Spring Ball Trouble 7/7: The Ball

As promised, the last installment of the Spring Ball Trouble arc!

This, like the last three, is mostly me. Of all the sections, this part was the hardest to write, and the dialogue is original. I'll share some of my thoughts and other ideas afterwards, but for now, please enjoy the conclusion of the story!

. . .

I arrived at the music room at exactly 5:30, a jacket over my dress and my bag on my side. I was reviewing the lyrics to “The Blueish Vortex,” and “The Purpleish Star”, thinking those were the only ones they would have me sing; however, if needed, I knew the lyrics to a few of the others as well. Maggie was warming up on a drum pad with headphones over her ears but raised a drumstick at me in salute. Raymond was just taking out his guitar and humming something that I recognized as "Crimson Lights". 

"Kenny's going to be late," Ray said, popping his earphones out for a moment. 

I laughed. "And here he was the one that said 5:30 sharp."

"I did," a voice said from the door, "and I’m here on time," We all glanced over to see a sweaty and tired Kenneth, one hand resting on his guitar and the other on the doorframe. "And don'tcha forget it!" He whipped his guitar out and strummed a random chord. "Let's practice."

I was worried that they would be dissatisfied with my performance, but everyone was very supportive. Maggie noted that I sang a little slower and higher than Melodie but we managed to find a balance that was comfortable enough for me and everyone else. I was happy about the arrangement. Instead of a replacement, I felt like a guest star that was singing a cover of their songs. I just had the awesome opportunity of singing live with the band itself. 

At half an hour before the ball started and an hour before we were to play Iris surprised us by showing up with pizza and drinks. She didn't speak much but looked over each of us carefully. She adjusted Ray, and Kenneth's ties and even brought one for Maggie, who had insisted on wearing dress pants because she was playing the drums. She didn't look at me the entire time. Finally, I gathered my courage, swallowed my pride and asked her politely, "Excuse me?"

She whirled on me stormily. I took it gracefully and braced myself for whatever she could say. "Do I look ok?"

She raised and eyebrow. "How would I know? Aren't you the fashion designer?" Her voice was a cold, and there was definitely a hint of scorn and sarcasm mixed in as well, but I sensed she was also a little surprised. 

"I like my ball dress, but you're more familiar with how the band's performances go. They've already told me about entrances and stuff, but I'm not the clearest person about how appearances go. I wanted to achieve something that would fit in with the band yet not be the same as Melodie's usual look. She's got her own groove, her own niche. I can't fill that, but if she's asked me to substitute for her tonight then I want to do my best. I want to let the Super Soundwaves look and sound as good as they can tonight. And I think you can help me with that. So...what do you think…Miss Eodoin?”

I stopped and drew my breath. What was that? Unscripted monologues weren't my thing. I held my breath, realizing that everyone in the room was as well. Finally iris sighed and spoke. "Your jacket doesn't work. it kinda worked yesterday, but not for you  today. I have one you can use." She pulled out a red jacket that seemed a little large for her and meant for someone probably taller than either of us. But I traded with her without comment and let her do my hair. She tied half of it in a low ponytail, leaving one strand the right side down. Then she braided this piece and clipped it to the ponytail and swept everything  over my right shoulder. When I saw myself in the mirror I couldn't help but smile. I would definitely be using this hairstyle again. It resembled a one-tailed version of Melodie's, braided and carefully placed pigtails, and I felt it captured both wilderness and elegance. Who knew Iris was a genius hairstylist? 

"Thank you," I said when she was finished and was clipping a few pins on the jacket. Finally she handed me the microphone and nodded. Her face was still straight and emotionless, but I felt a slight change in her demeanor. 

"Go eat now," she said, pointing to the last slice of pizza Ray had left. "I need to change into my own dress."

"Who's ya date?" Kenneth asked nonchalantly then, coming back from setting up the stage with Raymond. I pretended to be fascinated by a pepperoni on my pizza but listened curiously. Now that it seemed she had gotten over whatever her initial reason to hate me was, I was curious about why she didn't want me coming to the ball. But when I chanced a glance up I was afraid that even if I didn't mess up tonight the Super Soundwaves would be short one guitarist. 

