Chasing Starlight

Chapter 13 - Ties

  Sakura peered nervously around the hall, dancing couples swirling past her. She wore an elegant black dress with a slight swoop neck, and her thick obsidian hair twirled into a simple and classy updo, with just a black lace mask she kept adjusting. She had a silver, sparkling shawl that she nervously pulled around herself, with a matching clutch of emergency make up.  She and Tahlia had come together..sort of. They came in a group limo, each of them with their own dates.

  Tahlia had gone with the basketball team captain, Avery Mendez, that has spent the last year asking her out, which always made Sakura a little jealous. Tahlia always talked about how annoying he was, but they had grown up together so it wasn't unusual for her to decide to go with him in this kind of situation. He was tall, handsome and extremely charismatic, top it off with an ability to appear publicly with Tahlia and make a striking couple, he was everything Sakura was not.

Sakura went with her friend Jerome Skiles, he was classically handsome, an avid scholar and well liked among his freshman class. He also was one of the few who knew about Sakura and Tahlias' relationship, and was Sakura's close confidante. He had wheeled off to the desserts table, to grab them a snack, and Sakura waited by the wall, impatiently searching the crowd for Tahlia.

  Tahlia had been surrounded by a mob of couples when they arrived, squealing over her emerald green dress with the waist cutout that showed off her tight, athletic body, and made her look even more like a super model. Her mask matched perfectly, a small flair of peacock feathers brushing up out of it. She was quickly swept away and Jerome, noticing Sakura's dismay, grabbed her hand and guided her to a quieter spot to talk. Chatting with Jerome always cheered her up, he was surprisingly funny for someone who usually could be found with his nose in a book, and always treated her with warmth.

  He pulled up next her, two plates piled high with treats on his lap and calling over his shoulder greetings to the various people that beckoned him over.

"Oh thank God," Sakura groaned, reaching for a plate, she had a habit of stress eating and already felt ready to devour the entire plate.

  "Careful Saki, you'll eat your own hand with it if you don't take it easy." Jerome chucked, popping a macaroon in his mouth and leaning back into his chair.
 
"I'm...mmph.. sure..mm.. Tohla.. shuw..up..soon" he mumbled around his food, looking up at her with a bemused smile.

Sakura's heart felt heavy despite the reassurance. She knew this was how the night would go, but it still stung a bit that Tahlia had barely spoken to her the whole night. She felt her eyes heat up, and not wanting to seem upset with him, excused herself from Jerome to go to the bathroom. Jerome nodded, a slight look of concern casting over his face, but he refrained from saying anything, knowing Sakura wasn't likely to want to talk when she was like this. A few freshman girls walked up from his class, leaning over him and perching on the edge of his chair, quickly pulling his attention away from the retreating Sakura.

Sakura washed her hands in the bathroom, she went to one that's as out of the way so it appeared empty when she walked in. She sighed at her image in the mirror, slapping her cheeks.

"This is no time to get jealous, dummy." She scolded herself, watching her own unhappy reflection. Suddenly a toilet flushed, startling her, she hadn't noticed anyone else in here with her. She straighted up, pretending to fix her hair as she hoped the person would simply wash their hands and leave, so she could sulk a bit longer.

"Sakura?" Miss Hawes gentle voice timidly asked.

  Sakura turned, surprised, to see Miss Hawes peeking out from the bathroom stall door. She was even more surprised to see a smear of makeup down her cheek, she'd been crying. She rushed over to her, filled with concern. Ever since that day she approached Miss Hawes to ask what was wrong, they had struck up a more a bit of a friendship. Miss Hawes never really explained what happened to her that day, but she had given Sakura a tight hug when she asked, and thanked her for caring. She cheered up after that, and they kept chatting more often. It occurred more often to Sakura after that, how there wasn't much difference in their ages. Miss Hawes seemed almost like another student in ways.

