Chapter Six
Miss Brighton had taken the measurements and did a design, but she didn�t dare show Leona what she was planning. It was to the point that Leona was beginning to wonder what she had up her sleeve.
She wondered what Miss Brighton was going to dress her up as. She could end up with a peacock mask, which was an easy one to do. She could end up with some non-descript mask that was absolutely ugly. Leona didn�t want to think about that.
She wondered who would ask her out to the ball, if anyone at all. For a moment, she thought about Jack. He was nice to her and was really sweet. Then, something invaded her thoughts.
�Wake up, Sage! You�re drooling!�
Damien�s usual tone could be heard. She glared at him, but blushed all the same. She wondered briefly if she really had been drooling.
�What do you want, Conrad�.� She grumbled.
�I was walking by, so sue me if I saw you practically drooling for some reason!� he said with his hands on his hips.
Leona suddenly had an idea. She stood up and stared at him for little bit until he spoke with a smirk on his face. �What are you staring at, Sage?�
She flew forward and laid her hands flat on his chest and groped around a little bit. �It�s flat!� she cried.
Damien went redder than she had thought possible. He grabbed her wrists and threw her off of him. �I am NOT a GIRL!� he shrieked.
�Could�ve fooled me�� Leona muttered.
He was instantly in her face. �What was that, SAGE!� he growled down at her. For all her height and lanky build, he was a bit taller than her for a thirteen year old.
She blushed, but stood her ground, although, her mind was completely blank for a comeback. He huffed at her some more.
�At least I have looks, unlike some people I know!� he growled.
That really stung her. She growled and let her anger get out of control this time. The lion was coming out.
Damien watched as her eyes went from the steely grey that he was used to seeing, and turning into the freakish yellow gaze that he saw her don the first day she came. He started sweating, because he knew what was about to happen.
Then, as suddenly as they appeared, they were back to normal. She was shaking in her anger. He scooted backward toward the door, hoping that she wouldn�t notice.
�I�m sorry�.� She muttered. He stopped dead in his tracks.
He eyed her suspiciously. His hands were balled up into fists and he held them in front of him as he readied himself for a fight. �What for��
She didn�t look up at him. He simply stared at her incredulously. �I� I shouldn�t have called you a girl�.�
He was taken aback. He coughed and cleared his voice, or it would have squeaked from his shock. �Er� I�m sorry I said you were ugly�.� He said uncomfortably.
She still didn�t look up at him. �I� just� hate it when you tease me�� There was a long pause before she spoke again. She kept her head bowed as if she were too afraid to even look at him. �I wish I could be friends with you�. Like� you are with Fern�.�
�That�s closer to blackmail�� he muttered.
She raised her grey eyes to him. He really felt uncomfortable now. He shifted his weight on the balls of his feet as he wondered where he should run to now. She had small tears in her eyes.
She sniffled and he grumbled. She stared at him in a surprised manner as he produced a handkerchief. �Take it�� he grumbled. Then, he walked off out the door of Miss Brighton�s classroom. �I can�t take seeing a girl cry, damn it!� he grumbled as he disappeared down the hallway.
Leona smiled. He at least was nice enough to her to hand him his handkerchief. For her, that was enough.
�HERE WE GOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!� cried an excited Miss Brighton. She was brandishing a black dress with short sleeves, long black gloves and a mask that was made out of shimmering black feathers.
After putting on everything, Leona took a look at herself in the mirror. She looked nice with the gloves and short sleeved dress. The skirt, however, was rather short.
�I also got you a few pairs of these CUTE thigh high stockings! You�ll be the cutest pussy cat ever!� Miss Brighton said cheerfully.
Sure enough, when Leona put on the mask and looked at herself in the mirror, she was wearing a black cat mask. �Did you make all of these?� Leona asked her with a slight pink color coming to her cheeks.
Miss Brighton smiled pleasantly. �No� Not all� I had to order the mask and the stockings�.� She said sadly. �I couldn�t do it all!� she whimpered.
�It�s okay, Miss Brighton�.� Then, something occurred to Leona. �You ordered? How did they get here if you ordered them!�
�Oh, you know� the usual!� Then, she went off into her back room, where she closed the door and refused to open it.
Just then, Jack walked in. He took one look at her and suddenly his eyes went out of focus. He had a stupid grin on his face that made Leona wonder what was wrong with him. �Are you alright, Jack?�
He suddenly stiffened. �Er� Yes� I came here to ask if� if�� He was staring at his shoes and his ears were bright pink. �If�.�
�Who told you I was here?� Leona asked.
�Conrad� he said that he had seen you here earlier, so I had better go talk to you�. Er� that�s what he said.� Jack stammered out.
�Conrad? I wonder why?� Leona said.
�Anyway�. I was�. W-w-wondering if�. Yougototheballwithme!�
He was breathing heavily as he managed to get everything out. Leona just stared at him. �What?�
Jack nearly fainted. �W-would you like to go to the ball with me�.� he clarified. He no longer had any color to his face.
She swallowed hard. �Er� yes?�
Jack had a smile on his face so large that she began to wonder if he wasn�t already wearing a mask. �Wow� thanks! I�ll see you later!� He cried as he ran out of the classroom.
