I think I've got the page breaks in all the right spots, but if I've missed something, please let me know. This chapter really should've been broken up into two, considering how long it is, but hey at least it's done now XD Admittedly, I've had most of this chapter done for a while, but i really haven't been doing much writing and have started devoted more of my time to other things. I've undergone a couple life changes since my last update, and that's part of the reason this has taken so long. That being said, I still do intend on finishing the story, but updates will continue to be infrequent, although hopefully not four months apart again. Thanks for sticking around!

Thanks for the song suggestions! I didn't put all of them in, but I tried to squeeze most in where I could. I'm also very grateful to everyone who voted on my profile for Prom King and Queen, it was definitely interesting watching the results come in :D Thank you KacchakoRyuKaru, Cosmic Wish, GinMado, rokebuto, and Nightlingale for your reviews! They've definitely been encouragement in keeping this going :)

Lastly a little look forward in what's to come, like all good proms, there's usually an after party to follow! If you'd like your character to swap outfits for it, or if your character has any drink/food preferences that might be relevant for that, please let me know! Just send a PM and I'll get back to you!

I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.


Ninel swiftly pulled Dashan onto the dance floor with her, the A-line hem of her dress swishing as she moved. She noted Dashan's slight apprehension at first, but Dashan quickly fell into rhythm with her. Martial arts and dance weren't that different after all, and Ninel could definitely see his training reflected in his dance moves.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aurora lingering hesitantly at the edges of the dance floor. Sophie strode up to her. Then Dashan spun Ninel in time with the music and she lost sight of both girls. Dashan drew her in close for a kiss as the music faded out.

Ninel nodded appreciatively as "Only You" by Cheat Codes and Little Mix began playing over the speakers. The dance floor was really beginning to fill up now that most people had arrived. Until dinner began, there wasn't much else to do just yet. Supposedly, there were appetizers around somewhere and voting for king and queen was still underway though.

"Want to keep going?" Ninel asked as the song hit its chorus and Dashan responded by twirling her a second time.

Ninel laughed freely as he pulled her back in close again, then let go of his hand as they separated. She'd never imagined she'd have this much fun at a school dance.

Ninel swayed her hips side-to-side, sashaying across the dance floor, loving how elated she felt. Dashan caught her, dipping her low then she spun herself out of his reach when she came back up. They were so in sync; it was like they'd been made for each other. Every movement they made fell perfectly together. Ninel was once more astonished at how long it had taken them to get together.

The song changed to a loud, upbeat number, one of the latest bangers that'd been dominating the airwaves as of late. Students suddenly swarmed the floor. Even the ones who had lingered at the edges or over by the tables wanted to get in on it. Ninel pumped her fist in the air and began jumping with everyone else.

Mei Mei danced over to her. "How are things going?" she shouted over the clamor.

"Fantastic!" Ninel beamed.

Ninel noticed Chao Xin appear not too far away from them. He seemed to be working his way closer to their direction. She smiled knowingly at Mei Mei. Mei Mei blushed and rolled her eyes, trying to feign a lack of caring.

"Think you'll get a chance to dance with him?"

Mei Mei smirked as the color faded from her cheeks. "One can hope."

Ninel shook her head. Mei Mei needed to take things in her own hands. "Get over there, girl!"

Back at Sophie's, Mei Mei may have claimed she was okay with how things were, and maybe she was, but Ninel hoped something exciting would happen. It wasn't as if Mei Mei had given up on her crush by any means.

Ninel gave her a gentle push in his direction. "Go on," she urged.

Nervousness flashed across Mei Mei's face. It was always easy to act confident until it came down to actually doing something, and Mei Mei was clearly facing that dilemma. "Oh, I don't know-"

Chao Xin had paused where he was, dancing with two girls. Ninel recognized them as regular members of his fan group. "You're his friend. You have just as much right as they do to be over there with him. Besides, it's dancing. You can do it!"

Mei Mei was about to protest when the song hit its breakdown and the crowd swallowed her up as it surged wildly with excited shrieks, effectively separating the two girls. Unable to see much amid the shifting students, Ninel could only hope Mei Mei had taken the advice to heart.

