"Never thought I'd live to see the day
When everybody's words got in the way!"

I TUGGED AT the short, midnight blue cocktail dress that Emily had lent me. Although we were about the same size, I was several inches taller than her, which meant the dress was a lot shorter than it was supposed to be. It fell just above mid-thigh, which was shorter than what I was usually comfortable with. Emily must've seen the discomfort on my face, because she quickly reassured me.

"You look fantastic!" Emily exclaimed, twirling me in a circle.

Giggling softly, I replied, "You don't look too bad yourself!"

And it was true. Emily wore a modest pastel pink lace dress that fell just above her knee, and she tied her hair up into a cute messy up-do. Her makeup was kept to a minimum, as usual, with the exception of mascara and a light coat of shiny pink gloss.

Aside from my dress, my hair that was usually put into a ponytail was let loose tonight. With the help of Emily and her trusty iron-curler, she managed to curl my pin-straight hair into big waves. My look was finished with a striking red lip that contrasted against my pale skin. I couldn't remember the last time I dressed up so nicely, and dare I say, I had a feeling that tonight will be a blast.

"Are you excited?" I asked Emily as she slathered on another layer of her lip gloss.

She blinked, pursing her lips, "I guess."

Sighing softly, she twisted the cap of the lip gloss tube shut, her shoulders falling.

"I'm just nervous, you know?" Emily said out loud, staring at her reflection.

"Don't think like that, Em. We're here to have fun tonight, regardless of whether Asher Dane will be in the vicinity or not," I declared. Emily sighed, but finally nodded and allowed a small smile to grace her features.

"Yeah, you're right," Emily smiled, looking a little happier than before. I looked at the wooden clock over the fireplace of Emily's dorm and frowned when I realized our dates were ten minutes late.

"They're supposed to pick us up here, right?" I asked. Emily absentmindedly nodded, while she eyed the numerous pairs of heels that sat neatly side by side on her floor-to-ceiling glass shoe closet. When I first saw the closet, I almost choked. I didn't have one in my room, so that meant she probably had someone custom-build this into her dorm.

"Go for the white pumps, fourth shelf," I suggested, and Emily immediately grinned. She grabbed the pair of heels and set it carefully on the ground. I looked at the heels, noticing the classic gold Chanel embossment on the sole of it, then back at the numerous heels stacked neatly together. Her entire collection must be worth a fortune, and all I had were a pair of beat-up sneakers and plain black heels from the sales section of my local departmental store.

Just as Emily began to slip on her heels, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," I said, and headed towards the front door. When I opened the door, I came face to face with Asher Dane himself. He wore a tailored black suit, with a white dress shirt and pale pink tie that matched Emily's dress. I raised my eyebrows and smiled slightly, although I was met with his usual grumpy scowl.

I glanced to his side where Logan stood tall and poised, a leggy brunette that looked extremely familiar hanging off his arm. He was dressed to the nines in a smart grey suit, and looked absolutely dashing with his hair combed back with hair gel.

Yuko stood on the other side of Asher in a navy blue suit. Beside him stood a slim, petite Asian girl with short, black hair. She looked younger than the boys, which surprised me. She was the only one who offered me a smile. I returned her smile, but it faltered when I realised a certain blonde that was missing.

"Where's Robin?" I asked, in which I was met with a pitiful glance from Logan and the Asian girl. My heart dropped when I realised he was probably a no-show. Looking down at my fancy dress, I pursed my lips. And to think that I was actually looking forward to tonight, I thought.

"He's busy," Asher answered in a clipped tone. "Where's Emily?"

"I'm here," Emily murmured, grabbing her clutch as she walked past the living room to stand next to me. When she made eye contact with the Asian girl, Emily immediately grinned.

"Reiko? Is that you?" Emily asked, eyes shining. Reiko grinned and nodded, and they shared a brief hug. After Emily released the girl from her embrace, she turned to me and quickly introduced her.

