By the time Olivia had somehow successfully snuck everyone in, they were immediately pushed around by the crowd. They were making room for the new couple (as if they were new...) who were walking up to Dr. Bloor hand in hand.
Manfred looked a little different than Charlie had thought. He looked happier, like he was never the one who took Charlie's father away, the one who hypnotized Emma into thinking she was Emilia Moon, or the one who burned everyone that annoyed him just for the fun of it.
No, he looked like a brand new person. He looked even kinder, which was something they never expected to happen in a lifetime.
The girl with the short black hair looked pretty too, and Charlie wondered what made Manfred like her. If he ever got a chance to talk to the girl, he'd find out.
Most of the girls looked sour and shot dirty and insanely jealous looks to the girl and the whole idea of it made Charlie laugh.
He stopped short though because his voice didn't fit the image he was giving off. Who had ever heard of a girl with a boy's laugh? He bit his tongue to stay silent.
After Dr. Bloor gave some speech that sounded like he had rehearsed instead of thinking about it right off the top, they all dance for another hour and the ball concluded.
"That was a boring hour," Charlie muttered as he found a few 'girls' he recognized. He kept his voice low so no one else can hear how unusual it sounded.
The one in the blue flowing dress, Fidelio, nodded. "I actually had a few boys who wanted to dance with me," he groaned. "Why are there some boys here? Are they relatives or what?"
"Maybe escorts," Charlie mused. A girl with yellow locks sprang up to them. Olivia. She looked weary. "What's wrong with you?" asked Charlie.
"I've been trying to talk to Manfred's girlfriend-" Olivia started. She crossed her arms and said, "Oh grow up Charlie!" when Charlie shuddered.
"Sorry, sorry," Charlie held up his hands defensively. "Go on,"
She huffed. "Well, I've been trying to but she's too busy dancing with her g-sweetheart." Olivia glanced around. "There's Emma."
Charlie glanced around. He had forgotten what Emma looked like. Well, at least, her image Olivia made her. There were still quite a few people around and he couldn't remember who was who and it wasn't the brightest idea to have Olivia stop the illusion. He looked at Olivia. She, of course, didn't show it, but Charlie reckoned that she was extremely tired.
"Why don't we all go to a safe spot and you can stop working." Charlie murmured to her.
Olivia sighed. "That would be nice. Emma, can you get everyone over here so we can see who is who?"
Emma happened to be the girl with the brown hair. "Oh yeah..." Charlie grinned. "I remember now." Then he smirked. "Is Tancred still an old hag?"
Emma 's illusion laughed. "No. She changed his appearance to a better looking girl. Wouldn't an old woman attract more than enough attention? And in a bad way?"
"True," Charlie muttered, but for some reason he was a little disappointed. He would like to see what everyone's expression was if the saw an old lady attending. But then again Tancred was one of his closest friends and Charlie would never sit back and watch a friend get hauled off just because he (looking like a she) was old.
"Where is he anyway? I don't know which one he is." Fidelio's image said, scanning the remainder of the guests.
Emma pointed to a somewhat short girl with wavy black hair. Charlie and Fidelio grinned. Compared to the actual Tancred, the girl was so short that it was laughable. "What is she, twelve?" Charlie mused.
Olivia flashed him a grin. "Maybe."
Emma went to round up everyone and they migrated from the ballroom to an empty corridor. As Olivia lifted the illusion, Gabriel had some news that made everyone start bombarding him for answers.
"Hold on, hold on!" he cried out, backing away. "Let me have some room!"
"Sorry," everyone muttered hastily, giving him some space.
"Now tell us!" Billy said excitedly. "What did you hear?"
Gabriel grinned. "I couldn't believe it at first but his girlfriend..." He stopped and looked at Charlie. Everyone followed suit to see if he had shuddered.
He gave everyone an exasperated look. "Come on you guys, I stopped!"
"Right..." Gabriel snickered. "Anyway, she's his fiancee. Her name is um..." He scrunched up his nose to remember. "Jade. I don't know her last name,"
"Jade..." Olivia said, testing the name. "Jade and Manfred...Manfred and Jade...Not bad actually."
"What else?" asked Tancred eagerly.
Gabriel laughed. "Um, well, they plan to marry in February. That;s not so far from now, is it?"
Charlie and the gang shook their heads. "Usually people wait half a year or something. So much to do in so little time..." Olivia murmured.
They stood in agreeable silence. Fidelio broke it however, when his curiosity was at its peak. "So...are we going to congratulate him? Well, when and if he tells everyone? If we congratulate him now then he'll know we're here."
"Congratulate Manfred? Manfred Bloor?" Tancred repeated, astonished. "I never thought I'd hear that from you Fido. Actually, I never thought I'd hear that from anyone."
"Except the Bloors and my grandma and her sisters." Charlie muttered.
Tancred nodded. "Yeah, okay, them I can expect but still, in general."
A sudden noise of voices and laughter made them jump. Rushing down the halls and into the first classroom they came across
"Oh Manfred, that was extremely lucky of us!" Jade shrieked with delight. Her hand was clasped with Manfred's and they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes.
