A/N Kate Brian owns Private, not me =)
It was the day of the masquerade, the day I have been anticipating for so many weeks is finally here, and I can't think of anything except the unnerving gut feeling that something was going to go wrong. I guess it's a natural reaction after having experienced countless near-death experiences, but I can't deny the fact that it's there and it's bothering the crap out of me. Leave it to Reed, the person who organized the whole thing, to be the only one in all of Easton who isn't excited for the party. Way to go me. The rest of the Billings girls were busy getting ready for what could be the make it or break it night of our lives. Seriously. Everything we've come to be is on the line. So you would think I would be a little more anxious, excited, prepared, anything. But no, I'm scared for my life.
I was so busy wrapped up in my grim thoughts that I didn't notice Noelle snapping her fingers in front of my face."Hello, earth to Reed". Blinking a couple of times to get focused, I looked around the room noticing that the girls were all staring at me like I was some freak. Not an unfamiliar feeling.
"Yeah?" I responded.
Noelle huffed, and stared at me with a stern look, "Why aren't you getting dressed?"
"Maybe because we still have 5 hours to go?" Noelle looked confused, and then suddenly reached out her fingers to flick my forehead. "OW, Noelle! What the hell?"
"Where have you been? We have two hours to go!" I looked at her disbelievingly, then realizing that she was completely serious, threw my hands in the air and started running around the hotel room looking for my dress.
"Looking for this?" Noelle dangled my dress from the tips of her fingers and raised her hands as I snatched it away. Taking my clothes off one by one as I ran around the room looking for the necessary accessories, I didn't even notice that the girls were hysterically laughing.
"This isn't funny!" I whined in frustration. Kiki came up to still laughing, and stopped me in my tracks.
"Reed, chill out, she was joking." Noelle is so dead! I gave Noelle a glare while she just smirked and plopped down onto the white leather couch, grabbing the remote from the nearby coffee table.
"Think they're so funny" I mumbled to myself as I tuned them all out. Didn't need the extra stress in my life. Just as I was about to zone out again, Noelle sat beside me, picking her bare feet up onto the couch and gave me one of her knowing smiles which said that she knows exactly what I'm thinking about. How? Beats me.
"Don't ask" I replied to what I assumed would be her first thoughts.
"Wasn't going to." She smirked in my direction, and grabbed the remote from my hand, switching the channel. We sat in silence for what seemed like forever, while the sound of blow dryers and hair clips buzzed in the near distance.
"Okay, fine!" I sighed exaggeratedly, and Noelle looked in my direction confusedly. I scoffed , "oh please, don't act innocent. Now, what part should I start with, the part with Ivy texting me to meet her or Josh confessing his love...again?
"Woah woah woah. Ivy, Josh, what? Start from the beginning." For once I saw that she was genuinely confused, and was internally proud that I was able to stump the all-knowing Noelle. But now wasn't the time for gloating so I told her everything, and I mean everything. Down to the last painstaking detail.
After I was done, Noelle didn't speak for a while, and I hated the waiting. When she finally spoke, it was brisk and had a finality about them. Obviously she has already made up her mind for what's right and wrong for me.
"So here's what you do. Forget Ivy, what she counts as important is usually crap anyways. Forget Josh, he can go fall in a hole for all I care, and for all you should care too. And last but not least, enjoy this night with Sawyer, if that stick up your ass lets you understand what I mean " She winked at me as she said the last part, and I couldn't help the blush creeping into my cheeks despite the clear insult directed my way. Oh well, at least it's better than glass-licker. Her decisiveness gave me a sudden confidence that I was glad showed up. If it wasn't for Noelle, I would probably be peeing myself at the party, in some distant corner.
"You're right." I declared, standing up in the process. Noelle gave me her signature 'duh' look, but I brushed it off, not like she's wrong or anything.
"So what are we going to do?" I asked, deciding that I was completely clueless as to what I was supposed to do or going to do in the following hours leading up to the party.
"Get ready, of course." She nodded and motioned for me to start moving with her arms.
"For 5 hours?" I exclaimed, she couldn't be serious.
