Heartbroken

Chapter 24: Allegra

"Why do I have to wear this dress again?" I asked Mr. Chans, annoyed yet fascinated at the complexity of the clothing I was being forced to wear.

"This is a party, Allegra, and ladies need to look like ladies."

I rolled my eyes, but the action didn't show how I actually felt. I was very thankful for this opportunity, and I was so happy to be away from my aunt and uncle forever. The word itself was impossible to think about to its full capacity, and I almost felt like my brain was going to explode. But when I thought of a party, I saw party hats and chocolate cake. It seemed like my expectations were very different from Mr. Chans'.

I couldn't see what was happening, but I heard the constant murmur of conversation, occasionally hearing a loud laughter that diminished back to a rumble. I stood behind a large red curtain, fidgeting with my skirt that dipped to the ground. I felt like a princess, but if this is what it would really feel like, then it felt good. My dress was a pastel yellow with hints of white and silver embroidery everywhere that it could fit. The sweetheart neckline showcased my collarbone, but I wasn't used to the exposure. My arms were almost completely bare, too, and a slight wind blew across them, causing me to shiver.

Mercy stood off to the side, poking at the heavy curtains. She wore a slightly less - mature dress, the white skirt running to her knees. Small butterflies and flowers were embroidered onto the skirt and up the sleeves, and she couldn't stop smiling. Mr. Chans was outside, talking to the people, and the room hushed when he began to speak. My heart pounded in my chest.

"Hey," Milo walked up behind me, his hands in his pockets but his posture stiff. I had never really seen him in this attire, and what amazed me most was that I could see his neck. He wore a full black suit with a white button up shirt, and a dark red bow tie was wrapped around his neck. Everything was tailored to perfection, and it accented his best features. And because I had never seen his neck, I was annoyingly captivated by it.

"You look... really nice," he said, his mouth parted slightly, and I shifted to the side as I felt his eyes move across my body. But I didn't have the feeling that he could see into my soul. He was just there. I looked down and brushed a strand of hair out of my face, trying not to mess my wavy hair or my makeup.

"So do you," I met his eyes and the sound of Mr. Chans' voice faded. "Your dad wouldn't let you wear a scarf, huh?"

He shrugged. "I didn't want to."

"Really?"

"Well, part of it was my father, but the rest was me" He looked sheepishly to the side.

"What – "

Milo shushed me before I could continue, turning an ear to the curtain. I didn't know that my heart could beat faster, but I was wrong. My breaths became shallow, and I felt a hand slip into mine. Mercy was almost as tall as me now, and she held my eyes and whispered in a comforting voice without even speaking. I heard Mr. Chans speak our names, and a hand the small of my back pushed me outside of the curtain.

It was me against literally hundreds of people: a staring contest that I could never win. I froze, but the only thing that kept me going was Mercy's hand in mine. I focused on Mr. Chans, Mercy, anything to keep me away from the people at the bottom of the stairs. I morphed my face into a smile, and it seemed to fool everyone. Mr. Chans started to speak again, putting an arm around Mercy and I. When I felt safe enough to look, I stared across the ballroom, the faces of only adults. There were some teenagers in the mix, but the only one I really payed attention to was Ingot. She was elegantly dressed, of course, thin gold bracelets traveling up her bare arms, a beautiful dress that showed more than I would even attempt. She flashed an encouraging smile, and my mouth smiled, but my eyes screamed to get me out of my uncomfortable situation. Fortunately, Mr. Chans ended quickly and allowed the guests to enjoy the party. He walked Mercy and I down the staircase before leaving us to talk to other people: probably business partners. I tried to stand in the corner, but the mass of people trying to talk to me wouldn't let me escape until we were already an hour in.