Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Today was the day of the spectacular ball the Hadid's have every year. It was also the day that we all got our fifteen-minute dances with Cyrus and somehow, I was oddly excited about it. I also felt responsible for what happened the other night. Even though it was his idea, I felt bad that he got scolded harshly. Jeremy was right. What we were doing was against the rules and we shouldn't break them. Unfortunately, I was still a part of the competition and blah, blah, blah. I wanted to apologize and call this whatever it was off.

In the meantime, Melissa was getting me all pretty for the ball that was starting soon. I couldn't wait to see what my gram pulled out of her ass this time. The first dress was cute, but what about this one? Jenna didn't seem too impressed by me last time. Not that her opinion mattered but this'll shut her up. Even just a smudge.

Melissa was amazing though, she did my make up this pretty, light pink color with a nice light pink lipstick. Then, she curled my hair before putting it up in a bun with a braid going around it. Two curls were left out to frame my face and I never looked better. As for the dress, it was this nude color with assorted color flowers around the top and the one strap. I don't know what was up with my grandma and flowers so far, but it was cute and fit me snuggly. The bottom flaring out a bit still giving me that silk look. Those big poof gowns weren't my thing.

She had to tighten me up at the top a little so the girls wouldn't fall out
She had to tighten me up at the top a little so the girls wouldn't fall out. Thus, giving us time to chat a little bit. "So, you are liking it so far?" She asked me tugging at the dress.

I shrugged. "Yeah, I mean I made some friends so that's good. Almost got sent packing last night though." I glossed over.

Melissa looked surprised to hear that laughing in the process. "What? You!" she exclaimed.

I laughed. "I know, not like me but that's what happens when you're sneaking around with the prize of this whole thing." Ok, I bragged.

"Wow, you must be doing more than just enjoying yourself." She finished tightening me up. "Just be careful and you look gorge might I add!"

She was right. I did look good with this slit that I just noticed going up the left side of my leg. I felt beautiful and sexy all in one. Hopefully, it was enough to make Jenna mind her business and Farah not to classify me into this role she has set for me. For all the wrong reasons I wanted to look good. So, it can be thrown back into their faces. Coming from me it sounds out of character, but they need to eat shit occasionally.

We said our goodbyes for now and I made my way downstairs to wait in the hall. The ball was held a few minutes down the street from their house. They could have just had it here, but I guess having to clean up afterwards wasn't in their agenda. Nevertheless, it was time to get going as the girls started making their way down the stairs. Bradyn coming down in this plush, sleeveless ball gown that had sparkles on the top part. She looked like a princess her strawberry blonde hair straightened down her back. Twila came down in this beautiful yellow dress that complimented her skin lovely. This time her hair was straightened and curled with a curling iron stopping a little more past her shoulders than usual. The poof gowns were in because they all had that effect. Even Jenna. I, once again, was the odd one out. I liked standing out though.

Once we were all down, Jeremy came and led us out to the limousine we were all riding in. I of course making sure to sit next to Bradyn and Twila. There were glasses filled with champagne for each of us and we made a toast to tonight's contest. Not that it needed toasting too. It was just a dance for crying out loud. However, these girls take things seriously. Even the unimportant things.

Getting to the venue, there were so many people already here it was ridiculous. All of them I didn't recognize and felt out of place once again. Not only were there people I didn't know, but there seemed to be a bunch of reporters and camera men taking peoples pictures as they walked in. They really went all out for this thing, and it was weird to be attending it. Especially since I've never been to anything like this before.

We got out and started making our way towards the huge building in front of us. We all stopped to take a picture, but I wasn't going to take one alone. Instead, I asked Twila and Bradyn to take a few pictures with me. Our dresses complement each other. We took a serious one, a cute one, and just one for funnies! I couldn't wait to see how they all turned out.

That aside, when we finally made it inside the building, it was this big space filled the tables, chairs, and lots of different snacking areas. There was also space left to dance and a staircase leading up to these big double doors. Everything had this gold trimming around it. White lily flowers being the center piece for every table. It was nice considering this was supposed to be an elegant ball. The money that went into this was something I didn't even want to think about.

