My first order of getting ready, was to take a shower. I had already taken one this morning, but after spending so much time in the city I just felt dirty again. After I was clean and freshly shaven, I put on a robe (which I assumed was Ryan’s) and went to observe myself in the mirror. It would definitely be awhile before I would be ready to go to the dance.
Make-up was the easy part. I didn’t need foundation, so that left me with just eye-liner, eye-shadow and mascara. I put on the liner first, being careful to just use the right amount of black to outline my eyes. The eye-shadow I had chosen was a very dark green, which matched my dress quite well. Last came the mascara, which made my already long lashes appear even longer. When I had finished with all the make-up, I once again faced myself in the mirror. I looked much better than before. It was a good start.
It was my hair that proved tricky. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to wear it up or down, straight or curly. After much tampering with it, I finally found a style that looked good. When I glanced at the clock, I saw that it was only 6:30, which surprised me. Usually it took me a lot longer to get ready, but I still had a half an hour.
I abandoned the robe in favor of my dress, which looked even better on me than it did in the store. The flowing fabric fit all my curves just right, and overall made me look slimmer. Its long length hid my heels, but I was just grateful for the extra height they gave me. I always felt so short around the guys. After putting on my accessories, I started to walk out of the room, but paused when I heard the guys speaking.
“Good God, how long does it take a girl to get ready?” this voice belonged to Ryan, and I smiled a little bit. Boys were so impatient.
“Do you think one of us should go check on her?” That was Aaron.
“I can’t, Haven doesn’t really like it when I see her naked…” Ryan said. I heard Aaron start to ask, but he was interrupted by a smug Danny.
“I’ll go check on her, she is my date after all.” All I heard after that was a dull thud and I assumed someone had just been hit. Sure enough, Danny walked into the room holding his arm.
“Ryan hit you?”
“I’m surprised you even had to ask.” Danny said, smiling. “You look lovely, by the way.”
“Why thank you.” I said, smiling genuinely. I knew there was no romantic meaning hidden in his words, and it felt nice to get his compliment. He took me by the arm, and escorted me into the living room, where Aaron and Ryan were waiting. I took in Aaron’s reaction first. His eyes grew wide, and he looked stunned.
“You look beautiful.” he said, but then immediately looked like he regretted it. He looked almost embarrassed. That was strange for Aaron. I turned to Ryan after. He was surveying me up and down, his eyes lingering on my chest. I slapped him, hard on the arm.
“Ouch! What was that for?” he whined. I could never pass up an opportunity to hit Ryan.
“For being a pervert. And for hitting Danny earlier. It’s called karma, Ryan.” I grinned and he just turned away from me, mumbling something that sounded like ‘whatever’. The dance would be held in the dining hall of the school. Since it was not a big dance, like prom, the school couldn’t afford to rent some place off campus.
When we walked into the huge hall, I almost stopped. I barely recognized the room. The doors that led to the outside patio were open, and the railings around it were adorned with orange Christmas lights. The tables had been cleared, probably hidden away in some storage room. In their place stood a huge Dancefloor. Music played from somewhere in the room, but I couldn’t find its source.
The thing that caught my attention most however, was the lighting. There was no natural lights, candles filled the room, giving the whole place an eerie feeling. It was definitely beautiful.
“Come on, let’s dance.” Danny said, grabbing my arm and dragging me on to the dance floor. I laughed and started to follow him, but not before I heard Ryan utter something that sounded suspiciously like ‘I’m going to go spike the punch.’ I couldn’t even roll my eyes before Danny had swept me into his arms. For once I was grateful for the dance classes I had been forced to take since I was a little kid. As Danny spun me around, I caught a glimpse of another couple near us. Aaron was dancing with a blonde girl, who I recognized from my art class. I felt a stab of jealousy. I know I had no reason to be jealous, Aaron wasn’t mine by any means, but it just didn’t feel right to see him with another girl. Part of me thought I was the one he should be dancing with.
“I think he likes you too, you know.” Danny’s voice snapped me back to reality, and I looked up at him.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, pretending I didn’t know.
“Don’t play dumb with me Haven. I can see the way you look at Aaron.”
“I do not like Aaron.” I couldn’t tell whether I was trying to convince Danny or myself.
“Mmm. Whatever you say. But I haven’t seen Aaron act the way he does around you before. He never usually gives girls a second thought.” I pondered this information. Was it possible that Aaron really did like me? Was it possible for me to like him back? I definitely knew the answer to that question.
The song ended, and before the other one could start, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“May I cut in?” a voice asked, and I felt my heart flutter. I turned around to see Aaron, in all of his glory, standing there.
“Of course.” Danny said, winking at me and walking away. Aaron took me into his arms, and it took everything I had not to melt into a puddle. I had never felt this way around Aaron before.
“You really do look lovely,” he told me, before dipping me. I smiled in response, not trusting myself to speak. After we finished the dance, we danced another, and then another. I felt so free when I danced with Aaron, I felt like I could do it forever.
But naturally, my bliss couldn’t last. Chills ran up my spine, and I knew this feeling all too well. It was here.
“Aaron.”
“Mmm?” he asked, looking into my eyes. I almost forgot that there was a problem. More chills raked my body, and I was reminded of what I needed to do.
“Aaron, we are not alone.” The urgency in my voice must have gotten through to him, because his eyes immediately became alert.
“Are you sure?” he asked, but I think he already knew my answer. As soon as I nodded, he sprang into action, pulling me towards where Danny was standing.
“Where is Ryan?” Aaron asked, voice low and serious. Danny picked up right away that there was something wrong.
“I haven’t seen him in a while.” Aaron paused to think about what Danny said, but then nodded to himself.
“That’s okay. He can take care of himself. Right now we need to get Haven back to the dorm, and we need to keep her safe.” Aaron dragged me out of the room, and Danny stayed close behind me, forming a kind of shield. We had just made it to the top of the stairs before the screaming started.
