We stood in the middle of the decorated hall. The theme was like a fusion of Masquerade and Cinderella, with masks made of blue satin artistically fixed to the golden streamers that adorned the once boring and plain off-white walls. The selfie spot was studded with miniatures of pumpkin carriages and an adorable figure of fairy Godmother stood right beside it. The pale blue net curtains swished and swayed in the light breeze that made its way inside from the little windows.

The girls did a marvelous job with the theme.

"We did it. It's all wrapped up now." Rachel fistbumped Leah- the mastermind behind all the arrangements.

"It's almost done. We still have to confirm the lightning arrangements for tomorrow." She casually dusted her palms and pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail.

"Oh God Leah! All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl. Let's have some snacks for now." Rachel clapped her hands together and chuckled at the reference.

"Let's move to the cafeteria. Ethan and Fiona are there too." I kept scrolling through my phone, managing to keep my expressions as low-key as I could.

We tottered down the stairs, the faint sound of our footsteps mingling with  Rachel's endless jabbers about her dress and makeup. 

*

"All work done?" Ethan chimed in as he sipped his apple juice like a five-year-old kid.

I sat on the table top, resting my palms on the stout plastic furniture.
"Hmm, it's almost done." I spoke as I averted my gaze to the rest of the area, the irresistible smell of fresh donuts making my stomach growl. "I'll go fetch something for myself." I ran my fingers through my hair and made my way to the table at the far end, away from the crowd.

Settling myself on the chair, I cautiously took out The Soulmate Guide from my backpack and caressed the glossy page with my palms as the letters in bold met my eyes.

Hola Blakie boy. Since I am running out of things to put in this guide, here are some soulmate quotes to make your day.

The guide had surely gone nuts.

I snickered at its amusing words. However, since I couldn't resist the urge to read those quotes, I started reading further.

If I ever start believing in love, it will only be because of you.

This is more than a crush. This is more than a like. All I want to do is make you mine.

In a room full of art, I would still stare at you.

I smiled to myself as I read those lines in bold. I wasn't sure if I was blushing, but I had a strong adrenaline rush, making it too hard for me to stop smiling.

This guide knows me too well. Too well for my liking.

I glanced at the the bottom of the page. There was a stylish signature in black ink, probably denoting who the writer of all these love quotes was.

And probably the writer of the guide too.

I leaned closer to it, trying to examine what the letters were. All I could make out was an 'x' at the last and an 'e' just before it.

Now that all the characteristics have been revealed, maybe the author wants me to know their name.

I narrowed my eyes, carefully studying each and every letter, but all in vain. It was incomprehensible, to say the least. A sudden pat on my shoulder distracted me.

"Blakie! Stop obsessing over that thing now." Ethan rolled his eyes.

"What? You scared me." I exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Forget that. Just come to the field. It looks amazeballs after the decoration." He capered with excitement.

"Yeah, I am just coming." I closed the guide. He held my hand and pulled me, almost making me trip.

"For God's sake Ethan, what the hell is wrong with you?" I glared at him.

Without uttering another word, he dragged me out of the hall. We staggered down the stairs, finally managing to reach the field.

Rachel cupped her hand around her mouth and shouted. "Come here, quick."

I ran towards the spot where Rachel and Fiona stood and stopped in my tracks.

Ethan was not lying.

The field looked like a breath of fresh air, with cyan themed curtains surrounding the black fences.
"Beautiful!" I whispered in admiration. I was lost in the beauty of the scene as Rachel's shrill voice invaded the calmness of the atmosphere.

"Where is Leah, bruh?" Rachel asked as her eyes searched for her. We all had gathered in the field after having our snacks. Leah was the only person who wasn't there.

I ignored the question, trying to engage myself into a conversation with Ethan and Fiona.

"Guys, where is Leah? She did not come down or what?" She asked again, this time in a louder voice.

"Good that you removed 'bruh' from your speech, otherwise I would have never answered your question." Ethan narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Aww. My little cuddly pudding pie got angry." Rachel pulled his cheeks.

"How gross can you even get?" He rolled his eyes as he removed her hands from his cheeks. "Stop with these cheesy nicknames, or I will have to disown you."

"As long as you keep getting annoyed, I will continue doing this." She pulled the tip of his nose.

Adorable.

I smiled to myself at the sight of those silly banters.

They reminded me of something. They always did.

"Uh...I guess I should leave now." I started heading toward my car.

"Guess we all should leave too. Unless of course, Ethan and Rachel want to stay..."  Fiona teased them.

"Na. I have officially disowned Rachel Hanks." Ethan let out a chortle as Rachel pinched his arm.

"Oof. You guys carry on, I am leaving." I hopped into the car and waved to them.

*

I clicked open the door to see Bexley's smiling face. She dusted her immaculate waist apron and settled the gloves on her hand. "Good Afternoon sir. Ready for it?" She chuckled.

"Ready for what?" I shrugged.

"You'll see." She clapped her hands with excitement.

What's wrong with everyone around me?

I mentally rolled my eyes and followed her to the top of the stairs.

Approximately seven to eight pairs of alien eyes with huge baskets and bags stared at me, like they were examining every single detail of my body.

"Mom? What is all this?" I widened my eyes in surprise.

"Your mom called these stylists all the way from Los Angeles to make you up for Prom." She was bursting at the seams with joy.

"Mom. I don't need all this. It's just another school function. Why are you paying so much heed to it?"

"Don't tell me you will break your mom's heart." She held my hands.

After a brief pause, I sighed. "Only because you say it."

I reluctantly settled myself on the armchair as the stylist massaged my head gently.

"It's time for the ultimate show." She shrieked maniacally.

If only I could plug the holes in my poor ears with cotton balls.

The team went on with my hair, as their scissors danced along the surface of my head. They applied aloe vera gel all over my face and put two slices of fresh cucumber on my eyelids. After about two hours of the itchy and uncomfortable process, they gently unwrapped the black cloak I had been wearing and led me to the mirror.

"Look at you." The stylist whispered excitedly.

I opened my eyes and looked at myself. My face looked speckless, with radiant cheeks and plump, red lips. My eyes looked darker than their usual hue and my hair was trimmed in the perfect style, with the chestnut brown locks hanging loosely on my forehead. I blinked several times, to make sure I was not dreaming.

"You like it?" Mom whispered as she kept a hand on my shoulder.

"I like it. I really do." I smiled and hugged her as she patted my shoulders lovingly.

Without uttering another word, I quickly turned to go to my room upstairs, the thought of the Prom never leaving the confines of my mind.

The day was tomorrow.

I sighed deeply as I passed my fingers through my newly styled hair. They felt softer and silkier than ever. I picked up my phone from the bedside when something hit me.

Am I forgetting something?

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