Against All Odds

by Alexia Vella Deguara

  “Your prince is late.”

  "I know,hope he's all right,"I whispered back to her as I saw Logan approaching.

  The buffet table was really nice and there were many specialties but I wasn't so hungry. I selected three things and was going back to our table when Mr Daniels appeared in front of me. I looked at him, my heart pounded against my rib cage, what did he want from me?

  “Cassidy, by any chance do you know where Mr Spencer is?” He asked looking at me in the eyes.

  “No Sir. The last time I saw him was about 2 hours ago after we came back from hospital,” I said trying to look calm.

  “Oh OK,he's late, he didn't even inform me that he was back. Anyway,what did they tell you at the hospital?” he asked me keeping eye contact with me. This man was really scary. He looked at me in a way no one else did as if he was analyzing me all the time, to seek confirmation, if I was telling the truth or not. What was he suspecting?

  “That everything is OK,” I answered him quickly.

  Lucy was near me and was listening to every word we said.

  “Mr Daniels,” She said “I wanted just to inform you that Mr Spencer has just come in.”

  Both Mr Daniels and me turned to look at the door,my eyes widened as soon as I saw him,he was dressed casually yet so sexy. He wore a pair of jeans which hugged his body and a white shirt. His black hair still wet fell on his face. My heart fluttered as I saw him gazing at me. It was hard to meet his eyes,especially after what I had done earlier. I felt embarrassed. Mr Daniels left my side and went near him,they spoke and then they went to the teacher's table. I was still there staring at him with my plate in hand.

  “Cas.. Cas. Can we go to our table? Oh my God stop staring at him like that.”Lucy scolded me.

  I turned to look at her,“Oh,sorry,it's just that,I don't know what the heck happens to me when I see him. He just looked at me and my knees weakened. “ I said helplessly. I went back to my table. I sat down and made an attempt to eat, but I couldn't as my eyes kept looking at him. He was laughing about something. Ms Leighton sat beside him and kept brushing against his arm. I felt jealous.

  “Cas eat something.” Lucy said when she saw me playing with my food.

  “I'm not very hungry,” I replied.

  “Sweetie I'm really worried about you. You are getting obsessed with him. You can't keep on going like this, just eat that food and forget that he's here OK.”

  “I'll try,” I said as I grabbed some food. I ate a little and then I stood up.

  Lucy looked at me.“Where are you going Cas?” she asked.

  “To get desert. I never say no to some sweets,” I said smiling.

  “Can you get me one of those cherry cheesecakes, they look delicious.”

  “Yes no problem.”

  I picked two dessert plates and went near the desert section and stopped for a minute to look at those mouthwatering deserts. I was still trying to decide which to take when I felt a presence behind me. Although I was facing away from this person I knew it was him.

  “Take the one with chocolate in the middle,it's simply delicious,” he said. He was close to me, so close I could feel his breath on my neck. I couldn't look at him. He leaned forward to get a chocolate petitfour and whilst doing this he brushed my arm. I trembled at the contact. My heart raced.

  “I.. I thought something happened to you. Why were you so late? Mr Daniels was rather pissed off,” I whispered.

  “I had things to do,” he replied dryly.

  “What things?” I asked curiously.

  “Can't tell,” he said in a teasing voice.

  I was still looking at the desserts. I couldn't face him. He took another two petitfours and was going to leave but then he stopped.

  “Cassy, I wanted to thank you for the small gift you gave me before running away from me. It was kind of unexpected but surely appreciated,” he said in a sensual voice that made me shiver from head to toe. My face turned red and I nearly let go of the plates. He left without saying anything else. I hurriedly took the first two desserts I saw and ran back to the table. Lucy was rather pissed off when she looked at her plate and saw a Tiramisu` instead of the cherry cheese cake she had asked for.

  “Cas, why did you get me a Tiramisu`? You know I don't like coffee,” she grumbled and then looked at me narrowly, probably I was still glowing red.

  “Cas what happened? Did he tell you something? I was talking to Logan but I saw him coming near you,” she asked.

  “He thanked me for the kiss and said he appreciated it. I'm sorry for the desert. I just took the first one I saw I -”

  Lucy began to laugh.“No problem, I'll get another one. Now just breathe and try to calm down OK.”

  I had just finished eating my desert when Lucy looked at me and..

  “Cas, if you're ready it's better if we go to get ready.”

  I stared at her as I didn't know what she was talking about.

  "Getting ready for what?”I asked.

  Now she was staring at me as If I had said the biggest stupidity of the century.

