Frostbite (The Dragonian, #3) - Adrienne Woods Page 0,48
Ice Queen.”
“Thanks, Dean.”
“Picture time,” Lucille said again and we all huddled together.
Before she took the picture she squinted at me and her eyes ran down my dress. “Where are your shoes, missy?”
My face fell. “Do I have to?”
“Elena, put on your shoes,” Becky said in a not-so-impressed tone.
“Fine,” I grunted and walked to my bed, struggling to bend down in order to get them.
“Let me,” Lucille said as she crouched to get my shoes from under my bed. She gave me a surprised look. “Were you seriously going to go without shoes?”
“A girl’s got to try.”
She laughed. “Give me your foot,” she said and I lifted up my dress and felt like some sort of deranged Cinderella with Lucille putting them on.
“That picture does not look right,” George joked and I could hear Becky slapping him.
“You want to say I can’t be a Prince Charming?” Lucille bit back.
“No, that hadn’t crossed my mind at all.”
We all laughed.
I was like a head taller when she was done and almost pulled Sammy down with me as I reached her and lost my balance. Dean helped us regain our balance.
“I’m seriously going to break my neck tonight.”
“It’s going to be okay.” She then looked at Dean. “I’m going to need your help with this one tonight.”
He laughed. “Your wish is my command lady.”
Sammy giggled and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.
“Okay, seriously we should take these pictures and move on otherwise we’re going to miss our entry,” the Drama Queen complained again.
“Haven’t I taught you anything? It’s the last entry that gets the most stares, Sweetheart. There’s plenty of time for pictures, trust me.”
Lucille took about a gazillion pictures of all of us and then we had a glass of champagne.
She came down with us as she said she wasn’t going to miss our entry for anything. At least she was there to help me get down the stairs in one piece and without breaking my ankles. I had to admit, the shoes were to-die-for but I hated feeling like a duck, unstable on my own two feet.
Some of the stray students all stared at us as we made our way across the yard and down another gazillion steps that led to the area where they’d set up for tonight. We all gasped in unison as a huge marquis tent with a gazillion small lights welcomed us. There was a huge stage set up with a band and a disco ball hung from the ceiling.
“Is your brother going to play tonight?”
“Hell knows, you spend more time with him lately. Thought you would know.”
“He didn’t mention anything to me. By the look on his face when I mentioned all of this, I would say he hates every moment of it.”
She giggled. “Sounds just like him.”
We said goodbye to Lucille at the door. She even had tears glistening in her eyes as if this was our prom or something.
We found our table where we were going to have a small dinner served by hired staff.
I felt a bit uncomfortable as a thousand masks stared our way and I prayed that I wouldn’t fall flat on my face.
Dean and Sammy were a couple of spaces in front of me as they got distracted by the beautiful décor around them.
Please don’t fall, I prayed softly. As I tried to stay upright I didn’t see a chair moving right in front of me and when I bumped into it, I was flailing arms trying not to lose my balance. As I tried to stay upright I could feel the sole of my shoe sliding on the floor and I knew it wasn’t going to help as I felt my entire body tumbling backward.
Oh crap! I gave up and just let the fall take its course. I closed my eyes and felt a pair of arms catching me right before I hit the ground. I grabbed whoever was my savior around the collar and when he laughed I knew the idiot had lied about this not being his thing.
“I thought heights were your only fear?”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “High heels seem to be the new one.”
He chuckled and helped me up.
“Thanks, you don’t know the humiliation you just saved me from.”
“Elena, the way you look tonight, I doubt anything you do would lead to humiliation.”
I gasped. “Was that an actual compliment?”
“Hey, I still know how to give those. Besides, you really look different.” His eyes scrolled down my body.