Althena Book 2

103. Prom

Mary sent a bunch of the palace girls to help us get ready. My dress is dark blue and purple mixed together. Hanorah keeps playing with her dress. She's in heaven.

The boys get their tuxes on, and we spend half an hour taking pictures. Then we go to dinner.

Cyrus grabs an oyster. "What's the theme for tonight?"

"Royal Ball." Hanorah smiles. She really is the princess tonight. Clayton's doing well with her. He holds the doors and pulls out her chairs.

"I've never been to a ball." I glance at Drogon.

He shrugs his shoulders. "I don't think we do those. How many proms you been to now, Clayton?"

"This is my second one. The theme for Copper Cove was under the sea. That was interesting." He seems anything but thrilled.

"Why?"

"They rented a hall and put in some cheap decorations. That was it. I don't even think they had a real photographer. The girl I went with never said a word to me. The rest of the people seemed alright."

Lila nods. "Well, you are a prince. That's intimidating to some people. Maybe she was afraid to talk to you."

I sip water out of a champagne glass. "Maybe she abandoned you so she could sneak off and study."

Hanorah sighs. "That's a real possibility. End of the year tests are brutal."

Drogon puts his arm around me. "No thinking about them tonight. You all need a night off from studying."

Lila shakes her head. "I have no idea how I'm going to survive college exams someday. I may have to work at your coffee shop instead."

Hanorah giggles. "Just hope for a rich mate."

"That could work."

Clayton smirks. "Who has colleges picked out?"

We shake our heads and Katen smiles. "I'm accepted into mine."

"Already?"

"I'll be going to two classes at Green Valley next year. Then four classes at Ocean Side College."

Drogon swallows hard. "Congratulations. What's your major?"

"Thank you. Dual majors in Robotics engineering and computer science with a specialization in artificial intelligence."

"Congratulations." Clayton seems to be in shock. The rest of us tell her how happy we are for her. She is smart though.

"Thank you. Does anyone else know what they want to major in?"

Lila shakes her head. "Nobody will let me major in cheerleading."

Clayton takes a drink. "Public affairs and business."

Conner smirks. "Planetary relations."

"I'm going into law. I want to be a lawyer."

Clayton chuckles. "I'll probably need you someday."

Hanorah nods. "People do try to sue the throne a lot."

Amber smiles. "I'm deciding between business administration and marketing. What about you, Thena?"

"I'm retiring. That was it for me. I'm going to hide in my casino and drink a lot of coffee."

She rolls her eyes. "Take business administration classes online. They'll help you run the business."

"You do kind of have a point."

"I know."

Lila perks up. "I could be a cheer coach."

Cyrus nods. "Sports management. What about you, Saray?"

"I like nursing. I'll probably do something in that field."

"You're all narrowing it down. That's a good start." Dacious kisses her head.

Amber stands up. "Ok, time to go. We need to get there in time to take pictures."

We take the helicopter to the school, and they have a horse-drawn carriage sitting outside for pictures. I couldn't care less about the carriage, but Drogon has to pull me away from the horses. They are beautiful. Red carpet is laid along the hallway. Fake walls are put up in front of the lockers. Gold pillars stand in front of them.

I'm convinced they don't care about the cost of decorations. Crystal and gold chandeliers hang through the entire hallway.

We get to the cafeteria and one side is entirely made to look like a castle. It even has a wide staircase in the middle. A photographer stands in front of the stairs that don't go anywhere. That will make a pretty picture. They have thrones set up for another picture. A big stone fireplace for another.

Clayton laughs. "This is the most fancy royal ball I've ever been to."

Drogon pulls me to a table. "Yea, this is a lot."

They have round tables. The colors are black, gold, and red. The tables are set with a black table cloth. A tall gold vase sits in the middle of each of them. The vases hold red roses. A gold and crystal chandelier hangs over each of them.

"People, start with pictures. Don't stand here all day." Amber puts her hands on her hips.

"Sorry." Hanorah smiles at her. "It's just a bit... wow."

Clayton stares at the chandelier. "Yea. It is that."

"It can be wow over here too. Come on."

It takes us awhile to get through the picture stations. But I get pictures with Drogon, Conner, and Cyrus. Then they take pictures with their dates. Cyrus gets a few with his brothers. Lila and I make him. Amber tries to make me and Clayton get pictures together, but we're not doing that again.

Then Lila decides we need to take pictures with our cheer team. Lauren, Lexi, and Kristen show up right away. Jenna staggers over half drunk. She smells different. We take one picture, and she decides that's enough and staggers away. The rest of us take pictures everywhere.

Then the senior cheer team joins us and we have to take pictures with them. June smiles a lot but seems like she wants to cry. Something about it doesn't seem right to me.

Drogon spins me and it breaks my trance. "Why are you zeroed in on that girl?"

"I don't know."

"Talk to her."

"Who?" Conner fixes a decoration on my dress. Drogon points and he nods.

I go over to June. "I love your dress. It is beautiful."

"Thank you." She spins around. It's a full ballgown. In some sort of gold fabric.

