Beneath the bet

Chapter 5 - Charlotte

Daniel stood in the doorway of my room, his mouth hanging open. I had just finished telling him about Noah's apology and the fact that he had asked me to the charity ball. His expression was frozen in shock, like he was trying to process the whole thing but couldn't quite believe it.

"Wait, Noah Perez asked you to the ball?" He blinked rapidly, running a hand through his messy hair. "Like, the Noah who's been treating you like dirt for years?"

I nodded, unsure how to feel myself. "Yeah... I know it sounds crazy, but he apologized. Said he missed the way things used to be. I don't know, Daniel. Maybe he's changed?"

Daniel stood there for a second, digesting everything. Then, to my surprise, he smiled, but it was a smile full of confusion. He crossed his arms, shaking his head in disbelief. "Okay, so the guy who's made your life hell suddenly wants to play the nice guy? And you're... actually thinking about going?"

"I don't know, it feels weird. But he seemed sincere, and maybe this is my chance to, I don't know, have some closure?" I sighed, sitting on the edge of my bed. "But it's the ball in two days. I haven't even thought about what I'm going to wear. I don't want to be that girl who shows up looking like a mess."

Daniel gave me a mischievous grin, his eyes lighting up. "Charlotte, if you're going to do this, you're not just going to show up. You're going to wow everyone. Especially Noah."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

He leaned in, his grin widening. "It's time for a full transformation, Char. We're going to change the way you look, and when you walk into that ball, no one will recognize you. Trust me."

Two days later, the night of the ball arrived. The house was buzzing with nervous energy as Daniel and my aunt worked to get me ready. I sat in front of the mirror, barely recognizing the girl staring back at me. My usually plain brown hair was styled in loose waves, cascading down my shoulders. My makeup was flawless, accentuating my features in a way that made me feel like someone else entirely. And then there was the dress.

I had never worn anything like it before. A black, tight-fitting dress that hugged every curve and made me feel, for the first time in a long while, confident. Daniel had insisted on it. "Trust me, this will make jaws drop," he'd said.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I couldn't help but smile. Maybe it wasn't just about Noah anymore. Maybe this was my chance to feel like someone new, even if just for a night.

Daniel, standing behind me with his arms crossed, grinned. "You look absolutely stunning, Charlotte. If Noah doesn't drop dead when he sees you, I will."

I laughed nervously, still not quite sure how I felt about the whole situation. "I don't know, Daniel. It's just a school dance."

"No, it's not just a school dance," he said, stepping in front of me and placing his hands on my shoulders. "This is your night. It's about you taking back control of how people see you. You've spent years blending in, trying to disappear. Tonight, you're going to stand out."

My aunt, who had been watching from the doorway, nodded in agreement, though I noticed a shadow of concern in her eyes. She was still wary of Noah, and I couldn't blame her. The doorbell rang, and we all froze.

Daniel smirked. "Looks like your date is here."

I stood up, my heart pounding in my chest. "Okay. No big deal, right? It's just a dance." I was trying to convince myself as much as Daniel.

We walked out of my room and made our way toward the stairs. From the top, I could see Noah standing in the foyer, talking quietly to my aunt. He was dressed in a sharp, dark suit that made him look older, more mature. He glanced up as I started descending the stairs, and the moment his eyes locked on me, something shifted in the air.

The room fell into a heavy silence. Noah's eyes widened slightly, and he stood a little straighter, his gaze never leaving me. My aunt was beside him, her arms crossed, giving him a look that said, I'm watching you. But for the first time in a long time, I didn't care about the tension in the room. I felt... good. Confidence.

Daniel stood at the bottom of the stairs, grinning like he'd just pulled off the best prank of the century. "Told you she'd look amazing," he muttered to Noah, loud enough for me to hear.

Noah didn't say anything for a moment. His eyes traveled from my face down to the dress and back again, as if he couldn't believe it was really me. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Wow, Charlotte, you... you look incredible."

I blushed, trying to hide my nerves behind a smile. "Thanks. You clean up pretty well yourself."

The awkward silence settled over us again, the only sound the clicking of my heels as I reached the bottom of the stairs. My aunt stood back, her arms still crossed, clearly not thrilled about the whole thing, but she didn't say anything. She just gave Noah a hard, assessing look that said, Don't you dare hurt her again.

For a second, I felt the weight of her concerns, the years of pain Noah had caused, all hanging in the air between us. But then Noah held out his hand, offering it to me. "Ready to go?"

I glanced at my aunt one last time. She gave me a small, reluctant nod, and I knew she was trusting me to make my own decision. So, I took a deep breath, and slipped my hand into Noah's.

"Yeah," I said softly, a little smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "Let's go."

As we walked out of the house, Noah was quiet for a few moments before he finally broke the silence. "You really do look beautiful tonight, Charlotte."

I glanced up at him, my nerves settling a little. There was something different about him, something softer, more sincere than I'd ever seen before. Maybe... just maybe, he really had changed.

"Thanks," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. And as we headed toward the car, I couldn't help but feel a small flicker of hope. Maybe this night would be different. Maybe things between us could be different.