"Lexi, this is Reiko Hideyoshi. She doesn't attend Meilleur, but she visits often," Emily introduced, and Reiko quickly curtsied me. Reiko...Hideyoshi? I glanced at Yuko who stood beside her with an expression of boredom plastered across his face.

"Are you...?" I drifted off, looking at Yuko and then at Reiko. She widened her eyes, blinking in confusion. Then, she shot me a grin and nodded.

"'Fraid so," she answered, giggling. Looking at Yuko, she nudged him with her elbow. "I'm his adorable baby sister."

Yuko only gave his little sister a pointed look and rolled his eyes, sulking. Why did they always look so depressing? Doesn't it get tiring to use all those facial muscles to frown all the time?

"Come on, we'll be late," Asher said with a sigh, and stalked off without waiting for Emily.

"Where's your date?" Emily asked, frowning slightly.

Shrugging my shoulders, I shot her an indifferent look and answered, "Busy."

I tried my best to look as if I wasn't bothered by it, but inside I was seething with irritation and embarrassment. I mean, I understood that he wasn't someone with a lot of free time on his hands, but it couldn't have hurt to send me a quick text explaining that he was preoccupied, could it?

Emily looked at me, her eyebrows creasing in concern. She pat my arm lightly.

"It's okay, I'm here! And I bet you'll be thrilled to talk to Reiko. She's one of the coolest girls ever. You don't need Robin to have fun!" Emily chirped, trying to cheer me up. I offered a smile and nodded, hoping that she was right and that my night could be salvaged after all.

As we were about to enter the ballroom, Asher cleared his throat awkwardly and offered an arm to Emily. With flaming cheeks, she looped her delicate arm through his. With a deep breath from Emily and a look of complete indifference on Asher's face, they walked through the doors and were met with astonished and disbelieving stares. Logan and his date walked in next, and I swore that drool was practically flowing out of the mouths of the boys that filled up the ballroom.

Isn't that Flavia de Oliveira? I heard one of them say. I glanced at Logan's date again, finally recognizing her as one of Brazil's most sought-after runway models.

As Yuko, Reiko and I entered, we were met with even more astonished stares. I really wanted to roll my eyes at how star-struck these people acted. They saw these boys practically every day!

That's Reiko Hideyoshi!

Reiko's back!

Ugh, I wish I was her. She gets to hang out with them!

I glanced at Reiko, who looked as unamused and bored as her brother. I was always amazed at how they seemed so nonchalant to all the imposing stares they received. It made me wonder how long it takes to get used to so much attention.

Suddenly, I was made painfully aware of the incredulous stares I myself was receiving. God, why can't they just assume I walked in the same time as them on accident? Oh right, that's because my best friend's date is Asher Dane!

As we walked to our table, I couldn't help but overhear the conspicuous mutterings of the students around me.

What is she doing with them?

Completely unacceptable.

Do you think if I started dressing in rags, they'll notice me too?

"Ignore them. Their stares and words do nothing but remind you that you are alive," a soft but steady voice said, startling me and bringing me back to reality.

I looked to my side and locked eyes with Yuko Hideyoshi. I haven't heard him speak much, and this was probably the first complete sentence he said to me since I've been here. His voice was gentle and soft, but held an edge to it.

I pressed my lips together and gave him a firm nod. I wasn't going to let what others say about me get to me. Surprise flitted across his dark eyes, and he turned his attention elsewhere.

"So you're supposed to be Robin's date, right?" Reiko asked, glancing at me with a mischievous smile on her face. Blushing slightly, I nodded. Despite the fact that she was younger than me, I still felt awfully intimidated by her and her beauty. It didn't help with the fact that she's Yuko's baby sister.

"That's surprising. He never dates," Reiko murmured thoughtfully. My eyes widened slightly in horror and I quickly shook my head.

"No, no! We're not dating. Emily was asking them if they could take me to the dance and Robin, uh, volunteered," I muttered, staring at my hands. Hearing my response, understanding passed through her big eyes and she nodded slowly, taking notice of his lack of presence.

"Sorry he couldn't make it," she said, smiling sympathetically. "He's extremely busy, you know? Although that's hardly an excuse."

