Unreturned Love

Chapter 9

"I still don't understand why on earth we're invited to the ball", Kayline grumbled as Leeane squeezed her mercilessly into a dress that was way too small for her. "Ouch!" She yelped as Leeane accidentally zipped her skin. "Leeane! Can we place change dresses?" Kayline pleaded, wincing as she rubbed her raw skin.

Leeane sighed. This was the seventh shop they had tried, and they still couldn't find a dress that Kayline was satisfied with. She had picked out her own gown a long time ago (in the second shop, in fact), but Kayline was much more harder to please. The dress was either too big, or too small, or too ugly, or too low, or too high, something like that. She was about to give up on Kayline. "In reply to your first question", Leeane muttered as she tried to pick out another gown, "it's because the exams are over, and we always have a ball after exams, just that it's the first year we're old enough to be invited". Ignoring Kayline's grumbles, Leeane grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the store in pursuit of the next she planned to visit.

"Well, I think the school is crazy to organize a stupid ball just because the freaking exams are over-" Kayline stopped abruptly in mid-sentence, and Leeane stopped marching away, looking at her curiously. She followed Kayline's gaze and her eyes fell on the most beautiful gown she had ever seen.

The gown was a dark midnight blue, so dark it might almost have been in black. Small glittery sequins had been sewed onto the dark velvet, such that they glittered and sparkled. Crystals adorned the top of the gown, enhancing it, and formed an intricate design which spilled over to the back of the gown. Although the front had been rather conservatively cut, the back more than made up for it with its extreme V cut, dipping down low before curving back up again. Without another word, Leeane hurried Kayline into the shop.

Within minutes, Kayline was decked out in the outfit they had seen in the window. The dress was a perfect fit-- the gown hugged Kayline's long, slim body and enhanced her curves such that they stood out, but not too much. The dark colours only served to bring out the smoothness of Kayline's skin, making her look as if she were made of alabaster. Overall, she looked stunning, to say the least.  To complete the effect, Leeane tugged the rubber band out of Kayline's hair and let her pale blonde hair drape gently over her bare shoulders.

With a slight sigh of satisfaction, Leeane stepped back and regarded Kayline. "It's perfect".

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The rest of the school days passed in a blur. Kayline still hadn't forgiven Finn, and their physics remedial were mostly sat in silence. Sure, Finn had tried to draw her out, but after several failed attempts, he had give it up-- at least for the meantime. Leeane was getting all hyped up about the ball, and was determined to dress Kayline up as well as she could. The gown had been selected, and Leeane took Kayline out more several times to get shoes, handbags, earrings and necklaces. Kayline never understood why they had to get so many stuff for just a ball, but she went along just to please Leeane. There was only one thing that they didn't agree on-- dates.

"Kayline, you need a date for the ball!" Leeane cried out exasperatedly at their lockers after Kayline had declined yet another boy- the tenth time.

"Nope", Kayline replied calmly. "We both know that having dates are optional, Lee, so stop trying to trick me into accepting one".

"But... But you have to have one! What's the fun of going to a ball if you don't even have a date?!"

 Kayline quirked an eyebrow. "There isn't any fun in it at all, Lee. Especially not the dressing up". She shuddered.

"Kay, I'm going with Michael, and if you don't get someone to go with you, you're going to end up alone!" Leeane pleaded.

"Sure, that's fine with me".

Leeane groaned and banged her head against the lockers. Just then, their classmate turned up.

"Hey girls", Tim said coolly, leaning against their lockers. "Did I hear something about the ball?"

"Yeah, I was just persuading Kay to accept one of the various dates for the ball", Leeane sighed. "It's getting kinda impossible".

"Oh? So do I stand a chance?" Kayline glanced at him, hope lighting up his handsome features. Much as she hated to dampen his hope, she didn't see no other way out of it.

"Actually, I'm not really-"

"Kay means that she'd love to go to the ball with you". Leeane interrupted Kayline, who gaped at her.

"Really?" Tim grinned at Kayline, who looked him up and down. He was rather cute, she thought. And if accepting his invitation would mean that Leeane would get off her back about the matter, Kayline definitely didn't mind. After all, a date simply meant that someone would be there to pick her up and do a few dances with him, right?

"Well..." Kayline did her best to sound unwilling. "Alright, I suppose". She couldn't help but smile when Tim let out a large whoop and skipped down the corridor doing a grotesque dance of glee.

"I'll pick you up at 6pm then!!" Tim called before disappearing out of sight. Kayline couldn't help but roll her eyes and laugh.

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Finn was about to turn the corridor when he heard a familiar voice. Something told him to stop, to listen. With a quick glance to make sure that no one was watching, he stood with his back to the wall, ear cocked.

"Well... Alright, I suppose". He heard Kayline's voice, and the amusement hidden in it. Before he could even wonder what she had agreed to, he heard a loud whoop of joy, a male's voice. It sounded happy, and relieved. That sounded like Tim, he thought.

"I'll pick you up at 6pm then!!" Unmistakably, Tim's voice. And suddenly, he realized that Kayline had just accepted Tim's invitation to the ball. Unable to help himself, his fists clenched and his teeth came together. He knew it was impossible for a teacher to ask a student to the ball, though he had thought of doing just that. But he knew how stupid that action was, and had just persuaded himself out of doing it. Yet, now, listening to Tim ask Kayline out successfully, he felt a pang of envy and jealousness. Why, why, why did he have to be a teacher? Why not a student?! He closed his eyes, and tried to breathe in and out evenly to calm himself. But anger, helplessness kept welling up, surging into him.

"Sir" He snapped his eyes open and came face to face with a concerned Leeane. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine". Finn hurriedly unclencehd his fists and saw Kayline standing a distance away, looking quizzically at him. Without warning, the feeling of jealousy returned. 

"Uhh... You don't look that well", Leeane frowned and tried to catch his eye. Finn stared at her, but didn't trust himself to reply. Instead, he shook his head and walked hurriedly in the direction of the staff room.

"What was that about?" Leeane wondered about to Kayline, who shrugged, but continued to stare at Finn. "One weird teacher, huh".

"Yeah I suppose"

"Come on, let's go".