Of course, Ninel would be grilling her for details next time she saw her. She wasn't about to let Mei Mei off the hook that easy. And if Mei Mei hadn't gone off in Chao Xin's direction just now, at dinner Ninel would be there to convince her it just might be worth the effort.

Ninel reunited with Dashan as the song ended. He was standing at the edge of the floor, taking a second to catch his breath. Both of them needed a quick break after that song, but they'd be dancing again soon enough.


Christina was anxiously awaiting dinner and neither she nor Bao had any desire to jump into the middle of the dance floor just yet. Unfortunately, that didn't give them much else to do.

A waitress walked by carrying a tray of virgin daiquiris and Christina took one for herself. She took a long sip of the frozen strawberry drink, thankful for at least being able to put something in her stomach. In all the excitement of running around and getting ready, she hadn't really had much time to eat at all.

Rumor had it there was going to be a killer party afterward, and she was debating whether it was worth going to. She'd have to check to see whom else would be going.

Bao nudged her gently. "Look." He pointed to a few tables over in one of the corners of the room where a few tables with silver platters piled up on high, tiered displays sat. "I think those are appetizers."

He took her hand and led the way. Christina was grateful, concerned that any minute her stomach would start growling loudly. That was not the kind of scene she wanted to make at her own prom.

The appetizers were already going fast by the time they reached the table. Christina used a touch of force to push her way up to the front of the mass of students. She wasn't about to wait for anyone who couldn't make a decision. There was no telling how many appetizers they had to go around. One empty platter had been swiftly replaced by the staff, but even its contents were already half-empty.

"They must be good," Christina surmised with a slight giggle. Her hollow stomach was definitely getting to her. She wasted no time grabbing a free plate for herself. The food looked fantastic, and with so many students crowding around, she got the feeling it wasn't going to last. Clearly, she wasn't the only one starving.

Christina spied a few pierogies lingering on one of the displays, with freshly refilled bruschetta nearby. Next to them were deviled eggs and a plate of cheeses and crackers. Guacamole and chips were on the other side of the table along with small meatballs, stuffed mushrooms, spanakopita, and chicken wings. The smell was intoxicating.

"Wow," Christina breathed as she picked up what she could before everyone else snatched it away. Satisfied, she broke free from the swarming crowd and waited for Bao to emerge from the madness. He joined her seconds later with his own large plate.

"This is fantastic," Christina commented as she bit into the first of her selections.

"They really went all out," Bao agreed. Both of them walked off to the side, getting out the way of more oncoming students who'd recently discovered food was available. The dance floor had filled up even more, despite the fact that so many were crowding the appetizer tables. Christina assumed pretty much everyone who'd bought a ticket must have arrived by this point.

She spied her brother dancing with Zina not too far away before the two of them disappeared out of sight, consumed by the dance floor. She smiled. Things had worked out well for everyone this time.

She looked up at Bao just as he kissed her on the forehead. She closed her eyes and smiled again. She would never tire of that. This night was going to be a special one and it was only just getting started.


Aurora had slipped away from Sophie the moment the first slow song of the night started, her friend temporarily distracted as she'd dashed off to find Wales. Anxious to get away, Aurora had pressed up against one of the walls, watching the world race around her.

Aurora was planning on dancing at some point, but not this soon. And obviously, she didn't have anyone to slow dance with, so that was not happening. She was still adjusting to the large amount of people in the darkened space and getting away from the center of the action seemed like a perfect way to do so. The expansive sky above had actually just changed the slightest bit, with new constellations starting to peek their way in. By the end of the night, they would have seen the entire night sky as it looked over a single calendar year, complete with accurately timed meteor showers interspersed. The first hour of prom was already behind them.

She considered checking out the appetizers, but the table was completely swarmed. Aurora shuddered at the thought of trying to get anything from there. Attempting to fight her way over for a few small snacks just wasn't worth it. She'd have to wait out until dinner at this point.

Instead, Aurora took out the pamphlet she'd gotten at the entrance to the planetarium. She already knew a fair amount about the stars due to her passion for astronomy, but the pamphlet would definitely help her get her bearings faster. Especially during the warm summer months, Aurora enjoyed going out at night to stargaze. If one knew where to look, during that time the Milky Way could be visible to the naked eye on clear nights.

