Hide and Secret (Wattys2015)

(28) Serena's POV

This was a party.

I was always good at parties. I could socialize with the best of them. I could beat even the cockiest douche bag at beer pong. And back before I went to rehab, I was the girl you went to when you needed someone to have sex with. Parties were one of my elements.

So why was I so nervous?

As I straightened the black sequined mask that matched perfectly with my black, sequined, strapless, curve-hugging gown that had a slit up the side, I felt a large twinge of nervousness deep in my gut. This was real. I was about to catch my tormentor, see who they were.

I was standing right outside the area where Jill was holding her party. She had rented out a large ballroom that reminded me of that one scene in the 2004 version of the movie Phantom of the Opera. Coincidentally, that was also a masquerade ball. In addition to renting out a ballroom, Jill also got access to the entire outdoors near the ballroom. There was a hedge maze out back and nearby that, a small lake.

I knew that I'd spent enough time observing the scenery. I had to go in.

The moment I stepped into the ballroom, it felt like I was transferred into another world. On the floor there were tables set up full of food and appetizers. A DJ was set up in the corner of the room, where people were writing names of songs they wanted to hear played on slips of paper. People were dancing, some solo, some with dates, some in a group. There was an elegant spiral staircase that led up to an even prettier balcony. The balcony overlooked the dancers and DJ.

I spied Jill ad Taylor overhead, looking down at the dancing people. I hurried up to them, running as fast as I could in strappy black heels. "Hey guys!" I chirped when I got to them.

They both looked fantastic. Jill was wearing a strapless white ball gown dotted with tiny pink roses. In her hair she had a real rose. Her mask was one that you could hold on a stick. It was a light pink, to match the rose.

Taylor, who had recovered nicely from the crash, only sporting a slight bruise to the head easily covered by concealer and a small concussion, was wearing a long, sleeveless purple dress that hugged the curves I didn't even know that she had. A purple mask with feathers on the sides of her eyes accented her up do.

Jill greeted me with a smile and a hug.

Taylor gave me a wave, seeming a little out of her element. I was reminded that Taylor probably hadn't done much partying before this. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and earned a grateful smile in return. "So, has our Stalker in Sapphire made an appearance?"

"No," Jill replied tensely. "I guess they're being fashionably late tonight."

"What if this was all just a big lie from the sender?" Taylor asked worriedly. "It wouldn't be the first time."

I bit my lip, hoping that she was wrong. If Taylor was right, that meant that everything would extend on for that much longer. And I just wanted this whole thing to be over.

Suddenly, there was a gust of cold air coming from the door that could be felt all the way here on the balcony. Taylor, Jill, and I all turned our heads to see who had just arrived.

The first person we saw was someone none of us recognized. She was wearing a blue, floor-length dress. Her mask was the same color, and she had moonbeam blonde hair that was flowing freely around her face.

I heard Taylor next to me take a sharp breath. "That's the dress I saw when I found the sender's hideout!" she whispered to Jill and me.

"Guys, look!" Jill whispered back, pointing at something just past the woman in blue. There was still one more person coming in.