  “Cas are you serious? Don't you remember that tonight there is the masquerade ball?” she asked astonished.

  I looked at her confused. I really didn't know what she was talking about,had I lost my memory?

  “I'm sorry Luc but I don't know anything about this ball.”

  “What? How is this possible? They told us about it at the meeting. The student council organized it and-" she paused as her hand rose up to her chin. She was trying to remember something.

  “Hey wait,maybe you were out with Mr Spencer when they told us about it. I'm sorry, I had to tell you. So you didn't even bring an evening dress?” she asked me.

  I shook my head.“No,but don't worry, just go. I'll have an early night,” I said trying to reassure her that it was fine with me.

  “What? No,I won't go without you. Listen I brought two dresses with me as I didn't know which one to choose. I can lend you one. We nearly have the same size, as with regards to the masks I brought three so the problem is solved. You know they chose the theme of Versailles,” she explained.

  “Oh really?Only students will attend or-.” I stopped, but she knew what I was going to ask. She looked at me and smiled sadly.

  “I'm sorry sweetie but your prince won't be there tonight. Mr Daniels gave the teachers the night off. Only himself will be present to make sure everything is in order.”she informed me.

  I sighed with disappointment.

  “Then I think I'll stay in my room. I don't want to meet Julian. I paused for a moment and in that moment I realized that he did not come down to dinner.“How come he's not here?” I asked Lucy.

  “Only now you realized that your boyfriend is not here?” She asked half laughing. “Well apparently from what Logan told me. Mr Spencer had a bad argument with him. He ordered him to stay away from you and to remain in his room. Logan said he had room service and that he is banned from tonight's ball so you won't meet him. You know Cas,I think that Mr Spencer took advantage of the situation to drift the two of you apart at least for tonight.”

  “I don't think so. Why should he do that, he can't even be present.”I retorted.

  “Well you never know, so are you coming with me or not? Please say yes. You can always dance with somebody else. Logan has a lot of friends or at least you could just come for a drink although I doubt there will be any alcohol,” she said with pleading eyes.

  “OK OK, I’ll come but only for the drink. Tonight I just want to relax without having to deal with any gorgeous males,” I said and I meant it. When Mr Spencer is around I can never relax.

  Lucy laughed. We got up and I looked at the teacher's table but he wasn't there. Probably he had already left. We went back to our room and Lucy took out the dresses.

  “So Cas which one do you want?”She asked me happily.

  “Oh I don't know,they are both lovely, maybe I'll try the yellow one,” I said grabbing it. It was very nice, of a golden yellow colour with
lace details on the front. I tried it on and although it took Lucy some effort to be able to close the zip I really liked the way it hugged my body.

  “Oh Cas,you're beautiful. It fits you really well, although it's a little too fitted on the bust. Apparently you are more busty than me. Now let's choose the mask. I think the white and gold one would be the best,” she said as she grabbed it and handed it to me.

  “Which ever is OK for you,” I said. I wasn't really looking forward to this ball. I knew for Lucy it was different. She would spend the night dancing in the arms of Logan while I, I would just sit down, imagining I'm still in his arms.

  I arranged my hair and put on the mask and then I sat down waiting for Lucy to get ready. What was Mr Spencer doing right now? I wondered, maybe he's going out with the other teachers and with Miss Leighton... uh... how I wished he was a student like me.,it would have been much easier.

  “I'm ready Cas we can go.”Lucy said as she came out of the bathroom. I looked at her, she looked beautiful.

  “Oh Luc,you look just like queen Antoinette in that dress. I would say much sexier but,” I said honestly, Lucy laughed.

  “Thanks. Hope Logan thinks so too,let's go Cas.”

  We left our Room and went near the lift. Lucy pushed the button impatiently . Finally the lift opened and there stood Mr Spencer. He looked at me and our eyes met. My heart raced as his eyes sank into mine even if for a brief moment. His gaze averted from me for a moment going down to my body and then again back up to my eyes. He came out of the lift.

  “Have a nice evening girls,” he said while he walked away. Lucy entered the lift and was waiting for me. I went in for a second but then I put my leg in the door to stop it from shutting and went out again.

  “What are you doing Cas?” Lucy asked stunned.

  “Can you just wait a second please?” And without letting her reply I ran after him. I didn't know what I was going to tell him. I just needed to see him again.

  “Sir,” I called him breathlessly.

  He stopped and turned around.

  “Yes Cassy.”

  “I just.. I...”Oh my God what the hell was wrong with me? I didn't know what to say. What excuse could I invent? I felt my heart increase its beat as I looked again into his beautiful blue eyes.

