She had been there for two peaceful minutes before everything spiraled out of control.
"Ana! How was school?" Emma asked her, as everyone else began crowding around her. She'd been away at school for a year, and it was honestly overwhelming for all of the people she had once wanted the attention of to be all around her at once.
"It was...interesting, to say the least," she replied, a small grimace making its way onto her features. Marissa made her way over then, hugging her best friend and causing a smile to break over her otherwise stony features.
"Marissa!"
"Ana! How are you?"
"Wonderful now that I'm back, honestly," she said, shifting her makeup kit to her other arm. It was currently 3:45 P.M. on a Friday, and she was slated to start stage makeup any minute now.
"Well, we're all glad you're back. Alex is here, so he'll be in the back. I'll be backstage with everyone so just come back as soon as you've said hello to everyone!" With that, Marissa gathered up all of the girls that were scattered around the room and ushered them backstage.
Nearly thirty seconds later, she was walking towards the back when he stepped out of the curtain. Two seconds after that she was running into him.
"Oh!" she cried, toppling backwards.
"Ana?" he asked, grabbing both her shoulders, steadying her. A smile spread across his boyish features, "Hi."
"Hi," she breathed, smiling back. She glanced around the room, only to find that no one was around.
"I've really missed you. You know, I could tell when you got here. Everything just seemed brighter," he said, hugging her and enveloping her in warmth. All too soon, he pulled away and she was cold again.
No one had even heard what he said. If she asked someone if it happened, most of them would tell her she'd imagined the entire thing, but when she walked backstage and saw Marissa grinning wickedly, she was all too aware that someone had seen it.
