Becoming the Luna

I had thought it extravagant that my grandparents owned a ballroom but when I see the crowd that had gathered, I backtrack on my conclusions.

Maids direct us to the other side of the ballroom, where the red carpet is set out and paparazzi are twinkling like stars on the other side of the ribbon.

"Why can we follow the back door?" I frown in unhappiness, Yanis looks upset as well.

"It's protocol." He says formally.

I flash him a look, mentally preparing myself for when we would have to walk on the carpet. "Who died and made you the adult?"

"You're just a couple weeks older than me, minou, that doesn't mean anything."

"It's a full month." I deadpan.

"Three weeks and three days." He fires back.

I just give him a blank look and his pale gold eyes darkens. "What are you thinking?" I ask, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

"Nothing illegal, Mr Kitty." He drawls patronizingly, pulling me closer to him and stepping on the red carpet.

The cameras and reporters immediately swivel over to us, like they could sense that someone really important had stepped up.

I hide a gasp and try to hide my face. "What the fuck are you doing?" I whisper furiously, it didn't really matter who I was seen with, no one knew me but not Yanis.

"What does it look like?" He asks, smiling slightly for the cameras who ate up his presence, practically ignoring every other person on the red carpet.

"You're going to ruin your reputation, you're not gay." I say in worry, trying to hurry him along.

"I'm not but I'm in the mood to create a little scandal." He grins mischievously, taking his time. "Plus, I really like that look." He inclines his head and I look up in that direction to see Virgil glaring darkly at us from the interior of the ball.

I shake my head in amusement. "I thought you didn't like my plan."

He pauses to lean towards me, pulling me even closer at this action. "I still don't, now let's go in, I'm not petty but I would really love to see what cocktail looks like on Nicole's dress." He whispers in my ears.

I snicker at this, grateful to leave the red carpet, My eyes go wide at the ball, it's like a dream and I see Shana afar off in a silver dress, that had a high slit up one leg, the shimmery dressed hugged her figure and her hair was elaborately styled.

"Shana looks like she's having the time of her life." Yanis notes, brushing past Virgil who's with a drooling Julia.

"That's because she is." I smile, ignoring Virgil.

"Hayden!" She squeals from a distance, hopping up and down in delicate heels and I wince, dressing her up in fancy clothes and making her the Queen of a ball didn't change her one bit, I'm happy it didn't.

"Happy birthday, crazy person!" I raise my voice to catch her attention as she makes her way towards us.

"Oof!" I expel a breath when she hugs me so tight.

"Thank you, Hayden, and you're late." She shoves her face in mine.

"Happy birthday, Rouge." Yanis says to her and she hugs him as well.

"Thank you, Bowl head." She says sweetly, lights in her eyes.

"You look happy." I point out, with a smaller version of the megawatt smile painting her face.b

"I am happy but I'm starting to get tired of all these morons, they all don't like each and are just pretending, most don't even care about me but the Hors d'oeuvres are mind blowing." She grins, dipping her hands into a passing tray and shoving the appetizer into her mouth.

"It'll soon be over." I reassure her, hugging her.

"Oh Shay-nay!" A gaudily dressed girl crashes into our conversation and I choke on laughter as Shana makes a face. "I've been looking for you everywhere, Paris just got her poodle and she really wants to show you."

"That sounds wonderful, Blair." Shana says through gritted teeth. 

The girl called Blair finally notices us and I sigh in relief when her gaze passes over me and settles on Yanis. "Oh my fucking God! It's Yanis!! I had no idea you knew Yanis!" She whisper yells to Shana who just has a blank expression on her pretty face. 

"I don't." Shana says coldly, already pulling the jittery teenage girl away, her pale pink dress billowing behind her. "Bye Hay, bye Bowl head." She throws over her shoulder.

Blair refuses to be controlled though. "It sounds like you do, is that his date? Is he gay? His date is so adorable…"

I watch Shana effortlessly pull the bumbling blonde away and I burst out laughing.

"You seem to be having fun." Nicole's voice shoots an icicle through my heart and I sober up, my jaw hardening.

"Hi, Hayden." Dale greets in a subdued voice, his eyes look dull and he looks even more distracted than the day before.

Something wasn't right…

"Hey…" I start to say but Nicole is already pulling him away.

"Just because you're the Yanis Nolan's date doesn't mean to get to so much as look at Dale." She whispers to me then grins at Yanis. "So you're his date, I wouldn't have guessed." She says with a serpentine like grin.

Yanis eyes darkens and I flinch back in shock.

The audacity of this bitch.

"You must not understand how Ex-es work." I tell her coldly, slipping away from Yanis tight hold to give Dale a brief hug. "Hey, Dale." I smile up at him.

His dull eyes brighten up briefly and the listlessness I'm his eyes clears up a bit and he starts to hug me back but Nicole steps in between us. 

"I'm thirsty, Dale." She whines to him, stepping in front of me.

Yanis quickly pulls me to his side and we both watch them walk off or more like Nicole pulls him away. "I don't like the feeling that Nicole gives me." He mutters darkly, watching her closely.

I shiver slightly. "Same here."