The Only-Live-Once Society | Book 2

Chapter Sixteen

Stood in the foyer outside the main hall, I'm struck by how different my peers look. None of the boys have arrived yet, but I'm sure they'll be very excited when they catch sight of the many shapes and sizes of girls in beautiful dresses.

"Those with escorts please stand by this wall!" Madame D'aureville shouts in French.

"Escorts?" I hiss at Grace.

She gives me a levelled look, "Surely Elijah asked you to go with him?"

"No!" My voice is high and panicked. "I didn't know we had to go with someone. Who are you going with?"

"Well..." She's silent for a second. "Vince. We assumed you were going with Elijah and Will wanted to ask Liza, she said yes so I said to Vince I would go with him. I'm sure Elijah will know you're going together."

"I don't even know if Elijah is coming."

"He has to go. It's a test. Probably the ultimate test where we have to put everything we know into practical terms."

"If you don't have a escort please join the back of the line!"

I give Grace a horrified look. Am I to go to the back of the line even though I'm one of the few girls in the school who has a boyfriend? And what will the rumour mill churn out if I'm to do that?

"Just stand behind me," Grace says. "Try not to look so panicked, he will be here."

"I really hope you're right."

She grins at me, "I'm always right."

Then we hear footsteps coming down the hallway and leading onto the stairs. A nervous silence sweeps over us. I hold my breath as the boys slowly start to arrive.

Vince, cocky as ever, leads them. He has a small smile on his face as he swaggers down the stairs, slowly making his way along the line of girls, charming and smchoozing them all.

My heart pounds, though I'm not entirely sure why. Is it because I'm nervous, or because the boys look extra nice in their suits, or because I'm unsure if Elijah is going to appear? Maybe it's all three. Vince stops when he reaches us.

"Well," he takes us both in. "Don't you two scrub up well?"

Grace laughs, "that's all you have to say?"

It's not exactly a compliment, given the sheer effort that went into tonight, but I'll take it, so I add on, "You don't look to bad yourself."

His suit is all black with a white shirt, more like Ethan Hunt than a waiter, though the clothes are similar to both. His dark hair is styled for once and his shoulders seem broade, his confidence seems sexier.

We both look at each other.

"You're nervous."

He says it like a statement more then fact, I hate when he does this, it's like he can get inside my mind. He gives me a longer, more shrewd look.

Then he leans down so only I can hear. "He'll be here."

I relax. My shoulders drop, my jaw unclenches, my hands go slack, all the tension I didn't realise I was holding evaporates. My entire body saying 'phew' for me.

Vince gives me a nod, satisfied with himself, then he turns and offers his arm to Grace. She graciously accepts. Vince looks down at her and it dawns on me how tall he is. Grace is no short girl, she's six-foot and Vince is towering over her.

"You sure there isn't a girl you'd like to ask?" He softly asks her.

"Absolutely not." Grace says, almost with a sneer.

It has never even occurred to me the lack of options Grace might have. Suddenly, I'm glad she's going with Vince, at least I know he'll respect her. I really like how close they've become. If I had to pick my own team in the field, they would be on it.

I see boys shyly smiling at the girls, asking for their hand. Tessa accepts the hand of Lance Marin, Lily takes the arm of George Wilde. Everyone is pairing up, everyone seems to have someone.

Then I hear a voice, low and strong beside me.

"Wow," Elijah says, my eyes snap to him.

He looks so beautiful my heart almost stops. His blue shirt bringing out his eyes, his hair perfectly styled, his clothes hugging his muscles. He's a movie star. He's breathtakingly swoon-worthy, he's not of the mortal plane.

We gawk at each other. He's paused mid-step, a few feet away. It's like something from a film, where the boy can't peel his eyes off the girl he likes, absolutely smited by how beautiful he finds his partner.

"You look..." He falters, he looks to the shoes I can't walk in, and let's his eyes trail up to my face. I can see all the lust and love he has for me in his beautiful face.

"Pretty?" I offer.

He shakes his head, his eyes wide and pupils dilated. "Incredible. Insane. Extremely hot."

I laugh and blush. Then at the same time we rush at each other and kiss. It's slow, deep and practically perfect... well, it would be, if I couldn't feel a hundred pairs of eyes on us.

"Pull yourselves together!" Someone shouts.

Laughing, we break apart and take our place back in line, hands clasped together, grinning like maniacs.

We enter the hall and never has anything looked so fancy. Grace cranes her neck towards me and mouths "Harry Potter." I laugh, because that's exactly what this is like.

Fairy lights hang from the ceiling, making it look like it's lit up by little stars. Round tables covered in silk white cloth take up half the room, with fancy white dining chairs surrounding them, sat in the middle are large bouquets of white orchids and tulips.

There is a small orchestra playing modern songs that don't sound modern at all, but I distinctly hear the beat of 'Thank You, Next.'

This is every girls pinterest board for their dream wedding. It doesn't look like it's part of the school, it looks like something from a fairytale. The night suddenly feels like it has so much potential to be the most magical night of my life.

That's until I see Stan Jones walking in. On his arm is a lady I've never seen before, beautiful, blonde, someone who matches him perfectly. Seeing him serves as a horrible reminder that tonight is, in fact, a test.

"Good evening all. I must say, you all look lovely dressed up like this. But I'm afraid to
tell you that there is a bit of a surprise tonight."

The whole room stares at him and the unknown woman. Vince gives me a sideways glance which I ignore, this must be the part where Vince's old schoolmates are going to show up. I grip Elijah's hand, there's so much I wish I could tell him.

"I'd like you to give a warm welcome to the students of Queen Elizabeth School."

A bunch of kids stride in, just as dressed up as we are, just as pretty and glamorous as us. Equally as trained as us. We watch in silence and they file in, couple-by-couple and stand opposite us.

Stan continues. "Their school is much like ours, the students much like yours and in the future you might find yourself have to work with them. Tonight is about putting differences aside and working together to reach your end goal."

Lily's hand shoots out, "Which goal is that?"

Stan grins, "To find out who the traitor is."