handing her the flowers. He looked at her up and down even though she wasn't in her dress, his eyebrows raised in awe. "Wow. Leifang…I don't know what to say. You look absolutely beautiful!"
Leifang flushed a deep scarlet, stunned by his appearance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cho down the hallway staring open-mouthed at the 2. Flabbergasted, she took the flowers to be polite.
When I shouldn't be. He hurt Jann. I have to end this right here and right now. With Cho watching so she can know I don't like him.
"Look, Andy-" she began, combing her bangs back to stall for time when he interrupted her.
"Hey, I know." He said, smiling and holding out his hands. "I just wanted to say thanks for being such a good friend."
What? "Um," was all she could say. Friend? I practically ignore him everyday!
"Yeah. Jann Lee never liked me, but you always remained polite to me. And the fight yesterday? Thanks for breaking it up, I thought Jann Lee was about to murder me."
And he should have. "Uh, yeah. Your welcome?"
"Yeah, he just went berserk you know?" Andy went on conversationally. "He thinks he's so hot all the time, so I said a few words, and the next thing I know, I'm on the ground and he's pummeling me like a, like a-"
"Yeah, I got it, thanks Andy." She said, smiling sweetly, trying to hint oh so subtly it was time for him to leave.
"Yeah." He said, smiling, but she could see it wasn't a true smile. Something was bugging him. But what? "Well, I'll see you at the party then right?"
"Uh huh." Leifang mumbled. "Bye."
After that, he smiled and left and Leifang felt her shoulders slump. Oh, now how am I supposed to get rid of him? He's really nice and sweet, and I don't want to hurt his feelings. Crap.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to forget about Andy and went back inside her room, shutting the door, all too aware of Cho watching her with suspicious eyes the entire time. She dumped the roses into her trash can and returned to her vanity dresser, fixing her hair, frowning slightly while doing so.
Finally, she slipped into her dress, feeling excited and giddy. She put on her white heels and for a moment, she was reminded of her dream. She quickly dispersed the thought. Relax Leifang. Today is your day. Nothing is going to ruin this day. Not Andy or the omen. It's all about me and Jann.
Adding a few more touch ups, she hastily put extra cosmetic supplies into her silver sequin clutch. Taking a deep breath, she turned to her door and opened it, to see all of her friends, looking absolutely stunning in their gowns, piled outside her door.
"Just in time." Melody grinned, taking her friend's arm. "I was just about to knock."
"To the courtyard!" Amber and Lisa shouted, practically jumping up and down with excitement.
The 6 girls walked to the courtyard with the rest of the girls from other dorm rooms following. The hall was noisy with all the chatter with everyone excited about their dates.
"See? Isn't this worthwhile Hay Lin?" Amber smiled, nudging her. "And you wanted to stay locked up in your room all gloomy and stuff."
Hay Lin scowled at her, but said nothing, a permanent frown etched across her face.
Finally, all the girls had made it outside of the courtyard where the dance committee stood outside the gates. All 6 girls had clipboards in their hands, calling out names in alphabetical order and their pairs. Amber was the first one to go and she walked boldly to the gate, smiling nervously.
Suddenly, a handsome young man walked up to her and took her arm and Amber looked like she was about to faint. She simply stared at him, not believing her luck when he smiled and playfully tugged her towards the gate doors.
The gates officially opened and a loud burst of music hit the students. The courtyard was largely decorated, complete with an appetizer bar and tables for couples set around the fountains. Candle lights were illuminated throughout the courtyard, giving the hall a romantic and elegant look yet still appropriate enough to match the mood and music.
"Wow!" Melody breathed next to Leifang, gripping her friend's arm. "This is amazing Leifang! I've never seen the courtyard so, so, beautiful!"
Leifang laughed as more and more students names were called. Hay Lin's name was called next and she couldn't help but smile, looking at her date. He took her hand, smiling mischievously. After another round of names were called, Lisa and her date went in and then it was Ella's turn who looked like she was about to explode with nerves.
When Melody's name was called, she paled with exhilaration, yanking Leifang. "Oh my gosh, Leifang. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh."
"You'll do fine!" Leifang giggled, shoving her friend towards her date who looked like a shy yet extremely cute guy. Leifang immediately felt happy for her friend - for all of her friends - for getting the dream dates they wanted. And now…it's my turn.