Aurora lifted her gaze upwards just a few shooting stars streaked past. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't notice right away when someone tapped her shoulder. She only pulled her gaze away from the dreamy sky when they tapped her a second time.

Aurora blinked when she saw Nile standing next to her. It was hard to tell in the semi-darkness, but his normally tanned complexion seemed to be a bit flushed. She couldn't be sure, though.

"Sorry," Nile began, "I tried calling your name, but you seemed distracted."

Aurora actually felt herself smile. "I was. I love looking up at the stars. It's so easy to lose myself."

Nile nodded. "Looking for anything specific?"

Aurora shrugged. "Not at the moment. Just trying to figure out where everything is."

"I overheard one of the teachers saying that the sky was starting in the current month, with what it actually looks like outside and then working its way through the rest of the year," Nile explained helpfully. "Libra's over to your left." He pointed at the cluster of stars.

"Thank you," Aurora said, quite impressed. She'd already picked out Libra earlier, but the fact that he was willing to assist her- and actually knew what he was talking about- made him even more attractive.

The slow song changed to a louder, faster paced song. Aurora immediately recognized it as OneRepublic's "Counting Stars." She didn't know whether to roll her eyes at the irony or look at it as something deeper. Nile was listening to the music with a thoughtful expression on his face, one ear cocked toward the speakers.

Aurora chose to ignore the coincidence. "Look over there, that's Lupus," Aurora informed him. "And over there I think that's Draco starting to appear. It's almost completely visible. They must be getting ready to change up the sky again."

A shooting star passed over their heads. Aurora dipped her head down and when she looked up she locked eyes with Sophie who was staring at her straight across the room. Sophie saw Aurora's close proximity to Nile and gave her a knowing smile.

Aurora sighed. Of course this wasn't going to be easy. If Sophie had her way, Nile and Aurora would be an item by the end of the night. Granted, that might've been what Aurora wanted, but she wasn't going to jump into anything just like that.

She quickly broke her gaze with Sophie. She couldn't stand her best friend giving her that smug, excited look. Aurora surprised both her herself and Nile by grabbing his wrist. She ignored the sharp thudding of her heart. "C'mon," she heard herself say. "There's a few more constellations on the other side of the room. I'll show them to you."

She let go of his wrist and he followed her lead without a word. Her stomach fluttered.

As the current song came to a close, the music began to soften and fade into the background until only the exuberant sounds of the excited students could be heard, but those too began to disappear as everyone fell silent.

A loud voice boomed over the intercom system, announcing that the dinner buffet would be starting soon and the students should begin making their way to their respective tables. As soon as the system crackled off, the music started up again, though softer than before and much more ambient. Prom-goers spoke in hushed whispers as they rushed over to their tables, the excitement in the air palpable.

Stella looked around for King, who'd vanished with Masamune earlier in search of Toby and Zeo. She hoped he hadn't gotten himself into too much trouble. Rather than stress over his whereabouts, she headed over to table 12, knowing her date would soon join her, his stomach always a top priority.

She spotted Gin and picked up the pace in her tall heels. Kyoya was by Gin's side, as he'd been since they saw him waiting at the entrance. Stella couldn't help but smile. She was so glad things had worked out for the other girl after all.

"Hey," Stella grinned, bumping Gin's arm slightly. "Ready for dinner?"

"Absolutely," Gin responded almost immediately. "Those 'appetizers' weren't designed to hold anyone over."

"At least they tasted good!" King burst onto the scene, slinging his arm around Stella's shoulders as he narrowly avoided accidentally knocking her over. Stella only shook her head and rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she quickly regained her balance, used to the never-ending madness.

Madoka and Gingka were already at their table. Ryuga was also there, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

Masamune appeared from nowhere and crashed into the seat nearest Gingka. Madoka pursed her lips, but didn't say anything about the matter. King sat right next to Masamune. Stella took her spot, hoping the three lunatics wouldn't cause too much trouble- or start a food fight- during dinner. Getting kicked out of prom was not something she wanted to add to the list of things she'd done in high school. Gin and Kyoya dropped into the next two seats, leaving only two empty. Kyoya looked quite pleased to be sitting relatively far from Gingka and Masamune for once.

