"How much longer is this thing?" Stormy asked through gritted teeth on the arm of Pete.
"Three more hours," said Pete, checking the time on his Cartier watch briefly as Stormy greeted Evan and Faith Kingsley with a smile. The smile was obviously faux to anyone who knew Stormy. The Kingsley twins, of course, went to boarding school in Connecticut and simply chatted up Stormy like this was simply how she was every day.
"Stormy!" smiled Alexis as she found Stormy. The gold dress looked beautiful on her, and Stormy was able to make do with the red one. Harris was on her arm, of course, his usually messy hair slicked back. "Oh, hello Evan. Faith! It's been too long!" She fake kiss-kissed them both on each cheek.
"It's nice to talk to you again, Alexis," said Faith, who's red Kiersten-inspired ringlets were bouncy and shiny. "We haven't seen each other for so long."
"I know, right?" Alexis said, a blinding smile appearing on her face. Her eyes darted off elsewhere and grew wide. "Um, excuse me, I have to talk to the Jefferson."
"Oh, such a pain," Evan said. "Ashley has been telling everybody a story about her so-many-greats-ago grandfather. The legacies presidents leave..."
Alexis tugged at Stormy's arm. "Ow!" Stormy said, when she pinched her accidentally.
"Look at that Taylor Cummings' dress," Alexis said. "And that Nellie-girl. But especially Taylor's. It looks gorgeous."
Stormy scowled as soon as she looked at Taylor. "That's my dress! We're going over there." This time, Stormy was the one pinching Alexis as she dragged her over. "Taylor, you little bitch, where did you get that dress from? Hi, Donnie."
"From you?" Taylor said, furrowing her eyebrows from confusion. "It arrived with a card saying that you wanted me to wear it. I still have the card." She pulled out a small, slightly hard, ivory-colored card with the Pierce seal on it it, and Stormy's name on it. It was typed.
Alexis read it aloud. "Dear, Taylor. Thanks for being such a big help these past few days. Please accept this dress and wear it to the Gala as a token of my gratitude. xoxo, Stormy... Stormy didn't send this. She doesn't use this font, and she usually hand-writes her notes." Stormy snatched the card from Alexis's light hold and turned it over to see it, and back again. Her eyes narrow as she read it again.
"I didn't send this," Stormy said, turning on her heel, and tossing it to where Taylor was standing, who tried hard to make sure she got it before it hit the floor. "I don't talk like that for, one." She turned to face Taylor again. "And I barely ever sign my name Stormy."
"That's true," Alexis noted. "She just writes S. Pierce, or sometimes just S. even. If it were a formal card, she'd sign-" Alexis stopped talking when Stormy glared at her, because she was just about to say her full name aloud. "Something more formal..."
Kiersten walked over. "Hi, what's all the commotion about?" She asked, batting her long lashes.
"Hey, Kiersten," Stormy said flatly, completely ignoring her.
"I love your dress, Taylor," smiled Kiersten. "It's gorgeous."
"Thanks. It's mine," Stormy said once again. She flipped her hair and looked over Kiersten's stunning canary yellow dress. "Yours is nice, too, though."
"Yeah, I guess so," Kiersten shrugged.
Trumpets fan-fared, notifying that it was time to enter the great room, where the younger ladies and gentlemen were to dance. "Your mom said that we had to at least three songs," Pete whispered into Stormy's ear as they entered.
"That sucks," Stormy whispered back. She then whispered to Anne-Marie, Alexis, Nick, and Harris. "Let's ditch. We had...lots of homework. What class are all six of us in?"
"Um...organic chemistry," Anne-Marie said. "Well, except for Harris."
"He's helping us. I just want to get out of this dress!" Alexis moaned before glaring at Harris. "And don't get any ideas, Harris." His lips were sealed.
"Oh! Wait, we've been here before, haven't we?" asked Harris. He looked around.
"You hooked up with that girl," said Pete, filling in his words. "Remember? She was blonde, Russian..."
"Oh! Sasha, right," Harris said, nodding. He pulled a key out of his jacket pocket. "Yeah, she gave me a key. Never used it before, though, so I dunno if it'll work. She said it's the secret entrance through the basement." They slipped out of the crowd heading into the back room. It was a dark alley, and they crept out silently. When they finally got out, they were on First Avenue.
"Well, that was fun," smiled Stormy. "But it seems like our night has just begun."