Leona was shaky. She had just been asked out to the ball by a boy. It took a bit for the truth to truly sink in. When it did, Miss Brighton came out of her back room positively beaming.
�YOU GOT A DATE!� she cried. �I�m so happy! It was the costume, wasn�t it! He was so inspired by the costume he asked you to the ball!�
�Er� maybe?� Leona stammered out.
�Oh, it doesn�t matter! Just as long as the job is done!� Then, Miss Brighton flitted off, her black hair bouncing behind her. �Have a nice day!�
Leona started getting undressed. The dance was a few days off, but she didn�t want to spend that time in her dress. Just as she was about to put on her shirt, she heard something fall.
She turned around quickly, forgetting that she didn�t have her sweater on and was sporting a little lacy white bra, and saw Damien staring at her, his face starting to turn a reddish color. She saw at his feet a couple of books.
Then, his face distorted slightly in anger. He rushed over to her, grabbed her sweater and forced it over her head. �You should be more careful!� he growled. �You don�t know how many perverts there are in this school!�
She just stared at his as his hands still held down her arms with her sweater. �What are you doing here, then?� she growled back.
�I thought you had left! I was coming to ask Miss Brighton a few things about our homework!� He growled at her again.
He finally let go of her sweater and she was free to put her arms through the sleeves. She picked up her glasses and put them on and tried to desperately fix her hair.
The slight purple color had gone and was replaced with pink. He walked over to his books and angrily picked them up. �Stupid girl� that�s what you are!� he muttered as he stood up.
She glared at him with her arms crossed in front of her. �I�m not stupid, Conrad�.� She grumbled.
�Are too! You were just standing there with out a shirt in front of the door to Miss Brighton�s back room!� Damien was starting to shake with anger. �Anyone can see you!�
�Why should you care!� she growled at him. �You�ve been nothing but horrible to me since I first got here!�
�BECAUSE YOU ARE A GIRL, DAMN IT!� he shouted as loud as he could. He was huffing afterward. �Girls are supposed to be modest! Girls are supposed to be protected by boys!�
�Well, I don�t need your protection, DAMIEN! I�M FINE ON MY OWN!� With that, she stomped out of the back room, her costume in her arms and mask in hand.
When she reached the girls� dorm, she saw Fern sitting down on her bed, reading some book that was in her small collection that she brought with her. Fern didn�t look up. �Hello, Leona�� she said.
Leona stopped abruptly. �How do you know it�s me?�
�I can read you like an open book, Leo� It�s not that hard since you broadcast all your signals everywhere you go�� Fern glanced up from her book and smiled. �You wear your heart on your sleeve, so to speak��
Leona blushed and then tossed her costume on her own bed. �Well, I suppose you already know what happened to make me so angry�� she sneered.
Fern raised an eyebrow, but smiled. �I prefer if you tell me, please, Leona��
Leona slumped onto her bed, still blushing furiously. �Damien walked in as I was getting dressed��
Fern giggled suddenly. �It�s not funny! He pulled my sweater over my head and started spouting some stupid stuff about girls needing to be protected by boys!� Fern by now was laughing so hard that she had fallen off of her bed.
�ACK! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!� she continued to laugh. All Leona could see was a hand grip the sheets on her bed in a vain attempt to pull herself back up.
When she finally calmed down enough to sit on her bed, she held her stomach in pain. �I do hate it when I laugh like that�� Fern grumbled with a small smile.
�It�s not funny��
Fern turned to a glaring Leona. Fern smiled a wide grin. �Actually, it is� but that�s beside the point��
�Then, what is the point�� Leona glowered at Fern.
�Damien was brought up to be a gentleman�. Unfortunately, it�s also his nature to be a little snobbish and mean to anyone around him�. So him spouting all of that is typical of him�� Fern finally said.
�Oh yes� typical�� Leona said sarcastically.
�He said girls are supposed to be modest, I bet�� Fern said. �He did something similar when we were in primary school and he had accidentally walked into the girls� restroom where I was changing clothes.�
�He shoved the shirt at you and started shouting?� Leona said suddenly intrigued.
�Actually, he was a rather nice shade of red�.� Fern said with a smile. �Not that any of his thoughts could escape me, even back then�� she said.
Leona perked up. �You read him as well?�
�Almost as well as I can you�.� Fern beamed.
�What was he thinking�.� Leona gave Fern a simultaneously worried and curious gaze.
Fern smiled and a bit of pink tinged her pale cheeks. �I�ll tell you some other time��
Leona gave Fern a worried stare and then shrugged. �Alright�� Then, she went to her trunk and put the costume inside of it. �I�ll be going with Jack to the ball��
�HE ASKED YOU!?�
Fern was up in front of Leona so suddenly that Leona nearly fell over. �ACK! YES! He asked me!�
�Oh�..� Fern moaned. �And I still don�t have anyone to go with!�
Leona gave Fern a sympathetic stare. �W-well� I�m sure Max wasn�t planning on going with anyone� I�m sure if I ask him for you that he�ll go with you��
Fern suddenly seemed to get stars in her eyes. �Oh WOW! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!�
Then, she happily bounced out of the dorm room. Leona shook her head suddenly to snap herself out of the actions that had just happened. �I don�t know what her problem is, but I�ll ask Max if he�ll go with her�� she sighed. Then, she set out to go to the fourth year tower.