Stella did the math in her head. They'd all agreed that table 12 would be theirs when they first arrived so they wouldn't have trouble picking a spot when the dinner rush started, but even with Hikaru, that still only covered nine of the ten seats. She wondered who else would end up sitting with them. From what she'd heard, they'd practically sold out the venue so most seats were going to be filled.

Almost immediately, Hikaru appeared and took the free seat next to Ryuga. She looked slightly apprehensive about it. Stella briefly remembered Sophie saying something about Hikaru having a crush on him back when they'd all gone dress shopping. She wondered if that was still the case.

"Can we sit here?"

Stella looked up and saw Marcos standing above the table, with Lera hanging slightly behind him. Stella looked at the girl curiously. She and Marcos spoke occasionally from time to time, but he'd never mentioned Lera once. Were they a thing? When had that happened?

Kyoya pointed out the obvious. "There's only one seat left."

"That won't be a problem," Marcos assured him. Like a true gentleman, he pulled out the remaining chair for Lera to sit, then took a place setting from the table nearest them and put it between Lera and Madoka. Everyone scooted over to make room as he brought the chair over. There was more than enough room to accommodate him; they probably could've fit one more person, too.

"Why did we pick table 12?" Masamune grumbled as table numbers were called to go to the buffet a few minutes later. "We should've picked a smaller number."

Hikaru rolled her eyes. "Yeah? If we'd tried to go to any of the first three tables, we would've been swarmed by people fighting for the same thing. At least this way we could all sit together with practically no issue." It was true. When Stella was walking over, she'd seen quite a few students pushing each other around the first few tables, but no one had been near any of the tables numbered ten and above.

"Besides, they're going to constantly be refilling the food," Madoka pointed out. "There's going to be plenty left when we get there, don't worry."

"But the waiting-" Masamune complained, but was immediately silenced by a look from Kyoya. Ryuga looked like he was about two minutes from sprinting away from the table and leaving the prom.

Gin tried changing the subject to distract everyone from their growling stomachs. "So, has everyone voted for king and queen yet?"

Lera nodded. "I did! What about you guys?"

At that moment, a server placed a basket of bread on their table and everyone descended on the slices like wolves. Butter packets went flying.

"I haven't," Hikaru admitted. "I'm still thinking." The way the voting table was set up, at any point in the evening before the cut off time, students could go back and make their selection. An attendant was there to cross off their name as soon as they placed their ballot in box.

"I think it's dumb," Ryuga commented, speaking for the first time as he tore his bread in two. "Who cares?"

Hikaru bristled. "It's not that bad. C'mon, live a little. Two people get to wear crowns for the rest of the night and have a slightly better time than the rest of us."

"For someone who was against prom, you're certainly defending its traditions," Madoka said, amused.

"Don't start with me," Hikaru laughed. "But for real, who cares that you don't care? Let everyone else have their fun."

Ryuga opened his mouth to say something back, but Stella's attention was drawn to the three boys sitting next to one another, all three of whom had gone uncharacteristically quiet. They whispered quickly to one another in muted tones. Stella suddenly got the unsettling feeling they were planning something. She was about to nudge Gin to get her opinion, but their table number was finally called.

Gingka, Masamune, and King stumbled over one another, pushing to be the first to the buffet table. Marcos offered his hand to Lera as she got up from her seat while Kyoya and Gin followed close behind the others. Stella fell in step with Madoka and Hikaru. Ryuga lingered behind them, as far from the chaos as possible.

The table ahead of them in line consisted of Dashan and Ninel, Sophie and Wales, Mei Mei and Chao Xin, and Aurora. Christina, Bao, Zina, and Chris were right there as well.

"Can anyone see what's up ahead?" Masamune whined.

Zina turned around and gave him a disparaging look. "Food," she deadpanned, earning snickers from the others. Masamune pouted.

They didn't have to wait particularly long, though, as the line split into two on both sides of the table as soon as they reached it.

