It was nothing
like kissing Dare.
She’d always
wondered what Cinderella must have felt like, that moment between sleeping and
waking where nothing is real and everything is possible. It must have been something
like this -- something like finding yourself in an unexpected dream, yet
realizing that you are alive and that everything is perfect. And it was. While
Dare was passionate, thorough, and soul-binding, he was not gentle.
Julien was.
After that one
second of heart-stopping hesitation, she felt his shock seep into urgency, as
if everything he wanted to tell her could be translated into these few seconds
where they shared more than she and Dare ever could. These few seconds where
respect meant more than winning, and where her feelings were more than a means
to an end. His arms crept slowly around her, his hands uncertain and unsure.
She pressed
closer against him, not caring about her hair, her makeup, her dress... or
anyone who might see them. Fate might have made a brutal error in throwing her
and Dare together, but *this* was right. She could feel it in every throbbing
nerve.
Suppressing the
urge to pull him back into her arms and never let him go -- that strange
feeling from earlier still butterflying in her stomach -- she traced a hand
softly over the side of his face. “For what?” she wondered, even though she was
sure she knew.
The rough pad of
his thumb rubbed over her swollen lower lip. He shrugged. “For not rejecting
me?” The light in his eyes froze briefly. “Or was that a consolation prize?”
“I only give
consolation prizes to losers.” She let that sink in, then continued, “That was
more of a ‘congratulations on winning’ prize.”
His eyes
softened, the gray shining like dove’s down in gleaming morning light.
“Congratulations on winning what?”
It took her a
moment to answer, a moment of weighing the consequences of what she was doing
and a moment of wondering if you could abandon your soulmate... or if all she
had was a false hope. Was Julien worth the risk?
Her answer had
been hovering on her lips for longer than she’d thought possible, for months
before she’d known the question. She leaned into him, eyes never leaving his,
and just before she kissed him a second time, he had her answer.
“Me.”
***
An enchanted
setting for an enchanted evening.
Fairy lights
twinkled on the walls of the ballroom, twined among nestled flowers and
wrapping over towering white pillars. They
slowly faded in and out like stars glistening on the horizon. The overhead
lights shone dimly over the crystal plates and glasses placed elegantly at each
table.
Tierney clutched tighter to Julien’s arm and
let the magic of it all wash over her. His hand slipped over her wrist in a
gentle caress, his lips curving in a faint smile. It felt so right to be here with him, cupped at his side as if
she mattered. She could see the envious
stares of the other girls around her. Their gazes locked on their twined
fingers, on their closeness. How different to be envied...
“There are Raquel
and Elliot,” Julien murmured in her ear, pointing toward a table near the
center of the room. “Jihn and Steve are already with them.”
She followed the
line of his arm. The two couples were seated at a table of eight -- four more
seats, which would soon be filled by Jordana, Adrien, and the two of them. How
perfect. That effectively excluded the Collective from attacking Adrien and
meant a much more peaceful dinner for all involved. She was sure he’d be
grateful.
It didn’t stop
the three girls from choosing the table directly next to his. As Tierney and
Julien neared, Teresa sneered, her eyes sweeping critically over them and her
voice rising to something resembling a shriek. They could very clearly hear her
making fun of Tierney’s gown.
Instead of taking
offense at her comments -- which they all knew spawned from vicious jealousy --
Tierney rolled her eyes and turned toward the table, her back very pointedly
facing the three girls. Beside her, Raquel muttered, “They’re like a pack of
lemmings. Do you think if we showed them a cliff, they’d all jump off?”
“Wrong time of
the year for that,” Jihn responded, eyeing the three coldly. The spiteful
chatter choked to an abrupt end. “Pushing might be involved.”
“In what?”
Jordana asked breathlessly, joining them. She and Adrien were both flushed --
Tierney could only imagine from what -- and her hazel eyes blinked guilelessly
back at them.
The girls
exchanged a tolerant smile. “Nothing, Jordy,” Tierney responded. Before she
could reach for her chair, Julien pulled it away from the table, as gallant as
a knight of old, and waited for her to take her seat. That gallantry made her
shy and uncertain after Dare’s careless callousness. Blushing, she sat.
