I didn’t know what to say. I kind of expected that but I didn’t know how to respond. But I didn’t need to because Heather continued.
“My biological parents are dead. I don’t even remember them.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You need not be. So Justin and Patricia took me in as their own. Patricia doesn’t like me much. I knew that from the start. So don’t mind her when she behaves rudely with you. She hates both mine and Juliet’s guts.”
“Yes, according to her Juliet and Heather are very vulgar girls. And since I hung out with them, she started to see me as a vulgar girl too. She used to like me at first,” Amelia added.
“Don’t they have any children of their own?” I asked. We were stood in a quiet corner and currently no one was coming over to meet us.
“No, Patricia can’t have children so they chose to adopt.” Amelia answered.
“Justin and Patricia are so… different. I don’t know them for long but Justin seems very pleasant to be around. Patricia, not so much.”
“Opposites do attract, I guess,” Amelia shrugged. “Oh, I didn’t introduce you to my parents. Let’s go.”
“Dad? Mom?” Amelia said, interrupting what sounded like a business conversation between a few adults.
“Yes, dear?” The woman asked and then her eyes feel on me. “Oh, Juliet.”
For the millionth time I was hugged.
“Happy birthday! You’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you. I still can’t believe you’re here in front of me,” the woman said, sounding as if she was on the verge of tears. I guessed she was Felicity Harris. “Oh Jack, am I not right?”
“Yes you are,” the man behind her agreed. “Our little princess has grown to be a wonderful woman.”
We talked to them for a while until we heard soft music playing.
Suddenly a man was in front of me with a hand extended.
“May I have a dance with you?” He asked. He was handsome. He had dark brown eyes which reminded me a little of Ethan.
“Go for it,” Heather said, smirking as she shoved me towards him. “He’s the guy who Juliet wanted to buy.”
“Wait, what?” I panicked but by that time the guy had already grabbed my hand. He placed a soft kiss on my knuckles before leading me to the dance floor.
I felt awkward knowing that this was the guy who Juliet dated and he cheated on her because of which she wanted to buy him and now he thought that it was me.
“Hey,” he said, smiling at me. We were the first ones to dance and after us, many couples joined us on the dance floor. We lightly swayed to the music.
“Hi, Vince,” I smiled back nervously at him. Amelia had told me about him. He was the most popular boy in Juliet’s high school and handsome too.
“You look beautiful today. Happy birthday.”
“Thanks.”
“So… you still want to buy me?” He said and chuckled.
My cheeks burned red in embarrassment even though I was not the one who did that. But I was embarrassed for Juliet.
“N-no.”
Vince looked a little confused. “You’ve changed. You almost look… nervous?”
“Uh… says who? I never get nervous!” I said with as much confidence as I could muster up.
“O-kay. That was more like the Juliet I know.”
I didn’t answer and we continued to dance in silence. The song was coming to an end and I desperately wanted to leave. I barely knew the guy and if he said or asked something I had no idea about, then I would most likely screw things up.
“Look, I know we didn’t end things well last time and so you wanted to buy me as if I was some slave and I know I’m responsible for you running off, but I just wanted to say sorry. What I did was wrong,” he said, looking pleadingly at me.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” He asked.
“I don’t know what to say,” I said honestly.
“That’s okay I guess. I mean I wouldn’t know what to say to me too. But I want you to know that I want you back. I’ll make things right between us, only if you give me a chance to.”
“Vince, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“At least consider it, please. I’ll give you time to figure out what you want. I’ll be waiting for you, always.”
I didn’t reply. This conversation was getting too awkward and confusing for me.
I didn’t realize that we were halfway into the second song. I no longer wanted to dance with him, especially when he started leaning closer.
“Vince,” I warned.
“Don’t I even get a small kiss?”
No.
No way in hell was I going to lose my first kiss to this stranger. Plus, he was Juliet’s ex.
Suddenly, I was whisked away into a different pair of arms. I was glad that I no longer had to deal with Vince. I heard a ‘hey’ behind us but he skillfully waltzed us away from Vince.
When I looked up I was relieved. He was the only person I’d feel comfortable to dance with.
