𝑮𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑩𝒐𝒚 ✓

Chapter 10

ONCE THE FAMILY CHECKED IN, they entered and stood next to each other, taking in the sight of the breathtaking decorations. There were LED lights on the ceilings and a majestic black floor that went along with the decorations. There were white and black roses in every corner of the place, and a big table that resembled the buffet, with cheese boards and delicious food that the siblings couldn't wait to try.

It didn't take Mal long enough to spot Juliet and Eric hand in hand. Juliet was wearing a stunning white v-neck dress, while Eric was wearing a classic black and white tuxedo, with an expensive grey Rolex that hugged his wrist elegantly. She stared at their facial expression hard enough, and she could tell by the bags under both of their eyes, which they tried to hide with makeup, that they haven't been sleeping well. Mal wondered why.

The girl looked around her again, impressed by the decorations, trying to see if there were any familiar faces in the audience. She spotted Arjun and Ben by the buffet, each had a big plastic plate in their hands, filled with samples from the buffet. It might've seemed unprofessional, but she could't blame them. The food looked so delicious, it made her throat water.

She took a few steps towards the, fixing her skirt. They saw her and greeted her with warm smiles.

"Hey, Mal! You look amazing."

"Yeah! These boots look so awesome."

"Thank you so much! You guys look so cool as well," she complimented, taking in the sight of their outfits. Ben was wearing a plain white shirt, a black tie, and wide black pants. Arjun was wearing a full white tuxedo, with a black bowtie around the collar. They did look amazing, since she hadn't seen them much in formal clothes. "Are the others here yet?"

"I think I saw Malia somewhere with her mum, but I haven't seen Beatrice or Bryce. Maybe they're running late."

"Great, thanks. I guess we'll have to wait for them. We need to keep an eye for look out, I think there's something wrong with the Melrose's." Mal stated, taking a look at Juliet, who was trying to force a smile while greeting her guests.

"Well, duh. Their son is missing."

"Yeah, but if their son is missing they wouldn't go around hosting parties and telling the police to stop looking for Dash..." Ben explained, his voice a matter-of-fact.

"Ben's right. Just... Keep an eye on them, or on Jake. Where is he, by the way?"

"I don't know. We haven't seen him either."

"Shouldn't he be here though-" Mal started, but was interrupted by her friends looking towards the door. She turned around to see Bryce, looking as handsome as ever. He and Ben had agreed to wear the same outfit, the only difference that Ben had a jacket lying around somewhere. Mal thought that that outfit, mixed with the LED lights made his face look brighter in the dim light. She felt her cheeks go red.

Ben and Arjun smirked to each other. "We'll go check out the restrooms. Be right back."

Mal took a look at them as they left, slightly baffled, the turned to stare at Bryce. He smiled widely at her, his heart beating fast while he approached her.

"You look... Stunning."

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself." she replied, avoiding his gaze shyly.

Bryce noticed a piece of stray hair dangling over her face, and reached cautiously to tuck it behind her ear. Mal took a breath, then coughed in embarrassment.

"Do you want to go somewhere? I saw this awesome garden at the back that we can relax in."

Mal nodded, smiling a little as she followed him towards the garden, after telling her mum where she was going. 

She thought that the idea of the gathering didn't seem so bad after all.

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