The Golden Lily Chapter 13

THE DAY OF THE DANCE, I seriously conside inflamed going back to the costume in good and buying the flammable white costume.Lias cut was a bit more than than I had expected.She had d wizard a fair job copying the chiton style languid in ancient Greece, Id give her that.The rig was sleeveless, pinned at my shoulders to drape into a neckline lower than I was comfortable with. The jog was floor length, and shed somehow nailed my prime perfectly without measuring me. That was where the historical resemblance ended. The material was some diverseness of silky, flowing fabric that draped around me and showed my figure better than youd expect a dress kindred that to manage. Whatever the material was, it was nix the Greeks could take aim produced, and it was red.I couldnt remember the last time Id worn red. mayhap when I was a child. Sure, the Amberwood coherent variations sometimes had burgundy in them, save it was a subdued shade.This was a brilliant, flaming scarlet. I never wore change that intense. I didnt like the attention they attracted. Amplifying it was the amount of gold shed worked into the dress. Gold thread danced along the edge of the red fabric, glittering in the light. The belt was golden as swell up and not the cheap plastic of the costumes. The pins holding the dress were gold (or at least some high quality metal that appeared gold), as were the accessories shed provided a necklace and earrings make of little coins. Shed even given me a gold comb with little red crystals on it.I tried it on in my dorm room and stared at the glittering, red display I made.No, I tell aloud.Some ane knocked at my door, and I grimaced. It would take forever to change out of the elaborate dress, so I had no choice hardly to answer in costume. Fortunately, it was Jill. Her mouth heart-to-heart to speak and hence just hung there in silence when she saw me.I know, I said. Its ridiculous.She recovered herself a a couple of(prenominal) seconds later. No no Its amaze. Oh my God. I hurried her into the room before our classmates could verify me. She was also dressed for the dance, in a fairy confection of pale unappeasable gauzy material that beared perfect on her gracile Moroi frame. Its red, I told her. In case it wasnt obvious, I added I never live red.I know, she said, wide-eyed. But you should. It reflexions amazing on you. You should burn all(a) your gray and brown clothes.I agitate my doubtfulness. I cant wear this. If we croak now, theres still time to go by the costume store and render something else.Jill shook pip her awed state and took on an adamant, fierce go out that seemed kind of extreme for the situation. No. Absolutely not. You are wearable that. Its going to blow your boyfriend international. And you should put on a little more makeup I know, I know. You dont like anything gaga, entirely just minaciousen the eyeliner and put on some lipstick. Just a little. Youve got to match the dresss intensity.Y ou see? Already this color is causing problems.She wouldnt back blue. Itll take like a second. And thats all weve got. If we dont leave soon, were going to be late. Your boyfriends always early, right? I didnt answer right away. She had me there. Brayden was always early, and as much as the costume pained me, I couldnt stand the thought of reservation him wait curiously since he wouldnt be able to get into the dance without an Amberwood student.Fine, I said, with a sigh. Lets go.Jill grinned triumphantly. But first the makeup.I conceded to the makeup and then, at the last minute, added my cross necklace. It didnt go with the theme and was instantly swallowed by the more rubicund gold jewelry, but it made me tonicity better. It was a piece of traffic patternity.When we lastly left, we found Eddie waiting for us in the lobby. He was dressed in normal clothes, his only nod to Halloween being a patent white half-mask that reminded me of the Phantom of the Opera. I was half-te mpted to ask if he had a second one so that I could do a quick wardrobe change and just go masked.He jumped up from his chair, his demonstrate going dreamy when he saw Jill in her blue, ethereal glory. Honestly, how could no one else see how crazy he was virtually her? It was so painfully obvious. He drank her in with his eyes, opinioning as though he might swoon then and there.Then, he flicked his gaze over to me and did a double-take. His expression wasnt lovestruck so much as dumbfounded.I know, I know. I could already see tonights pattern forming. Its red. I never wear red.You should, he said, echoing Jill. He glanced betwixt her and me then shook his head.Too bad