"Pretty much. Yeah. No pain no gain, sister!" And then she burst out laughing, followed by me. Every day I learn something new about Noelle, apparently, she has a sense of humor.
After donning on the amazing dresses we bought a couple of days ago and putting on massive loads of makeup on our faces while I was criticized nonstop for my "au naturel" choices, I learned that even the Billings girls thought that 5 hours of preparation was ridiculous and apparently, we're throwing ourselves a small pre-party at the restaurant across the hotel, Le Bernardin. Awesome, more French I don't know. But I had to admit, the overly adorned restaurant was having a positive effect even on an amateur like myself. The entrance had rows of potted petunias on each side of the black carpet leading to the door, on which the name of the restaurant was written in illegible script. The inside boasted dimmed lighting provided by the decorated candles at each table and at the maitre d's stand. I was so entranced in it all, still not used to the style of life my friends experience every day, that I didn't realized my mouth hanging wide open, ready to catch flies if it wasn't for Constance slamming it shut. For a second, the impact of her hand on my chin stunned me into being even more frozen, until I remembered that I was in a public place. Of course. After my not-unusual embarrassment, we were seated at a corner table with rows of chairs on either side to fit our big group.
"So..." Kiki started. Knowing that she was implying something with that instead of just making small talk, I asked "So, what?"
"Have you guys organized your dates and all that business?" She waved her hand at the last part as if expecting the natural "yes" in response. But wait, WHAT? Dates? Nobody ever told me we were supposed to have dates? Isn't this a fundraiser, with alumni and everything? Totally confused. I was even more shocked when I saw everyone nod their heads as if it was no big deal, and realized that since they were fully aware of this detail, Kiki was making small talk. While I'm here, catching flies. Again.
Noticing my confused and at the same time terrified expression, Noelle tentatively prodded my arm, "You DO have a date, right?" Seeing that I was not responding to the question with a resounding yes, she quickly whipped out her Blackberry from her leather clutch and started typing furiously. The other girls all turned their heads to me with the same disbelieving expression. At the moment, all I could do was shrug my shoulders.
"Oh Reed, what are we going to do with you? She said, sighing, while still typing.
Coming out of my shock, "Nobody told me we were supposed to have dates! And what are you doing? You're not setting me up." I said the last phrase as a warning, remembering the last "set-up" I ever let the Billings girls organize. Still gave me shivers. However, I was still faced with the problem that I was going to be the only girl at the masquerade, with no date. That's okay, I guess. I'll just make small talk with the alumni...Ugh. I groaned loudly.
"Oh really? And here I thought I was going to find some creep to go to the ball with you, since you obviously don't have a boyfriend who would do anything for you" She groaned in the most sarcastic way possible. Duh! Sawyer. I smacked myself for not thinking of him earlier. Wow, Reed. Way to go, what a great girlfriend you are. But still, what if he's busy? What if he's not even planning on going to the party? I haven't talked to him in a while, if you count 2 days a while, and I was so caught up in the planning that I forgot to ask him whether he was even going. Ugh, what's the point, even if he was, 2 hours before the party isn't exactly perfect warning time that he's supposed to be my date to some party he's not ready for.
"Noelle, it's hopeless. He's probably busy anyways." I said nervously, knowing the consequences if he actually was unavailable.
"Oh please, glass-licker, you're talking about the guy who would take a bullet for you" She rolled her eyes. I wore a shocked expression on my face, sure that that was a reference to Josh, and not even caring about the fact that the old nickname has once again returned. She had an apologetic look on her face, and I realized that it wasn't said on purpose. I should really be a little less sensitive to these things.
"Don't worry about it" I voiced my forgiveness, giving her an assuring smile, which obviously satisfied her as she went back to furiously typing.
After a few minutes of fiddling with the salad fork and knife, I couldn't take any more of the suspense. Just as I was about to ask Noelle what she was really up to, she stopped typing and flung her cell phone back into the clutch, exclaiming a "Done!" while slapping her hands down on the table. The chatter and gossip going around the table stopped instantly and everyone perked up to hear this latest news.