"None of your business," she snapped snobbishly. She whirled on me suddenly.  “This doesn’t change anything, Eileen Hieron. Nothing.” 

On that ominous note she marched out. I looked to the others for a sign as to how to react. Raymond and Maggie were on their ipods again, pictures of innocence . Kenneth rolled his eyes. 

"Ready for ya debut concert?" he asked me, changing the subject animatedly. 

I pushed aside my confusion, smiled and nodded. "Let's rock and roll." 

After three songs and a short encore, the Super Soundwaves and guest singer headed backstage from their mini-preformance, roses scattering their walkway and cheers echoing behind us. The concert had been an overwhelming success. People had been disappointed that Melodie couldn't make it, but most fans were tolerant if not intrigued in the girl that had been chosen to represent her. 

Backstage, the band packed up and got ready to enjoy the night as normal students. I changed into my ball gown, a light pink halter-top with a flower on the side and beads hemmed into the side. I tied my hair into a bun and struggled to clip the flower perfectly in place when I felt a hand over mine. 

"Let me," a boy's voice whispered quietly into my ear. In the mirror, I saw Norbert gazing at my reflection, his hand over the flower in my hand. 

"Nor-Norbert!" I gasped inarticulately. 

He chuckled and took the flower from my hand and pinning it into my hair. "At first I was quite distraught," he admitted. "And when I found out who you'd turned me down for, I felt a moment of betrayal." He looked at his hands before meeting my eyes. "But I can't stay mad at him. Alan's my friend, as you are. I'm sure neither of you meant me any offense."

How was I supposed to respond to this? He was already dressed in a nice shirt and tie, though I couldn't imagine who he would be going with--who he found on such a short notice. "Th-thank you for your understanding," I was close to mumbling, but put on a brave front. It wouldn't do to have anyone seeing me stutter now. I'd made my choice, hadn't I?

"Eileen!" Norbert and I both turned at Alan's voice as it came from the hall outside the music room. He must have been worried from waiting for me so long and come to check on me. A knock on the ajar door indicated he had found the dressing room. "Eileen?"

"Come in," I managed to say. Norbert dropped his hands and stepped back just before Alan's head poked around the door. 

"Ei-- oh! Norbert! Hello!"

Norbert didn't respond, but watched as Alan crossed the room to join me. He glanced between the two of us and suddenly a smile bloomed across his face, sweetness, sadness, and sincerity all captured in a simple expression. "Alan, Eileen. I wish you two the best. If you would excuse me..." A the door though, he turned and said, "It is my great pleasure and great pain to tell you that I must leave now. The worlds beyond call to me. The future --nay, my future as well-- rests in your hands now, my brave hero. The apologies are all mine, and the mirth should all be yours; indeed, I shall be sorely disappointed if you have anything else."

Then Norbert Ames bowed his head slightly to me and closed the door. I gasped, recognizing the lines. Alan thought it was a bit of clever wording and had only nodded in embarrassed gratitude, but he didn't know the context of the lines Norbert had used. I did. Norbert wasn't close to death, but I hated to see that my decision had moved him so. 

Alan offered me his arm. "Are you ok?" he asked softly and I knew I didn't regret my decision. Yet Norbert had been so kind about the entire event. 

I smiled and nodded, taking his arm. "Let us dance the night away, Mr. Rivers."

"I would be delighted to, Miss Hieron." 

We left through the music room and joined the slow dance that had just started. I relaxed and let Alan lead me gracefully around the floor, enjoying his company. "You look beautiful," he murmured in my ear after we had a light and easy rhythm established. I blushed. "Did you make your dress yourself?" I nodded. "Beautiful work springs from beautiful hands," he noted and I flushed a deeper shade at the compliment. 

“I could say the same for you,” I replied quietly.

