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Chapter 27

I am SO SO sorry that I have taken so long to update. I have absolutely no excuses, but I've tried to make it up by giving you guy's two chapters instead of one this time.

Yeah- TWO. Chapter 27 AND 28.

I hope I'm forgiven. Anyway read away and enjoy!

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It was Friday, the day of the ball. And the school was in a frenzy. Decorations were hanging off of the walls, the ceilings, the doors- all proudly gloating a theme of The Great Gatsby. It wasn't entirely creative, with the white feathers boas and strings of pearls appearing slightly typical, but who was I to judge? Last year, the theme at our school had been A Starry, Starry Night.

However, the excitement in the air was palpable, and the blanks faces and silence that usually accompanied breakfast in the morning was replaced with energised expressions and a constant chatter.

The anticipation was contagious, hearing girls joke about not being able to walk in heels and guys kid about spiking the punch, and all in all, I realised that Mason had been right. I was happy that I'd be spending my last day and night here in such a positive spirit.

As I made my way to my first class, my mind slowed slightly as I thought of Mason.

Mason had been acting weird. Period. Ever since the talent show he had been off and I assumed it was because of what I had almost said, something I was still kicking myself about and majorly regretting. Seriously, what had I been thinking? I had been high off of adrenalin and relief and had mistaken those emotions for my feelings towards Mason.

God, if I could go back and take back the words that had left my mouth on a whim of emotion, I would. But I couldn't. And now, I was terrified that I had screwed things up between us.

And if the look of shock on Mason's face hadn't been a big enough indication, him abruptly leaving the show and not calling or messaging or even seeing me afterwards was.

I went back to my room feeling humiliated and upset, and hadn't gotten a wink of sleep that night, my thoughts curdling with worry. What if I had scared him away? Made myself look desperate and over-attached?

The guy already had a ton of family issues, adding me to the equation- the person who had nearly told him that she loved him after only three months of properly getting to know him- definitely wouldn't help.

I dreaded seeing Mason the next day, dreaded that he would avoid me and shut me out- and my panic only grew worse as twelve o'clock ticked by, one, two- with nothing to distract myself but my own spinning thoughts.

However, the next morning, I discovered that staring at the ceiling for six hours straight had been a colossal waste of time. Because Mason had greeted me with his usual smile and witty remark, leaning up against my locker like nothing at all had happened the night before.

I had walked up to him hesitantly, wondering if I had to explain what had gone down the night before, try and rectify the situation, but was stumped by his easy grin and normality. I wanted to question why he had left so abruptly after the show, but the question lumped in my throat, and cowardly I let it go.

If he was prepared to act like nothing at all had happened, then I definitely wasn't going to be the person to bring it up. I still had a little pride left intact. Thus, we went on normally with the day, as well as the days following that, without any mention again of what I had nearly, stupidly, blurted out.

However, that didn't stop the continuous nagging in the back of my mind that something was wrong.

And that something was Mason.