  “You look beautiful, you look like a princess,” he said instead of waiting for me to say something.

  “Thank you,” I stuttered.

  “Pity you won't be having your prince with you tonight,” he said then taking me by surprise.

  I stared at him, was he referring to Julian or to himself? He kept looking at me in silence.

  “Cas!! I can't hold this bloody door open anymore. Can you please come!” Lucy grumbled.

  “Yes I'm coming,” I said annoyed, oh I didn't want to go to that damned ball, I wanted to stay there with him. I turned my gaze to him one more time and he smiled at me.

  “It's better if you go Cassy,your friend is loosing her patience. Have a good time. See you tomorrow.”

  “Good night Ty..Sir.”

  I walked away from him. His gaze was still on me until I reached the lift and Lucy pulled me in fearing I would ran away again.

  “You can't resist him can you?” she said.

  "I'm sorry Luc, I just wanted to...to-I don't know really.”

  “To be with him a little bit more maybe,” she finished for me.

  “Something like that. Why couldn't it be him the vigilant instead of Mr Daniels?” I asked her sadly.

  “Well maybe because he would be vigilant only on you. He looked at you in such a way when he saw you. He was literally undressing you with his eyes and probably if I wasn't here he would have done that for real,” she said with amusement.

  “Luc stop you are embarrassing me,” I said feeling my cheeks growing warmer, I had noticed it as well.

  “Well it's the truth. He looked at you with lust, just be careful if you don't want to finish in his bed soon.”She said with a smirk .

  In his bed?Oh my God,not that I didn't want .

  “You would like that won't you!” she asked grinning as if she had read my mind.

  “Well yes. There is no point in denying the evidence. I would be happy to lose my virginity to him but this will happen only in my dreams, so now please give me a break OK!”

  She smiled and said nothing more. Finally we arrived to the 5th floor where there was the main hall. We entered into a beautiful hall decorated with marbles. It had three beautiful chandeliers which spread dim lighting and beautiful red velvet curtains hung over the many doors sparse at the sides. Lucy localized Logan immediately,he was very handsome in the black suit and the Venetian mask. There was a nice atmosphere. Everyone seemed to be having fun. I saw Mr Daniels seated in a corner looking around. I felt a little lost and sad. Everyone was dancing with their partners while I was alone. I was regretting I had accepted to come. I decided to get a drink and then sit down in a corner. I began to look around and to admire the beautiful dresses some of my schoolmates were wearing,there were some who had really took the theme seriously and dressed In typical Versailles costumes. While I was looking around, my gaze fell on a guy who was leaning against the wall. He was dressed like a real French noble, he had even the white wig on. For some reason he captured my attention and I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was there alone looking around, and for a moment I swear he had looked at me. But then he walked away, and went near the DJ and gave him a piece of paper. The DJ had looked at it and nodded. After a while I saw him looking at me again and then began to walk. Wait, he was coming in my direction. I felt panicky all of a sudden. As he was approaching I could see that he wore a mask which was covering all his face. My heart was beating fast. I couldn't understand why but something in him made me feel agitated. He looked charming but I couldn't tell if he was handsome or not,that darn mask covered everything. He stopped in front of me and asked me to dance with him. For an instance I had just stared at him,not knowing If I heard well since the music was high and his mask wasn't helping much. His voice wasn't very clear. He held out his hand to me and I took it. I rose up from my chair and followed him thinking I would be dancing the latest music hit of David Guetta but as soon as we reached the dance floor the music changed. The DJ had put on the romantic song “Hero. For a moment I felt confused. But he didn't give me time to think about it as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. I put my trembling arms around his neck and we waddled slowly to the music.

  “Do you like this song?”He asked.

  “Actually yes,I love it,” I replied.

  “It's one of my favourite, more for it's words than its music,” he added.

  As we moved slowly I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes. I wanted to imagine that the guy I was dancing with was Tyler. He was truly my hero. The one and only. The movement of his hands pressing my waist made me come back to reality. I looked up at him. Who was this guy?The more I danced with him, the more I felt strange,a feeling I couldn't explain. My heart beat raced all the time feeling the way he was caressing my back while my body crushed into his with every movement. I was attracted to this guy, which is quite strange considering I wasn't seeing anything of him. How could I feel these things for a person that I didn't even know? For a very strange reason I felt safe in his arms, I felt happy and serene. All I could see were his eyes through that mask. But I couldn't even tell what colour they were, there were too many shadows. But there was a spark in them that was familiar, it reminded me of someone.