Superstitions

Chapter four

"And who was that," Hailey said with a raised eyebrow coming to a stop in the empty forte.
"I don't know," I said sincerely. I didn't stop to get his name, not even his first name. I didn't ask him any questions about himself or why he was here. "He was a stranger," I added. And he was exactly that; a nameless stranger who I'd seen half naked.
"Come on you must know his name," she said enthusiastically.
"I didn't think to ask," knitting my eyebrows together I realised who weird that was. Names are usually the first topic of conversations regarding two people who have never previously interacted.
"How the hell did you know think to ask. Grace, he was Gorgeous!" Hailey was rather interested in my love life seeing as it barely existed. When anyone came even remotely on the scene she got all giddy like a five-year-old on Christmas Eve. "Oh, Lord you didn't scare him off did you? What did you say? You didn't make any puns did you?" She said practically clenching her jaw at how cringy I was.
"No, there may have been some playful banter thrown," I said quietly playing with the ring on the ring finger of my left hand.
"We have to go find him," Hailey shouted. Her eyes glistened with excitement. She looked like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey.
"And how are we gonna do that? There are hundreds of people here!" I said trying not to get my hopes up. Truthfully, I ached to see the handsome stranger again. It was the closest thing I'd ever had to a fairytale meeting. I tried not to be a hopeless romantic because logic and reasoning deemed it bizarre but sometime I just couldn't help it from surfacing slightly.
"Oh, come on Grace you've got to at least try!" Hailey said with flamboyant hand gestures as she strutted across the room and into the nearest hall full of guests. I guess we were of to find the mysterious guy!
As I followed Hailey into the next hall of guests I realised I was looking more closely at people. Before I'd hardly seen anyone my age, well I thought I hadn't. But now I was realising there were tons of teens intertwined into conversations with adult. Although, it was quite tricky to tell considering I'd never meet half of the hundreds of guests here.
Around the hall I noticed little symbols dotted here and there on the walls; ones that I'd never noticed before. They were placed on each panel of wood lining the middle of the walls of the hall which we were scouring through. Directly in front of me there seamed to be a rose carved in the centre of the panel.
"Grace, why are you moving like a high snail?" Hailey asked turning around. My eyebrows were still knitted together trying to figure out how I'd never realised such an interact and beautiful design before. Usually I pride myself of being a keen observer but now I was starting to doubt it.
"Since when has that rose been there?" I asked to Hailey.
"What rose?" She replied looking at me with a 'you've gone bat crazy' kind of look.
"Straight ahead carved into the wood," I replied back, nodding at the wooden panel; it wasn't expectable to point.
"Grace, there is noting carved into the wood. It's blank," Hailey said taking my arm. "How much champagne have you had?"
"Ur..." I murmured. Maybe the air freshener fumes and vodka toxins had gone to my head.
I continued to be yanked through the whole house by Hailey before coming to a stop at the staircase where we started.
"We could always ask someone," she said with hope.
"What would I say? 'Have you seen this guy with green eyes and oh, and pecks that are plumper than my bum!" I replied.
"Good point," Hailey added. "What abo..." She began but got cut off by the radiating sound of my mothers voice.
"Grace, darling. I've been looking for you everywhere. The dances are about to start and I've found you a partner," she said strutting towards me from the doorway in front of us. I didn't realise it was 10 o'clock already. At every event there was from 10 to 11 we had to dance at least once. If you didn't dance you has to be standing by and watching. "Hailey, your mother is looking for you too,"
"I'll go and find her," Hailey said smiling and scurrying off.
"Who've you found me mom?" I asked. The whole ball was about the 'future of the company mingling' so I'm surprised mom hasn't already pre planned who I'd be spending the whole night with.
"His name is Jasper Collins," she said taking my arm. The name Jasper Collins seamed to ring a bell but I couldn't put the name to a face. "His parents are very well respected. His one year older than you and his defiantly interested," mom said raising her eyebrow. "Oh, and he's very cute," she added trying not to move her lips too much so people could see what she was talking about.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, if you would like to proceed to the main hall the dances will begin," a voice boomed through the house. The chatter which was previously lowkey filling the air became more prominent.
As I approached the centre of the hall I became more aware of myself. My footsteps, my face. My clothes. I was nervous. I'd never been set up before. Usually I had to dance with dad or his work friends who were like uncles to me, never had I had to dance with someone my age. I brushed off my teal dress and straightened my mask as we came to a halt.