Gasping in awe, we, the contestants, had our own table that we all sat at waiting like everyone else. We had name tags at our seats and sadly I wasn't sitting next to Twila or Bradyn. I was seated between Ocean and Sienna with Bradyn next to Sienna and Jenna between Ocean and Twila. I'm guessing they did this on purpose, noticing how we formed our own little cliques. They wanted to separate us for that reason.

Nevertheless, I was going to enjoy myself here tonight. My eyes lusting over that snack table a few feet away from me. The chocolate fountain desperately calling my name. When could I get up from this damn seat?

As guests finished piling in finding their seats, the lights dimmed a bit, highlighting the top of the staircase where the door was. As they opened, out came the infamous Hadid family as everyone clapped and jeered. All of them come in their best dressed clothing. Saida looking over the whole thing all while still looking gorgeous in all her pretty dresses. However, my attention went over to the man himself, Cyrus. His attention-stealing smile coupled with the freshly pressed navy-blue suit and tie that he wore. Always accompanied by a watch and suede shoes. Dare I say he looked aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It almost made me smile a little bit. Correction, it would have made me smile had he not caught me staring at him.

I'm not sure how he does it, but he always finds me. No matter where we are his eyes find a way to track me down. Reeling me into his web of uncertainty. Not tonight though. Tonight, was all about that snack table and simply apologizing to him. That's it! I hope.

The cheering died down as Farah, like she always did, began to talk.

"Welcome fine guest to the annual Hadid Ball!" She screamed talked. "It's an honor to have you all here and it's an honor to be your host for the night. Please enjoy yourselves, dance a little, enjoy the food, and most importantly have fun!" She finished her speech to more cheering as the family made their way down the stairs to their table.

Music started playing a little louder as we were handed menus to order dinner from. It was a little hard to hear but I managed to tell the guy what I wanted to eat without any confusion. Though, it was boring not sitting next to my girls. I had no one to talk to through this whole ordeal. That's why when we finished eating our meals, I was happy to get up and roam around the place.

Everyone knew each other from the looks of it or if they didn't, they were introduced through a friend of a friend. Even Twila and Bradyn knew a few people here as I spotted them chatting with some important looking guys. I was alone, which didn't matter to me because the snack table was all mine!

As I made it over there, my mouth began to water looking at all the treats. There were cake pops, cupcakes, all diverse kinds of cake slices. There was ice cream, cookies, rice crispy treats, chips, and even the healthier snacks that I didn't care for. My hands went straight for a cup cake and was pleasantly delighted by how wonderful it tasted. Nice and moist with delicious buttercream frosting. Everything you'd want and more. I couldn't resist going for another one but was so rudely interrupted by some gentleman I had no clue of.

It was not Cyrus, as this guy wore a white suit with a red tie to match. His curly jet-black hair coupled with his light blue colored eyes were stand outs to his appearance. Not to mention his nicely chiseled facial structure. This man was a god in the looks department. Why wasn't he the bachelor?

He smiled handing the cupcake we were both going for to me. "Sorry about that." He apologized and stared at me intently. "Hm, I've never seen you around here. Ya new?"

I chuckled biting into my cupcake. "Mm you could say that." I shrugged, not really interested in getting to know him. It's not like I'll see him again.

"I must say, you're really pretty so why haven't I met you before?" He continued asking questions, getting a slice of cake himself. Red velvet to be exact.

"Because she's part of my bachelor duties and she's off limits." That voice that echoed through my ears all the time finally showed itself to me.

Turning around, I saw Cyrus' face smiling at me as he walked closer stopping inches in front of me. It was weird how he said I was off limits, but I guess flattering? I'm not sure how I felt about this honestly. The last time I messed around with a guy it all went to shits. How could you tell when someone was being genuine? Technically, we were all off limits due to the competitive aspect of this whole thing. I should stop taking everything he says so personally.

The guy looked at Cyrus and nodded. "Cyrus, you lucky bastard. So that's why I've never seen you before." He put it all together. "Too bad I was looking forward to charming you into falling in love with me. Oh well, your lost."