I enjoyed a pleasant evening, dancing, eating and talking. I had liked Alan before, but he was much more than a soft-spoken writer who had gotten lucky on his debut novel just as I had at the concert. We stared out talking about college and school but digressed as well to our hobbies in our free time: him mainly writing and me mainly designing clothes. We shared similar interests in literature and drama and discussed our favorite books and movies and plays. 

I was beginning to think it was the most perfect dance in the history of school balls. We wandered outside for a stroll and a breath of fresh air with Wendy and Louis. The boys strode ahead, discussing Alan's early graduation/ birthday present--a car, no less--while Wendy and I lagged behind, swapping stories. Wendy stopped to chat with a few friends from the school newspaper and I wandered off a little, towards the field. The moon was a lovely crescent that night. I could hear the music from the nearby gym where the main dance was going on, but it was quiet enough to be lost in the ethereal moment. Abruptly I heard a sniffle and searched around me. There was a figure hunched over in the front row of the bleachers. 

Concern washed over me as I neared the person. Closer up, I could see she was a girl: her blonde hair was arranged neatly in curls across one shoulder and she was wearing a lovely strapless gown lined with sequins. Her earrings were long with little charms that mirrored the moon.  "What's wrong?" I asked, kneeling a little. She jumped in surprise for a moment before turning to face me. We stared at each other for a moment in surprise. 

"Iris, what hap--" before I could finish, she raised her hand and slapped my cheek. "Ouch!" I cried, recoiling a little. "What was that--"

"It's all your fault! I warned you, didn't I?"

"Wha--What are you talking about?!"

"'Don't try any tricks at the ball or else someone might get hurt!' I warned you! Why are you here?"

I stared. She didn't seem threatening anymore, or maybe it was just because I had just seen her in a tearful heap. "I thought--"

"No! You didn't think! You're just like that nosy Wendy from the paper! You didn't think about anyone else! You only thought of yourself!" Iris took a long, trembling breath. "I've been watching you, Eileen. You're lucky that your friend Samantha got along very well with Curtis. Introducing them was a good deed, I grant you that much. They're having a wonderful time now. But what about Kenneth? What about Norbert? You thought you could just pick one guy and run away, leaving behind a bunch of broken hearts?"

"I--but Melodie and Kenneth--"

"Melodie is a freshman! Kenneth's a senior! He's moving to the other side of the country for college next year! Do you think it would work? A long distance relationship? And even if it would, how many times do you think Kenneth's turned her down over the years? Once? Twice? Six, Eileen! Why do you think she's randomly going to Alaska with my parents while I'm still here? Because her date rejected her, for the sixth time! No, instead he goes off and writes a short little song for you, asking you to the ball! We’re very lucky I caught and warned him before he got to your house that his best friend was about to and probably already did the same thing." She paused for a moment and drew a breath, this time more steady. "He contributed a few lines from the song into the poem."

I never thought of it like that. Melodie and Kenneth had seemed so in synch with each together, I hadn't even considered that they didn't already like each other. And what was all that about warning him about Alan asking me? But when I paused to think about it, this explained the flowers in his hand and the guitar on his back a little. He would have waited for Alan to drop the letter through the window--he might have even dropped it there for him!--and then knocked to tell me the call time for that night. What loyalty to his friend!

"And do I even need to bring up poor Norbert? The one time he works up the courage to ask someone to a dance, he gets turned down in favor of one of the only non-online friends he's ever had!"

I was the one tearing up now. I didn't know I had hurt so many of them. I knew from the way Norbert had left the dressing room that he had been hurt, but he had said himself that he was quite happy for us. Iris though, shook her head and seemed to read my mind. 

"He's a nice guy. He's still having a good time, hanging out with Kenneth and other Legacy of Lords players and occasionally asking a few of his classmates for a dance. He's not the jealous type. I talked to him earlier. He's truly happy for Alan and is glad that he's a good person. He told me he feels as though Alan 'deserved' you more. He's happy for you! But just because he's got a kind enough heart and an open enough mind doesn't lessen the erase the blow of a rejection."

