Insanity Bites |z.m| |h.s|

Chapter 62: The Ball (Part 1)

We were currently in Mikaela's gigantic bedroom doing the last minute touches to our outfits, hair and make up. 

It has been slightly more than a week since the whole Derek incident that put me in hospital. After my head was stitched and scans were done, it was ruled out that I had any intracranial damages and so I was discharged almost two days after when the doctors concluded my healing was going well.

The shock of Derek's death still lingered in my bloodstream and the sheer coincidence of it's timing had me constantly on edge. I was curious and unsettled. All I had wanted to do was sneak out of my room on one of those bed ridden nights prior to today just to have a look.

I wanted to see the message on his bedroom wall. I was sure that no matter how painful it must be to his parents, Derek's departing words must still be on his wall. From what Mel had told me the case was still in the process of documentation and that meant that his room was still sealed off.

Sneaking out would have been easier two weeks ago but ever since I had been attacked it seemed like I was under constant surveillance all the time. If my parents weren't keeping an eye on me, it was Harry or Mel, or both.

They often came to visit separately but ended up tolerating each other for my sake. It was mostly Harry who seemed bothered by her company, the stiffness in his posture a clear indication of how uncomfortable he was when she was around. Mel on the other hand had warmed up to him after only three days despite his cold demeanor. 

I couldn't blame him though. Mel's presence meant we could not speak openly about Zayn although she had asked me one day when we were alone if I was sure about writing his name down on her palm. She had assumed I was hallucinating but I promised her I would explain when the time was right.

I'd decided that I would tell her everything next week during our tutoring session. It felt wrong to keep her in the dark when she has been here by my side at every waking moment, and she was the only one present the night I had first met him.

That had to count for something right? Of course I would never tell Harry because I could just visualize the look of disapproval on his face if I did.

As I looked at the slightly low cut V-neckline that made my collar bone stand out I focused on the immediate issue at hand. 

Tonight was the only chance I had if I wanted to get a look at Derek's bedroom. Harry had been easy to convince. He was used to my spontaneous decisions that sometimes lacked common sense and he was sold the moment I mentioned his father, although he had initially tried to act indifferent about the whole thing. The excitement in his eyes made it clear how eager he was.

My parents on the other hand had been the real challenge. Despite my speedy recovery and the fact that their daughter had been invited to the most prestigious event in the whole state, they seemed unfazed and had wanted me to stay at home instead.

It took quite a bit of convincing and some bribery to finally get them to agree to me going. I had promised my mother I would mention her to the famous Venia Star, a host on the local master chef program and my father that I would put in a good word about him to the famous author Daniel Brown regarding his new unpublished, already much talked about book.

Of course I had no intention of doing either of these things. I wasn't very good at sucking up to people and I had my own mission tonight. But what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, right?

So here I was standing in front of a mirror that reached the ceiling in Mikaela's bedroom, a place that could rival the size of our school's basketball court. 

My dress fitting had been cancelled because of my predicament and instead I had been ordered to send Mikaela a detailed measurement sheet stating everything from the circumference of my neck to that of my ankles.