Raquel took the
seat next to hers. She set her flowers in front of the sparkling crystal plate.
“Tonight is going to be perfect,” she declared firmly, much to the amusement of
her brother and her date. “Not even the stupid Collective will ruin it.”
“Though I’m sure
they’ll try.” Tierney could feel the heat of their eyes boring into her back
even though she wasn’t looking at them. After all, Tierney had stolen Lindsay’s
date, hadn’t she? And the audacity of actually accepting his invitation more
than merited their wrath, pathetic though it was. Hopefully dinner would be
served soon and the food would divert their attention. She was getting sick of
being their personal target.
Abruptly deciding
to remove the ammunition, she pushed back her chair and stood. “I’m going to
the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back.”
A moment of
silence reigned while Jihn glared suspiciously at the Collective and Raquel
merely looked startled. Tierney swiveled in the direction of the bathroom
before she had a chance to say anything. She looked so absolutely content with
Elliot at her side, it would almost be a waste to drag her anywhere but where
he was.
Distracted as she
was, it took her a moment to realize Dare stared at her, and another to
remember that if the Collective was sitting at the table right behind them, so
was Dare. She stifled a groan and quickened her step. The last thing she wanted
was to feel him boring holes in her back the entire night.
Deep in the back of
her mind, in a part she didn’t even know existed, she could sense him standing
up and walking toward her. Oh, lovely. Panicked, she glanced around the huge
ballroom. Where were the bathrooms? She knew she’d seen them on the way in --
Too late. His
hand clamped down on her shoulder from behind. She knew it was him even though
she couldn’t see his face, sparks skittering up her arm and screaming in every
nerve. Who else had this shattering effect on her? But instead of stopping and
letting him spin her around to face him -- which was almost getting to be a
cliché at this point -- she continued moving purposefully toward the restroom,
dragging him with her.
It was only once
she’d gotten away from the crowd of people that she stopped. That hand still
seared its way into her skin, a brand that she could never remove, because
somehow, someway, Fate had linked their souls. Biting her lower lip, she turned
to face him. And this time, it was of her own choosing.
“Dare, do you
think we could skip the caveman act? Just for a night?”
She was surprised
to hear her voice sounding so very tired. So very... annoyed. It was different
from the fear and defiance with which she usually faced him. She could see the
change in his eyes. Those golden orbs flared with something that looked almost
like shock for just a few seconds before he regained his composure.
He didn’t step
closer to her like she expected he would have, but that might have been a
reaction to her words. Instead he
reached out to run a finger down the rhinestone strap of her gown. “Touchy
tonight, aren’t we, Tierney?”
“Not with you.”
His eyes flared.
“Mouthy, too.” A sour expression curved his mouth just long enough to let her
know she’d gotten to him. And then, mostly surprisingly of all, his face darkened
with an emotion she didn’t quite recognize. “I’ll put away the club if you’ll
put away the claws.”
She blinked. What
was this? A peace offering? “What exactly do you mean by that?” she asked
slowly.
“Exactly what I
said,” he murmured, his eyes scorching a path after his finger.
It was all she
could do not to shudder at the tingling contact. Lovely, she thought wildly.
Julien gets the courage to ask me out and I accept... Then Dare decides to play
some warped version of cat-and-mouse. This must be a retreat tactic to draw her
in. She stayed silent.
When several
seconds had passed without a response from her, he lowered his lashes and
smiled in a manner that was -- almost -- friendly. If nothing else, it was far
different from the usual baring of teeth. “What I mean,” he clarified, “is that
I promise to be civil... if you promise to do the same.”
Was he serious?
She stared openly at him, not even bothering to hide her shock. Civility was
something she had never expected from him. “You mean you’ll leave me alone?”
“For a price,” he
admitted. His eyes dripped that emotion to which she didn’t want to give a name
and drenched her in an irrational fear. Every time he offered this condition,
the price was more than she was willing to pay. Why would tonight be any
different?
Drawing in a
sharp breath, she wondered what it would be this time. “I’m not kissing you,”
she warned. “I won’t even touch you.”