were related. Id ask you guys to dance. visual perception as my cousin already wants to go out with me, though, I suppose we shouldnt start any more rumors.Poor Angeline, said Jill, as we walked out to my car. She really wanted to go.Seeing as therell be speakers there, its belike surmount she doesnt, I said.Eddi e paused when we reached Latte. Can I drive? I feel like I should be a chauffeur tonight.You guys look like royalty. He grinned at Jill. Well, youre always royalty. He opened one of the back doors and actually swept her a bow. After you, milady. Im here to serve. Practical, stoic Eddie was rarely given to such(prenominal) dramatic shows, and I could tell it caught Jill off guard. Th-thank you, she said, getting into the backseat. He helped her tuck her skirt inside, and she regarded him wonderingly, like shed never noticed him before. After that, I could hardly deny his request and gave him the keys.The Halloween dance was being held at a actually pretty hall adjacent to some botanical gardens.Eddie and I had checked it out this week so that he could determine its safety. Micah was meeting Jill there, though for different agreements than Brayden meeting me. Supervised buses were shuttling most students from the shoal to the dance. Upperclassmen like Eddie and me were allowed to take our own transportation, along with family like Jill. No one would technically know if Micah dropped her off later, but for now, she could only leave campus in the family carpool.I hope Im ready for this, I muttered, as we pulled into the lay lot. The dress had distracted me so much that I hadnt had time to ruminate over my early(a) irritation going to a dance. All my old social anxieties returned. What did I do? What was normal here? I hadnt had the nerve to ask any of my friends.Youll be fine, said Eddie. Your boyfriend and Micah will both(prenominal) be speechless. I un stiffened my seatbelt. Thats the third time Ive heard your boyfriend. Whats going on with that? Why wont anyone feel out Braydens name? incomplete of them answered right away. Finally, Jill said sheepishly, Because none of us can remember it.Oh, come on Id expect that from Adrian but not you guys. Its not that weird of a name.No, admitted Eddie. But theres just something so I dont know. Unmemorable virtu ally him. Im glad he makes you happy, but I just start to tune out whenever he talks.I cant believe this, I said.Brayden was waiting out front for us, no doubt having been there for at least ten proceeding.My stomach fluttered as he looked me over from head to toe. He didnt comment, though his eyes widened a bit. Was that healthy or bad? I flashed my student ID to get him in the door, and Jill almost immediately coupled Micah. Eddies brief romantic flare was gone as he shifted into business mode. A brief look of pain crossed his face, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.I touched his arm.You going to be okay? I asked round the bendly.He smiled back. Ill be fine. Just buzz off fun. He walked away, soon melting into the campaign of students. That left me alone with Brayden. Silence fell between us, which wasnt uncommon.It sometimes took us a few minutes to warm up and get the conversation going.So, he said, as we walked further inside. You have a DJ. I wondered if itd be th at or a live band.Our school just had a bad feature with a live band, I said, thinking of Angeline.Brayden didnt press for details and instead gazed around at the decor. Fake cobwebs and shimmer lights were strewn near the ceiling. Paper skeletons and witches hung on the walls. Over on a far table, students were scooping cowherd out of a giant plastic cauldron.Amazing, isnt it? said Brayden. How a pagan Celtic holiday has become such a commercial event.I nodded. And a very secular one. Well, aside from attempts to merge it into All Saints Day.He smiled at me. I smiled back. We were safely in familiar academic territory.You want to check out the jab? I asked. Some fast, bass-heavy song was on, drawing lots of people to the dance floor. Fast dancing wasnt really my style. I didnt know Braydens take and was afraid he might want to join in.Sure, he said, looking relieve to have a purpose. Something told me hed been to as many dances as I had none.The punch provided us with a reason to discuss sugar vs. artificial sweeteners, but my heart wasnt into it. I was too concerned about something else. Brayden hadnt said one word about my dress, and it was filling me with anxiety. Was he as shocked by it as I had been?Was he politely holding back his true thoughts? I could hardly expect compliments if I wasnt giving them, so I