"And she looks like she enjoyed the three songs tonight too much that she can't tell him to sit her down." Rain's eyes instantly turned accusing as he thoroughly evaluate my actions.

What now? Isn't it what they all wanted

"By that, you, as my partner should have snatched me from him, you think?" I blamed back.

"So haughty..." he murmured under his breath.

I am inserting my hand on its sleeves because the coat can cover what needs to be covered if worn properly and not just by the shoulders when I realized Rain's eyes stayed on me. He hopelessly shook his head at me and I know what he is pointing at me now.

He then goes back to 'socializing' when I threw warnful eyes at him.

What should I do anyway? There's a chance that that man will come back here again if I'll be hard-headed to insist on what I want. I do not want to create another scene here. Especially not when all eyes are obviously watching and preying on us.

And also not because that would be super awkward again because he is moving 'slow'. My soft self couldn't allow me another close contact.

The dim lights turned kaleidoscopic and with a click, we were all relishing to a party song.

Mentally scolding myself from my recent thoughts and attitude, I have no plans to look in that direction again so I busied myself by watching the dancing people on the floor. But what happened earlier keeps revisiting my mind, so I pinched my index finger to stop me from minding it.

I made a quiet "aww" because that hurts! I am sulking in my seat when a familiar watch emerged above the table.

"Can I have this hand?" Rain mockingly smiles for some shameless idea.

"Or is it already owned?"

"Shut it, Rain" I said as I gently placed my hand in his.

He brought me to the center of the dancing crowd and like a real party man of our generation he started dancing with his overly scandalous dance efforts. He even winked at me before suddenly doing a wild body roll.

The crowd near us halted, especially the girls who are now giggling at best! Yeah, yeah. I get it that he wants both attention from girls and boys.

"Did you see that? He winked at me, girl..." it was from someone behind me.

"LOL. Dream on. It was for me,"

"Are they official?"

Officially friends, yeah. Can't a man and a woman be together without malice? Cause for us it can! But then again yeah, thank God for this person right here for doing such things that the crowd misinterprets.

Note the sarcasm in that.

"Do your shot pretty girl," he teased.

Tss.

I did some unpracticed hip roll just to satisfy him and his eyes widen in shock!

"Damn!" he shouted and the crowd flocked to us. "And you do know that?!"

"You are so loud, let me strangle you,"

He smiled wide at my reaction before grinning like a hunk.

Playboy!

Rain's eyes cruise behind me and it didn't last a minute before his animated eyes returned to me.

"What?"

He shook his head and boyishly chuckled. "Let's be less wild now. I rather not be punched."

"What?"

He didn't answer and indeed behave a bit with his little dance urges at me. The two music ended and we gaily returned to our table.

Rain has excused himself to the comfort room after a while of razzing me with my 'hidden talent' of hip rolling when a phone that was left on the desk lit up. The guy Rain is talking to earlier, Malcom Monterreal, seemed to leave it here to dance. I know it is him because his wallpaper says so.

He had a cute wallpaper with him. He is embracing his girlfriend on the back and they look so happy together based on their smiles. They are also wearing matching white formal longsleeves, which is obviously oversized on the woman.

Given that the girls actually had a lot of problems with me tonight, I tore my sight off it because someone might announce later that I stole it.

Yes, they are that persistent to put dirt on my name.

Phone.

I remembered I have to text Miro about something too. Manipulating my phone, I noticed his text from earlier is just a plain dot.

That's... unusual.

I revisited my recent text and it is about me teasing him about Kierra. It's so unusual that he didn't fight back with my text since it is about her. And earlier, he seems to be keen to reply to me.

Maybe he just run out of battery or something?

It's already midnight so maybe he is asleep now? That sounds like a fair reason.

I checked my other messages and scrolled to see if Papa texted or called me for something but there was none. I closed my messaging app and chose to just text them a little update on my night. Perhaps they are just letting me enjoy the night?

My gaze diverted to Rain when he returned and found him still in his extrovert bubble. As soon as he noticed my gaze he simply leaned his arms on the back of my chair.

"Why?"

"Miro replied me a dot," I showed him my phone.

He checked his watch. He also got phone his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his message and call history.

"Got no urgent calls or messages from them. Though what time does he usually go to sleep?"

"Usually before 10:30?"

"It's 12:03. Do you wish to go home now?"

Grandma's lecture saying proms are once in a lifetime and if possible I should not miss the events about it or else she'll curse me made me shook my head.

"12:30," I said.

The owner of the phone suddenly goes back to our table, together with the girl she is with in the picture. I timidly smiled a little at both of them and the two faced me.

"Reishza this is Tanya, my girlfriend. Tanya this is Reishza, Rain's close friend" Malcom giving the effort to introduce us to each other.

"Hi Reishza!" she greeted with a warm tone.

"Hi," I responded in a significantly less energetic tone compared to her.

I got surprised when she beamed at me genuinely again. I have learned to know whether a smile is genuine or not. I am more fond of observing people than engaging myself with them.

I find it less draining.

So she is not a member of those girls who seemed to build a group that would cast stones at me, on and off the campus.  I do not have to refuse a catfight that the girls always urge me to do.

That is refreshing.

She looks warm and bubbly, that's what I've observed. Rain's friend, who I assume is her boyfriend, stifled an amused smile while silently observing her do her normal stuff around people.

"Babe, can we exchange seats?" I heard her whisper to his boyfriend and I moved my eyes off them to act like I didn't hear her 'whisper'.

Her whisper is a bit loud to be considered as one. The guy held her right hand before indulgently proceeding to vacant a seat next to me. Tanya immediately sat on it and seated sidely to interactively talk to me.

"Tanya Reale," she extended her left hand to me and I reached it, a bit overwhelmed by her sudden interacting skills.