She sighed, apparently finished yelling at me. I didn't even mind though. I was outright crying now, and part of me didn't even understand why. I had known when I’d told Norbert I was “going with someone else already” that I was rejecting him, didn't I? And I knew from my friends at home that rejection was painful, no matter what the reason behind it was. I should have known better! I didn't have any personal experience, but I had listened to my friends pour their stories and tears over my shoulder enough times to know how horrible it was. I should have been more observant--more cautious!

"That's enough, Iris," a voice said behind me. "She didn't know." It was a boy's voice, and familiar, though in my sobbing state I couldn't think clearly enough to understand why he would be here. "She didn't plan this like you think she did."

I turned around to see who it was, but my tears burred my vision. All I could tell was that he was taller than me. He patted my shoulder comfortingly and offered me a handkerchief. "Iris, no one plans these things. I'm sorry. But please...stop seeing cruel intentions everywhere."

"This isn't about you!" Iris shrieked behind me. "This isn't about you or me or whatever us there might have been in my head! This isn't about you, Casayo!"

I wasn't delusional then. My brother had somehow shown up at my spring ball. But what was all this about an us? He and Iris? I dabbed my eyes as he stepped around me to talk to Iris. "I'll admit I had more of an idea of your intentions than she did about the others, but neither of us meant ill in either of our situations. You've suffered, Iris, and for that I am very sorry.” 

I watched them for a moment before backing away. I understood enough and I could ask Casayo the details of this later, but the gist of it was clear: Iris liked my brother, but he didn’t share the sentiment.

A flicker of hope might have flickered across Iris’s distraught face at my brother’s apology, but he shook his head. “It doesn't change my feelings. I hope you understand. I don’t want to hurt anyone more than necessary.” That hope turned quickly to rage.

I backed away in broken steps before turning around. I ran. The wind tore at my hair and I'm certain I lost a few pins on the field, but I ran, not caring where I was going. I felt horrible. I wanted to run into a black hole. I wanted to never stop running. My legs were already burning and I could feel a cramp growing in my side, but I didn't want to care. I wanted the world to eat me up and send me into a place where other horrible people like me existed. Instead, I crashed into Alan. "Eileen! Wher--what happened?" He took my hands. 

"I'm fine," I said out of habit as I wiped my tears away. I’m not fine.”I-I was just thinking about--" I couldn't say it. What was there to say? I didn't want to burden him as well. Instead, I let myself collapse into her arms and sobbed away my energy and negativity.

I couldn't say how long we stood there. Alan took the handkerchief and dabbed my eyes lightly. 

“You found out,” he murmured softly, with more sympathy than I deserved.

I stared at him and nodded slowly. What was he talking about? 

“Tell me,” Alan urged and that was all the urging I needed. Quickly, I explained what Iris had just told me, though I left out the bit i found out about my brother and her. That wasn't my tale to tell. We walked as I talked, and by the time I recognized we were approaching the dressing room I had explained everything from the moment I met Wendy and our plans to find me a date. I felt bad but I assured him I was never deceitful. Alan held my hand quietly, his face not betraying any emotion yet not impassive. 

"Alan? That's it...please say something."

Still holding my hand, he turned to face me. "Thank you for confiding all this," he started. "But you didn't need to worry like that. I had talked to Kenneth before and Norbert just a few minutes ago. We're all good. I felt bad as well, but I'm fortunate enough to have such understanding and supportive friends. I also knew you were talking to other people, but I knew you were just trying to make friends. That’s a great thing. And finally...none of it changes the way I feel. I still like you, Eileen."

He smiled again, and I this time I felt my own expression brighten a little. He made a little glance at his watch. “It’s not yet midnight, Princess Eileen. We still have the whole night ahead of us.”

I laughed. 

When I saw the clock in the music room I was surprised that it had only been 24 minutes since Louis, Wendy, Alan and I had decided to take a short walk to the field and back to the gym. 

