One Night
One Night 85

Chapter 85

Audrey

“That’s all for this week. Have a nice weekend, and enjoy the Equinox.”

Edwin shut off the PowerPoint presentation with a curt nod, and the lecture hall began to bustle with activity as students excitedly gathered their things. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my bag and rose from my chair, making my way to the front of the room where Edwin was still packing his briefcase.

“Here’s that extra credit assignment,” I said, handing him a small bundle of papers that I had been working on during my spare time all week.

“Oh.” Edwin took the papers and vaguely thumbed through them. “You do realize you have a perfect grade right now, right? You don’t need the extra credit.”

I blushed slightly. “You never know,”

Nodding curtly, Edwin said, “Well, I’ll look over it this weekend

Thanking him, I turned to leave, but the sound of Edwin’s voice stopped me again. “Oh, and Audrey? Are you planning to attend the masquerade tonight?”

Surprised by the question, I turned back to face him. “Yes, I am, I replied, adjusting my bag nervously on my shoulder. “Why do you ask?”

He shrugged, his expression unreadable as he slipped one hand into his pocket. “No particular reason. I was just curious… I’m assuming you made your own dress?”

“Well, sort of,” I said, not wanting to delve into the moth debacle,

“I see. What color is it?”

I blinked, taken aback by the unexpected question. Since when did Edwin care about the color of my clothes? “It’s, um… green,” I said after a moment’s hesitation. “Sage green. With embroidery.”

“That sounds intriguing, Edwin commented flippantly, although I swore I could make out the slightest ghost of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Well, I hope you have a good time tonight. Enjoy yourself.”

“Thanks,” I said, still puzzled by the exchange. “I will.”

As I left the classroom, I couldn’t shake the strange feeling that had come over me. Why would Edwin care about the color of my dress? It wasn’t like him to ask such personal questions, especially not after… Well, everything,

A thought suddenly struck me then-was he… imagining me in the dress?

The idea made me blush furiously, and I quickened my pace down the hallway, trying to push the notion out of my mind.

I smoothed down the front of my gown, admiring how the fabric moved and almost seemed to shimmer in the low light. The bodice was laced up perfectly in the back, and I had slipped on my trusty heeled boots; they were mostly hidden beneath the long skirt, but they were comfortable and good for dancing while still being stylish.

As I carefully placed my handmade mask over my eyes, tying the ribbons securely behind my head, there was a knock at my

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door

“Come in!” I called out

Tina burst into the room wearing a gold and white gown that complemented her pale skin beautifully. Her mask, adorned with white feathers and gold flecks, was perched on top of her head, and she held a matching golden clutch in her hand.

“Oh my Goddess, Audrey!” she exclaimed. “You look amazing!”

I grinned, giving a little twirl. “Thanks! So do you. That dress is stunning”

Tina looped her arm through mine, her eyes shimmering up at me from beneath her lashes. “Are you sure you really want to be my date tonight?” she murmured. “You know you don’t have to…”

I smiled. parting the top of her gloved hand. “Of course I want to be your date. I’d rather it be you than anyone else in the

entire world”

Tina smirked. “Even more than-”

“Don’t say it.” I growled, eliciting a tiny giggle from Tina.

We made our way to the lavish mansion estate just outside of town where the masquerade was being held-once owned by the founder of Grayspring Academy, but now a historical site where events were sometimes held.

As we approached the entrance, a doorman handed us each a small card with a unique number on it.

What are these for?” I asked, turning the card over in my hand.

These cards will be used later for the raffle,” the doorman explained. “Keep them safe.” Nodding, I slipped the card into my bodice and Tina kept hers in her clutch.

Stepping into the mansion was like stepping into a different time period altogether. Masked attendees twirled around on the dance floor as glittering chandeliers cast golden flecks across the hardwood floors. The candles lining the walls were flickering just so, making it difficult to see everyone’s faces beneath their masks in the swirling colors and shadows, and the sound of orchestral music mingled with the clinking of champagne glasses in the air.

In awe of the grandeur of the ballroom, Tina and I made our way to a nearby refreshment table to start. A server offered us, flutes of champagne, which we accepted gratefully.

To a night of mystery.” Tina said with a smirk, raising her glass.

I clinked my glass against hers. “And to the best date a girl could ask for.”

We sipped our champagne, taking a few moments to let the alcohol loosen our muscles while we observed the sea of people. Throngs of friends mingled here and there, couples swayed on the dance floor, and somewhere off in another corner I could already see that a group had gathered around one of the tables for a rowdy drinking game.

“Want to dance?” Tina asked, nodding toward the dance floor.

“Absolutely,” I said as I drained the last dregs of my champagne and set the empty glass down on the table.

Hand in hand, we made our way onto the dance floor and began to sway together. The orchestral music was just as upbeat and lively as any club, and soon we were twirling and laughing, too lost in the moment to care how we looked.

As we danced, though, I couldn’t help but scan the crowd, wondering if Edwin was here. Would I even recognize him behind a mask? The thought of him watching me in my dress made my cheeks flush, and I was glad for the mask that hid my

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But no. Edwin wouldn’t be here: he was likely holed up by himself in his apartment, or maybe even sitting at an empty bar somewhere. Definitely not mingling at a masquerade, and certainly not thinking about me.

okay?” Tina asked. noticing my distraction. “You seem like you’re a million miles away right now.”

I shook my head, refocusing on my friend. “Sorry, just taking it all in. This place is incredible.”

We continued to dance, but I soon became aware of the looks we were getting from some of the other partygoers. At first, I tried to ignore them, but the whispers and pointed glances were hard to miss.

“Look at those two,” I heard one girl say to her friend. “Do they have to flaunt it like that?”

“Disgusting.” her friend replied. “This isn’t that kind of party.”

Tina must have heard them too because her steps faltered, and her grip on my hand tightened infinitesimally. “Maybe we should take a break,” she said, her voice small. She began to tug me over toward the buffet. “I’m hungr—

“Hey. Don’t let them bother you,” I said, tugging her back to me. They’re just jealous of how good we look.”

But as we continued to dance, the comments grew louder and more pointed.

“Hey, le***os” a male voice called out. “Get a room!”

As a ripple of cruel laughter worked its way around us, Tina froze, her eyes almost immediately filling with tears. “I-I’m Before I could stop her, she turned and ran, disappearing into the crowd. I called after her, but she didn’t look back.

to the bathroom. I’ll be back.”

“Assholes!” I growled at the onlookers, although they had already turned their attention elsewhere.

sorry. Audrey,” she whispered, wrenching her hands away from mine. “I can’t… I have to m

Cursing under my breath, I turned on my heel and began pushing my way through the throng of masked dancers. I caught glimpses of Tina’s gold dress as she weaved through the crowd, Heading toward the back of the mansion.

་འཐོ་འ

Finally, I reached a door marked as the ladies’ room. I could hear m**bs coming from inside, and I knew that she must have gone in there. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door and peered inside.

There, huddled in the corner by the sinks, was Tina. Her mask was on the floor, and tears were streaming in rivers down her face as she cried into her hands,

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