29. THEN I'LL GIVE THEM A SHOW
1529 Words
Tonight is The Formal.
Am I ready?
I don't know.
I am not sure if I am ready to see familiar faces there.
Especially Andrea.
I am really hoping she is not up to something tonight.
I finished preparing half an hour ago. Right now I am just waiting for Daniel's text that he's at the lobby.
While waiting, I grabbed a gum and called Claude.
"Hey Cinderella. What are you up to?''
''Just waiting for Daniel to pick me up.''
''Oh right, The Formal." I can hear Claude talking to someone beside him.
"Oh I think you're busy, I am hanging up now." I was about to hang up the phone but I heard a familiar voice over the other line.
"Alyyyyyyyyy!" I miss this cheerful voice.
''Elise, hi. I can see you guys were having a good time without me, huh."
"Well, I can see you're going to The Formal without us, huh.'' I can hear her changing her tone. "Yours is more fun. We're just having a karaoke night here at The Sinclair's.''
''Let's meet again sometimes, Elise. Have fun tonight.''
"Anyway, Aly. I have something to tell you." He voice changed again. "Obviously, Andrea will be attending the party too. There's no party here in Grant City that she is not invited." I heard Claude chuckled from behind. "Be aware of your surroundings, alright? Andrea may look sweet but I know you already had a glimpse of how bad her personality changes whenever you are with Daniel.''
"I just can't believe how obsessed she is with Daniel." Claude blurted out.
"I know. I'll be careful, don't worry."
"Keep me posted, okay?'' Elise insisted.
''Of course."
__________________________________________________________________________________________
After a couple of minutes, Daniel finally called me.
''Hey, are you ready?" Daniel's deep voiced greeted me.
"Yes, shall I go down now?' I asked him as I grabbed my bag and put on my heels.
"Yes, I just went out of the car, I'm entering your lobby now."
I hurried down a little because I don't want him to wait for long.
''Hang on. I'll be there in a sec."
He laughed on the other line. ''It's okay, I am just here. It's not like you're coming from the other city.
''I don't like people waiting." I told him. Good thing the elevator is still not closing, I was able to get in together with some of the students who stared at me the moment they saw me with this dress.
"Are you going to The Formal?'' One of the students inside asked me.
"Uhmm. Yeah." I answered her.
"Really? With who?"
I didn't answer her this time. I typed on my phone, acting busy so they won't ask questions anymore.
I went out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened.
I was about to go straight to the comfort room first just so they wouldn't know I am with Daniel but he already locked his eyes on me the moment I landed on the lobby.
I had no choice but to walk straight to him.
He was just there, staring at me. He's not even blinking.
''You know it's gonna be awkward if you won't talk." I told him.
''Sorry. It's just that I've already seen you wear those but tonight it looks really nice on you."
I don't know how he can just tell me those kind of stuff casually. I couldn't even tell him that he looks nice in his white polo too.
"Enough with the chit-chat, I got enough eyes on me. Now, let's go."
"Alright."
As he led the way towards his car, people have been looking on our direction.
Obviously, it's because someone like me, a scholar, is going to The Formal with the President of the Student Council.
Of course, they are expecting Andrea.
''Let them be. You don't need to worry about other people."
"I am not worried for myself." I stopped on my tracks.
"Then why are you being like that? You look like they affect you so much.''
''I am worried for you.'' I spilled what's on my mind. "I am worried that they are seeing you with me." I continued walking to his car again. "Who am I to begin with?''
I was about to open the door to the passenger seat when he stopped me.
"Let's just go, people are staring.''
''Then I'll give them a show."
Before I could even ask what does he mean by that. In a matter of seconds, but feels like eternity to me, his face leaned closer on my face.
Before I could close my eyes, his lips met mine.
Before I could move away from his grasp, he held me even tighter.
And before I could stop the fall, I already found myself falling.
I heard the students gasped, some clapped, some yelled, but they were all a background to me.
I was just standing, my knees seems like falling but he has all my weight.
Slowly, he pulled his face away from me, but his hands remain on its original position.
"You told me you finished the book. You told me you saw it."
I was just staring at him.
"I am left with no more reason to act as if you were just nothing to me. You know fully what I feel about you. It's all written in there."
I just stared at him.
"Are you mad?" His eyes began to worry.
I was probably not speaking for how many minutes now. He already told me a lot of things and he didn't even hear me respond to any of them.
The thing is, At first, I always felt like there is something inside me that wants to know him better. There is something about him I wanna figure out. As the days go on, every time we meet, I see a different side of him. From that tiny pieces, I began to know the real him.
I would not say I got him all figured out. But what I can say for sure is that I know him a little better than anyone else.
I never felt anything like this before. That's why even though I know it to myself, I pushed the thought back.
I was never ready for this kind of thing.
It's not part of my job.
I fell first.
I know that.
I was just being in denial about what I was feeling.
Too many thoughts already occupied my brain. I forgot were both standing outside his car.
Going back to the present, I heard him asking if I was okay.
"I am okay. Can we get inside now?'
He took a deep breath before he nodded. "Let me open the door for you.''
''Thank you."
I finally got the chance to breathe when he closed the door.
I got suffocated.
Not by what he did.
But the eyes of the public.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He leaned closer to me but I pulled back instantly.
"I am, Daniel. Can we go now?"
__________________________________________________________________________________________
We arrived at The Formal earlier than expected. We didn't talk all the way here. I heard him sigh every now and then. I can feel he wants to talk about it but I prefer not to. Not tonight.
I'm still nervous about going here. He just added some more when he did that.
He pulled the car on the side of the venue.
"Alyanna...'
I interrupted him. "Daniel, I am okay. But I think now is not the right time to talk about it. You know how much this Formal thing is eating me up for how many days now. Can you just help me get over this night first, without humiliating myself, before we can talk about what happened?''
I composed myself. ''I am not mad. If that would comfort you."
"That did." He replied.
"Now, let's go. Before we got more eyes on us."
After what he did, it was already a long day for me. I am pretty sure this is going to be a long night, too.
I just hope that this time, he will be there for me. I hope he will not leave, or let me leave, like what he did at Andrea's party.
This is what I hate about feeling this kind of things. I begin to expect things.
People leave, I know that. He will, too.
Yes, I might have read his letter at the back of the book, but I can never be so sure.
He might be feeling this for now, then the next day I won't matter to him again, just like the first time we met.
I am so tired of people leaving, I already shut my door. However, after I came here at Addilyn, people just keeps on trying to open the windows instead.
But I have a job. I am not a normal student like them. So if they are trying to open my windows, I'll force shut it as well. Because at the end of the day, I am not made to be attach to anyone else. Not to a friend, to a co-agent, or even to Daniel.
- Writer