There was food to meet every diet imaginable. Vegetarian lasagna and several different meat dishes served as the highlight of the meal, though there were innumerable side dishes available. Macaroni and cheese, multiple kinds of potatoes, salads, dinner rolls, and even French fries decorated the table. Unlike with the appetizers, there was more than enough food. The platters weren't being replaced nearly as quickly.

It hardly took any time for anyone to fill up their plates, thanks to the abundance in front of them, and everyone returned to their seats. The entire room fell into hushed murmurs, the music louder than anything else.

"This is better than I expected for prom food," Lera commented. Marcos nodded in agreement, warily watching Masamune and Gingka out of the corner of his eye. The two seemed poised to start a food fight at any given moment and he was not about to allow himself to be caught up in that spectacle.

Dinner finally came to a close, some people still running back up to the buffet tables to grab whatever was left. Gin laughed as she watched Stella physically restrain King from charging up to grab another helping of whatever he could get his hands on. Kyoya had gone to get the two of them drinks and would be back any minute. Until then, Gin was content to watch the chaos go down.

"It's a slow song!" Stella grumbled, looking at King pointedly. She couldn't hide the grin growing on her face. "C'mon, don't I get at least one of those?"

They'd barely started their dance when Masamune ran up to them, interrupting the serenity of "All of Me" by John Legend.

"Aw man!" he complained. "Now I gotta watch you guys do all this lovey-dovey stuff for the rest of the night! It's not fair!"

In response, King took his arms off Stella's waist, a devilish smile appearing on his face, then placed them around Masamune. "We can dance if you'd like," he laughed. Stella squeezed in between the two of them, and grabbed both of their hands. The three of them started dancing wildly in a circle, arms flailing, completely out of step with the music. Stella seemed content to accept that she was the third wheel in her own relationship.

"Gin!" Stella called. The group danced their way over to her. "Get in on this!"

Unable to see if Kyoya was coming, Gin resigned herself to the fact that it would be a good way to kill time until he did get back to her. Stella and King lifted their arms so Gin could slide underneath, and the three of them then danced around her, which turned into running in a crazed circle.

Barely a minute in, Gin heard a welcome voice breaking in.

"That's enough," Kyoya said, sounding a touch amused. He offered his hand to Gin and she sneaked out the circle, holding her dress so she wouldn't step on it.

"Where are the drinks?" Gin wondered.

"I put them on the table," Kyoya explained. "I thought we could take the opportunity to…" He trailed off.

Gin picked up on his apprehension immediately. Kyoya wasn't exactly the most romantic or forward guy; this probably wasn't the easiest thing for him. He hadn't even wanted to go to prom in the first place. "Let's dance," she finished the thought for him.

Gin felt a thrill as Kyoya wrapped his arms around her and she placed her arms around his neck. She still couldn't believe this was actually happening. She was at prom with Kyoya Tategami. He'd started out as her lab partner at her new school, then her friend, and now her date. Maybe he'd even be something more after the night was over.

When the song was over, they went back to the table to grab the drinks Kyoya had left before returning to their friends on the dance floor. Stella was losing her mind as Pitbull and Kesha's "Timber" started playing, declaring it to be her song. Kyoya didn't pull back when Masamune and King dragged him with them, using it as an excuse to grow more comfortable on the dance floor. Drink in hand, Gin joined them all, waving her free hand up in the air wildly.

At the moment, she honestly couldn't see how the night could get any more perfect.


Zina had slipped out of the planetarium using one of the circular room's many exits, Chris hot on her heels. She was pretty sure students weren't supposed to leave the planetarium, but it wasn't her fault that this particular exit had been left unlocked and unguarded. Besides, prom was a night meant for breaking the rules.

She and Chris rushed down the hall, giggling as Zina desperately tried not to trip over the length of her dress. She'd lifted it up, but the hem still grazed the bottom occasionally as she ran. The rose-gold color glinted, flashing as the two of them dashed from hallway to hallway, the light in each area illuminating the dress in a different way.

Dessert was set to start any minute, but the two of them just had to get away for a minute. The room was loud and all anyone could talk about was how prom king and queen would be announced shortly after dessert was served. She wasn't entirely sure where they were going, and she doubted Chris knew either, but she didn't really care.