"Mr and Mrs Collins, Jasper, this is my daughter Grace," mom said introducing me to a crowd of three people. Mr collins stood tall and proud in his place, he was a man in about his mid fourties. Mrs Collins look around the same age and wore an elegant lilac dress with matching mask. This son, Jasper, stood taller than his father. He was slimmer at the waste but didn't lack in muscle. His metal mask hid the top and bottom left of his face leaving only half of his pink lips and cheek exposed.
"Nice to meet you," I said as cheerfully as I could pulling a grand smile. All the blue eyes of the Collins were on me. I could feel the rhythm of my pulse in my neck. Don't let your hands get clammy. I urged myself.
"Would you care to dance?" Jasper asked stepping forward in his black Borges out stretching a hand.
"I'd love to," I replied taking his hand.
The exact centre of the hall was empty to create a ring for dancing in. As Jasper led me into the ring there was no other couples present.
"Master Collins and Miss King will now share the first dance. A waltz," a clam voice said over the speaker.
Familiar and nostalgic the music kicked in and we both snapped rigidly into position. I'd known how to ballroom dance since the age of 6. Dad had taught me before my first ever formal ball, I felt so elegant and princesse like.
One, two, three. One, two, three. I counted in my head as I looked into the eyes on yet another stranger. Only this time I knew his name. The more I looked at him the more familiar he looked.
"Do I know you?" I said quietly about ten seconds in.
"I'm in your brothers LeCross team," he replied leading me effortlessly through the dance. Leo did LeCross out of school as a hobby and I went to every game. His head hung loosely on his neck where his black tie hung. Neither of us needed to even think about what move we were doing next, it was a dance we could both do in our sleep.
"I thought you looked familiar," I replied. Couples were beginning to join us on the floor. A pair of teens who were wearing matching with a light pink dress and tie were the first to kickstart it.
"I know this is a bit hasty," he said in a wondering voice. "But would you like to go on a kind of date?"
Startled by his offer I replied "A kind of date?"
Spinning me twice before placing his hand back on the small of my back he then replied "Well, I was thinking about Leo's party tomorrow night and wondered if you wanted to go with me?" He said almost shyly.
"Yes, I'd love to," I answered. The truth is I'd never been on a date before. Not even one of the cheesy movie ones in ninth grade. I was planning on going to Leo's party anyway and this just killed two birds with one stone. There would be no awkward conversation, no pressure of an intimate first date and no corny restaurant music. It sounded like the best first date you could get! Who ever knew it was so easy to get a date?
***
The hours had passed and my eyes were getting heavy. Struggling to keep them open I sat on only chair in the entrance hall I could find. All the guests had started milling out about an half hour ago but with mom being one of the organisers we were expected to stay until the end. Just close them quickly and they won't feel as heavy. I said to myself yawning and closing my eyes.
"Grace. Grace," someone called. I didn't respond, I didn't have the energy and frankly I didn't know if I was imagining it. "Grace!" the voice called again. Nope I was not dreaming.
Opening my eyes, stood before be was a lady in a off white gown who I didn't recognise at all.
"Hello?" I said with a grumble rubbing my sleepy eyes. I could feel the crusty mascara crumble from my lashes on to my cheeks bellow.
"It's you it's time," she called in a rather spooky like tone. Her face and frame was small. Her lips bright red and her eyes intriguing. What did she mean it's time?
"No, the dances have been," I replied standing up from the chair.
"It's upon up," she responded looking me directly in the eyes. It was a type of gaze which hooked onto you. I couldn't pull my eyes away yet I felt slightly uncomfortable staring back.
"The evening is nearly over. Nothing else has been planned," I responded to her comment. She'd clearly had too much wine or what ever was being served. It was a common occurrence that people had had a tad too much to drink and babbled a load of nonsense.
"Do you want me to help you find anyone?" I asked.
Suddenly, she grasped both of my hands stepping closer to me. Her eyes went wide and her face pale. She spoke in a whisper "Tu sont choisi. Tu apprendre les manières. Le temps est proche. Être préparé fille du destin."
My mouth hung agape at the woman stood before me. She'd just said a load of God-knows-what at me and I hadn't understood a word of it. The only thing I knew is it was not English, it was French. I'd been taught French but never quite got the hang of it.
The woman began to breath heavily, her hands left mine and her eyes fell to look at them. Her small hands with red painted nails trembled. Without another word she ran out of the house and into the night.
She'd defiantly been on something.