Talk about an extrovert engaging herself to an introvert.

"I am Reishza-"

She cut me off immediately with a friendly slap on the shoulder.

"Of course, I know you, Reishza Baile! You are so recognized!"

I am?

"My brother has a huge crush on you! Looks like most of my guy friends do too! And I also am admiring you from afar. You look so beautiful! And kind! And of course soft-spoken! Unlike me you know, " she continuously blurted out with a loud voice.

She chuckled at our differences. No hint of indifference. She started narrating the names of those she heard is ardent at me. How she met his boyfriend. Her circle of friends and what they'll be doing after tonight. And a lot more.

I only stared at her all the time she is talking. She really is so lovely. I knew her because she is popular on the campus. She is a campus crush and friend. I often see her winning pageants, engaging with group contests, and more. She is a social butterfly.

While I am always reserved engaging with only Rain in school.

And although Rain always introduces me to his circle of social friends during events, I still cannot easily fully connect myself with them. Boys are the usual ones who are interested in getting to know me, while the girls, I can see through them—they are mostly just faking me for Rain.

And Rain very well knows that. He actually finds time to throw them stones when they are acting in front of him.

So why will I give it a try? Besides I am fine with it because I love my personal space too much.

"Thank you, " I smiled at her when she complimented my dress.

Her smile goes wider. "Have seen your dance move earlier too! And it made me almost forget my sexuality! You were so fine for that hip roll!"

"That's too much for a compliment from the hottest woman! It was not that good," I blushed.

"Ah, you are really so... Cutie!" she extended her index finger to press me on my cheeks softly.

Her dress has a low neckline so something peeked when she bowed a little to touch me. I caught how instantly, her boyfriend reacted. He glided his hand on her waist and she turned to him as a response. The guy is closely whispering something in her ears while Tanya is busy rolling her eyes. His fingers swiftly pulled her dress up to cover her.

That watermelon is big.

I looked at mine and realized mine is not small either.

My eyes unconsciously shifted to the crowd and saw Akin looking at our table. He motioned something at me, and I couldn't understand it at first. He repeated it again, patiently making me understand.

I fixed the coat that is sliding a bit of what needs to be covered.

I glanced back in his direction and he is now serving me serious eyes.

I felt embarrassed after that. Why am I following him again?

"Oh! Do you have Facebook? Instagram? Pinterest? I want to add you but it was hard looking for you." she showed me her phone and her search history. "Take a look of my recent searches, none is appearing with your name on... and these ones look like some posers"

She zoomed in on an account that has my side profile as the profile picture on it. "I don't think this is yours,"

"I have long deactivated my account on Instagram and Facebook," I agreed. "I have my messenger active though..."

She nodded before clicking the three dots and reported the account. "Okay! I think I will just message you sometime then. Don't just 'seen' or put me on your archive, okay?"

"Alright,"

She clapped her eyes before some woman called for her at the next table. "Nice meeting you!" she waved at me.

"Nice meeting you too," I waved back.

Her boyfriend followed her after saying goodbye to Rain and me too.

"We also need to go home," Rain suddenly informed me. His scent enveloped my nose when he bends closer for a whisper.

"Or do you want more time with-"

"Come on now, Rain..." I cut him off while tugging his coat up.

He smiled at me mockingly before he stood up to bid his departure on the table. He offered me his hand with a creep smile painted on his lips. I placed mine on it and stood up from my seat too. I bowed down to confirm our departure. The crowd's watch following as we make our way.

"Someone's getting envious now," he whispered happily in my ears.

I couldn't get it.

I proceeded to smile at his partner to inspect if she is being jealous now, but she seemed to not. She just waved her hand a little at me and I smiled at her before we turn our back to leave.

Upon turning, I noticed Chraste Saludes, brother of Misgal, darkly paving his way to our table. He was always dark and brooding but he seemed significantly manlier with his serious face tonight.

He is two years behind Misgal so I found myself a bit surprised. They let anyone in during the ball?

So... still aware of things... why is Rain leading me to a way that is not the exit?

He smiled at me foolishly when he saw the question in my eyes.

"I need to return something to him," he simply explained and I immediately stopped in my tracks.

"Then I can just wait for you outside, and you can return it on your own," I said and removed my hand from his arm but he is quick to say otherwise.

"You also need to return something to him," he said and forced me to walk forward.

I have nothing to-

Yes, I have something he owns. The coat.

"Then, return this coat by yourself," I ordered him and is supposed to remove it but he moved my hand out of it.

"It's not the coat that you need to return to him. You'll just ruin his peace of mind if you take it off," he shaded.

"The what?" I asked him, not getting his words.

What is he talking about? I cannot follow.

But Rain only fixed his eyes to the way, disregarding his friend to accomplish his mission tonight. He is playing what role now?

I hopelessly turn my gaze on the exit but saw something that made me freeze.

I made a quick stop when a man waved at me creepily. He is also wearing a suit but something aside from his drop gorgeous face made him stand out in the crowd. He is having those evil-lurking red eyes. And the way he is looking at me from the dark injected utmost fear in me.

A colored light on the dance floor passed my eyes so I closed my eyes.

"Are you okay?" Rain pulled me out and I opened my eyes to meet his concerned face.

I glanced once more in that direction and he is still there, but his eyes are not as rancid red anymore. He is casually talking to someone. And it seems like they are on a happy animated talk.

Could it be that it is just the dance floor's light fault?

But I know what I saw...

I turned my gaze to Rain.

"I just thought I saw something," I said as I hide my shaking hand on my back for him not to notice.

He tore his gaze on me but his remark didn't escape my ears as he guided me to walk again.

"Have you just seen a ghost?"