Chris ushered Zina up the first set of stairs they came across. The science center was an endless, sprawling building that seemed to stretch on forever. Zina only hoped they'd be able to find their way back. Signs pointing out the direction of the planetarium had all but disappeared.

At the top of the stairs, Zina let out a deep breath, suddenly winded. Then her breath caught in her throat.

She and Chris had entered a small sitting room, one that was probably never intended for guests to find, with two vintage chairs tucked away in the corner and a large coffee table; it was probably meant to be a meeting area for very important benefactors and contributors a spot to discuss business. The old, probably rare furniture wasn't what had taken away Zina's breath, though. The most exhilarating part was the enormous window that took up almost the entirety of the right side of the room. The window overlooked the sparkling blue-green lake outside, and sunset was in full swing.

Zina watched as the magenta and vivid lavender hues did their swirling dance above the glittering water.

"It's beautiful," she breathed. Chris stood alongside her and nodded his assent, but she was so mesmerized she almost didn't even notice as their hands intertwined.

It must've been later than she realized, because the spectacle didn't last much longer. They'd simply been privileged enough to catch the tail end of the moment. All too soon, the pink shades blended into orange and dark purple fell over them, only to be eclipsed by inky blue.

A star twinkled off in the distance, alone as it pushed to light up the newly arrived night sky. Chris pointed it out to her. Maybe it wasn't as dramatic as the ones shining overhead in the planetarium as they came together into their dazzling forms, but it felt special.

At the moment, it remained the only star in sight, hanging perfectly from the sky as though it had been placed there for them alone to enjoy. Even though roughly two hundred of their classmates were dancing not too far away in the planetarium floors below, it felt like she and Chris were the only ones in the world, cut off by this tiny, secret hidden room.

Zina turned to face Chris. "I'm really glad I asked you to prom," he said softly.

Zina felt a lightness warm inside. "I'm glad I said yes," she responded honestly.

Chris leaned into kiss her and she didn't even think, only enjoying that their first kiss together was happening on prom night, the only witness the star above them.

They needed to head back soon if they didn't want to miss out on dessert, but Zina was in no mood to rush. As far as she was concerned, they had all the time in the world alone in their secret room.


Sophie rolled her eyes as she took her place in the long dessert line behind Wales. She admired how well the gel in his hair was still holding. All things considered, it was definitely impressive. She was going to have to ask what brand he used. She twirled a free hanging curling that fell along the side of her face impatiently. "Can't they just announce prom court now and get it over with? I'm so done with all this waiting."

Aurora sighed. "Soph, you've basically got that title on lock. Can't we just enjoy dessert?"

Sophie smiled deviously then, suddenly making Aurora incredibly uncomfortable. Sophie only ever used that unnerving look when she was up to something. Aurora did not want to know what that something would be at prom. Uneasiness spread through her.

Christina bounded into the line and groaned. "Why is everything tonight such a waiting game? First the appetizers and dinner, now this," she commented good-naturedly.

Ninel slid into line behind her. "Well do you see what's up ahead? Honestly, I'm not surprised there is a wait."

Sophie stood a little taller in her heels and let out a squeal of delight. "Is that an ice cream bar?"

Hikaru bumped into Sophie just then, narrowly avoiding toppling over in her tall clear heels.

"Masamune won't leave me and Ryuga alone," she panted, straightening up.

Ninel asked "Why?" at the same time Sophie questioned "You and Ryuga?"

Hikaru waved her hand dismissively. "Not what you're thinking, trust me. I was asking Ryuga about one of the constellations when we were getting up from the table, and then Masamune appeared with about a hundred questions." Hikaru shook her head. "Totally weird, too. He kept bugging us about who we thought would be King and Queen. I'm pretty sure Ryuga already made it clear he couldn't care less at dinner."

They finally reached the ice cream bar, complete with roughly fifteen flavors, dairy-free options, frozen yogurt, and every topping imaginable. At the end of the bar was a second table piled high with baked goods. Hikaru pushed in front of Sophie to grab a cookie, still going on about Masamune.

Sophie selected her flavor of choice, careful not to drip any of the hot fudge sauce on her dress as she poured it slowly from the bottle, drizzling it lightly. She scooped up a spoonful of raspberries to top her creation.

