As Erin spins him around, Carr laughs and his laugh drags, more high pitched than his usual timid chuckle. He hadnât drank so much, but also wasnât very used to the effects of alcohol, so while he could still - kind of - lead Erin in a modest dance, his feet actually felt quite heavy and lowering his head in Erinâs direction actually felt a lot easier than lifting it to look ahead. But most of all, he felt calmer. He couldnât place what had changed, but his nervousness and anxiety had almost completely vanished, so know he was nothing but contempt to spin around with his friend.
Erin wasnât a good liar, never had been. Having her face so close to his, and knowing her like he did, it didnât take a seconds for Anthony to realize, once more, the girl was hiding something from him. Maybe she actually had no idea what happened, but certainly the thought disturbed her more than she let it show. Then again, Anthony could not be the smartest guy around, but even he could tell it wouldnât do any good to keep pushing her to say something. He smiled brightly âYeah, youâre right. Forget it.â It would be better, he decided, to just get her mind off of it, and if she felt like it, she would say something whenever. Hearing her seconds question, his smile diminished into one of discomfort and his cheeks blushed slightly, a barely noticeable shade darker than the one alcohol had painted them. âNah, not really. Plus, I donât think thereâs enough liquid confidence thatâll get me talking to these people. Teenagers are scary, Erinâ He said quite seriously, before pouting, and laughing once again while jokingly spinning Erin multiple times. Becoming a bit dizzy himself, he proceeded to hold on to Erin a little closer in something that resembled a really uncomfortable, swaying, clumsy hug. âYou're not. You're small and⊠silly.â
However, the question resounded quietly in his head, as if Erin had said it in song. His gaze, lingering behind Erinâs head, examined some couples whose foreheadâs touched as they embraced each other, accompanying the soft music. Some laughed and some stared lovingly into each otherâs eyes. It made him happy to look at them, and how close they seemed to each other, but he couldnât help but wonder how that must feel. He wondered if Erin or Aimee knew, and if it was in anyway possible to explain. He thought, and somehow hoped, it wasnât. The couple who attracted most attention, and therefore Anthonyâs as well, was Daniel Ahn and Nina Romanov, who after the enormous scene, now seemed to mind nothing, to be surrounded by tranquility and indifference.
Than, suddenly, a pair of blue, almost transparent eyes catch his own. Almost instantly Anthony shifts his gaze, directing it at the fire. It felt as if her gaze could physically harm him, pierce through him, shred him to pieces. No, that was not it. Frostbite. Thatâs what it felt like. His breathing turned faster as he struggled to not look again and check if Nina still had his gaze on him. There was nothing he wanted more than to actually run and hide at that instant. Of all people he could have attracted attention from, this was the worse possible option imaginable. He looked at Erinâs face again in an attempt to distract his thoughts. âYou⊠How about you? You shouldnât waste your good looks on me and Lane, you know?â
At his question, she canât help but smile a bit. Perhaps he was right and this was more risky than actually dancing in the light, but if she would be the one to have to catch the curious glares and hear the intrigued whispers the next day, she wanted the words whispered to be, at the very least, enticing. They could call her all the profanities they thought suited, but she wouldnât let herself be called uninteresting for once, thatâs for sure. And anyway, they had left right when everyone was way to distracted by Ninaâs scandal. Being out of the spotlight, losing it to Nina, she must admit, did have itâs advantages. âWellâ She laughed close to his ear, letting her sweet breath reach his skin. âIf there are going to be rumors about us, let them be juicy, right?â
This type of rumor wasnât one that Becky minded at all. She had no reason to. She had always cared a lot about what her people had to say about her looks, about her future and her family. About theyâre money or theyâre business. This were all things she had masterfully made sure she had under control and could very easily convince otherwise whoever criticized them. But in the sexual reputation department, as long as there wasnât gossip that could affect her position as part of Laurelâs royalty, there were no concerns. Rebecca was a virgin, and had absolutely no intention of changing this for a long time, not before she could find her prince charming. She distanced herself a little from Keevan and examined him discretely. And this she thought is definitely not it.
From there, she gently let her head rest on his shoulder. If this was something she had to do, at least she could get some rest out of it. He felt warm and the slow swaying and gentle darkness made her eyelids heavy and her breath, calmer. Her mind was fixated on the fight a few minutes before. The harsh movement Cameron had made in Ninaâs direction and Danielâs strength seemed like an odd fantasy, everything had went down so fast, and it was such an improbable situation that she had a hard time wrapping her mind around it. And although she didnât exactly feel bad for Nina - she had a feeling this would soon be forgotten and never talked about again within her circle - this was probably the first time she had not been jealous of all the attention Nina received. The way that guy touched her, her lips in her neck⊠It made her sick in every way. But Daniel had been rather sweet, she thought, with a sleepy smile forming over her pinkish, sparkling lips. Lifting her head from where it rested for just one moment, she looked into Keevanâs eyes, but really seemed to look thought him, at something far more distant.
âCameron Hillcock is a disgusting brat. Whatever you wright tonight, remember that.â By making her voice a bit more severe than it usually were, although not completely serious, her intention was to leave clear her feeling was not that of sympathy, but of repulse.