The music halted, applause and cheers filled the air as the Native American performers took their final bow, blending into the chaotic crowd. In the blink of an eye, Tina vanished from sight. "Hey, where'd she go?" her friend scanned the room, puzzled. "I looked away for one second, and she's gone."
Phillip didn't respond, simply tilting his head back to finish his champagne before handing the empty glass to him and making his way through the crowd.
Tina had retreated to a room to change out of her costume, wiping away the face paint with a makeup remover wipe.
Who would've guessed Phillip would show up at the costume party? It felt like throwing a birthday bash at home only to have the principal crash it.
Her bestie called her up, "Why'd you disappear right after the dance? Where did you run off to?"
Alone in the room, Tina spoke in a hushed tone, "I'm changing."
"You're changing and didn't even tell me," her bestie muttered. "Gigi's got the munchies, ordered some late-night snacks. Come out and eat."
"You guys go ahead, I'm not hungry." Tina pulled a feather from her hair, regretting her decision to dress up as a Native American, especially knowing Phillip would be there.
Blame it on the alcohol or the high spirits, but dancing and then catching Phillip's indifferent gaze almost sobered her up instantly.
"Just come out already."
"I'll be out in a bit."
Her friend hung up, confused, and Tina lingered in the room. When she figured enough time had passed that Phillip might have left if he couldn't find her, she finally opened the door. But the moment she stepped out, she stopped dead in her tracks.
All the avoiding, and yet she ran right into him.
The hallway was carpeted, the sounds of laughter and drinking seeping in from outside. Phillip was
waiting at the door, casually leaning waiting to the side, a cigarette burning down in his hand.
"Fancy seeing you here," Tina feigned surprise, as if the dancer from moments ago wasn't her, her face a mask of feigned astonishment. "What brings you here?" .
Phillip snuffed out his cigarette, his gaze coolly landing on her. "You've got a chicken feather stuck in your hair."
Tina instinctively reached for her hair, finding nothing, realizing she'd been tricked.
"When did you become such a liar?" she retorted, giving up the act. "It's not a chicken feather, it's an eagle feather, thank you very much."
Phillip wasn't concerned with the specifics of the feather, his heavy gaze fixed on her. "Why didn't you reply to my messages?"
Tina averted her eyes. "I've been busy."
"Too busy to send a single text, but not too busy to come to Stonebridge and play the wild one?"
She got nothing to say.
"Mind your own business." Tina brushed past him, heading back to the main hall to find her friends.
They had ordered pizza and pasta, chattering away about gossip. The hot topic was how Mr. Curtis of the Richardson family had been romantically pursuing his wife with grand gestures, finally managing to win her back.
As soon as Tina joined, the conversation halted, knowing it involved the Richardson family, they didn't want to make her uncomfortable.
"Why stop on my account?" Tina was genuinely intrigued. "How did he win her back?"
"Oh, it's quite the story," a friend scooted closer, eager to spill the tea.
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