Finale Breath

Ambassador's Ball

“I heard the ambassador from Number Six won’t be arriving until tonight.” The pink haired girl said. She hugged her clasped hands to her chest. “I hope it’s the cute one.” She said. I forced myself to look around the hall we were walking down instead of rolling my eyes.
“Which one do you think is the cute one?” The ambassador’s daughter from Number three asked. She was the one I was the body guard for.
The other girl huffed indigently. “Well it’s not that freak with the white hair and scar!” She sounded exasperated. Yet this got my attention. White hair and scar. No, it couldn’t be. Not now. I was slowly starting to forget him. I even had a date this weekend with someone else. Someone I meet as Eve. No please let it be the hot one instead.
“You don’t think Shion is cute?” the other girl blushed. Shion. The name was like a bullet into my chest. I felt my heart racing.  Pink hair grabbed the other girls’ arm.
“Wait you think he is?” The other girl blushed nodding her head slowly.
“I mean he is so nice and sweet. When I went to Number Six with dad last month, he was so helpful. He took us to his mother’s bakery and showed us around the city. He took a whole day out of his busy schedule just to show us everything.” She smiled her dark eyes far away. That sounded like my Shion.
“Well, well this is a turn of events. I have only seen his picture. That white hair makes him seem old.”
“I know, but he isn’t. He’s not much older than us.”
“I heard he had a kid though?”
Shion has a child? The knife in my heart twisted. I felt slow bleed starting. Had he moved on? He trully did choose that wretched town over me!  My heart stuttered. I felt it dying in my chest. A hole opened up; one I knew would never close.
“Well, it’s not his kid.” The ambassador’s daughter was saying. “During the fight to gain independence for the city, Shion saved the boy. When everything settled down, he couldn’t find the parents. It was believed that they died in the war.” She looked sad over at pink hair. “The baby had no one. Shion took it in and raised it even though he was only sixteen.” Pink hair clasped her hands to her mouth.
“Oh, how sweet. No one else wanted it?”  we had reached the parking garage. I held my arm out to stop them as the three other men with me moved into the open underground lot. They spread out to look behind the pillars, around corners or any hiding places assassin’s might be. The girls had quieted down to watch.
When the first one reached the car, the driver opened the back. The first security guard looked around inside. The next looked under and around the car. When this was done they motioned for me to walk the girls to the car. They started talking as we moved forward.
“Well, I guess Shion’s mom would have, but she had gotten hurt rushing to meet him. She had to recover from the injury. Shion took care of her and the baby all by himself.”
“Oh no, plus he had all that responsibility to remaking the government. No wonder they call his story a tragedy.” Pink hair said as the ambassador’s daughter nodded sadly.
“See Renee he isn’t a freak.” The girl told pink hair.
“No, I guess not. Poor Shion. Now I really do hope that it is him we are going to see tonight.” Tonight, was the ambassador’s ball. Number three was going to host two ambassadors’, and their spouses, from each city and introduce them to the highest officials of this city. Would I see Shion tonight? It had been so long. So long since we lived in that underground place. So long since I had felt real feelings. Oh Shion, please do not show up.
It was my job to watch over the daughter, Pella, and her friend for the night. I would be their constant companion. First, we took them to get their hair and makeup done for the ball. Pink hair, Renee, was looking over various styles hanging on the wall. She twirled a strand of her hair in her fingers.
“Would it be weird if I died my hair white?” She asked Pella. The dark eyes turned to her.
“Oh, I was thinking about doing that!” She cried. Renee turned to look at her.
“I wonder what Shion’s favorite color is?” Renee thought out loud as she looked over the colors presented to her. She trailed a red nail along the pallet. What was his favorite color? There had been so little I had learned from him. No wonder he had chosen the city over me. I was nothing. I told him nothing. I practically forced him back into the city’s arms.
“Blue.” I whispered as I stood next to Pella. She blinked her long lashes at me.
“You think so?” she asked watching me with that slight blush to her face. Renee grabbed my arm.
“Oh, that’s right, you’re from number six.” She squealed. “Do you, um well did you know Shion?” she gushed. I tsked trying to get away from them.
“No, I never knew him.” In part it was true. I never let myself get to know the real Shion. He asked so many questions. He wanted to know everything. How could someone be so nosy?
“Blue.” Pella whispered as she fingered a thread of blue/ white dye. She looked up at the hair dresser. “Can you make my hair this color?’ she asked.
“Of course.” Hours later they both had their hair redone. Renee had decided to go with an ivory white color. She had it piled up on top of her head like a bee hive. I smirked, until I remembered how Shion obsessed over those stupid bees! The smirk left. She may be on the tract to steal the boy’s heart. Apparently, it was up for grabs tonight.
Pella’s hair was a bright blue on top of her head. It shimmered down her back fading to white at the tips. She had chosen to leave it long. She had gotten it curled with the sides pulled back in little hair combs. Her silver makeup brought out the darkness of her eyes. From a theater perspective she looked stunning. Could Shion like this?  I shook myself as one of the other men opened the door to lead the girls out to the car. I couldn’t think about Shion. Hell, I wasn’t even sure he would be the one coming tonight.
After the hair and makeup was done, we went to the dress shop. Here the girls picked out long flowing evening gowns for the party. Us body guards had to be put in gray or black tuxes. We left two guards on the girls, while the other two got fitted and dressed. I was to be one of the first.
“No wait, I want him to remain with us while we pick out our gowns.” Pella stated as the man who ran the shop tried to steer me to the men’s section. “Stan, you go.” She ordered. When Stan and Ryan left Pella turned to me.
“Sorry, I forgot your name.” she waited. It wasn’t a question. Glaring daggers out the window I muttered my name.
