I went down the stairway and found a whole lot of eyes fixed at me. Oh my god…I don't have to do this…

But, I didn't have a choice. I gazed down hoping that my gown must be lurking behind me as usual but no, it was just a tiny frock as I saw it and instantly remembered that I wasn't in a gown. All the girls who were in my sight were all wearing a gown. I felt like the 'odd one out'.

All the people were gathered in the area and I felt like I was Cinderella coming down the stairway and…no…no…please…thus can't be happening. Daniel looked at me like... like…I just can't tell…he was looking so MAD. How stupid it all seemed? He was rather looking at my dress or my legs…how creepy..!

I wished the stairway may never end but it happened soon. I reached the end and soon I was on the same area. I gazed at other people and I saw Daniel coming towards me. Oh no…why was he coming towards me. I wish I could just run away or ignore his gaze. I tried to ignore him but it seemed like he'd come anyway and no barrier could stop him. I looked at him from head to toe. He was wearing black suit with a royal blue shirt. His coat buttons were properly closed and was walking with as much style he could bring in his walking. I looked at him and I couldn't break the eye contact. When he got closer to me, the spotlight was right on us. I couldn't help but stare at him. He seemed paler in that spotlight and he gave me a crooked smile. That look sent a flush of warm water inside of me.

What was he doing here? If there was someone I didn't want to see right now was him. Even aspen was much better. I instantly turned the other side and started strolling towards the crowd. That was when I felt someone grab my hand. I knew it was Daniel. I turned to see who that was.

"Will you dance with me?" Aspen spoke.

I felt so glad to see him. I instantly agreed and we went to the dance podium. It was so cool to be here with Aspen. He held me by my waist and we danced the way along with the beats.

Everybody cheered and looked at us. Some people were clicking on photographs. I didn't care for anybody because when I looked at aspen I felt like he was so happy and he too felt like me….

He also didn't care for anybody around us.

"Hey…isn't here a bit cold." I said to Aspen.

"Probably your dress is too short." He spoke.

I felt so embarrassed that I looked down and perhaps he knew that I was feeling humiliated from within.

"Hey…it's all right. You don't know how BEAUTIFUL and gorgeous you look today. You are no less than an angel to me." He spoke and his warm breath raised bumps on my cold skin.

He lifted my head by my chin and brought it closer to his. Our lips were inches apart…. Suddenly it all went dark…

There wasn't any spotlight on us.

I looked on a higher platform and there stood Maxon with Daniel. He was announcing something. Besides, there was his family too. Was he announcing something…?

But I couldn't hear it because of the noise that the beats were making around us. Although it was dark on our side but I can presume that there was no one around us and everybody was back there with Maxon. I didn't see any other girl also from the competition.

"Shouldn't we check what's going on?" I said

Aspen nodded and we went towards the crowd. Now I could hear Maxon speaking.

"On this auspicious event, I would like to introduce the participants. But first I want them to come up on the stage." He spoke and stopped for a second and gazed to his left.

Did I miss something? When I gazed in his direction I found the girls of selection moving up the staircase to the podium. I ran towards the staircase. I knew he was talking about us.

I apologize for not being here for a while. Actually, I have been stuck up in some important work but now, I will regularly upload my story. Thank you all for reading and reviewing my story.