His Little Flame

Chapter 10: Selfish

☽ MAEVE ☾

It's the day of the gala and we're all getting ready.

I grabbed the blood-red dress and heels and went to a secluded. I slipped into the dress and put the heels on. After putting the dress on I joined the girls in Alessandra's room.

"Maeve you're supposed to tie the back of the dress!" Alessandra says.

"Wow," I gasp taking in the sight of Alessandra in her emerald green gown with her hair tied up in a beautiful arrangement.

"Yea, yea, she looks gorgeous!" Sabrina says, entering my view, wearing a grey dress with different shades of blue flowers embroidered all over. Sabrina's natural, shiny curls fall over her shoulders as she approaches me.

"You look like a goddess!" I shout at Sabrina, "No, you're more like Andromeda! She was an Ethiopian princess in Greek mythology, Cassiopeia, her mother, gloated about her beauty, saying that her daughter was far more pretty than any sea nymph, out of anger Poseidon sent the sea monster Cetus to ravage the coast of Ethiopia as divine punishment, but Andromeda's beauty was so divine-"

"Perseus fell for her and saved her without a second thought, despite his father's wrath." Elias finishes, walking into Alessandra's room dressed in an all-black suit.

"You mythology nerds," Alessandra snorts.

"Okay, turn around so I can tie the back!" Sabrina demands, spinning me around so my back was towards her and my front towards Elias.

"Does anyone know how to tie a tie?" Elias asks the girls.

"I do!" Courtney practically jumps from her seat in her pale pink dress - she also looks amazing today - she starts to tie Elias's tie, but it's completely wrong.

Elias rolls his eyes in annoyance and swats Courtney's hands away from his neck, "anyone else?" He asks and I slowly raise my hand.

He strides towards me and hands me his red tie, the same color as my dress. I reach up on my tippy-toes to drape the tie around Elias's neck, but Sabrina yanks me back, "stop moving!" Elias chuckles and leans down enough so I can wrap the tie around his neck.

"Hey guys!" Luca shouts, eagerly bouncing into the room, "Hi Sabrina," he says with his jaw on the floor.

"Hi Luca," Sabrina responds.

"Hi," Luca says again.

"Just come here and help me tie Maeve's dress!" Sabrina tells Luca and he obeys. I can feel Luca's fingers fumble with the string and hear Sabrina getting annoyed with him. Once he finally gets it he pulls on the string, "tighter!" Sabrina urges Luca.

"Okay okay jeez," Luca says to Sabrina, "A please wouldn't hurt," Luca mumbles.

I'm still tying Elias's tie when Luca yanks on the string.

Elias's eyes instantly shoot down and he bites his bottom lip. He drags his gaze to my face and makes eye contact with me then quickly turns his face in the other direction. I pull the tie through the loop and tighten it as Elias's neck gradually turns red. 

"Thank you, " Elias coughs, "we'll meet you guys there." Elias scratches the back of his head and pulls Luca out of the room with him.