“A shame.” His
eyes dipped over her, taking in the elegant dress and the stunning figure draped
beneath it. “You look... ravishing.”
He had to be
playing with her. What other explanation was there? Maybe he’d found out about
her and Julien... and this was just another chance to ruin any happiness she
might find. But why would that matter to him? It didn’t affect him, didn’t have
anything to do with him... It occurred to her that he was almost being nice at
the moment, just like he’d promised. Civil. It somehow made the tension singing
between them more charged.
Uncomfortable
with that realization, she replied simply, “Thank you.”
He smiled. “Enjoy
it while it lasts.” Then he turned and walked back to his table, where the
Collective watched his every move. No doubt he’d be hearing about this from
Lindsay all night.
Tierney let out a
long breath, begging her nerves to stop screaming. It was then she realized
that he’d never named his price... and goddess only knew what he would ask her
for later. She’d already agreed to do the spell, which meant she had little
else to give him. Spidery warnings whispered through her blood and reminded her
of her earlier feelings of trepidation. Could that have anything to do with
this?
Shaking those
feelings away, she continued toward the restrooms. It didn’t do any good to
dwell on it; this was only a prom for goddess’ sake, not a funeral. One
expected bad things to happen at funerals -- bewildered screaming relatives,
sullen guests... But she supposed that was a bad example, since funerals were
depressing anyway. She needed to focus on something happier, like her
relationship with Julien.
Her newly founded
relationship, one she never would have thought possible before Raquel’s
insistence. The girl had instincts like a deer -- the first hint that something
was there, and she froze in recognition. Granted, she usually picked up on
things that were slightly less important than life or death, but the analogy
worked nonetheless.
Once inside the
nearly empty bathroom, she stopped in front of a gleaming white sink and stared
hard into the mirror. After tonight, the image she could still see lurking
underneath the beauty would return, leaving her with nothing from this whole
experience... Nothing except things she’d already known.
She sighed
deeply, twisting the tap until cold water gushed from the faucet. Then she
remembered that splashing her face with any liquid would ruin her make-up.
Grimacing, she shut it off. And instead of heading back to their table, she
took a few moments to regain her composure.
Remember Julien,
she told herself firmly. The thought brought an immediate rush of pleasure.
Yes, think of someone who values you for who you are. Who has valued you since
he’s known you. Her lips quirked involuntarily. Raquel was right. No matter
what happened or who interfered, tonight was going to be perfect.
That hope singing
through her blood, she glided out of the restroom, her head held high and her
shoulders set proudly. She would not let him get to her. Wouldn’t even think
about him...
“I’m starving,”
Raquel announced as soon as Tierney sat down next to her. Her fingers played
with one of the roses from her bouquet, and Tierney couldn’t help but notice
how often her eyes strayed to Elliot.
She was startled
when Julien reached to touch her hand. As she blinked up at him, he ran his
thumb lightly over the juncture of her wrist, then covered her hand with his.
His accompanying smile was both shy and sweet. Raquel froze beside her.
“What is he
doing?” she demanded, her voice low enough that only Tierney should have been
able to hear her.
But Tierney wasn’t
paying attention, at least not until Raquel smacked her in the arm. She glared
at her friend momentarily. Then she noticed the questioning expression on her
friend’s face. “What?” she whispered back, though loathe to drag her
concentration away from her new -- boyfriend.
Cheered by that
realization, she didn’t notice the bewildered look on Raquel’s face until her
friend asked, “Are you aware that Julien is holding your hand?”
“He is?” Tierney
gasped, glancing down in shock. Raising innocent eyes to meet Raquel’s, she
said, “I wonder how that happened.”
Apparently her
feigned innocence was a little too unbelievable. Raquel scowled. “Very funny,
Tier. What’s going on?”
“We’re dating,”
she replied, pleased with how calm her voice sounded. She couldn’t stop some of
the buoyancy from leaking through. With Dare out of her thoughts, it was easy
to realize how happy she really was. “We discussed it in the car.”
Raquel’s face
split into a huge grin. “I was right!” she chortled, her eyes gleaming with
barely suppressed triumph. “I told you he liked you!”