“What was that? You can’t just snatch me away like that. Not that I’m not glad that you interrupted us.”
“Yeah, well you didn’t look too happy in his arms. And shouldn’t I get to dance with the birthday girl at least once?” Tristan winked at me.
“So how are things going with Olivia?”
“There’s little progress but at least it’s something. We’re getting into the friend zone,” he whined.
I was happy that he found Olivia interesting and was putting in efforts to get to know her. But I had been thinking about both of them lately and I was not liking the way this all was heading to.
“Tristan, I need to tell you something. Don’t get mad at me.”
He scrunched his eyebrows up in confusion. “I can never get mad at you, especially when it’s your birthday.”
“Okay, I’ll be honest. I don’t think you should chase after Olivia.”
Tristan suddenly stopped but continued our dance after a moment. “Why?”
“Trust me. Don’t fall for her. You’ll only end up getting hurt. Look, I don’t want either of you to get hurt because of your feelings so before you fall for her deeply, just don’t. It’s best for you.”
“Sorry but I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why would I get hurt?”
Because? if? we? get? caught? some? day,? we’d? have? to? leave? and? I? don’t? think? you? exactly? go? for? commoners.
“I can’t tell you. Maybe in time you’d get to know why but I can’t tell you.”
Tristan looked solemnly at me as if I had just stolen a poor boy’s candy.
“I don’t think I can do that, Juliet. I’m sorry but I can’t and I won’t do that. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Tristan looked behind me. “Ethan, dance with Juliet for a while? Thanks.”
With that, Tristan left me and walked away and I was in Ethan’s arms.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” I said.
“Why are you looking upset? What did Tristan say to you?”
I shrugged. “Nothing.” I gasped as he dipped me. I had not expected that.
“Didn’t seem nothing to me,” Ethan said once he pulled me up.
“Just some stuff with Olivia.”
Ethan nodded and we swayed to the music. Many people had now joined the dance floor, dancing with their respective partners. I saw Tristan dancing with Olivia, Antonio and Audrey who were dancing very closely and Robert and Rachael.
“This is the first time we’re dancing together,” Ethan murmured and I looked at him.
“Yeah,” I said.
We waltzed for a while until my eyes fell on a certain familiar blonde, the green eyed devil dressed like an angel. She had just entered and I was so shocked to see her. I had not expected her here. It was so long ago that I last saw her.
Immediately, I went stiff in Ethan’s arms, my eyes trained on the figure at the end of the room. She appeared to be searching for someone.
“Are you alright?” He asked, looking at me worriedly.
“Uh… Ethan, I need to go to… the bathroom… yeah, d-dance with Heather,” I said, pushing Heather into his arms. Luckily, she had been nearby.
I quickly ran to Olivia who was still in Tristan’s arms. I yanked her away from him. Tristan looked irritated at the interruption and then his eyes fell on me.
“Juliet? Come on, can’t I even dance with her?”
“Tristan, I really need to borrow her for a while. This is not because of what we talked about.”
I didn’t wait for his reply and dragged Olivia to the bar.
“Ow, what the hell, Julie.”
“She’s here.”
“Who?”
“That girl,” I said, pointing to the girl who had been my source of distress. “Ring a bell?”
“Holy shit. What is she doing here?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well, what are we going to do?”
“We have to get out of this party. That’s the only way.”
“No way. You can’t ditch your own birthday party.”
“Yes I can if there’s a risk of us getting caught.”
“We won’t make it. The doors are at that side and she’s there too.”
I looked for any exits but there were none. We were trapped. It didn’t help that it was my birthday party, well Juliet’s. That was what she must be here for.
I looked at her, wishing her to disappear magically.
She was talking to someone. She looked beautiful. She was in a beige and silver mermaid evening gown. Her black hair were curled to perfection and her eyes looked beautiful with the makeup. Her dark skin looked soft and smooth like chocolate. She looked like an angel who descended from heaven.
But I knew better. She was no angel.
Suddenly, the one she was talking to pointed at us. The woman started making her way over to us and Olivia and I turned around at the same time.
“Shit,” we said in unison.