It took me 10 minutes to redo my makeup and my hair, another 14 because Kenneth and Norbert had come to “claim their promised dances” but in another 24 minutes I was back in Alan’s arms, the two of us humming to an cello and piano version of “The Blueish Vortex” Maggie and Ray had been convinced to play.

When the song ended we wandered over to the snack bar to enjoy the last few red velvet cake bites that Sunny Cafe had donated. So Iris had been upset and mean to me because my brother had picked Fiana over her. She had planned on denouncing me at the dance tonight with some big secret about me she'd found out while hanging around my brother. But when she saw me last night, my actions towards Curtis and Kenneth surprised her and she realized I hadn’t known I was creating all the drama. 

 I saw Curtis with Samantha drinking soda further down the table, Louis and Wendy dancing, Kenneth and Norbert laughing, and Iris and my brother chatting amicably. I turned to my own date with a soft smile. The dance had been an amazing experience, but, well, it was only the beginning of something really beautiful.

. . .

And there it is. 

First, on the outcome/ who she ends up with: I played through the game many many times to get a transcript of all the dialogue and all the possible paths. The last line of the game, as well as the story, is "Well, [the ball] was only the beginning of something really ___" For Alan, the last word is beautiful; Curtis, nice; Kenneth, cool; Norbert, romantic." I was imagining this line would represent a lasting relationship (especially in my case, as I was blending Eileen's character with one of my OCs). Nice and cool didn't quite satisfy that. Romantic was very sweet and would have fit, but (call it a personal liking for the word), beautiful seemed to be best. Thus, I figured that anyone reading a story about a game would like writing and game-playing for certain. To decide between Norbert and Alan then, I just ran off my own bias. While writing, I was more inclined to write details about the Tale of the Darkest Star than I was about the anonymous video game. (This also contributed to how Eileen ends up deciding her date! hehe Like writer, like character.)

One of the big questions I'd come to with writing everything out in this story was "Well, what happened at the ball?" Iris is constantly threatening Eileen, but what does all that come to? It could have simply been mockery or insults and some pushing around, but I didn't like that.

#1. The original idea was that Iris and Casayo was dating before and suddenly he started paying less attention to her and more to the girl that was staying at his apartment. There would be a giant ruckus at the ball when Iris humiliates Eileen and her date somehow. Denouncing, teasing, pushing her into a bowl of fruit punch, something wild until Casayo shows up and clears things up and tells Iris that Eileen's family. 

#2. I'd gotten to the part where Eileen takes a walk during the ball and suddenly I wrote Iris crying. I liked that picture very much and decided it was because Casayo had outright rejected her in favor of Fiana, who was Casayo's girlfriend based on my OC storyline. I went back, edited Fiana into a few parts earlier before realizing that didn't explain why she would dislike Eileen at first sight. 

#3. I had just finished a very rough copy of the first draft when I came up with the idea of Wendy being the evil agent. She and Iris had a rivalry/ feud of sorts, and Wendy decided to manipulate Eileen into hurting people close to Iris. I quite liked the twist, and even wrote the confrontation between Eileen and evil-Wendy, but then I couldn't explain why Iris made the initiative to be mean.

#4. Finally, I decided on the semi-lazy way out. I wanted a conclusion, not a dramatic thing that would have to be further explained and worked out. I was tired with the story by this time and it had already taken too. I made Iris a tender-hearted person of sorts, one who cared about the other guys, someone who'd had her heart broken This worked too: Iris would think that her heart-breaker's sister was deliberately trying to break the other boys apart. When I wrote Louis's line about being in a "silly romance story" I was thinking of this as well. I didn't want anything so twisted as to be unfaithful to the tone of the story.

So! The Spring Ball Trouble arc is now completed! I'm not sure if I'll be continuing with ECA posts or posting little bits of other things that I've yet to write, but I'll try to get in a consistent posting schedule. Thanks for reading, and as always comments are very much appreciated! :) 

Hope to be back soon, 

~Minerva.