"What's the matter? Are you crying?" Sakura asked, grabbing her shoulders and peering into her face. Miss Hawes had red and mascara rimmed eyes, her mask hung around her neck. Sakura's eyes widened as she noticed there were several angry red, and somewhat purpling marks around her neck and chest. Sakura's heart tightened in her chest, what the hell happened to her..

  Miss Hawes face crumpled up, a sob escaping her and Sakura without thinking, pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling oddly like the adult in this situation. After a few minutes, Miss Hawes sobs subsided and she took a deep breath, pulling away a bit to look up at Sakura. Even in heels, Miss Hawes was much shorter than Sakura, and it made her blush a bit to see Miss Hawes looking up at her like that.

"Tell me what happened."

  Miss Hawes shook her head, wiping her face with her fists, making a mess of her make up further.

"I can't..." Her voice welled up with tears again, "I know this is such an unappealing sight on someone who's supposed to be the teacher here, but I can't involve you in these things, Sakura. Everything is already...so complicated.."

Sakura hugged her again, wanting to know but not wanting to upset her further. The bathroom door swung open, a pair of heels clicking inside.

"There you are! I've been looking.." Tahlia's voice faltered, Sakura and Miss Hawes looking up at her in surprise. Tahlia's face darkened, and she strode over to them, grabbing Sakura's arm and yanking her away from Miss Hawes, practically throwing Sakura behind her.

"What the fuck." She said angrily, glaring at Miss Hawes, but addressing Sakura.

"Tahlia! Stop! Miss Hawes, something happened... She's upset, I was just comforting her." Sakura's voice went shrill, it always did when she was distressed.

Tahlia's head swung between them, taking in Miss Hawes tear stricken face and the mess of hickies on her neck and chest, and over at Sakura, who was silently pleading for her to understand. She sighed and crossed her arms, knowing Sakura wouldn't lie to her.

  She looked over at Miss Hawes, who was desperately trying to clean her face and get composed, embarrassed further that she's caused some sort of tension. Tahlia walked up to her, and grabbed her shoulders, inspecting her up and down.

"You can't go back out like this. Everyone will notice and you'll be having to explain to everyone whatever this is." Tahlia looked over at Sakura, and motioned her over.

  "Do you have any make up with you?"

Sakura nodded and handed over her clutch. The next few minutes, Tahlia washed, applied make up and silently returned Miss Hawes to a presentable state. When she stepped away, Miss Hawes looked in the mirror and gasped, not only was it impossible to tell she had been crying, but her make up looked even better than before. Tahlia nodded approval at her handiwork, handing the clutch back to Sakura.

"The only problem is I couldn't call cover those marks on your neck and chest well, they're.. too fresh. " A question hesitated on the end of that, but Tahlia decided not to ask yet. She looked around, and grabbed Sakura's shawl, who nodded in understanding.
They wrapped the shawl in a way that concealed most of her marks, though if she was under bright lights with someone it would still be visible.

"Try to stay in the low lights for now, and ice them when you get home to help get rid of the redness.." Tahlia said, and Miss Hawes nodded, humbled.

"Thank you.. Tahlia and Sakura.. I owe you both so much."

"What you owe us is an explanation." Miss Hawes looked up, eyes wide.

"But not right now.. we'll all talk later, there's still a ball going on out there that someone is bound to notice us missing from soon."

Tahlia walked to the door, with Sakura close behind her, and stopped before leaving. She turned back to Miss Hawes, and draped herself over Sakura, wrapping her arms around her waist and chest, tenderly grabbing her face. Sakura went beet red at the touch, taken off guard by her boldness.

"One last thing.. make sure you don't touch my girlfriend so casually again." Tahlia kissed Sakura's cheek, casting a long look at Miss Hawes, and then pulled Sakura away with her out the door. Miss Hawes stood, red faced in surprise at the sudden display, and then chuckled quietly to herself. She knew why she did that. It was a secret for a secret, a way to let her know they wouldn't share.