I laughed softly, "It's alright. I didn't expect much from it. We're not even friends, really."

Reiko nodded understandingly, but didn't look quite convinced. As we made our way to our table, the glares and glowers from the girls in the room didn't go unnoticed. But instead of ducking my head in embarrassment, I decided to stand straighter and lift my chin up higher.

Their stares and words do nothing but remind you that you are alive. The seven of us sat around the table the usher had assigned us to, and the boys immediately engaged in a quiet conversation amongst themselves while Reiko and Emily chatted animatedly about what Reiko had been up to when she was away.

Turns out, Reiko Hideyoshi is a famous Japanese model and actress despite being just sixteen. Against her parents' wishes, she dropped out of Meilleur and began to pursue her dreams. When I heard her story, I couldn't help but feel awed and amazed. She was so young, yet so determined for success. Yuko, who was sitting beside me, rolled his eyes at the mention of his sister's reckless behaviour, but the glint of pride in his eyes gave him away.

Logan's date, Flavia, sat quietly beside him, inspecting her manicure. I wrung my hands tightly together, uncomfortably looking around. Some students were eating at their tables, chatting with their friends and laughing while others were dancing on the dance floor.

And when I said dancing, I meant legit dancing, like waltz. For a while, I stared at some students that were waltzing in the middle of the ballroom, mesmerised by their swift yet graceful dance moves.

"One dance," I heard Flavia plead in her thick, Brazilian accent. I didn't miss the look Reiko gave Logan, in which he completely ignored to her dismay. Logan cast Flavia a long glance, before sighing and standing up, offering Flavia a hand and a killer smile. Flavia smiled brightly and took his hand, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor. Almost automatically, the students on the dance floor parted like the Red Sea to make way for them. The slow music switched to a fast, upbeat tango song, and I watched in complete surprise as Logan and Flavia danced expertly to the music. They twirled and swirled with jest, allowing the music to take over their bones and guide them. When the music came to an end and the couple finished their dance, many students applauded them. Flavia shot them a sultry smile, her eyes shimmering as the limelight was placed onto her.

When a soft, piano ballad played through the speakers, many excited murmurs were heard across the ballroom and many couples began to move to the dance floor. I saw Flavia plead Logan to dance once more, and with a sigh he nodded.

"May I have this dance?" I heard Asher ask Emily awkwardly, staring at everything but her. He extended a hand towards her, the tips of his ears turning pink as he waited for her answer. Emily blushed like a lobster and nodded meekly, and both of them headed to the dance floor. I watched as he slinked his arms around her waist and because Emily was much shorter than Asher even with her high-heels, she had to tip-toe to loop her arms around his neck. They were impossibly close to each other, and I watched with a small smile as they danced silently to the music.

Reiko, who was sitting next to me, turned to Yuko and demanded, "Come on, dance with me!"

With a roll of his eyes, Yuko stood up and led his little sister to the dance floor too. They danced with a respectable distance placed between them. It was cute how the two siblings danced together, and it looked as if Reiko was the one teaching and leading Yuko instead of the other way around. Reiko kept making Yuko twirl her around, causing her to giggle as her older brother rolled his eyes.

Looking around the ballroom, I realized I was one of the only students sitting alone instead of dancing with a date, and I couldn't help but feel very alone. With a small sigh, I stood up and headed to the bathroom.

As I combed through my curls with my fingers, the door to the bathroom slammed open and Bianca Harding stormed towards me. She was dressed in a deep purple cocktail dress, her hair tied up into a complicated yet stylish bun.

"I told you stay away from them," Bianca said lowly, narrowing her eyes at me. Her sharp, cold blue eyes sent shivers down my spine, and although I'd never admit it, she could be extremely scary when she wanted to.

"You just don't know how to listen, do you?" she spat, glaring daggers at me. Adia and Marissa were nowhere to be seen. Her palm shot out, shoving my shoulder roughly. For a petite girl like her, she sure had a lot of strength. Stumbling back, I quickly caught myself and used the ceramic sink to steady myself.

