Briar Preparatory Academy

Leave It All Behind

Kate POV

I walk into the activity center and my mouth drops open. There are students everywhere dressed in their best attire. Girls are wearing long dresses in every color imaginable and boys sport expensive tuxedos.

My arm is hooked with Luke's, who appears to be on cloud nine ever since I agreed to go to the Gala with him. I made sure he knew that it was just as friends, but regardless he was ecstatic. I pull the sides of my gold gown up, the glitter shimmering in the dim lighting of the gala. I plaster a smile on my face and straighten my shoulders, determined to make this night incredible.

We walk to one of the tables and Luke pulls out my chair for me. I sit down and smooth my dress in my seat, looking around the room at all the people. I smile when I see Celeste and Seth strolling into the room from the other entrance arm in arm. Celeste's eyes immediately light up when she sees the Gala set up and takes it all in. Seth only gazes at her, a tiny grin forming on his face. Ever since Seth told me that he loved my best friend, it's become more obvious. I don't know how I've never noticed the way he looks at her before.

The smile falls from my face when I see Preston and Ivy enter from the other side of the room. Ivy has on a short pink cocktail dress, and it is so tight I swear it's going to bust open. Preston has on a suit with a black tie that sets off his strong facial structure, making him look older. Despite the overall attractiveness of the couple, it looks as if neither of them want to be here. They came in without holding hands or anything, which is rare for them. They won't even look at each other.

I watch as Ivy stops him and says something to him with an angry look on her face, gesturing to his suit and then her dress, crossing her arms across her chest. Preston looks annoyed now, as if Ivy is just an annoying bug that refuses to stop pestering him.

In a way, she sort of is.

Preston looks around the large room and they pass right over me, and then return to me. I quickly look down at my hands, trying to make it look like I wasn't staring. The glitter on my dress has suddenly become very interesting to look at. I still feel him staring at me, and I want to run far far away. Ivy storms off the other direction. I watch out of the corner of my eye as he hesitates. He looks over in my direction and then goes after her.

"Kate? Kate are you okay?" Luke says. He's looking at me nervously, like a child that's headed off to his first day of school.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was... thinking about something." I tell him with a weak laugh.

"I'm not boring you, am I?" Luke says, genuinely worried.

"Oh no, no not at all. I've just had a lot on my mind recently." I tell him. It's a pretty lame excuse.

He gives a weak smile and an awkward silence passes between us. Seth and Celeste walk up to our table. I watch Seth and the way he can't take his eyes off her, his hand is constantly somewhere on her body; touching her hand or the small of her back. He pulls out her chair and pushes it in once she sits down. He takes the seat next to her and I smile. I wish I had someone that loyal and decided.

I notice the way they intertwine fingers and then hide their hands under the table, as if all this is brand new and foreign to them. I find my mind wandering to if that was me and Preston sitting there. I catch myself wanting so badly to be here with him, but remind myself that he has gone back to his little "safety net" girlfriend. And the argument we had yesterday just proved that we would never work out. But now I have to sit here and watch my two best friends in the whole entire world fall for each other.