"You look like you could be a queen. And the color is perfect for you."

She smiles at the ground. "I could never be that."

"Sure you could. Smile and wave a lot."

She laughs and I see it. Her mouth is busted up. She's got a lot of makeup on to cover it, but I see it.

"That's all I do. It's going to be so weird not having you seniors around telling us what to do in cheer practice."

About 4 of them laugh. "You're the seniors now. You get to tell other people what to do."

"I don't think we'll be very good at that. You did amazing though." Lila smiles then starts sobbing. "You've always been there to help us, and you're not going to be here next year."

3 of them hug her. Then Amber starts fanning her. "Do not mess up the make-up."

Clayton picks her up off the stairs and stands her on the ground. "At least don't fall down the stairs."

She smacks at him. "Where is your date?"

"She ran off with Atlas to dance."

Amber cracks up laughing. "It's giving them something to do at least."

I glance around. Half our group is gone. "I'm sure it's fine." I see Saray and Dacious and motion them over. "Did you get pictures?"

"Yea, we got them."

Dacious smiles. "You are tying up the staircase."

Amber shakes her head. "Don't care."

"I need a picture with Saray and Lila."

"Why?"

"We're the only part of the girls club that's standing here."

"Fine." Amber pulls everyone off the steps that go nowhere.

The photographer puts me in the middle of the third step. Saray and Lila are on the first step to my sides, facing in. It's a neat picture. I smile. "Where is Drogon?"

Conner shakes his head. "He went to piss, woman. Are you going to keep the photographer hostage?"

"Yes. Come here. Clayton stand with Lila. Dacious stand with Saray. I need this picture too."

"Babygirl, you are going to have to let him take other people's pictures too." Conner comes up and stands with me.

"This is for the girls' club. Just 1."

He kisses my hand. "Of course, babygirl."

"I like the staircase."

"We can tell." Dacious smirks and stands with Saray.

Clayton steps behind Lila and wraps his arms around her. She relaxes and holds his hands. He kisses her cheek and whispers something in her ear.

"Do not make out. You need to look at me and smile."

Saray and I look at each other. Then we look at Lila. She turned around and kissed him. "LILA."

"You are determined to mess up that makeup." Amber fixes it for her.

We finally get the picture.

Lila crosses her arms. "We weren't making out."

Amber rolls her eyes. "Well, it was getting kind of heated."

Drogon holds his hands out to me and I jump off the steps. He catches me and gives me a kiss. "Did you figure out why you were focusing on her?"

"She has a busted up mouth and a lot of makeup on to cover it up."

"Who?" Conner's staring at some guy.

Drogon fixes a curl in my hair. "Same girl."

"I'll deal with it."

Drogon and I turn to him. "Deal with what?"

Conner kisses my head. "Nothing." He roams away. Drogon follows him. Amber pulls me back up the staircase.

30 minutes later, we finally get done with pictures. Most of the guys are gone. We claim a table and get some juice.

"I needed this break."

Lila sits beside me. "Me too. Where the hell is my date?"

I shrug my shoulders. "Probably with mine. Getting into trouble somewhere. I think they got bored."

Amber laughs. "Mine ran off with another girl."

"Yea, we switched it up a bit."

"Stay here for a second." Dacious kisses Saray on the head and runs for it.

She sits down. "There are photographers in the ballroom too. I think Hanorah is trying to get a picture with each of the princes. Dacious and Cyrus danced with her, then she went back to Atlas."

"Clayton is supposed to be her date. Where is he?"

"With Conner. I guess they beat the hell out of someone. That's where Dacious went."

"Who is they?"

"Drogon, Conner, and Clayton."

"Told you so. Can't let them get bored."

Lila shakes her head. "They're going to get thrown out."

I shrug my shoulders. "I'll be stealing Cyrus."

Amber laughs. "They can't throw out the king or the prince. Why won't you claim that boy already?"

Lila smiles but doesn't say anything.

Conner helps me up. "Let's go dance, baby. I want a dance before Drogon gets back."

Saray smiles. "Hanorah will probably steal a dance with you too."

"That's fine. I need one with my woman though."

I giggle and go with him.

The dance floor is set up exactly like a castle dance floor. The pictures here are going to be amazing too.

I dance with Conner. Then Cyrus. After that, Drogon dances with me and has Cyrus dance with Hanorah, so Atlas can go get Amber. Lila comes in with Clayton, and they dance for a while. We are all mixed up. Conner somehow has Katen. Then Clayton dances with Hanorah and somehow we get unmixed. I think I somehow danced with everyone. I even had Atlas once.

We make our way to the exit at the end, and they are filling the cafeteria with food. I try to see what they have and Drogon pulls me against him. "That's for the after party, baby."

I find Conner and give him a hug. "Have fun."

"I will. I'll be home later, babygirl. I love you."

"I love you too."

Those of us who aren't staying take the helicopter to my house. Saray comes in with Dacious. Cyrus watches them like a hawk. I really couldn't care less. I drag Drogon to bed. We're going to have our own after party.