Chapter Ten

Link had saved Amber a seat beside him and Tracy for the meeting. She appreaciated him being nice to her but she didn't deserve it. She treated him like dirt when they were dating and now that he's with someone 'better' he was being nice and acting like a friend. Amber wasn't complaining. She had fell into a meltdown after the Miss Teenage Hairspray pagent. She realised that she needed to change her attitude if she didn't want to end up like her mother. In a way,she was happy that Inez had won because if Amber had won she would have been the same person. In a way,it gave her a well needed wake up. "...so I was thinking of getting things ready starting tomorrow and that includes rehearsing,is that alright with everyone?" Corny was about done his meeting. Everyone who sat in front of him nodded in agreement. "Alright. Everyone meet here at 9am sharp,thank you everyone for coming. You may go home now!" Link and Tracy stood up and Amber remained sitting. "Are you okay Amber?" Tracy asked. She kept her focus at Corny who was talking to one of the council members. She was trying to think of something to say because she knew Corny and her had to talk about everything. Get everything in the open. How was she suppose to say it,that was the problem. "Yeah. I am fine." Amber looked up at Tracy and Link holding hands in front of her. "Alright well,we will see you tomorrow then!" Link said giving her a smile as they headed out the exit with the others. Now it was only Corny and Amber.

His eyes caught her stare and his heart skipped a beat. Amber looked down to her fingernails and began to fidget. She could see Corny making his way over to where she was. Her heart was beating harder against her chest. Corny took a seat beside Amber. He didn't know if she wanted to say something first or if he should go ahead and say everything he was afraid to say in front of her. "Could we go into your office? I just don't want someone to walk by and hear everything." Amber spoke in a soft whisper without making eye contact with Corny. He grabbed Amber's hand and they walked together to his office. Amber was sitting on the chair and Corny stood in front of her. Was he going to talk first or was she? "Did you want to start to say something or do you want me to?" Corny spoke up. Amber didn't dare make eye contact with Corny. "Amber,I have not felt like this about you before. Only recently have I felt like this. I just wanted to get that out of the way. I don't know how to explain my feelings but they are sort of a tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don't know what to do about them. The last thing I want to do is scare you off. I know how much trouble I could get in and also you if your mother found out but that's beside the point..." Corny stopped what he was saying and grabbed Amber's hands and held them in his. Amber's heart rate was racing. "Amber Von Tussel I will do everything in my power not to hurt you. I could never hurt someone as kind,gentle and humane as you." Amber could feel her eyes begin to well up with tears. How could he be so perfect? Amber cleared her throat.

"Corny. Everything you just said is totally not true about me. I am not kind,gentle or humane as you claim that I am." Corny held her hands tighter and pulled her up from the seat. "You need to stop putting yourself down. Your mother has treated you like dirt and pushed you around for far to long,it's time for that real you to shine. Let it shine Amber!" His eyes sparkled. Amber blushed and turned her head away from Corny's glance. She blinked and her tears began to fall. She wanted the real beauty hidden underneath her shallow self to show but she was scared. "I can't Corny. The person I am now is all I know. I don't know how to change to be a better person." Corny placed his fingertips on her cheek. "That's where you are wrong Amber. You are changing as we speak. Don't you see? You are no longer cruel to anyone. You don't have to show anyone that you are better than them. I saw you talking to Tracy the other day. I remember when you couldn't stand her and now you and her are talking like human beings. Don't you see? You are not becoming your mother. Far from it." She didn't want to admit it but Corny was right. She was changing right before her very eyes. Her mother wouldn't care who Amber hurt in the process just as long as her daughter got to where she wanted her to be. At the top. Amber realised that if she hadn't had that meltdown after the Miss Teenage Pagent she wouldn't be who she was. It was kind of a cry of help or recognition that her real beauty was ready to come out. That's not to say that Amber didn't like being mean to people sometimes. At the time all she knew to go to the top was to beat up everyone who was above you or better than you so you could climb higher.

Amber wiped her eyes from the tears that were falling. She hated crying and most of all she hated crying in front of people. Her mother said it was a sign of weakness. "Great. Now I am crying. I hate crying in front of someone. It's a sign of weakness." Amber let go of Corny's hands and turned her back to him to wipe her eyes. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Now who told you that crying was a sign of weakness?" He said in such a whisper. She turned around to face him. "Take one guess." She replied with a chuckle in her voice. "Velma? Wow. She really corrupted your life and not for the good. Crying is not a bad thing and it's certainly not a sign of weakness. It's a sign that you are human and that you have emotions. Everyone cries. Noone likes to cry but it's an emotion and everyone feels sad sometimes." A smile appeared on Amber's face as she wiped away her tears again. Corny clasped his hands on Amber's face. They gazed into each other's eyes without saying a word. Corny leaned in closer to Amber's face. He could feel her breath quicken with her heartbeat against his skin. Amber closed her eyes and felt Corny's lips touch hers. Amber could feel a wave of emotion sweep through her body. She wrapped her arms around Corny's neck and deepened the kiss. Corny pulled apart and looked into Amber's eyes. Her eyes told a story. A story of dark tales filled with broken dreams and thoughts. She was broken inside.

"Corny. I don't know if this is right or not. I mean. What do you want me to say? You like me,I like you..let's date? This is serious. Serious feelings. Everything about this is serious." Amber hugged her arms around Corny's waist and placed her head on his chest. She could hear and feel his heat beating and it made her close her eyes and smile. Corny put his chin on top of Amber's head and rubbed her back. "I know it's serious Amber. Do you think I would play you around like this? God,I don't want to get beat by a girl." He chuckled slighty to take the weight off the situation. Amber placed her hand on Corny's chest and Corny placed a hand on her head. "Well my feelings for you Amber are real and I am willing to make this work..if you are?" Amber looked up at Corny's eyes that were sparkling in the light. She placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him again with more emotion than she ever kissed Link.