Tierney
blushed. “I know. You were right. I was
wrong. I’m admitting it.”
“It’s about
time,” Raquel answered. She winked at her brother from across the table.
Tierney cast a
surreptitious glance in Adrien’s direction, only to find him staring at Julien
and Tierney’s hands with a grin on his face. Raquel was evidently not the only
one who knew how they felt about each other.
Sudden suspicion crept over her. “Did you say something to him?”
“To who?” Raquel
responded, her large violet eyes widening angelically.
Tierney knew her
better than to believe the guilelessness flooding her features, which was
almost as sincere as her own feigned innocence had been only a few moments ago.
“Your brother,” she answered dryly. She raised an eyebrow and waited.
Her friend’s
blameless façade crumbled under Tierney’s accusation, which didn’t stop her
from trying to evade the question. “About what?”
“About Julien and
me and... well, you know!”
Looking
distinctly uncomfortable, Raquel hedged, “I might have.” She shrugged. “Does it
really matter? You’re dating now and I know Adrien wouldn’t say anything to
Julien -- if I did tell him anything, I mean -- so...” She let her voice trail
off while doing a perfect impression of one of Michelangelo’s cherubs. “It all
worked out, didn’t it?”
Tierney sighed.
“Raquel, you’re incorrigible.”
Elliot stole her
friend’s attention before she had a chance to reply, his hand closing over her elbow,
so Tierney turned toward Julien, who was talking animatedly to Jordana. He must
have felt her move, because he gave her hand a light squeeze before continuing
his story.
She flushed with
pleasure. Her earlier feelings of trepidation were only a distant memory now,
nestled against Julien as she was and secure in the knowledge that he found her
worthwhile. She sent a beaming smile around the table, only to find Adrien
grinning smugly back at her.
“Only a matter of
time,” he mouthed silently.
She couldn’t hear
him because of the distance separating them, but she was glad he was at least
trying to be subtle. She rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose at him. He
nodded, leaving any comments he might have at that statement. It didn’t stop
him from winking at her.
About to stick
out her tongue in retaliation -- and, yes, she knew exactly how childish that
was -- Julien shifted in his seat, clasping her hand more tightly against his.
“Tier, you were at Adrien’s a few weeks ago when we all got in trouble, weren’t
you?”
Grinning, she
asked dryly, “Which night?”
“Good point,” he
sighed. Then his dimples flashed. “The one where Raquel locked us all out of
the house. You remember. We snuck down to the beach--”
“And the
Collective stole your clothes?”
“That’s the one,”
he confirmed. The sparkle in his gray eyes warmed them to sifting silver, just
for her. They shared a conspiratorial smile. “Jordana doesn’t believe me. Want
to tell her what happened?”
She propped her
elbows on the table, mouth curved wickedly, and leaned forward to confide,
“They were absolutely horrible all night.
You know, loud and obnoxious and wouldn’t leave us alone -- the usual.
Almost the whole football team was there. So in retaliation...”
“They locked us
out,” he interrupted, looking aggrieved. The puppy dog eyes he threw at Jordana
didn’t work. She stared back at him unsympathetically, fully aware of just how
bad they could get when they were all together. Once he realized it wasn’t
working, his expression cleared.
Rolling her eyes,
Tierney added, “Only after they barricaded us in the living room with Martin
Dryfus. He kept trying for a ménage à trois.” She paused a moment while they
shared an equal moment of disgust. “Anyway, after we finally got out of there,
they’d all gone outside, so we just... locked the doors. And once they were
locked, we realized the Collective was lurking across the street.”
This time Julien
really did manage to look victimized.
“As soon as they saw us come out, they weren’t across the street anymore.”
“Where were
they?” Jordana seemed amused in spite of herself. She knew exactly where they’d
gone, but it was more fun to make him say it.
“In Adrien’s
yard,” he replied mournfully. “I thought there were laws against trespassing.”
“There are.” Tierney’s
face reflected no sympathy, but she squeezed his hand just the same. His eyes
flared briefly. “But in order for those to work, you usually have to call the
police, not run screaming for the beach, which they did.”