decided to take the plunge.Your costumes great, I said. Thats from the theatrical company, right?Yes. He glanced down and smoothed out the folds of his tunic. Not entirely accurate, of course, but itll do. The tunic was knee-length, pinned on one shoulder, and made of very light, off-white wool. He had a woolen cape over it dyed in a dark brown that was accurate to the time period. Even with the cape, a fair amount of his arms and chest were exposed, demo a runners body with a lightly muscled build. Id always thought he was cute, but it wasnt until this moment I realized he might actually be hot. I expected that to trigger a stronger quality i n me, but it didnt.He was waiting for me to say something. Mines not entirely, um, accurate either. Brayden studied the red dress in a very clinical way. No, he agreed. Not at all. Well, the cuts not that far off, I suppose. He thought for several(prenominal) moments more. But I still think its very pretty on you.I relaxed a little. Coming from him, very pretty was high praise. While he often had a lot to say about every former(a) topic, he was thrifty with words when it came to emotions. I shouldnt have expected anything more than a simple statement of facts, so this was a big deal.Whoa, Melbourne. Where have you been conceal? lead strolled over to us and began liberally filling a cup with the fluorescent green punch. You look badass. And hot. He shot Brayden an apologetic look. Dont take that the ill-timed way. Just telling it like it is.Understood, said Brayden. I couldnt help a smile. terce had been behaving weirdly around me for the last day or so, and it was nice to see him back to everyday form.Trey gave me an other admiring look and then turned back to Brayden. Hey, check it out. We both went for togas. Romans rule He held up a hand to high-five Brayden but didnt receive it.This is a Greek chiton, Brayden explained patiently. He studied Treys homemade toga, which looked suspiciously like it had been made from a bed sheet. Thats, um, not.Greek, Roman. Trey shrugged. Whats the difference? Brayden opened his mouth, and I knew he was about to explain exactly what the difference was. I quickly rushed in. Yours looks good on you, I told Trey. Looks like all those hours of weight training paid off and I finally get to see the tattoo. Like Braydens, Treys tunic was draped over one shoulder, giving a glimpse of his lower back. Trey, like half the school, had a tattoo. But unlike the rest, his hadnt been part of the high-inducing, sinister vampire job ones that had swept the student body. Treys was a sun with highly stylized rays. It had been done in norma l, dark blue tattoo ink. Eddie had told me about it, but Id never gotten a look at it before, seeing as Trey didnt really go apparelless around me.Some of Treys enthusiasm dimmed, and he turned slightly, keeping his back away from us. Well, its pretty softcore compared to yours. Nice to see it out again, by the way. I absentmindedly touched my cheek. I unremarkably covered the golden lily with makeup at school, but I figured here at the dance, I could claim it as part of the costume if any teachers grilled me about the dress code.Another fast song came on, and Trey brightened again. Time to show off my moves. You guys coming? Or are you going to cope the punch all night?I dont really do fast dancing, said Brayden. I tight sagged in relief.Me either, I said.Trey gave us a rueful smile before heading out. wring me surprised. Brayden and I spent a good deal of that evening by the punch, actually, continuing our discussion of Halloweens origins and the big subjugation of pagan hol idays. Friends of mine came by occasionally, and Kristin and Julia in particular couldnt stop gushing about my dress. any so often, Id also catch a glimpse of Eddie patrolling the crowds, silently and covertly.Maybe he shouldve been a ghost. He was almost always within sight of Jill and Micah but focusing on guardian mode seemed to have saved him from pining over her too much.Both Brayden and I stopped talking when a averse song finally came on. We tensed and then exchanged glances, knowing what was coming. Okay, he said. We can only turn away this for so long.I nearly burst out laughing, and he answered with a small smile. He too was fully aware of our social ineptitude. Somehow, that was comforting. Now or never, I agreed.We walked over to the dance floor, joining other couples locked in embraces. Calling what most of them were doing dancing was kind of a stretch. Most were just kind of placedly rocking and rotating around. A few were only if using the opportunity to plaster themselves all over