You Were What You Eat

15. At the Dance

Since seeing Fredrick and Jacqueline, Anna found that not only had she been keeping an eye out for the two, but she'd been thinking about them more as well. Memories she'd tried so hard to repress came flooding back to her. She remembered times she'd spent not just with Fredrick, but with Jacqueline as well.

Jacqueline had been Anna's best friend growing up. They'd lived next door to each other since the two were only six or seven years old. Even then, Anna had been the shy, quiet type, while Jacqueline had been much more adventurous. Anna remembered how much trouble they used to get into – playing in the dirt and running through fields. Jacqueline had always been the one to push Anna into doing things she normally never would have dreamed of doing. Like climbing trees and swimming in the lake at the edge of town – neither of which was something Anna would have ever done without Jacqueline there urging her on. Anna wasn't sure whether it was the times she'd been brought up in or simply the town where she'd lived, but girls just didn't do those kinds of things. But Jacqueline had never been one to care about what she was supposed to do; she did what she wanted, and who cared what anyone else thought! And while Anna never dared swim after she'd become a vampire, she couldn't help but be grateful to Jacqueline for teaching her how to climb trees – it had turned out to be quite a useful skill, especially since it had saved her life on more than one occasion.

They'd shared secrets and dreams. Jacqueline had dreamed of being mayor of their town – or even a governor; she knew someday she'd do something big – be someone important. Anna, on the other hand, had just wanted a normal, quiet life. She'd told Jacqueline that, and remembered how Jacqueline had just laughed; that kind of life would never suit Jacqueline Chilton.

Eventually, however, Anna's precious memories turned dark, and her face clouded over. Thinking about Jacqueline always led Anna to one place – that Saturday night, when everything changed. That night, there had been a dance in the Great Hall, in the center of town. It was the social event of the season, and everyone in both the town and its surrounding areas had showed up, ready not only to dance, but also to catch up on any town gossip that they might have missed out on during the year.

The party had started off well, and everyone was having a great time. The dance floor was filled with couples. Young ladies in long dresses danced merrily with men in formal coats. Anna had chosen to wear her favorite dress – a silky pale blue one that came just above the floor. It was trimmed with lace, and matched nicely with her formal white gloves. She had pulled her hair up, with long tendrils falling gracefully about her face, and she looked absolutely beautiful.

Anna walked in to the dance hall, a little late. Everyone turned to see her when she came in, and she could hear the gasps and whispers about how stunning she was, making her smile happily to herself; she had always been pretty, but rarely noticed. Now that she was engaged to Fredrick, however, she had become much more talked about. Anna walked past the awestruck faces and said hello to her friends before looking around for Fredrick. She found him at the back of the room, wearing a dark coat, his blond hair tied back with a black velvet ribbon. Glass in hand, he was talking and laughing with a group of friends – the center of attention. Anna laughed in spite of herself; here was Fredrick, popular as always.

When Fredrick saw Anna, he smiled brightly and immediately made his way over to her, leaving his friends almost looking disappointed by his absence. She greeted him warmly, and the two of them walked out to the dance floor. They danced together for hours. Even now, all these years later, Anna still remembered the touch of his hand on her waist as he paraded her expertly around the dance floor. But the night air was hot, and after a while Anna needed to take a break. She walked over to a table at the back of the room that had been set up for refreshments and got herself a drink. While there, she met up with a few friends of her own, including her best friend Jacqueline. Jacqueline congratulated Anna, saying how lucky she was to be marrying such a great man as Fredrick. Anna smiled happily; she knew she was lucky, and having the support of her friends made her feel even luckier. Someone asked if a date had been set yet, and another girl asked if Anna knew where she and Fredrick would be living. It was all idle chatter; everyone in town already knew all the details of Anna's engagement. In fact, Anna wouldn't have been surprised in the least if it turned out her friends knew more about her engagement than she did!