Murdering Midnight (Previously: Meet Me At Midnight) (Fairy Twisted Tale I)

chapter four - The Masquerade Ball

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"Masks reveal. They don't conceal. Masks reveal your cravings, your passion, your deepest most secret desires."

- Chloe Thurlow

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My school had organized a party and we weren't going to cancel it just because someone went around to murder people. We had worked too hard to prepare our masks to match our outfits. I'd normally go with Aidan, but since... the incident... I would go alone without a date. Not that it would matter. No one was going to recognize me anyways with my hair tucked under a blonde wig and my face hidden behind a blue mask -the same blue as my dress-.

My dad told me was going to drop me off and pick me up again so he wouldn't have to worry about me being murdered tonight. I had to leave at twelve since I wasn't going to be able to drive with those high heels on.

It was one of those rare occasions I wore them. This was the second time this week, the first time being that I was at my boyfriend's funeral. The sky was filled with clouds that day, all threatening to empty their contents. Just like tears would if it'd become too much. That day it did become too much. I cried. Broke down, actually. This was one of the few moments I had allowed myself to think of Aidan. To allow myself to feel all the emotions I had pushed back in order to move on with my life like everyone expected me to do.

Truth was that I wasn't ready to move on yet.

But here I was. Waiting for my dad to put his shoes on to drive me to the ball.

"Come on, Scarlet," he said as he held out his arm for me, "We don't want the princess to get late on the masquerade ball, do we?"

I cracked a smile as we drove off.

* * * * * *

I really liked it here. The venue was beautiful. The theme was princes and princesses.

It was at a four-star hotel and we had booked an entire floor so the amount of people that were coming would fit in here. I took a deep breath before I entered the room. I was greeted with dozens -maybe even a hundred- of dancing people.

"Want to dance, Cinderella?" a guy asked.

I looked up to see who was asking, but I could only make out his sharp jawline. He was wearing a black fedora, covering his hair, and a white mask that was clean and slick. His mask matched with his white suit. The only colour was his red tie.

"Uhm, I guess so?"

He chuckled.

We were dancing almost all evening and to say I almost forgot about Aidan was a fact. But I didn't forget.

"I am Paxton," the mystery guy said.

Before I could answer, my phone started ringing, "Yeah?"

"Where are you?" my father asked, "It's quarter past twelve, Scarlet."

"I'm coming, dad," I said and then hung up.

"That was my ride calling me. Thanks for the night," I took up my dress so I could walk faster.

"I never got your name!" he said.

I smiled but I ran outside to be met by a worried dad.