Chapter 35

                                    

                                          
Half an hour later, we pull up to an old castle that's very well lit and stunning. I can't help the gasp that escapes my lips. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Zack look at me and smirk. "Do you like it?" Unable to form any sentences or speak for that matter, I eagerly nod my head and keep my eyes glued to the castle as we park. Before I'm able to  move, Zack has already gotten out of the car and has opened my door for me. Realizing what's going on and how still I'm being, I slowly step out of the car and into the grass below me. As Zack closes the door behind me, I feel him grip my wrist. Turning towards him I see he has a white flower corsage. My heart just about stops in my chest and I can tells he's just a bit nervous. "I-uh-I-I got this for you. I didn't know what color your dress was and I figured white would go with anything- I hope you like it and if not, I'm sorry." He rushes out quickly. I let out a slight giggle, I have never seen him this nervous in my life!! I let him secure it around my wrist before I reply. "I love it!" As soon as the words leave my mouth, his face lights up in a smile and we head to the entrance of the castle. Once inside, I just stand there with my mouth agape as I take in everything around me. The inside of the castle has beautiful architecture and everything is bathed in a bluish-purple tint. The ceiling was full of white balloons. So caught up in everything around me, I don't notice Zack has crept up behind me until I hear a whisper in my ear that sends pleasant but unexpected chills down my back. "Are you ready to attend what we're actually here for? Here's a hint- It's not to look at the balloons on the ceiling either." He chuckles lightly in my ear as more chills go down my spine. Before I can respond, he's pulling my hand and leading me to the main event. We arrive at huge doors with teachers asking for our tickets before we're allowed to enter. I begin to panic because I never bought a ticket or anything. Zack must see the worry on my face because he holds up two tickets and one has my name on it. "But how?" I ask genuinely confused. As we get closer and closer to the doors, the music gets louder and louder, making him answer in my ear again. "Sonya got one for you as soon as they went on sale because she apparently knew you had no interest in going since you zoned out of every conversation."  "Hmm. I guess I need to thank her the next time I see her then." I told Zack, making him nod in agreement. Finally reaching the doors, Zack hands the woman our tickets and she checks our names off a list, telling us to have a good time as the doors open for us. Stepping in the ballroom takes my breath away. It's set up just as the rest of the castle- bluish purple balloons all over the ceiling, but for some reason it's just more gorgeous to me. We begin to dance and throw away all the cares in the world. This is our night and we don't care what anyone else thinks. After a while of dancing crazily and laughing at each other, we decide to to go off on a mission to find some drinks. The ballroom has filled up a ton since we've been dancing and it's almost impossible to move. Zack intertwines our hands as we move through the crowd, so we don't lose each other. Once out of the ballroom and back into the hallway, we follow a sign that point us in the direction of refreshments. When we finally find the little area, we notice there really isn't much of a line and decide on two cokes. After we get our drinks, we head back to the ballroom, only to find that we didn't pay attention and now we're lost. Zack won't admit that he doesn't know how to get back and I'm increasingly frustrated. "GREAT! JUST GREAT! WE CAME HERE TO DANCE AND INSTEAD WE'RE LOST IN A CASTLE THAT NEITHER OF US HAVE EVER BEEN IN BEFORE! ALL I WANTED WAS TO DANCE ZACK!!" I yell at him. His response really annoys me. "We aren't lost Jade- we're on an adventure!!" He says in a light hearted and goofy voice. We round a corner and I almost bump into him. He's bent over at the waist, has his drink on the ground and is taking something out of his suit. When I see what it is, I lose my temper once again. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT? YOU IDIOT! THAT'S WHY YOU WENT TO REHAB- NOT TO MENTION IF WE'RE CAUGHT WITH THAT WE'LL GET KICKED OUT!" I go to grab the small bottle of alcohol out of his hands but he's taller than me and therefore has an advantage. He holds it in his hand, above him where I can't reach. Totally done with all of this nonsense, I go to turn away from him to go back the way we came but I can't move. Zack has somehow pinned me against the wall with one hand and there is no way I can move. His face is a mere few inches away and my brain shuts down at the proximity of his closeness. Suddenly he's kissing me and before I know it- I'm kissing him back. It's all too much but absolutely wonderful. Then before I know it, he's stopped and is walking away before I've even comprehend anything. I stand there a moment to catch my breath, before I go the direction he left in, only to see he's a few feet away, casually sipping his coke like nothing happened. When I catch up to him, we quickly find the ballroom and I figure out that he somehow knew how to get back the entire time and we really weren't lost. Right before we re-enter the ballroom, I see a sign that says no food or drinks. I point it out to Zack and we quickly gulp down the remainder of our drinks before throwing the cups away and going back to dancing. When we get in the ballroom, I quickly realize we've come at the wrong time- there's a slow song on and all the couples are slow dancing. Zack must sense my fear because he grabs my hand and gently leads me to an empty area where there aren't as many people. Without meaning to- I freeze. I know what's about to happen and I can't go through with it. Sensing my hesitation, Zack grabs my arms and loosely drapes them around his neck and he goes right ahead- without my permission, and puts his hands on my hips. Pulling me close, he rests his head on mine and tries to sway with the music but I can't. I stand there stiffly, unable to get away. "Jade. It's just a dance, I promise I won't try anything, it's okay." He whispers soothingly to me. With those words I seem to come undone. Suddenly I do know that it's okay, so with that, I smile at him and sway along with him.