"Done with what?" I asked first.
"You'll see" She winked in my direction, and started at the unpronounceable dish brought to her on the table, without another word. All of us looked at her expectantly for another couple of seconds, and seeing that she wasn't about to budge, resumed whatever we were doing. Which for me, was nothing, except wondering whether I was going to like this new surprise aspect to the ball.
We arrived half an hour earlier, just as planned, to make sure that everything was ready for when the real guests arrive. Meaning the alumni, since the only people we were trying to impress was them, and the only reason, was for their money. If everything goes as planned, it'll be a win-win situation. Hopefully. After checking the buffet table, the DJ, and the generalities of the ball, the first-comers started entering through the wide double glass doors, looking around the area. Following their gaze, I did a quick scan of the ballroom and was extremely pleased with the way things turned out. Multiple crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling and the floor was carpeted with Middle Eastern rugs sporting vivid designs. The buffet table spanned the whole left wall, while the main stage stood in the center of the adjacent wall. We did a pretty good job. No, scratch that, we did an amazing job, Billings better be within our grasp now.
After the first dozen of people arrived, the lights were dimmed, except for necessary lighting and the slight warm glow coming from the chandeliers. The second wave of people arrived not long after, and with the students came the alumni. The Billings Girls started moving excitedly, seating the alumni in all the right places up on the stage, introducing themselves, and explaining the purpose and nature of this ball. I was about to do the same and approach a confused-looking elderly gentleman dressed in a silk suit, when I saw a familiar face in the crowd. A sickly feeling overcame me and it took me a few moments to get myself together. The chiseled form, perfect bone structure, and sun kissed skin reminded me all too well of the disastrous vacation that seemed to be so long ago. Upton. What? Why? How? These questions were running through my head as he recognized me in the sea of faces, nodding, and began his slow approach towards where I was standing. I wanted to run, but in that moment the image of Noelle typing away flashed in my mind as I tried furiously to reject the idea. No way would Noelle do this. She was the one who encouraged me to break up with him, she was the one who said I should move on. Why would she make me relive the past? I scanned the ballroom quickly and efficiently trying to find Noelle. Spotting her on the stage seating an elegantly dressed woman, I tried to get her attention by shouting her name and waving my arms. Any other time, this would have looked beyond crazy, but at this moment, getting her attention was the only thing I was interested in. She finally noticed me, and glancing behind me, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She must have seen the furious look on my face, because she shook her head, looking down at the suede Leboutin's on her feet. A sigh of relief went through me as the confirmation I was waiting for, the one that would tell me that Noelle is still my best friend, was given to me. However, I still had the problem of the Brit behind me who was going to catch up to me any second. Before I could start walking in Noelle's direction, a strong grip caught my arm and stopped me in my tracks.
"Hope you didn't think you would get rid of me that easily, Reed." He lulled in his cockney accent, tilting his head to gaze straight into my eyes as his hand still tightly grasped my arm. I gulped at the proximity of him and attempted to avoid his gaze. Noticing that I was trying to avoid him, he grasped my chin with his free hand and turned my face forcibly to look at him, giving me a slight smirk. Managing to look over his shoulder, I saw Noelle's paralyzed expression gazing behind me while the Billings girls continued on obliviously. I followed Noelle's eyes and realized that my problems were just starting. Sawyer was making his way over to where Upton and I were seemingly pressed against each other with a livid expression in his eyes and a fuming face. Confrontation time.
A/N Hi guys =) Okay so before you start attacking me, the reason I was gone so long was because I had a HUGE writer's block and my interest in this story kind of waned. Well, now it's back..sorta, so I wrote this extra long chapter! 5 pages in word, it's a big deal. Longer than any other chapter I've written, so I'm pretty proud. Not a TON is going on, but a bit of drama is flaring up, which I hope you like. This story will probably wrap up in 3 or so chapters. Your comments definitely helped me start writing this story again, so thanks for that =) SO to keep me writing, please comment and tell me your ideas on what should happen next, because to be honest, I'm just the slightest bit stumped =P
Maks