Christina piled up candies on her sundae before strutting off toward Bao at her table.

"Good luck to all of you when they announce the court!" she called.

Sophie waited for Aurora to settle on toppings before following after her boyfriend. Sophie could feel herself grow a touch impatient as she watched Wales go. They had been at the tail end of the long dessert line; any minute now it would be time for the big reveal. Instinctively, Sophie grabbed several napkins in case any of the sugary dessert dared stain her face and then she and Aurora headed straight for the table to eat as quickly as they could.

Lera bobbed excitedly in the dessert line, Marcos watching on in amusement as the light reflected her silver dress over and over again. He'd gotten a chance to meet her friends Aleksei and Nowaguma, and once more found himself impressed with the limitless ambition all three seemed to possess. The two of them had arrived a few hours late, once the issue with Aleksei's car had been sorted out.

Lera stuck gummy worms and chocolate chips atop the frozen yogurt she'd picked out for herself. Frozen yogurt, she'd said as she'd poured over the flavors, was the better choice for a future astronaut. She needed to keep her body fit and healthy, and it was best to develop the habits while still a teen, but a few pieces of chocolate- especially on such a momentous evening- wouldn't kill her.

Rather than sit with Aleksei and Nowaguma, Lera and Marcos went back to their original dinner table. Unfortunately, the late arrival of Lera's friends had complicated their situation and those two were stuck at one of the only tables that had space left, mostly with people they didn't know well. At least Marcos and Lera had managed to find some familiar friendly faces. Marcos was finding anyway that he didn't particularly mind sticking with Lera all night, regardless of who their other company happened to be.

Marcos had only just taken his seat beside Lera when the lights slowly began to dim. In response, he took a large bite of his dessert. Things were about to get wild.

The entire room began to shriek and twitter with excitement as the lights went down, only the stars providing them with a thick silver glow. It was just about time for the highlight they'd all been waiting for. A voice came over the speakers asking students to please take their seats.

Once everyone obliged, the lights came up just a little bit, and a spotlight appeared in the center of the dance floor. The class president stood there, holding a container with something silver inside. Marcos couldn't quite make out what it was. In her other hand was an envelope.

"Good evening, everyone!" She cheered and was met with uproarious applause. "I will now announce this year's Prom Court! When I call your name, please come up!"

The entire room straightened up in anticipation. All whispering ceased as the room awaited the results.

"Starting with the ladies… Could I please have Madoka, Sophie, Aurora, Lera, and Hikaru come see me?"

There was a slight pause as the words settled over everyone. Sophie hardly skipped a beat, immediately getting out of her chair and confidently striding toward the dance floor, head raised high. Next to her, Aurora was practically in shock, until Mei Mei nudged her gently and encouraged her go on ahead. Aurora felt her stomach churning as she unsteadily followed behind her best friend, wondering how on earth she had ended up on the court when there were so many other girls who could've taken her place instead.

Lera also seemed surprised, but she stood up to join the others. Madoka's reaction was similar, but a look of delight crossed her face as she got out of her chair, blowing a quick kiss to Gingka, confident he'd be joining her up there shortly. Hikaru crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"Aren't you the one who said we should honor these timeless traditions?" Ryuga snickered.

"Shut. Up." Hikaru marched toward the spotlight, arms crossed over her chest. Once they were all up there, the five girls were instructed to stand off to the left.

"And on my right I'll need… Gingka, Wales, Nile, Marcos, and Ryuga!" The president's voice faltered the tiniest bit, almost confused as she read off the final name but she remained composed, smiling brightly.

Gingka and Wales seemed to have been expecting their names to be called, and if Nile was caught off guard, he didn't show it. Marcos was admittedly a bit thrown off, but he quickly realized that all night he and Lera had been walking around together. Marcos was popular enough and Lera was generally well-liked; it was no wonder people had voted for them, thinking the two were a couple. Obviously, they'd made an impression tonight. He smirked, knowing that could only be a good thing.

Ryuga stayed put in his chair, looking equal parts shocked and enraged. He probably would've walked right out of the room, if not for King and Masamune, both of whom had large grins on their faces. They forcibly stood him up, egging him forward.

