tell it was a dress—nothing on my arms, but material swishing against my legs. “Perfect. Of course.” She sounded smug. “Foot,” she said, taking one and pulling off my boot before putting a much higher heeled shoe on, then repeating the process.
“Can I open my eyes yet?”
“No. Take my arm.”
I did and let her walk me around the corner. Behind my closed eyes I could tell there was light—a lot of light, way more than there should have been.
“Hold still,” she said, slipping something carefully past my hair and putting it in place over my eyes and the top of my nose. “And keep your eyes closed!”
“Hmph.”
“Brat.” She let go of my arm, then put both of hers around me and gave me a quick hug. “Have fun.”
Another hand took my elbow, one I instantly recognized by its perfectly smooth skin. “Can I open my eyes yet?”
“Yes,” Lend said, and I opened them to see him, in a tux with a gorgeous midnight-blue and silver mask. Okay, maybe it was a good color scheme, after all. I looked down and my breath caught at what was quite possibly the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen in my life. Layers of sheer fabric cascaded from my waist with impossibly intricate pleating and ruffle accents. Flowers trailed from my shoulders down to the bodice, and it was a rich, perfect plum color. It felt like I was wearing a dream.
Beaming, I put a hand up to feel my own masquerade mask. I couldn’t believe Lend had done this for me. Then I turned to see the entire house lit up with twinkle lights, and what looked to be half the senior class on the wraparound porch, Carlee at the front, all wearing formals and masks.
“Surprise!” they shouted.
It definitely was.
Lend twirled me to the beat in the furniture-free living room and I laughed, my dress spinning around me. They’d draped the walls with swaths of shimmery material in purples and violets, and covered the overhead lights so that even the lighting was filtered and soft. I didn’t know what it was about putting on masks and fancy clothes, but the people I saw every day in the halls seemed prettier, more mysterious, older. Easton Heights totally had this one right after all.
I spun back into Lend’s arms and rested my head on his shoulder. “This is the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me.” The amount of time and preparation he must have put into this—it boggled my mind.
He squeezed my hand in his. “Had to make up for prom, right?”
Reth kidnapping me, confronting Vivian and almost killing her, nearly sucking the soul out of Lend … yeah, prom hadn’t been quite what I’d hoped. “Let’s not mention that dance. Where did everyone get the masks?”
Each mask was individual, with different flourishes and details; everything from sequins to feathers to what looked like gold leaf. They were breathtaking. Definitely not something from a cheap party store.
“I designed most of them and Arianna made them. A little mystery that you can’t see through—and you don’t have to. Just a magical normal night.”
“It’s amazing.”
He dipped me down, then leaned forward and nuzzled into my arched neck. “So are you.”
When the dance music sped up, Carlee found me amid the crush of people. She looked hot in a deep green strapless mini, dark brown hair stick straight and loose, her mask blue and green with peacock feathers trailing down either side.
“Happy birthday!” she shouted, throwing her arms around me, and I hugged her back, giddy.
“Thank you!”
“Is this not the best freaking party ever?”
“Totally!”
She beamed. “Lend’s been working on it for like a month. I’ve been here all day setting up.”
“You were in on it?”
“Psh, of course I was, girl. Who do you think did invites and forced the idiot boys from school to actually dress nice?”
“Carlee, I’m so glad you’re my friend,” I said, blinking back any hint of tears because I was so not messing up my makeup.
“Me, too. And I’m glad Lend finally manned up and threw a decent party.”
“I’m right here, you know,” he said, leaning over my shoulder. “So let’s not go too heavy on the manning up talk.”
My stomach growled. “Food?” I asked.
“In the kitchen. Want me to make you a plate?”
“Perfect.” I watched him weave away through the crowd.
“So, are you two going to get married already or what?”
I laughed. “Excuse me?”
Carlee rolled her eyes. “Please. You don’t even look at other guys. And I have never seen a guy that crazy about a girl before. You’re, like, his entire world.”
I shrugged, smiling. “I can’t imagine ever finding someone better than Lend. He just—he knows me. Totally. Everything. And miraculously he still likes me.”
“Likes? Girl, he head-over-heels-freaking-loves you.”
“It’s mutual!”
“Find me one like that, okay?”
“He’s one of a kind.” Way, way, way more than Carlee would ever know. She just laughed and we danced for a few minutes before I left the middle to watch from the edges and wait for Lend. The Vicious Redhead, my old soccer nemesis, was awkwardly grinding with a tall, skinny kid who was one of the stars of the basketball team, and Carlee was now surrounded by no less than four guys. I was surprised at how many of the kids I recognized under their masks, and how many of them I considered my friends. Maybe I wasn’t on the fringes of normal society. Too bad I’d already volunteered for, like, ten clubs. Probably could have thrown an awesome party and called it good.
I scanned for Arianna but didn’t see her anywhere. Turning to look out the window, I noticed a small point of light like fire, going in and out.
It took a minute, but I made it through everyone, nodding and grinning to birthday wishes, before bursting out the open front door. A bunch of kids lingered there, talking and laughing on the wraparound porch, but I walked straight off and into the trees that hugged the borders of the yard.
“You know you aren’t supposed to be smoking those things,” I said.
Arianna swore, surprised, and dropped her cigarette on the ground. “Great, that was my last one.” She ground it out with her foot.
“Come in,” I said, taking one of her hands, but she pulled back.
“Nah,
