As everyone finished their meals, people made their way back onto the dance floor. I was surprised no one had taken their masks off yet, little beads of sweat were gathering just by my nose from how hot it was.
Even though the four of us had finished and were sitting in awkward silence, none of us had gotten up to dance or made a move to talk. Despite the music it was like a spinning circle of tension, only being broken by Cameron's phone ringing and him excusing himself to go outside and answer it.
"Lucas, you don't mind if I dance with Mel for a bit do you?" I asked, he hesitated but before he could say something I gestured to the other girl and her partner on the table. "I'm sure Macy and Harry will keep you company." He looked back and nodded - albeit it agreeing it was still a slight sad nod considering Harry had his lips on Macy's and her hand was laced in his hair as I dragged my chair out from under the table. I pulled Mel up from her chair and she had to hurry to keep up with me as I basically ran to the dance floor.
"You need to tell me everything." I shouted to her over the music as we started dancing to the upbeat tempo.
"Not here, everyone will hear us." She shouted, leaning in closer so I could hear.
"Just enjoy tonight alright. Have fun with me, please?" She asked, and her face was one of those faces you just can't say no to.
I said okay, and we danced for another 45 minutes. Breathless and smiling we saw Cameron push his way through the dancers and gram Mel turning his back to me.
He whispered something to her and her expression became difficult to decipher but from what I could see, she was shocked.
"What? What's going on?" I asked, tapping Cam on the shoulder, ceasing my dancing.
"Nothings wrong, just was on the phone to my... sister." As I was about to press further the DJ interrupted.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please take your seats, dessert is about to be served."
"Does this guy ever shut up!?" I exclaimed, earning a few strange looks from people who were retreating back to their table.
I wondered back with Mel and Cam and took my seat next to a very glassy eyed Lucas.
"Hey baby, you looked hot." He said, pulling me close and putting a sloppy kiss on my cheek.
Ugh, I hated it when guys gave girls pet names like baby or Bae. Whatever happened to sweetheart and my love? There was only one person other than my parents who'd called me sweetheart, and he wasn't here.
"Are you okay?" I asked, a little bewildered, wiping some slobber from my cheek.
"Yeah great! I just had a couple while you wee dancing, I'm fine!" He laughed, waving me off and I giggled a little as he knocked his spoon onto the floor.
Dessert wasn't as silent as mains. Luckily, I was able to talk to Mel about some of the girls outfits and some of the better looking males.
"Is that a bird mask?" I asked, nodding to a woman in a black dress who was dancing by herself in the corner of the room.
"Which one?"
"The once dancing like Chandler Bing."
Mel snorted before saying, "she looks like she's wearing the mask from the Black Plague."
Just then, Lucas stood up knocking his chair behind him and fumbling with his jacket a little. We all turned in the commotion.
"Would you like to dance, my dear?" Lucas asked, a goofy grin on his face and his hand extended down to me.
Mel giggled.
"Lucas, how much have you had you drink?" I asked, pulling his chair back up and sitting him down, returning to my seat before he knocked the table over as well.
"I don't know, I lost count after five." He mumbled, a grin plastered on his face as he leaned in close to me, going for my lips. I turned my head away so he greeted my cheek with his cold hard lips.
He stood up again with a huff and announced very loudly, "Well, I am off to the bathroom. See you later!" And with that he walked away, leaving us to watch his retreating form with perplexed expressions on our faces.
"Well that was.." started Mel.
"Interesting." I finished for her.
Cameron, Mel and I made our way to the dance floor for the fifth time that night, enjoying the music once again.
Just as started to get the good nineties tunes out that everyone knew, the DJ made another bloody announcement.
"If we could have everyone return to their tables, Ivy Samson and Melanie Hart would like to say a few words." Everyone did as the DJ said and returned to their tables, as the two girls made their way up to the podium at the front of the room, each with a microphone in their hands and a piece of paper.
"First of all we'd like to thank each and every one of you for coming tonight and making our ball a huge success!" Said Ivy. There was an applause around the room and I looked towards the door of the bathrooms to see if Lucas was coming.
"Now, we do have some awards for best dressed and so on to give out, so if the winners could please make their way onto the dance floor after we read their names, we would like to give them a celebratory dance." I noticed around the room people sat straighter in their chairs and some of the girls whispered to each other in excitement.
"Our best dressed couple award goes to... Cameron Callaway and Melissa Morgan!" there were cheers from our table and I whistled at them both as they walked up to the floor. I had to give it to them, they were a cute couple and everyone loved them. They basically had enough fans to pay their rent for them.
Melanie lifted the microphone to her lips and announced the best dressed single male and female of the night. "Xavier Smith and Elaine Moriarty!" Those two made their ways up to the dance floor as well just as the music started and A Thousand Years began echoed around the room. The four slow danced and smiled for the photographer who was coming around to take their photos. I smiled at Mel and Cameron, they really did look happy, laughing away at their inside jokes and looking lovingly into each others eyes.
After the song finished they all made their way back to their tables as the two runners of the night finished their speeches.
"And finally, we do have one last couple to announce. This years Mr and Mrs Darcy winners of the night go to," everyone held their breath. Everyone but me. Lucas still hadn't made it out of the bathroom and I was starting to believe that he hadn't actually gone there.
"Ashley Anderson and Lucas Harvey!" There was a collective gasp from around the table and I looked at Mel who was pushing me onto the dance floor. I stood there awkwardly by myself, looking around the room for Lucas. I clasped my hands together and smiled weakly, nervous from all the attention.
Suddenly, he ran onto the dance floor just as the lights dimmed to almost blackness and Give Me Love began to play from the speakers.
Lucas smiled at me, but he seemed different; he wasn't stumbling and he wasn't goofy anymore. It was like he'd sobered up very quickly.
He reached his hand out to me and other than his hand, his mask was the only thing I could see.
"You sobered up quickly." I repeated my thoughts out loud as he spun me around and pulled me close again.
I looked over my shoulder shyly and self conscious at all the people staring at us.
"Stop worrying, you look gorgeous." He whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. His lip just grazed my ear and made my eyes flutter closed for a moment to catch my breath.
When I looked back at him he picked me up at the waist and held me high above him with my hands resting on his shoulders leaving me smiling down at him. He spun us around before putting me down again, twirling us around the dance floor.
Okay. So he knew how to dance.
He just smiled a beautiful white gleaming grin and we continued dancing.
He moved us into the centre where he stopped and my hands moved to his waist. He brought a hand up to my jaw and tilted my face up to him.
When he lowered his face to mine this time I didn't move or pull away . Something was different, it was like he was a completely different person. And when his lips moved against mine, I knew he was.
Our intimate moment was broken by a hand pulling me back roughly by my shoulder and the lights coming up.
"What the hell are you doing!?" asked a stumbling Lucas whose hand was on my shoulder, leaving me staring at an identical figure who I'd just shared a kiss with.