“What was that?” she leaned in closer. Her perfume swirled around me. It was so strong I coughed a little.
“My name is Rat!” I cried out at her stepping back.
“Rat?” she exchanged doubtful looks with her friend. “But you are from number six right?” she asked.
“I am from West block, the town outside the walls of number six.” I growled. She beamed at me.
“Great, now then, what fashions would someone from Number six like on a girl.” I snorted. Shion, she wanted to know what Shion would like on a girl. Shion, when I knew him, had no clue what girls liked. Or what to do with one other than be a friend. He had never even kissed one until a hooker stole a kiss in the alley in west block. I smirked.
“Honestly if you are trying to impress Shion, you could where a garbage sack and he wouldn’t know it. He has no sense of fashion.” I informed them. They exchanged a look.
“I thought you said you didn’t know him?” Pella pounced. I shrugged.
“How well can one person know another?’ I asked. As my persona of Eve, I did have a decent fashionable eye. I helped them find something that would turn their normal unflattering style to eye catching. As they were getting fitted, I was pulled back for my own fitting.
Due to my dark coloring it was decided I would wear a light grey suit. I had a choice of blue, purple or white shirt. I ran a thin fingered hand over the purple one. It was the same shade as a Shion flower.
“Nice choice. This will set off your tone well.” The worker gushed. It would I knew. I slipped my arms into the silky fabric. Shion. My mind drifted back to those few short months I spent with the boy. It was so long ago. Yet how could one forget that face, those eager to please eyes, the soft lips that were inexperienced. How could one forget a boy like Shion? I didn’t know. From the time I was twelve and he had saved my life, Shion had become a strong force in my life. “Why hadn’t he come after me then?” I asked my reflection. Every step I took after kissing him goodbye I felt my heart begging him to run up and hold on to me. My stiff back was ready for him to just jump on me from behind. But he hadn’t. Shion never came for me. Oh Shion, what am I to do if I see you tonight? I thought.
Turning away from the mirror I saw that the girls were ready. They had just placed their shawls over their shoulders. Pella had chosen a blue dress with silver trim. Her wrap was silver as well. Renee was wearing a light pink dress with rose colored trim. The wrap she had chosen was white. It washed out her already pale coloring to have both the white shawl and white hair. Moving forward, I pulled a purple shawl from a tree stand.
“That does nothing for you.” Snapping the shawl away from her I placed the purple one around her shoulders. The darker color gave a shine to her eyes. “Perfection.” I gave her a small smile. She giggled.
“Thank you, kind sir.” With that we went back into the car. We drove the length of the city. There in the distance I could see the town ball room where the party was to be. Its beacon was lite up over the city. Was Shion there? I thought. My heart wouldn’t settle to its regular rhythm. It sped up and danced in my chest the closer we got to the spire in the sky.
We pulled up into a long line of sleek black cars. The line moved slowly up to the town ballroom. Each car entering the circle before the silver steps that lead into the building. One long car at a time and my heart was hammering.
“Oh, please let it be Shion!” Renee gushed as we drew ever closer. We didn’t see any of the ambassador’s arriving. These were guests invited from the city. When Pella asked the driver about this, she was informed that all the ambassadors were already inside. Shion are you this close to me now after all this time? My brain screamed at my heart.
I walked beside Pella as she made her regal way up the steps. The doors were opened by two red clad doormen. The room inside was lit with tiny blue and white lights along the sides. Pale tear drops hung from the ceiling offering more light. It was majestic indeed.  There were fake plants scattered along the edge of the room. A long blue carpet lead into the man ballroom. I fell back to walk slightly behind the girls.
“No, Rat, I want you at my side.” Pella pulled me forward once more. She tucked her silver gloved hand into my elbow. Her smile beamed up at me, but I didn’t see. I couldn’t breathe. I barely knew where I was for, I had seen the Number six ambassadors.
The ambassadors stood just inside the main ballroom doors. They were lined up on each side of the doors. To my left were the ones from Number one, two and four. To my right where five and six. There standing just out of line as he looked to the woman beside him, his white hair falling over one eye, was Shion. I couldn’t take my eyes from those thin lips curved in a glorious smile.
The man in front of us introduced the girls to the ambassadors to our right first. They didn’t say my name, only that I was Pella’s escort. We moved forward. Shion turned away from the woman he had been addressing. His eyes met the girl at my side, then slid over her, to me.
His mouth formed a shocked ‘o’. The wine glass in his hand fell from his thin fingers. Deftly I moved forward to catch it before it shattered on the tiled floor. All the time never letting my eyes fall from those red orbs that haunted my dreams.
“Still as graceful as ever aren’t we, Shion?” I nearly purred. I had no clue where the calm came from. My heart was tattooing a beat inside my chest, mouth dry, I couldn’t be less calm.
“Rat?” he breathed the name as if it was the very air he had been gasping for.
“You do know each other.” Pella spoke from my side. “Rat tried telling us he didn’t know you at all.” She moved forward to take Shion’s hand. Shion’s eyes blinked. He looked up at her. Then they came back to me. Please don’t look away again. I begged. But he did.
His cheeks were flushed. This brought out the scar that I knew circled his entire body as he met her gaze.
“We never knew each other all that well.” He said. I felt my heart stop. He had once told me he couldn’t let me go, but now. I looked at him. The Shion I had known couldn’t lie. He was too innocent, too trusting and sweet. Who was this guy?
“That is what I told her.” My voice came out hallow. I didn’t know why I was even talking. The man before us introduced Renee and Pella to Shion and the female ambassador from number six. Then we were pulled out into the main room. I looked back once to see Shion watching me as I moved onto the dance floor. I spun Pella into my arms. Shion’s mouth became a thin line, a second before he determinedly turned away from me. There were still many more guests that the ambassadors had to greet.