When writers fall in love

Gowns, Girls, Guys and Goosebumps

"You know, when I think about it, I don't even need to go to that ball that much," said Lucy as Thalia was arranging her hair into the Gibbson girl style.

"What are you talking about right now?" Thalia said in surprise and pulled a little too much on the brunette's hair.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"I am going to hurt you more if you say that one more time! Why wouldn't we go?"

"Well... After what we did today?! It is going to be awkward to be in the same room as them."

"Oh, and just you wait till Will asks you to dance with him. THAT will be awkward," Thalia giggled.

"That's it! I am not going!" said Lucy, but inside she hoped a little to get a chance to dance with him.

"Oh please! It is going to be fun. We will be there together. And what is more, I am sure there will be so many young men wanting to dance with us, that you will not even have place in your dance card to write Will there."

"Yeah, you are probably right."

"Probably? Do you want to dance with him?"

"No! Of course not! I refuse to be one of his ball flirts."

"Good. And I don't wish to dance with Curtis either."

"Good."

"Now look at you! That hairstyle suits you so much!" said Thalia as she put the last pin into her friend's hair.

"Why thank you, milady. I must say I really like it too" Lucy stood up from the chair looking at her hair from all sides in the mirror, "now, milady, may I have this dance?"she made a little bow and reached out her hand to her friend.

"Why of course you may, I thought you would never ask!" Thalia accepted her hand and the two of them started waltzing while Lucy hummed a very unrecognizable melody.

"What are you even humming?!" Thalia laughed as she was spinning in her wine-red dress with little black lace around the shoulders and around the hem of the skirt. At the back of the dress there was a big black bow as well. She looked like a French mademoiselle taken away from Versailles and brought to Roseville. The color perfectly contrasted her fair skin and blonde hair.

"It's The Blue Danube Waltz by Strauss, duh!?"

"That's not Blue Danube! That's some kind of a French marching song!" Thalia said sarcastically.

"Well, then to the battlefield we shall march. Shall we?"

***

As they walked into the town hall ballroom, it was already full with people from around the town and the surrounding area. In the corner by the punch bowl there stood Mrs. Finnegan and her husband talking to Mrs. Weston, Thalia's mother, who was serving the punch. By the balcony few people Lucy didn't know conversed with her parents and only very few people were dancing yet.

And then Lucy noticed Mr. Greenwich and his friend standing by the fireplace, drinking punch and already talking to two beautiful young ladies.

When Lucy noticed how rich and beautiful their gowns looked, she regretted wearing her plain flowered dress. But it was her favorite. It was a simple white dress with long sleeves with lace around forearms and the whole dressed was patterned with small blue flowers.

Why would she even care though? As long as she felt good wearing them, it was all that mattered.

Just as her and Thalia started walking down the stairs, William looked their way. He couldn't help but smile upon how gracious Lucy looked as she carried herself in that gown that looked like it was made for her. The atrocious huge dresses that the women in front of him wore looked suddenly cheap and fake. And he had to admit, Thalia looked rather stunning as well.