"Leifang!" one of the girls shouted above the noise. She peered at her clipboard one more time, checking the name. "And Andy!"
WHAT?!
Andy proudly stood forward, gazing at Leifang with awe. She remained rooted in her spot, too shocked to move.
"B-but…!" she sputtered, but no one heard her.
The next name was called and this time Jann's name was called and Leifang immediately turned to see who he was paired with.
There was a moments pause until one girl shouted, "Cho!"
A smug looking came across Cho's face as she lifted her chin boldly, walking up to where Jann was standing. His eyebrows were raised as he stared at Leifang who looked back at him helplessly. Cho roughly grabbed his arm, pulling him to her, her mischievous smile causing acid to burn inside of Leifang. But Jann frowned dangerously, yanking his arm from her and walking away from her and towards one of the girls of the dance committee.
Andy appeared in front of Leifang automatically, smiling happily. He took hold of her hands saying, "Well, we should get going, shouldn't we?"
Leifang snapped out of her daze and immediately shot him down. "No! Why won't you just leave me alone? Are you too blind to notice that I'm dating Jann?"
Andy's face darkened. "And what about you? Are you too blind to notice that if you hang around Jann the omen will come true?"
"What?" she looked at him in shock, her eyes widening. "How do you know about…?"
He looked back at her in astonishment, realizing that the words had come out his own mouth. He staggered forward, shaking his head slowly. "I didn't mean that…"
"Who are you?" she asked him, taking a step back just as Jann Lee appeared.
Jann looked between them, his mouth half open to interrupt.
"I, I….I have to, to go…" Andy spun around, his eyes wild and ran back in direction of the boys' dorm room.
"What was that about?" Jann asked her, looking bewildered.
She turned to him in wordless fear. "He knows." Leifang whispered.
"What?" he automatically took a step forward, putting his arms around Leifang and lifting her chin to meet his eyes. "What does he know?"
"The omen."
"What?" Jann stared at her in alarm. "Are you sure that's what he said?"
"Yes." She rested her head on his chest, mumbling into his shirt. "He said that if I hang around you the omen will come true."
There was silence between them as the rest of the couples entered the courtyard, paying no attention to them. Cho, on the other hand, was off in a corner sulking while the rest of her friends gathered around her with solemn expressions. Jann wordlessly lead Leifang towards a dark corner just outside of the courtyard, his arms never once leaving her waist.
Once they were sure that they were alone, Jann let all of his attention focus on Leifang. "You should just ignore him. He doesn't know what he's talking about. You'll be fine with me. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."
Leifang nodded, looking up.
They kissed softly, enjoying the moment. Jann pulled back. "Do you want to go to the party or do you want to just walk around?"
She thought for second. "I'm not really in a partying mood anymore. You just want to walk around?"
"Okay." Jann took her hand and they began to walk away from the courtyard doors. They wandered through the hallways, climbing stairs and turning corners, until they were at the far south of the campus, away from the blaring music that shook the walls.
"It's so peaceful." Leifang murmured softly, touching one of the paintings that hung on the wall.
"Yeah," Jann said back in a hushed tone. They walked towards one of the tall windows that showed a view of the snowy field. Feeling yet happy again, the 2 of them began to walk back towards the courtyard. They turned a corner almost running into Andy.
Immediately, Jann pushed Leifang behind him and rolled his sleeves up, glaring at Andy who stood in front of them with a blank face.
"Leave. Now," Jann threatened him, his fists curling reflexively.
Andy continued to stare at him, his face paler than usual. He said and did nothing, but it only made Jann angrier.
"Why won't you leave Leifang alone?" he demanded from him.
When Andy said nothing, Jann finally lost his temper. He cocked his fist back and meant to punch Andy in the face, but Andy caught it, and swung his own fist back and punched Jann in the face. He staggered back and Leifang let out a low gasp of surprise, but Jann ignored her and pushed her farther away from them.
Jann once more ran at Andy with his fist outstretched, but Andy merely ducked, grabbing his arm and slamming Jann to the ground. Then Andy swiveled around to face Leifang who took a step back, her mouth opening in a silent scream as she saw his irises swirl and turn a soulless black. His features seemed to morph before her eyes and eventually turn to look exactly like the creature from her nightmares.
"The omen will come true." He hissed and with that, he lunged for her.
