22|Masquerade ball?Eris.

The past few days had been uneventful, Rhea saw little of Eris. She picked his two jackets and sniffed it before folding them back.

They would be leaving the camp soon so most activities involved meeting others. Rhea who was not interested in that kind of pleasure stayed back in the tent while Claire and Carter went to mix up with the other students.

Rhea prepared to lie on her bed when her best friend barged in, causing Rhea to nearly topple off the bed.

"Claire! You scared me" Rhea frowned at her silly friend.

"Sorry, sorry baby girl, I have good news for you and I just can't wait to spill" Claire voiced.

"You won a lottery? If it is not that, get out now before I eat you raw" Rhea threatened.

"How can you threaten your friend that way! You are horrible. Just listen to me okay, you will love my gossip this time" Claire said feigning hurt.

"Thank goodness, she knows it it gossip. Spill" Rhea voiced.

"Okay, okay, listen now. There is actually a big change of plan for the ball holding tomorrow night, it is no longer going to be a normal ball but a masquerade ball!" Claire announced with all happiness.

"So?" Rhea replied nonchalantly. She just did not find the news as amusing as her friend made it seemed. So what if it was not going to be a normal ball, so what if it was going to be a masquerade ball. The only difference is they would be wearing a silly mask. So what? Rhea thought.

"What do you mean by 'so'!" Claire snapped. She was not happy with the way her friend treated the news.

"I really just don't understand all about the amusement of you big gossip" Rhea shrugged and Claire hit her hard on her shoulder.

"Ouch! why did you do that?" She cried rubbing her shoulder.

"Good for you!" Claire snapped. "You don't know how much this great news have affected the whole camp do you?"

'No', obviously not. How would she know, she had never been interested in such messy things.

"The honorable guest will be at the ball! That is the main reason why the ball was changed to a masquerade ball!" Claire explained.

'The honorable guest?' Rhea tilted her head. 'Who is called that?' She had no idea.

"That guy, the very handsome one from the dinner on the first day!" Now, Claire was becoming impatiently furious at her friend.

"Oh...." She answered without interest only because she did not know who it was yet.

'Handsome guy from dinner— was it, could it be Eris?' Her interest shot to 100% Immediately Eris' name clicked in her thoughts.

"Wait, is it that same guy..., like the one introduced to us?" Rhea asked curiously.

"Who else could it be. You see, I told you it's a big gossip. Even you are interested" Claire said, her smile widened to the extent that one would think her face would split.

"Who is interested, stop saying rubbish" Rhea denied.

"Obviously, you are" Claire noted and Rhea snorted.

'If Eris was going to be at the ball.... That would be so, so—' Rhea thought. Unknowingly, a smile graced her lips. She bit her lower lips thoughtfully, her interest was suddenly spiked at the thought of attending the ball.

"Eris, there is an invite brought for you!" Taylor announced.

"Do you really need to be lousy? Can't you just be civil?" Eris said as he walked into the room. He had just freshened up and he used a towel to dry his hair.

"What did I do wrong again, you are the one with too many policies! Try to be human!" Taylor snapped.

"Whatever makes you sleep at night. What invite is it this time?" Eris asked as he threw the towel on the couch his friend sat, Taylor glared at him angrily scouting away from the towel.

"A masquerade ball!" Taylor yelled. His glare vanished and was replaced with sparkling eyes filled with interest.

"What is that?" Eris demanded. He wanted his friend to explain whatever was said in the invite in understandable language.

"You have been invited to the closing ball tomorrow night and it's not a normal ball, it's a masquerade ball" Taylor explained.

"Why should I be invited to that?" Eris was not interested in the slightest.

"I wonder that too because last I checked, this ball was just a normal one and you were not invited. If I am right, I believe someone trying to get close to you has pulled this stunt. It is really a good thing but why are you the only one invited?" Taylor said.

"Hmm... A masquerade ball, sounds fun" Eris smirked. If truly someone pulled this stunt to meet him, then he would also use it to meet another.

"What are you thinking! Wait...., it is not what I am thinking right? It is not her again, is it?" Taylor questioned but Eris just ignored his tantrums and walked away.

*

Ball night.

Rhea and Claire brought out there dresses to get prepared. Rhea wore her pale green off shoulder gown that was flowing on the floor. She smiled to herself when she looked at the length of her dress, she remembered the reason for picking the dress.

Unknown to her, Claire who was fixing her face was looking at her and smirked. Her brain was obviously cooking a terrible and unfavorable plan for her friend.

"Come, let me fix your face too" Claire said as soon as she was through with her make over.

"No, I am good" Rhea rejected the offer.

"Don't be ridiculous, it is only going to be a little touch to make you pretty" Claire said.

"I am pre— hmph"

Claire forcefully yanked her friend into sitting position and started giving her a make over.

"Seriously Claire, you don't have to be forceful about it you know" Rhea groaned.

"Oh, do I? I did not know that, so for trying to make you beautiful" Claire said focusing on making her friend look over the moon.

"Apology not accepted"

"Good for you" Claire answered as she did the finishing touch by adding shiny gloss to her friend's plump pink lips.

"All done now" Claire said gave her friend a mirror to look at herself. Rhea stared at her face and was awed.

She stood up and brought out a pair of white sneakers she had specially prepared for the ball night.

"Don't even dare" Claire said as soon as Rhea was about to slip her leg into the first pair.

"What are you doing?" Rhea asked her friend. She was confused.

"I am looking after you, wear this" Claire answered. She brought out an extra pair of heels and gave it to her friend. Rhea's jaw dropped. Had Claire planned all this?

Claire had actually prepared the shoes before they came to the camp. She was not planning to forcefully make her friend wear it at first but after noticing that Rhea had been in a man's jacket twice at the camp, she had the gut feeling that a guy was trying to woo her friend so she was doing her best to make her look beautiful for the ball.

The two of them picked their matching mask and headed out of the tent.

In the middle of the camp area stood a building. Decorated with flowers, woods and crafts, the ball room stood out. Colorful dim lights shone in the room. Students swarm in, in twos and threes.

Rhea and Claire walked in as soon as the first dance for the night was announced. Before Rhea could blink, her best friend had disappeared from her side.

If only she knew her best friend was planning to leave her all by herself at the ball, she would have preferred to remain in the tent. Even Carter was no where to be found.

'Must you always ditch me, Claire?' She thought.

She walked around but there were no familiar faces around her and most people had already stepped on the dance floor with their partners leaving only a few at the dessert booth.

At a time like this, Rhea really wished she knew how to start conversations with other people but throughout her college years, she had only focused on having perfect scores. Being a nerd was such a horrible thing, she thought.

The dance had started for a while when a man walked in his his crispy tailored black suit. His jet black hair was curled and styled into perfection. His black mask with silver decorations fits his face perfectly as it outlined his chiseled jaw and angular nose.

His majestic aura swept through the hall and every one paused to take a glimpse at the walking god. Every girl fawned at his appearance, although he had a mask covering half of his face, he was still a look to behold. He was such a heart ache. All this was oblivion to one particular girl.

Rhea was about to step out when she was yanked into a man's embrace. He hugged her from the back. She gasped and tried to pull away.

"Leaving without a dance with me?" He asked in a voice that only her could hear. His breathe fanned the skin her exposed shoulder. She shivered involuntarily.

"Eris..."