Prank
I yawned, and rolled over, upsetting the rose petals that I hadn't bothered to clear off my bed. A dim light shone through the window, grey and bleak.
Quickly, I got out of bed, got dressed and put on the hawk necklace before starting off for the newsroom. I was barely three feet from it when Colin suddenly got in my way, throwing me a greeting.
"Hey, Gilmore, you look fantastic today."
"Hi, Colin. I'd really love to stay and exchange pleasantries, but some of us actually have to work." I tried to dodge him for the door to the newsroom, but he grabbed my arm and turned me around.
"So, I was wondering what your feelings for Logan are," he said conversationally, an arm hooked around my shoulders, leading me away.
"Look, Colin, if this is another prank, feel free to stop now," I said, trying to wiggle out of his grasp, but his arm was surprisingly strong.
"No, this is no prank," he continued. "Finn and I were just wondering how you feel about our mutual friend, Logan."
"Well…" I hesitated, wondering if I should answer him or try to dodge him again. But before I knew it, Colin was moving his arm off my shoulders and suddenly Finn was beside us, his arm draped around my shoulders now and jumping into the conversation calmly, as if he had been there the whole time.
"Yes, Miss Gilmore," he began, the look in his eyes making me nervous. "We would be much obliged if you divulge your feelings on the subject of a certain blonde-haired man, and tell us if he's given you an answer about how you procured that beautiful piece of jewellery hanging around that beautiful neck of yours."
I looked down at my necklace before asking, "So, he's the one who sent me this, was he?"
"Of course," Colin said, almost scoffing at my ignorance.
"A beautiful necklace for a beautiful lady," Finn added.
I suddenly felt relieved, but I asked, "But what about that girl he was dating? If he was sending me presents, he wouldn't be dating other girls."
"Oh?" Colin only replied.
"Who was this girl?" Finn asked. "I might look her up some time."
"He put you up to this, didn't he?"
"Who did?" Finn asked innocently.
"We have no idea what you're talking about, Gilmore," Colin replied easily.
"Logan; he got you to stall me and ask me about my feelings for him," I explained.
"We still have no idea what you are talking about," Colin restated.
"But we will bring you over to another beautiful lady," Finn said, steering me out to the courtyard where Stephanie was waiting, leaning against the stone wall. Finn and Colin suddenly disappeared, leaving me to walk over to Stephanie nervously, who only nodded in greeting.
"These complete the set," she said, getting straight to the point. She held out a pair of long earrings with a hawk at the end of each chain. She laid them in my hands before pulling herself off the wall, saying authoritatively, "You should go back to your dorm now before you get to your classes. I have a feeling that you'll find something waiting there for you."
She turned and sauntered away with the barest hint of a smile. I sighed and made my way back to my dorm, finding Paris sitting on the couch, calmly reading a newspaper.
"Did anything happen while I was gone?" I asked quickly. "Did anyone come by?"
"How should I know?" she said moodily. "I was at Doyle's."
"So do not want to know why," I mumbled. I threw down my bag and went to my room, slowly opening the door before gasping at what was carefully laid out on my bedspread.
Paris came up behind me and said, "Wow. Who'd you have to knock off for that dress?"
"I have to go," I said, nearly tearing out of the dorm before Paris had a chance to grill me. I went everywhere I could think of to look for him, but I could see no Logan.
I ended up in front of his dorm, my knock hurried and as loud as I could possibly get it. I knocked twice, but there was no answer.
Dejectedly, I walked back to my dorm to look at the white gown laid carefully out on my bed on a fresh pile of rose petals. It was covered in gold trimmings and gold netting over top. It looked simple enough, but I figured it to be expensive.
I tried it on, the material falling like water around my legs. After twirling in front of the mirror with the earrings on also, I noticed a piece of paper was on the bed.
"Wear the dress to the Christmas party," the note said.
And I knew I would do just that.
