Pencils & Polaroids

58: crash landing

In advance, I'm sorry. Also, this song is such a fit :')

. . .

Ten minutes passed. Twenty. And then thirty. Yet, there was no sight of Rainer Barcross at the Christmas Eve Party. I kept glancing at the door to see any hint of the cherry red shirt but all I did was wait. I suspect that his father was talking to him the same way he addressed me this morning. But that speculation was cleared the next second when I saw Julian Barcross working the crowd making small talk with our headmistress by his side. 

I kept sipping on my Sparkling Punch every time my anxiety got the best of me. I rendered my presence with Grayson and Sam was causing the awkwardness but Sam kept assuring me (in secret) that if anything, me third-wheeling them was making things less weird. 

My anxiety however reached the peak when I saw Eleanor Barcross getting ready to go up on the stage to make the awaited announcement. 

This time when I glanced at the gates, I saw Rainer. He was being checked by the team of security but he continued to talk with Jayden Banks by his side. I wondered what the two of them could be discussing for so long, that even whilst entering the hall, they seemed so immersed in their conversation than the arrangements of the event. 

As soon as Rainer entered, it was like a celebrity had walked inside a house full of media reporters. Everyone just rushed to greet him. He was honey and the Barcross students were hungry bees. 

The two weeks in San Franciso made me forget how popular this boy is. Compared to the sixteen of us in camp, there were about 170 people gathered here (including alumni) who felt greeting Rainer Barcross qualified as a validation to be in this party. I'd forgotten he was the it-boy here and I wasn't the only one who wanted his undivided attention. 

He greeted everyone indifferently. Boys. Girls. Seniors. And the cheerleading squad. His smile was restrained, not giving away too much, not holding it all back either. He was trained for this kind of publicity. He's been in the spotlight all his life. I guessed the strain lines on his face were because of the scholarship. He wanted it as badly as everyone else did. 

He spent a royal fifteen minutes by the time he maneuvered from the entrance to the middle huddle of the hall. Undeterred by my constant staring, when he didn't meet my eyes, I told myself that he didn't notice me. Funnily enough, he got stuck on the other side of the hall, so far away from my eyes as Eleanor Barcross took over the stage. 

A spotlight hit her stance. Her black gown with golden glitter detailing shimmered under the Christmas decor. Cameras flashed a ton of pictures even before she cleared her throat and approached the mic. 

She took one glance at the huge crowd gathered to witness the crowning and emergence of the newest Raven. Her smile, her eyes, her unfiltered feelings were all incongruous to her husband—unlike him, she seemed genuine to the brim. 

The thing I admired most about Eleanor Barcross was that she was a successful legacy carrier. No doubt, she is known to be a famous woman entrepreneur of her age. But regardless of her status, her heritage, or her authority, she has never been biased in her work. As the headmistress, she's never favored her son. She's been fair and apparently, that isn't something very common in this world. 

"Good evening, children, and all the gathered guests." Eleanor talks like a professional in the mic. "I hope the Barcross Academy has warmed your presence and entertained you with its prestige on this very special night. To use this opportunity of celebrating this most spirited holiday along with an emerging star, the timing couldn't have been any better." 

She flips her page searching for particular eyes in the crowd. When she smiles at someone on the other side, I figure she spotted her son. Next, her eyes glide to me. She continues the smile before she carries on.