Better Off Alone (BOOK 1)(Wattys 2016)

A Masquerade Ball

The night of the dance arrives and I get ready for it with Olive and Macey at my house. We spend the hours before pampering ourselves with facials and chocolate until the time comes for us to dress in the dresses we bought a few weeks ago.

My dress is floor length and a silvery white color that seems to shimmer in light, but isn't too glossy or shiny. The material feels nice and fluffy beneath my fingers and that's partly why I chose it. The other reason is because of the mask I found to go with it. The mask I have is like a crescent moon. There are small flecks of silver sparkle surrounding the eye holes and swirls of a shimmery white make up the rest of the mask.

Macey pins my curls up and piles them in a manageable bun that I can still pull my mask over without snapping the thin string. My dark hair and pale skin actually look beautiful next to the silver material of my dress and mask.

Olive's dress is a pale pink color that floats down to her knees. The material is shimmery with weaves of gold throughout the fabric. She's taken the time to rub a lotion into her bare arms and shoulders which gives them a golden, sparkly effect. Her blonde hair is braided into a fish tail and then pinned atop her head in a complex bun that makes her look like a goddess. Her mask is small and pink, with nothing flashy about it. But her eyes are what make the mask seem so ordinary. Her eyes are painted with pale gold eye shadow and rimmed with dramatic swoops of black lining the top. The flecks of gold in her eyes are magnified by the color of the eye shadow.

Macey's dress reminds me of the foam on the ocean when Clive's surfing. The color is that pale green blue found on the ocean waves when the sun lilts off of them. It's an untraditional dress, but Macey isn't exactly cookie cutter when it comes to style. And I mean that in the best way possible. The dress is sort of vintagey and has cuts that wouldn't be deemed typical. The dress is fitted at her waist and has a sweetheart bodice. There's a string of pearls around her neck and her lips are painted bright red. She has her hair pinned into a chiffon and finally, her mask completes the look. It's not actually a mask, per se but it is a net that covers the upper half of her face. She looks smoking hot if you ask me.

Our dates are coming to pick us up at seven thirty since we have to be there a little earlier than everyone else. Macey's going with her friend Erik and Olive's going with that hipster boy Curtis from the party.

My brother is going stag, though I'm surprised by this since numerous girls would be willing to go with him. When I asked him why he wasn't going with anyone he told me the girl he wanted to go with was already going with someone else. Part of me wants to needle him with questions until he tells me who the girl was, but I'm not that cruel.

Dean, Erik and Curtis all arrive around the same time and my mom takes pictures of us in various settings in our yard. Dean has on a black tuxedo and his mask is actually golden yellow and it's painted to look like the sun, complimenting mine.

When we finally leave I ride with Dean in his truck. I'm glad that he talked to me the weeks leading up to the dance because the ride isn't a bit awkward. We are able to be relaxed and laugh without any awkward pauses. I hope the night to come is the same way.

The gymnasium looks spectacular. Everything I planned for the decorations are perfect and I'm not going to lie, I'm quite proud.

There are lanterns suspended from the ceiling at various lengths, giving off a warm glow. On the walls are billowing pieces of sheer white fabric and strung in between are some twinkle lights. The entire gym comes off as elegant, but laid back and I think it's perfect for the night.

When people start to arrive the music becomes louder and soon people are dancing and laughing. I dance with Dean and my friends, having a blast, but at the same time I feel distracted.

During the first slow dance I apologize to Dean as we sway beneath the lanterns. "Sorry I'm so preoccupied tonight."

He smiles, brushing away a loose curl from my face. "No worries. I know you put a lot of hard work into this dance and no doubt you're just thinking about that."

I smile gratefully, but inside I know that's not the case. One thing is needling me and that is Larkin Knight.

I'm not sure if it's bad timing or a trick of Fate, but right as Dean and I dance to that song, the doors to the gymnasium bang open and in walk Larkin and Zara.

Larkin's dressed sharply in a tux and his mask is teal, complimenting Zara's peacock themed mask. She has on a mermaid like dress that fits her body and then fans out just below her knees. Her mask has different swirls on it made to look like peacock feathers.

I think I'm gaping at them because Dean gently pulls me from the dance floor to where there are some tables set up. As the song ends he gently asks, "Are you alright?" I nod, unable to for words for some reason. "Don't you know Larkin?"

I cringe as I realize he's referring to the rather true rumor of Larkin and I at my cousin's wedding.

I compose my thoughts and smile at Dean. "Yes, Larkin is one of my best friends."

Dean looks surprised, but he covers it well. "Would you like to say hi to him? I don't mind a bit."

I nod, grateful at his kindness. "Thanks."

Dean holds onto my hand and leads me over to where Larkin and Zara are sitting at one of the other tables. Zara's laughing at something Larkin just said and I wonder what it is he told her. His eyes are crinkled and his mouth is quirked in a pleased smile.

As I near them I am able to name the emotion that has taken my thoughts captive for the night: I like Larkin Knight. I like him a lot.