Nonplussed,
Jordana asked, “So how did the Collective get their clothes? And whose
brilliant idea was it to skinny-dip anyway?”
Adrien chose that
minute to interrupt. “We didn’t have swimming trunks. I wasn’t about to swim in
jeans whether they were there or not. Besides, we thought we lost them.” He
grinned, violet eyes sliding to where the Collective watched their table
longingly. “It’s easier to get rid of leeches.”
Everyone at the
table seemed to be in agreement with that statement, or rather, none of them
openly denied it. Julien let that hang in the air a moment before he continued.
“To make a long story short, they took our clothes and left -- and I don’t mean
they wandered down the beach a little bit. I mean they went home with them. We
had to run home at midnight, completely naked.”
“We had to cross
Main Street,” Adrien added, just in case Jihn, Elliot, and Jordana weren’t
aware of this fact. “You can imagine what happened.”
“You didn’t get
arrested?”
Jordana blushed
profusely as this question slipped from her mouth -- the thought of them
running sans clothes down the busiest street in the town somewhat mortifying --
and the two red dots of color stained her cheeks almost the same color as her
dress. But it was a legitimate question. Hazing of the nude variety had become
a common practice in their town. The police officers -- not to mention the
spying elderly ladies -- generally didn’t take too kindly to offenders.
Swapping amused
looks with the other males around the table, Adrien shook his head. “We got
lucky. Grant’s dad was on duty, so he just warned us to wear clothes next time.
I don’t think he wanted to give citations to the whole team. Might damage our
performance or something.”
“The only
performance problem you were likely to be having was from the cold, Aid,”
Raquel teased. “But I doubt any of the other football players complained.”
Just then, one of
the waiters pushed a cart next to their table, signaling that dinner was
starting. He looked about their age, maybe sixteen or seventeen, and had the
sullen attitude of someone who knew he wasn’t going to make any tips that
night. He obviously attended the other local high school, because no one at the
table recognized him. Tierney could tell.
A lock of blond
hair falling belligerently into his left eye, he asked, “Who ordered the
chicken?”
***
Dinner seemed to
last forever.
She was painfully
aware of every movement Julien made, of each time he touched her elbow or
leaned close to whisper something in her ear. Her blood raced at each impending
moment of contact, enhanced and amplified by the awareness that they were being
watched.
And they were.
It wasn’t
something she was imagining, which made her all the more paranoid. Every time
she looked around, eyes were on them. On the strong fingers twined with hers.
On the way his eyes sparkled when he watched her. On the secret smiles they
shared, which weren’t really secret at all.
But the funniest
thing about it was that the stares were not malicious. Simply watchful. People
eyeing the way they cared themselves and the way they seemed to just... fit,
like a best friend locket she and Raquel had bought in fourth grade to seal
their camaraderie, the two pieces perfectly matched and perfectly complemented
by the other.
The eyes were
making her nervous. By the time Julien and Adrien finally finished their second
piece of dessert (neither Jihn nor Elliot had been interested in theirs, which
made the cake fair game), she could hardly sit still.
Julien noticed
this and smiled. “What’s with the fidgeting?” She shrugged instead of replying,
causing him to bestow her with a long look from his intense gray eyes. “Well,
they should be announcing prom king and queen soon. We’ll dance then.”
She nodded,
willing herself not to pay attention to the attention they were receiving from
the student body. Even Julien’s hand on hers seemed somehow constricting.
Leaning forward, she asked Jordana, “Do you think they’ll start soon?”
Without bothering
to ask, Jordy grabbed Adrien’s wrist and twisted it until she could see the
face of his silver watch. “In about thirty seconds,” she answered cheerfully.
As if on cue, the
loud squeal of a microphone being adjusted sounded from the stage at the front
of the ballroom. Mr. Rogers, their principal, cleared his throat loudly into
the microphone, causing the majority of the students to cringe. “We’re, ah...
Good evening, Jansen High. I hope you’re having a wonderful time at this year’s
senior/junior prom. Let’s, ah, try to refrain from spiking the punch this year.
As you know, each year the dancing is lead by the prom king and queen, who the
seniors have already elected. So, ah, let’s get this started, shall we?”
