Royalty ➳ Archibald

13 | snowflake ball

Bart and Lily had made amends the day before the Ball. Unsurprisingly, Bart was running late to pick Lily up from their Penthouse.

"Hello Mrs. Landington," Lily smiled into the phone. "Could you tell Bart that I'm waiting for him to go to the Snowflake Ball?" Lily waited patiently as the receptionist spoke. "A meeting?" Lily breathed out a laugh. "Well, who's it with?" Lily's face dropped at the name the receptionist said. "Andrew Tyler? Let me call you back."

The mother hung up the phone and hurriedly opened a desk drawer. She pulled out the all-too-familiar manilla folder that's put a hault in her marriage. She began to look through the various papers held in the leather before a printed name appeared on a yellow document.

'Andrew Tyler'

Liky sighed and picked up the desk phone again. "Hi. Uh, it's me. Could you inform Mr.Bass that my plans have changed? I won't be waiting and he shouldn't come to the Ball."

Just as Lily hung up the phone, Alaska walked out of her room. Her dress had elegant blue designs tracing all over it, and her hair had been slicked back into a bun at the nape of her neck. Her makeup was set to match her outfit perfectly, and her earrings adorned her face just as perfect. But she couldn't take any of the credit. Lily picked out the dress and the earrings, Serena even did Alaska's hair and makeup. They had both been very helpful as Alaska knew nothing about fashion.

"Oh my," Lily held back tears as she walked towards her daughter. "You just look so beautiful," Lily clasped a hand over her mouth and chuckled when a tear slid down her face. It was times like these that made Lily was grateful to have Alaska back again.

"Thank you, Lily." Alaska smiled as she embraced her mother in a hug. This must have been the first hug that Alaska has initiated with her and it surprised Lily greatly, but she didn't hesitate to accept the hug. "I have to thank you and Serena though, I can't take all the credit," Alaska laughed as her arms fell back to her side. "You look beautiful Lily," her daughter said when she looked down at her silk dress.

"Oh," Lily wiped away her small tears and waved Alaska off. "Thank you."

"Where's Bart?" Alaska noticed that her and her mother had been the last to leave to the Ball. "Working," Lily lied. "I noticed you don't have a date? Why don't we go together?" Lily smiled when Alaska agreed. "That would be perfect," the teen locked arms with her mother while walking to the elevator.

-

The Ball was filled with fresh white lilies, blue lighting, and expensive gowns. Alaska was shocked at what Lily was able to bring together, the Ball seemed to be hit with all the students and teachers as they happily danced to pop music. "Lily this party is amazing," Alaska gushed just as Lily spotted a couple PTA volunteers chatting away in their own group. "Thank you. Why don't you go and have some fun? I'll be over here," Lily pushed Alaska as lightly as she could into the crowd of students. Before she could say no, Lily had already began conversation with her fellow PTA members by the punch bowl table.

Alaska sighed, but decided to follow Lily's instructions anyway. A slow song began when Alaska spotted both Serena and Dan on the dance floor, but they weren't dancing with each other. She smiled and walked towards her older brother, tapping him on the shoulder and taking his attention away from his date. As he spun around his eyes nearly fell from their sockets at the sight of his sister. "Woah," he smiled.

"I didn't know you were coming?" Alaska laughed. She looked at his rental suit and whistled through her teeth. "Lonely boy sure cleans up," she teased. Dan extended his jacket and did what he thought was a smirk. "What can I say?"

The girl Dan was dancing with tapped him on the arm lightly. "Oh right. Alaska this is my date Lexie. Lexie this is my sister Alaska."

"The emotional one," Lexie extended her hand out as Alaska's smile completely fell. Dan scratched the back of his head as Lexie withdrew her arm. "Oh, I'm sorry-"

"My brother and I are going to dance now," Alaska pushed past the girl and wrapped her arms around Dan's neck, keeping their bodies at a friendly distance apart. Dan awkwardly placed his hands on her waist as Alaska led the two into a comfortable swaying motion. "Sorry about her," Dan looked over at Lexie. She just stood with the rest of the onlookers with her arms crossed.

"It's cool," Alaska shrugged as the music continued. "You look great, Al."

Alaska smiled softly and leaned her head on Dan's chest. All the compliments she was recieving tonight made her feel like a real princess, which is why her prince watched her from across the dance floor. His eyes never taken away from her even when he reminded himself that he had a girlfriend.

-

"Hi Rufus." Lily smiled warmly at her daughter's father. "Wow," he whispered, taking in all of Lily's beauty. "Where's Bart?"

"I'm leaving him," Lily admitted. "I'm doing it for me. I don't expect anything," Lily reassured the man. "Except maybe a dance," she teased. The parents both embraced each other into a long awaited damce.

-

Alaska watched as her brother and sister danced together. Knowing their history, it definitely gave her a weird feeling seeing them so close, but that was their business. Alaska turned around, ready to get a snack from the food table when Vanessa appeared in front of her, looking stressed and upset.

"Hey," Alaska's tone was enough to tell Vanessa that she wasn't expecting them to encounter each other at all. "Here," Vanessa handed Alaska the letter she had sworn she would never show anyone. "Nate sent this to you, and I got ahold of it before you did," Vanessa looked at the floor. "I know now that I had gotten Nate because I stopped whatever you two had going on. I'm sorry."

Vanessa's friendship with Jenny made her realize that she didn't want Nate if it were based on her manipulative lies, and her intervening between Alaska and Nate. Jenny and her had been fighting since the gossip girl blast came out yesterday, because ever since Jenny kissed Nate; she hasn't gotten him out of her head. Jenny had no idea about Alaska's relationship with Nate, until now. She stood behind Vanessa and heard the whole thing. Just as Vanessa began to walk off, Jenny grabbed her shoulder to stop her. "Vanessa wait!"

"What are you doing here?" Vanessa asked.

Alaska stood in front of the two confused as ever as she looked down at the handwritten envelope. She began to take out the white paper inside of it as Vanessa told Jenny that she planned to break up with Nate.

Alaska heard Jenny call after Vanessa when she walked off, but she was too distracted by the letter to pay attention.

"Hey," Nate kissed Vanessa on the cheek when she walked up to him. "Wow you look gorgeous," Nate smiled at his girlfriend. "Thank you," Vanessa rubbed at Nate's arm.

Everything began to happen so fast. Vanessa confessed to Nate what she had done with his letter and broke things off with him. When she had walked away, a spotlight hit her and her dress became see-through. Alaska looked away from the words that made her heart ache. The raven haired girl was quick to take the jacket that Jenny was holding and ran to Vanessa's aid. She covered her quickly and Vanessa thanked her before she walked away in humiliation. Jenny ran after her and Alaska was left in the spotlight alone.

She looked back down at the letter before looking at a shadow that covered the light from her.

"Nate," Alaska was still confused. Nate confessed his feelings for her a month ago, why hadn't he just told her in person and saved them both the trouble. "Now you know," Nate nodded at the letter. He looked around the ballroom before giving Alaska one last look.

They both said nothing as people danced around them, they both didn't react when they were being pulled apart by the crowd of students. They just watched each other from afar as if it were only the two of them at the Ball.

Nate was the one to break their stares. He just turned his back and left. It was too late for him. He had poured his heart into that letter, although he felt the same way- too many people had been hurt. Jenny, Vanessa, even himself. He wondered if he was any good for Alaska, and he knew he wasn't.

He was nothing but a ladies man with rich parents.