My mouth dropped at his words. A bit conceited much. "It'll take a lot more than just a few charming words to win me over thank you very much." I informed him. "Also, it doesn't look like I'm missing out on much."

That caught him by surprise as he wasn't expecting me to say that. "She's hot and a fighter. Hm, are you sure she's off-limits Cy?" He asked, his intrigue growing.

"Yesss! Now will you get out of here." Cyrus repeated himself before dismissing him.

The guy seemed to take a hint and left leaving Cyrus and I alone. Something I hadn't realized my mind was yearning for. Having it be us two made things slightly more comfortable. We were building up a bond with each other that was still unestablished, but it was there. It made me nervous indeed.

Focusing his attention on me, he smiled, locking me in with his eyes. "I knew I'd find you over by the snack table." He said laughing at my fondness for food.

I stick my tongue out jokingly. "Could you blame me? Look at the display." I say mouth still watering.

This caused Cyrus to laugh hysterically at my obsessive behavior. "You're right, it's great." He admitted. "But we have an obligation to fulfill so if it's alright with you, can I have this dance?"

Shit. It slipped my mind that this was why we were invited to come. We all had fifteen minutes with him and I'm guessing it was my turn now. Not that I was dreading the moment, but I couldn't dance to save my life. After this he'll regret asking me that question but duty calls.

Grabbing his hand, he led me to the dance floor where a bunch of others were in their pretty dresses and or suits. Since this was the only time we'd get together I took the time to apologize to him about last night. It's not like we could continue keeping up this charade.

"Cyrus, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't think you'd take all the blame." I said admittedly.

He scoffed. "Why wouldn't I? It's not like I would get into any real trouble unlike you." He reminded me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. It doesn't change the fact that we can't keep doing this."

That made him frown. "Why not?" he asked. "You act like we're committing a crime."

"Cyrus, we're breaking the rules and quite frankly you shouldn't even waste any more time on me other than the time slotted for us." I complained. "Besides, I... I'm just filling a role."

He looked at me confused. "What?"

I don't why I keep hearing his mother's words in my head. It bothered me more than I was letting on. The power imbalance was real, and I was living in it. The way this woman got into my head made it seem like it was intentional. On top of that, Jenna also wasn't a walk in the park either. Having two of them come down on me was honestly taking its toll. Of course, Cyrus didn't know what I was talking about because he didn't see it that way. His eyes looked at me differently. They weren't all about money and status. He saw something more.

Ignoring what I said, he stopped us looking directly in my eyes not letting go of my hand. "Autumn, just relax and dance with me. We can deal with it later." He said his smile never leaving his face.

So, I did just that. Following his lead, I looked into his eyes while he looked at me getting lost in the moment. Being close to him and feeling his hand holding me snuggly felt amazing. On top of the fact that he never stopped smiling at me as I smiled back at him. In this moment it felt like we were the only ones in the room taking up all the space as he guided me around the floor. It was quite fun for a first go around. I was getting the hang of it quickly.

He spun me around as we both started to laugh coordinated with each other. Pulling me back into him, our foreheads touched still laughing while my fingers ran through his soft, wavy hair. Both his hands are now around my waist trying to pull me even closer into him. However, there was little space as it was. My body couldn't go any further.

Our laughing dying down, I sighed, keeping my fingers intertwined with his hair. "Sorry I'm not exactly wearing a proper ball gown." There was a lot of apologies for unnecessary things tonight.

"Fine by me, that just means I get to hold you closer." He whispered, sending a shiver down my spine.

It reminded me of that day in the piano room. How close we were. How tightly he groped me. The way he pulled me into him like I was his and his alone. That's exactly how I was feeling in this moment. Like I belonged to him and nobody else. It was mesmerizing.

Sadly, the moment was short lived as he suddenly let me go and walked away. I was taken back by the suddenness. It was hard trying to regain my composure after the events that took place. The intensity that that moment was left me wanting more of it. But the way he just left me there really angered me. What even was that?

Taking a deep breath, I sighed before embarrassingly walking off the floor to get some air. What was I even doing here anymore?