"You're overreacting," I said. Bianca's eye twitched, and she grinded her teeth together as she continued to glare at me.

"Stop trying to act all high and mighty here just because you're friends with the Royals, Alexandra. We all know the reason why you are cosying up to them is because you're a filthy gold digger," Bianca hissed, raising another hand to push me. I braced myself for the impact that never came, and that was when I noticed that the two of us weren't alone in the bathroom. A gorgeous but unfamiliar girl with striking grey eyes and raven hair was holding Bianca's arm tightly.

"Stay out of this," Bianca seethed, trying to yank her arm out of the girl's grip.

"Give her a break, Bianca. And go fix yourself up, your makeup's smudging and you look like a mess," the girl said, staring at Bianca with a piercing look of disdain. She let go of Bianca's arm and Bianca stumbled backwards, clutching her arm close to her chest. My eyes widened a fraction. Who was this girl? She certainly has a lot of balls to stand up to Bianca Harding, the Ice Princess of Meilleur Academy.

To my surprise, instead of retorting back to the girl who just helped me, Bianca stormed out of the bathroom— but not before shooting me a murderous glare.

"Thank you," I murmured, glancing at the girl who offered me a cheeky warm smile.

"No problem. She was being a bitch, anyways."

"I'm Alexandra Knight," I introduced, shyly offering a hand to shake. Accepting my hand shake, she raised an eyebrow and shot me a grin.

"Oh, I know. You're quite famous here. I'm Siobhan Lanigan."

Immediately, recognition hit me like a ton of bricks. This raven-haired beauty was the infamous Siobhan Lanigan. Emily had warned me about not getting on her bad side. Looking at the way Bianca had reacted, I truly understood how scary she could become if even the Ice Princess herself was afraid of pissing her off.

"You're the Siobhan Lanigan?" I couldn't help but exclaim loudly.

"So I'm assuming you've heard about me. All bad things, I hope," she laughed, waving her hand and dismissing my open-gawking as if it was no big deal.

Indeed I've heard about this hotheaded Irish beauty, Siobhan Lanigan. I've heard all about the pranks and how tough she was. She was well-known for dating the school's resident bad boy, Jonah Graves, who I've seen smoking at the back of the school field once or twice before. She was basically as popular as Bianca Harding and even the Royals themselves, but mostly kept to herself. Of course, the aura of mystery that surrounded her only made her more intriguing to the rest of the student body. I haven't seen her at the Academy up until now, and before today I literally thought she was some sort of Meilleurean urban legend.

"So, you're here as Robin's date?" she asked casually, checking her appearance in the mirror.

"I came alone," I said, before frowning slightly. "Wait, how did you know that he was my date?"

Siobhan turned to me with a raised eyebrow, her eyes glinting mischievously.

"Honey, I know everything around here," she said simply with casual shrug. "Why didn't Robin attend the ball?"

"His friends told me that he was busy," I explained, rolling my eyes.

She frowned and pursed her lips, sighing as she said, "That boy never stops working."

"Are you two close friends?" I asked, dumbfounded. I mean, I heard the rumours that Siobhan Lanigan was friends with the Royals, but even I felt doubtful. It was hard to believe that those boys would be friends with anyone aside from themselves.

"Yeah, yeah. The four of them and I go way back," she murmured, waving her hand dismissively.

"Wow," I muttered under my breath as I stared at her with big eyes.

"Well it was nice meeting you, Alexandra Knight. I've got to go back to the dance before my boyfriend starts hitting on other girls. See you around," she drawled with a sly grin, adjusting her simple yet elegant black dress and walking out of the bathroom.

  ❁❁❁

A/N: Here's a bonus chapter for everyone because I'm officially 17! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you can't wait for the next one, you can purchase chapters for just a few cents on Radish (@shevvie)! Remember to vote and comment <3

#QOTC: Do you think Siobhan is cool? (I think she's super cool!)

Song of the Chapter: Everybody Talks by Neon Trees.