each other and make out. They were quickly pulled apart by chaperones.I took hold of one of Braydens hands, and he rested his other on my hip. Aside from the kiss, this was probably the most intimate contact wed had so far. thither were still a few inches between us, but I couldnt help but be overwhelmed at the change to my normal personal space boundaries. I reminded myself that I liked and trusted Brayden and that there was nothing weird about this. As usual, I didnt feel surrounded in hearts or rainbows, but I didnt feel threatened either. Attempting to shift my thoughts from our closeness, I pick uped to the song and immediately got a feel for its count. About a minute into the song, Brayden realized what I was doing.You you can dance, he said in amazement.I looked up at him in surprise. Of course. I was hardly sweeping across the floor in some grand ballroom waltz, but all of my movements were timed to the songs beats. I couldnt really imagine how else you would dance. Brayden, meanwhile, was only one step removed from the rigid movements of most of the other couples. Its not hard, I added. Its just kind of mathematical.Once I put it into those terms, Brayden got on board. He was a quick study and counted off the beats with me. Before long, we looked as though wed been fetching dance lessons forever. Even more surprising, I glanced up at him once, expecting to see him concentrating and counting. Instead, he was regarding me with a soft expression an affectionate one, even. Flushing, I looked away.Amazingly, the smell of coffee still clung to him, even though he hadnt worked today.Maybe no amount of showering could get rid of that scent. Yet, as much as I loved eau de coffee, I found myself thinking of the way Adrians cologne had smelled at Wolfes.When the next fast song came on, Brayden and I took a break, and he excused himself to go talk to the DJ. When he returned, he refused to explain his mysterious errand, but he seemed supreme ly pleased with himself. Another lessen song soon followed, and we headed back to the dance floor.And for once, conversation between us stilled. It was enough to just dance for a while.This is what its like to lead a simple life, I thought. This is what people my age do. No grand machinations or fights between good and Sydney?Jill was standing beside us a worried expression on her face. My inner alarms immediately went off, wondering what had caused such a sudden change from her happy, carefree attitude earlier. Whats wrong? I asked. My first fear was for Adrian, that shed sensed something through the bond. I shook the thought. I needed to be worrying about Moroi assassins, not his well-being.Jill said nothing but simply nodded toward the punch table, almost exactly where Brayden and I had been earlier. Trey was back, talking animatedly to a girl in a Venetian mask. The mask was beautiful an icy blue, decorated with silver leaves and flowers. The mask was also familiar. Jill had worn it in Lias runway show and had been allowed to keep it. Equally familiar was this masked girls outfit, a threadbare shirt and ragged jean shorts No, I said, recognizing the long, strawberry blonde hair. Angeline. How did she get here? Never mind. There were any number of people she could have sneaked here with. The chaperones probably wouldnt have noticed her on a shuttle bus. We have to get her out of here. If shes caught, shell be expelled for sure.The mask does hide her features, Jill pointed out. Maybe no one will notice.Mrs. Weathers will, I said, sighing. That womans got a sixth sense for oh. Too late. Mrs. Weathers was chaperoning on the other side of the room, but her eagle eyes missed nothing. Peering over the crowded dance floor, I saw her begin making her way toward the punch. I didnt think shed made a positive ID on Angeline yet, but her suspicions were definitely raised.Whats wrong? asked Brayden, glancing between Jill and me. No doubt we wore mirrored expressions of dismay.Our cousins about to get in some serious trouble, I said.We have to do something. Jills eyes were wide and anxious. We have to get her out of here.How? I exclaimed.Mrs. Weathers had reached the refreshments table, just as Trey and Angeline began walking toward the dance floor. I saw her start to go after them, but Mrs. Weathers didnt get very far because the punch scene of action suddenly exploded.Well, not the bowl itself. The punch inside exploded, nebulizer out in a spectacular shower of bright green liquid. There were shrieks as several nearby people got splashed, but it was Mrs. Weathers who took the brunt of it.I heard a sharp intake of breath from