While he cleared
his throat and fumbled with the note cards clutched in his hand, Tierney rolled
her eyes. “I honestly don’t know how he manages to make it out of the house
each morning. The man is scared of his own shadow.”
“Except when he’s
handing out detentions,” Julien agreed ruefully, squeezing her hand. Something
different gleamed in those bright silver eyes now, something almost smug. Like
he knew something she didn’t. He winked at her.
She shook her
head, ignoring that suspicion, and turned back to face the principal. The whole
thing was pointless anyway. Everyone knew Jordana and Adrien were going to win.
“Let’s see--“ he
mumbled, still shuffling the cards. Then a smile lit up his face and he pushed
his glasses higher up on his nose. “As I announce each couple, please come up
to the stage.” He cleared his throat again. “Our first couple is Bentley Kerslen
and Tiffany Wilson.” After waiting for
the applause to die down and for them to climb onto the stage, he continued.
“Justin Timmons and Savina Rendon. Rob Sheflin and Molly Palmer. David Volpe
and Kristin Gibbins. And, ah, last but certainly not least,” Tierney rolled her
eyes, wondering why he had to drag this out when they all knew who was coming
next, “Julien D’Angelo and Tierney Anderson.”
Her mouth fell
open. But what about--? She didn’t have
time to wonder why Adrien and Jordana’s names hadn’t been announced, because
Julien was already pulling her toward the stage, the smug grin on his face as
wide as a banner. He led her up the steps. When they stopped next to David and
Kristin, she managed to gasp, “Julien, why didn’t you tell me?”
“It was a surprise,”
he whispered back, handing her a long stemmed red rose, courtesy of the student
council. “How does it feel to be the
only junior on prom court?”
“Extremely
conspicuous,” she hissed, but plastered a smile on her face anyway.
Mr. Rogers was already
talking. “This year’s results were far from close. In fact, the overwhelming
majority of you voted for, ah, the same couple. And so, I would like to
introduce this year’s prom King and Queen--“
She must not have
heard him right...
“--Julien D’Angelo
and Tierney Anderson!”
The applause was
deafening. Julien slipped his arm around her waist, courteously leading her to
the very front of the stage. Her rose bit into her palm where she gripped it, a
single thorn having escaped the florist’s notice. And in a daze, she let them
crown her with a sparkling tiara.
She was too
stunned to worry about tripping when Julien led her down the stairs and out
onto the dance floor. When he stopped, the spotlight washing over the two of
them, everything shrank back into black and white reality. She, once one of the
ugliest girls in school, was in the middle of the ballroom, dancing with one of
the two most popular guys in school and reigning over the prom as *Queen*. With
her boyfriend. Who was also prom King.
Maybe dreams
really did come true.
Relaxing finally,
she let him raise her hand to his lips, let him kiss the tips of her fingers
gallantly as though they really were the king and queen of some medieval ball.
He slipped his hand into hers, his fingers curling firmly around her slender
wrist and drawing her close while her pulse quickened. She could feel the soft
exhalation of his breath against her throat. His arms curled to rest just above
the small of her back, hesitating as if he was afraid to pull her any closer.
Something
desperate railed inside her, knowing that with Julien she would have found
happiness, if only Fate had not been so cruel as to throw her to the one person
who didn’t want her and never would. She ducked her head shyly as tears sprang
to her eyes, more determined than ever to make this work. Resting her head on
Julien’s broad shoulder, she thanked the Goddess that he liked her for who she
was, and not what her outer appearance showed. He dropped a light kiss on her
forehead.
Around them,
music swelled, a song Tierney didn’t quite recognize. It didn’t matter. The
same magic bursting in the air filled each chord and threatened to overwhelm
her. Distantly, she noticed other couples slowly joining them as the song
neared completion.
A perfect night,
just as Raquel had said.
She nestled
closer to her date, his hand drifting over the soft skin of her back and
pulling her closer, as if they could somehow meld together. Contentment slipped
over her like a net. Only to be shattered in the next second as she was spun
around to meet angry golden eyes.
“I changed my
mind.”
[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][Epilogue]