10 The Party's Star

Finally, she got to her friends there was a kind of awkwardness that hung in the air because of the quarrel between Annabelle and Elisa. Emma nudged Elisa urging her to apologize as they had discussed earlier but Elisa was not ready to do so. 'It would have been okay if she was not so beautiful tonight, taking all the spotlight away for me' Elisa thought greedily forgetting that she was not even the star of today's show, to begin with.

They all knew Annabelle never wore any of the dresses Rose sent her anyway and they were expecting the same this year, well more like Elisa was expecting it. Rose and Emma were sitting in between thinking of the possibility, as this year's event was grand they hoped she would wear the dress Rose sent her rather than the old clothes she usually donned.

When Elisa saw Annabelle earlier she had turned to look at Rose almost questioning her choice for Annabelle but seeing that the former was as surprised as she was she gave up the idea until Emma being the way that she is decided to ask "Rose, why did you buy such expensive dress for her when it's supposed to be your birthday" Rose made a hand gesture clarifying "I swear I didn't get that for her" "How did she get it then?" Elisa asked in a way that showed concern instead of the anger she was really feeling. 'Maybe she stole it, she thought to herself'

"Hey beautiful, this is for you. Happy birthday, sweetheart" Annabelle said as she gave Rose the beautifully wrapped gift in her hands. "I told you, you did not have to bring me anything, so why did you?" Rose pouted feigning annoyance. "You could always return the gift then" Emma poked her playfully. The three were laughing and hugging happily when Elisa decided to become a wet blanket.

"Can you even afford any gifts? I am pretty sure it is not expensive in the least" Rose was increasingly incensed with her words by now. "ELISA!!!" she shouted through gritted teeth, her face turning red in anger and embarrassment. Rose was planning on admonishing her when Annabelle spoke "Good evening to you too Elisa" she said without any bit of annoyance in her voice at all. They all looked at her shocked by her reaction and Elisa was not an exception.

"I don't see your parents anywhere?" Annabelle continued to strike up a conversation with Rose before the MC walked to the stage to announce the opening of the celebration. By this time most of the guests had arrived. Rose urged all her friends to come with her but Annabelle declined politely. She had taken most of the spotlight today and she had no plans of doing so any longer. She looked for a quiet corner and sat down, hopefully, no one would recognize her.

As the celebration got into more details Annabelle made her way to the Balcony to get some fresh air, she was beginning to feel stuffy and uncomfortable in the hall. Unbeknownst to her Trevor Elisa's ex who had been looking for her ever since he arrived had seen her and as such followed after her. "Penny for your thoughts," he asked once he met up with her. Annabelle looked around and seeing she was the only one there turned and saw Trevor.

She was pleasantly surprised before that surprise turned to annoyance "What are you doing here?" she asked "You mean the party or out here with you?" he raised a brow asking a question of his own. "You know what I mean, so stop the act" she frowned, seeing this Trevor laughed heartedly. "Rose invited me and I am glad that she did" he finally answered "And why would she do that?" she asked confused. Trevor just shrugged

Annabelle looked at him for a while and as if she had thought of something made an oh sound turning back to look at the nighttime view. When Trevor noticed she had no intention of continuing the conversation, he decided to tell her of his intention towards her. Annabelle turned back to see Trevor still standing there as if contemplating something. "Why are you still here?" she asked with a frown.

"Annabelle, I erm I.." he stuttered 'This was not going to be easy' he thought to himself. Annabelle was getting annoyed at this point "You what? Why can't you speak a little more clearly" she asked him. She had come out to receive fresh air but seeing him had made her mood turn sour. Trevor cleared his throat and continued confidently this time "Annabelle, I like you, actually I have liked you a lot for a long time now but....."

"What! Let me stop you there. I don't think the person you should be saying that too is me" she interrupted him before he could continue. "But that is how I feel about you, Elisa and I, we just..." Bang! before he could continue Annabelle had thrown a punch at him and used the momentum to kick him, beating him up. She and Elisa might not be getting along right now but she was still her friend.

Lester Stuart Alexander was actually invited to a meeting just the floor above the hotel hall where the party was going on. He had become more unbearable and easily angered these days ever since the quarrel he last had with his mother. he excused himself and went to the balcony to smoke. He was still preoccupied with his thoughts when he heard a sound of bone cracking. At first, he wanted to ignore it but something caught his attention.

It was actually a girl who was beating up the opposite sex, he found it quite funny and watched with interest. Since he could not see the girls face, he just watched her delivering blows after blows to the man who was already on his knees.

Trevor was so angry, he had never been this humiliated before in his entire life but this girl beating him up did not seem to care nor stop the incessant beating. He was already bruised up. Annabelle noticing she might have gone overboard in her anger stopped. She hated this part of herself and had been keeping it in for so long. But seeing him al smug and acting like he doesn't care for Elisa, a nut loosened in her head. All her pent-up anger and emotion came rushing out at once.

Annabelle turned around and wiped her hands. Trevor was so incensed and laughed mirthlessly speaking up slowly which took a whole lot of his strength. "You must really think you are an avenger or something, I see why you will always be worthless to them" He staggered to his feet and continued "You hit me because of your friend but have you ever asked yourself if you are their friend?"

Annabelle had wanted to ignore before but after hearing his words she could not help but look at him "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked with her fist clenched. "You know better than I do what exactly it is I mean" looking at her confused state he laughed once more "You really don't know, do you?". He looked at her skeptically and continued

"Know what?" she snapped she was getting impatient "And here I thought you were intelligent. Do you know what they think of you? No? You are but a glorified servant to them, the only thing they ever wanted you for was because of your brains and you stupidly follow them." he looked at her for a while before continuing "Elisa told me you were not capable of love and now I actually believe her.

You fight for her to defend her honor but do you even think that maybe just maybe you have no honor with them. To them, you are nothing more than just a pitiful pauper" "Perhaps, you should ask yourself the question of why you are friends with them in the first place, I am sure if not for your academic prowess, you would have gone unnoticed by them"

He turned around and limped off, Annabelle was too shocked to be aware of her situation, she gripped the rails on the balcony tightly as she felt her knees go weak. Lester who had been watching her all these while was astonished. From where he was, he had actually heard their conversations. He was more surprised when he noticed the girl did not take any other actions.

Annabelle raised her head slowly, her eyes red and misty but she didn't let any tears come out. When Lester saw her face clearly he was even more surprised. That was the girl who had insulted him about his upbringing. Looking at her curiously for a while when he heard his secretary call out to him, he turned to glare at his secretary and when he turned back to where the girl was he was so disappointed. "Find her" he spat at his secretary. He tried looking for her the day of the incident but the "Genius' he had given the job to could not find any lead for him.