"C'mon," Masamune said in a singsong voice. "They can't continue without you."

"Yeah," King acquiesced cheerfully. "They're waiting for you. Go up there and claim your crown, Dragon Emperor!"

With the entire room staring at him and the exits mysteriously blocked, or at the very least now tightly shut and some surrounded by teachers, Ryuga had no choice but to join the other four boys in the spotlight. His expression was nothing short of murderous.

Stella laughed, now knowing exactly why the boys had suddenly gone silent during Ryuga's argument with Hikaru at dinnertime. She was impressed they'd managed to pull off their little prank in such a short amount of time.

Up on the dance floor, the other nine hopefuls waited for his arrival. Once he joined them, the spotlight went up a little more.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your Prom Court!" The class president announced as her statement was received with thunderous applause.

The president opened the container and began pulling out long-stemmed flowers, presumably roses, with tinfoil covering them. Marcos looked at them curiously, wondering where this was going.

"Two of these roses are red," the president explained. "The rest are yellow. Whoever opens the red roses will be this year's Prom King and Queen!"

She began handing out the roses, requesting that the recipients wait to open them until everyone had received one. Marcos watched carefully, wondering if this was up to chance, or if the president knew exactly which roses were the red ones and who to hand them to. He peered over at Ryuga's rose next him, which was tightly clenched into his fist with the thorns likely digging into his skin, and tried to see if there was any difference in the way the tinfoil had been wrapped. Between theirs at least, he wasn't seeing any.

The girls were given their roses and moments later, the ten members of the court were instructed to remove the foil.

Marcos noticed immediately Lera's rose was yellow, just like his, but she caught his gaze and gave him a small smile anyway. She didn't seem particularly disappointed.

Ryuga let out an unexpected sigh of relief next to him, and Marcos saw his rose was yellow, too. He had to admit it would've been hilarious for Ryuga to be king. Marcos almost wished he had been in on this plan, so he could've cast a vote for him. The results would've been highly amusing.

Surprisingly, Wales had a yellow rose. Marcos would've picked him and Sophie to take the titles, knowing the high level of influence the two had over the social sphere. And Gingka's was yellow as well, despite his elaborate promposal scoring him major points with the other students. Which meant…

Nile, who, to his credit, had managed to remain fairly straight-faced for most of the event, now stared at the rose in his hand, dumbfounded. Over on the girls' side, they had just finished opening their roses.

Sophie had a gracious smile on her face, disguising whatever emotion she really felt at the discovery her rose was yellow. Marcos suspected she was more irritated than anything, though he had to hand it to her for maintaining her composure flawlessly. Hikaru's reaction was almost the exact same as Ryuga's, ironically enough, and Madoka also wore a friendly smile. Aurora held the red rose in her slender hand, eyes wide.

"Aurora and Nile! Please come forward!"

Sophie pushed her friend toward the president, who seemed paralyzed with shock and certainly unable to move without the encouragement. Whatever her previous emotions had been, the smile Sophie was now wearing was definitely genuine, Marcos noted.

Aurora stepped up next to Nile as both of them were crowned. The tiara felt cool as it was placed atop her head, little crystals glittering in it like stars. The tiara must've matched well with her dress, she realized, half-disoriented. She could not believe this was happening. Deep, deep down though, part of her was very excited. Again, her stomach was fluttering non-stop.

Nile took her hand and led her a few feet away from the others. It was hard to tell in the low light, but he seemed like he might be a bit nervous, too. The entire prom was looking at them, and she didn't even need to look at the crowd to know that. The room was oddly silent as everyone waited, a slow song suddenly cutting through the air at a moderate volume. Neither of them were used to being the center of attention this way. Aurora took a deep breath. This was really happening.

Nile slipped his arms around her waist. She placed hers on his shoulders, reaching towards his neck. She could see Sophie smiling gently at her, encouraging her. Aurora prayed she wouldn't trip, but before they could really start dancing, the music cut out as suddenly as it had began.

The room went dark.


Cast your vote on who you think is out to ruin prom! Leave your guess in a review XD