"I told you nothing bad will happen." Manfred said in a soft voice.
Jade was quiet. Manfred looked at her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. It's just that, well, we've been together for five years and no one knows that. Don't you think your dad has the right to know?"
Manfred grimaced. "Will it satisfy you?"
Jade looked bewildered. "You don't have to do things you don't want to do for me. I'm just suggesting that you should probably hint that we've been together longer than he expected."
Manfred sighed. He ran his hand through his hair and looked up at the ceiling. Jade watched him in silence and with patience.
"I'll try to talk to him." Manfred said finally. "But don't expect to get anywhere far."
Jade smiled at him. "Alright. I hope you don't get into any trouble."
Manfred shook his head and they began to walk again. "I can't afford to get into trouble now. He'll punish me by taking you away from me probably."
"Probably," Jade said wryly. "You still need a bride, and who else did he pick suitable for you?"
Manfred smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "No one else but you."
"Awww, Manny, you're such a doll." Jade giggled.
They walked on in silence, smiling at each other. Once they passed on to the next corridor, Charlie stuck his head out of the classroom. Did he just see what he just saw? Did he even hear correctly? Manny? Since when did anyone call him that without getting hurt?
Not even Dr. Bloor can pull that off!
Tancred whistled from behind. "Wow, that was something you don't see every day."
"That's something I NEVER thought I'd see at all." Fidelio commented, grinning. "Who knew Manfred could be romantic. Well...his idea of romance was too mushy for me. I prefer musical approaches-"
"Of course you do Fido," Olivia said, rolling her eyes jokingly. "I'd be surprised if you didn't."
"Come on you guys, let's go see where they're off to." Charlie said, taking a step outside.
"Charlie," Emma said in a small voice. He turned to her. "Maybe it's not a good idea. They're engaged, and even if it IS Manfred we're talking about, people respect their privacy and well, they're officially getting married."
"Em's right. Maybe we should rest our curiosity for now." Lysander said, sighing. "Oh man, am I tired...all of that excitement wore me out."
Tancred grinned at Lysander. "Well we better get going. Sander's tired and we have no choice but to-"
"You're making me sound like a baby Tanc," he mused.
After Tancred and Lysander snuck back into their dorms, Emma soon followed suit and then Olivia. The numbers dwindled and then Charlie hastily followed the others back to their room.
"So Jade," Dr. Bloor said slowly, resting his chin on his clasped hands. "Where do you come from?"
Manfred was a little afraid that his father's gaze would make her falter but she looked calm and collected. They were in his office. The fire roared with life behind Dr. Bloor but the heat in the room made him feel uncomfortable. He actually wanted to be outside in the cold for a moment.
"I live in the west side of town, not too far from here." Jade said casually. "I have a nice house there and I live alone. My parents are in France and they may be coming to attend the wedding."
Dr. Bloor nodded. His eyes flickered to Manfred. "I see. And do you major in anything or have you already attended college?"
Jade smiled at him. "I have a master's degree in biology."
Dr. Bloor looked impressed. Manfred sighed in relief. Jade was his age, of course, but she was incredibly clever. She had told him that she skipped two grades and she was funny. For some reason she stood out in the crowd of girls when he first met her and he took a liking to her. He didn't know why, she just made him feel warm inside despite the fact that his cold heart occupies his insides.
Jade melted his cold heart and he felt joy for the first time in what felt like forever. And it was real joy, not the fake joy that you feel. No, it was just mere excitement or just satisfaction. His joy was beyond that.
After a few more questions, Dr. Bloor sat back in his chair, relatively at ease. "I think you make a fine wife for Manfred. Dismissed."
The two locked hands and left the office. Jade smiled at Manfred. "I don't see how you're dad is a grouch Manny. He's polite and-"
"That's when he's around people." Manfred mumbled to her. "But don't worry. If I manged to live around him for this long, you can do it."
"Especially with you by my side." Jade sighed happily. She swung her hand so that his swung with her. "You know what would be amazing?"
Manfred raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Jade's smile grew wide and her eyes shone with merriment. "What if we went for a midnight stroll and it started snowing all of a sudden and there will be a horse drawn carriage waitng for us? Oh, that would be a winter wonderland..."
Manfred laughed. "Right now? Well first there has to be arrangements. Then...what the...?"
He glanced outside the window. Snow had started to fall and it was light and fluffy snow, not the one where it was like a blizzard. This one you can actually stand up in without the blast of cold wind knocking you over.
Jade laughed. "Snow, check."
She left his side for a moment and looked out the windows. "Horse drawn carriage, check!" she said in surprise.
Manfred ran up to the windows with her. "Where?"
She pointed. "Over there! Look. Ooh, can we go Manny? Can we?"
Manfred, at first, disliked his nickname. Jade would laugh and call it a term of endearment but now, he didn't mind. In fact, it made everything more...cute.
"Let's go," he found himself saying.
Jade grinned and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the main doors.