Brayden. How in the world did that happen? That must have Sydney?Id cried out and jerked a few feet away, knowing exactly what had caused that bowl to explode.Brayden assumed my reaction was fear of injury. Its okay, he said. Were too far away for any glass to be over here.Immediately, I looked at Jill. She gave me a small, helpless shrug that said, Well, what else was I supposed to do? My usual reaction to Moroi magic was disgust and fear. Tonight, shock and dismay were there too. We didnt need attention drawn to us. True, no one knew or would even guess that Jill had used vampire water magic to create the punch distraction, but it didnt matter. I didnt want any word of weird, unexplainable phenomena leaking out of Amberwood.We needed to stay down the stairs the radar.Are you okay? Eddie had suddenly appeared by our side or rather, Jills side. What happened? He wasnt even looking at the punch. His focus was all on Jill, and just like earlier, she actually seemed to notice it. Brayden was the one who answered, his eyes fire up with intellectual curiosity as he watched teachers scurry and try to clean up the mess.Some sort of chemical reaction, if I had to guess. Could be as simple as using baking soda. Or peradventure some kind of mechanical device?I gave Eddie a pointed look. It was a prank, I said. Anyone couldve done it. Eddie looked at me, then looked back at Jill. He gave a slow nod. I see. We should get you out of here, he told her. You never know what No, no, I said. Get Angeline out of here.Angeline? Eddies face registered disbelief. But how? I directed him toward where she stood with Trey on the dance floor. They, like many others, were staring at the aftermath of the punch explosion with wonder. I dont know how she got here, I said. Its irrelevant. She needs to leave. Mrs. Weathers nearly caught her. A knowing glint flashed in Eddies eyes. But the punch distracted her?Yes.His attention fell back on Jill, and he smiled. Convenient timing. She smiled back. I guess we got gilt this time. Their gazes locked, and it was almost a shame to interrupt. Go, I told Eddie. Get Angeline. He cast one last look at Jill and then jumped into action. I couldnt hear the conversation as he spoke with Angeline and Trey, but the look on his face would accept no arguments. I could see Trey yielding to family authority, and after a few more arguments, Angeline gave in as well. Eddie quickly escorted her out, and to my relief, neither Mrs. Weathers nor anyone else seemed to notice.Jill, I said. It might be best if you and Micah leave early. You dont have to go right this second but soon.Jill nodded, face sad. I understand.Even if no one would connect her to this, it was best if she wasnt around. Already, I could see people gathering at the table and, like Brayden, trying to figure out what could have caused such a phenomenon. She vanished into the crowd. Brayden finally looked away from the spectacle. He started to say something to me and then suddenly jerked his head toward the DJ.Oh no, he said, face crestfallen.What? I asked, half-expecting the DJs table to collapse or a speaker to catch on fire.This song. I requested it for you but its almost over. I tilted my head to listen. I didnt know the song, but it was slow and romantic and made me feel well, kind o f guilty. Here it was, a sentimental gesture from Brayden, ruined by myfamilys wacky hijinks. I caught hold of his hand.Well, its not over yet. number on.We were able to dance to the last minute of it, but it was clear that Brayden was disappointed.I wanted to make it up to him somehow and, in spite of everything that had happened, still have the normal high school dance experience Id wanted.The nights young, I teased. Ill go request one for you, and then you can try to guess when it comes on. Considering I didnt listen to the radio, it probably wouldnt be that hard to guess. I made the request and then joined Brayden for another slow song. I was still a little anxious about what had happened earlier but told myself all was well now. Jill had left. Eddie had taken care of Angeline. All I had to do was relax and A vibration startled me as I danced. I was wearing a tiny, red dress purse over my shoulder. It was lost in the folds of my gown, but the buzz of my cell phone was unmistaka ble.Apologizing to Brayden, I stopped dancing to check the message. It was from Adrian We need 2 talk.Great, I thought as my heart sank. Could this night be any more of a mishap?I texted back Im busy.His response Ill be fast. Im close by.A feeling of dread crept over me How close?The response was about as bad as I could expect The parking lot.