Dance in the Dark.

[[Nine Days Later (after the journal entry)]] (Alice's Dress is at the bottom)

"See!" Lucky said, seeing me in my dress. "You look totally pretty! And you have to go. You have the dress, the shoes, the ticket, everything!"

"Not a date.." I muttered.

"I'm working on that! And I think I've got a perfect someone for you." She winked.

"Lucky..don't set me up on some blind date! I hardly know anyone here!" I argued.

"It's not! It's not! You know him I swear!" She defended.

I paused to think of who she could mean, I only know a few guys in Mystic Falls in our grade. There's Damien who's totally hooked on Lucky, Jake-my science lab partner but dating Chelsea, somewhat a friend to us, Ben who's a total player and Lucky knows I'd rather go to jail for his murder than spend one night with him, and...Aster...

"Ohmyfuckinggod, Lucky please don't tell me.."

"Oh is it five already? I should get home, mom got Chicken Cordon Bleu (excuse my bad spelling), my fave! Bye Alice!" Before she could run out my door, I slammed it shut and blocked the knob.

"Lucky, please, please don't tell me, of all the people you could have set me up with..please, don't say it.."

"Okay..I won't say it. Guess you'll find out Friday, but uh, I gotta go. Not ready to die just yet, hun."

"Lucky, Lucky, please. Out of everything I have endured, please don't me you actually did something to make Aster Shaddix go with me."

"That I can tell you I didn't, he wanted to."

"Huh?" She's kidding, right?

"I started toying with him saying how we're making both of you go and neither of you have dates and he said he'd go with you. I didn't even have to threaten him like I did to make him go!"

"A-are you, serious?"

Lucky nodded. "Drop dead serious, hun. I almost thought I'd pass out too!"

I let Lucky go so I could get out of the dress and focus on everything making sure I hadn't lost it. Aster really did want to go with me? On his own free will?

Stupid vampire hormones of his.

[[Friday!--the day of the dance!]]

I threw my bag on the couch like usual and waited for Lucky, Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie to come rushing in to fru-fru me up.

Aster hasn't even been here since then, how am I to believe he really wants to take me? I thought, grabbing a Coke from the fridge. Just as I popped open the can, the four ran in and I panicked. It was nice knowing you while it lasted, farewell Coke, pants, and flat shoes.

I looked in Lucky's hand and saw her damn make-up kit from Claire's. Damn.. I swore in my head.

"Ready, hun?" Lucky said, putting her arm around my shoulder.

"Don't you have to get ready too?" Please say yes and go..

"I left my stuff here, remember?" Damn.

"Come on!" Caroline said enthusiasticly, "Let's get you ready for your first big dance!"

The four rushed me upstairs like I was some princess about to come out of her shell and locked me in, ready to princess me up.

Bonnie helped me with my dress, Caroline put this stuff in my shoes so I'd hardly feel the pinch, and as Elena pulled back my hair and curled some of it, Lucky did my make-up.

Black eyeliner and mascarra, light gray eyeshadow, pale pink lip gloss, cover up and foundation, pale pink blush, and added accesories. Bangals, my mom's ring on a chain (my necklace), and little ruby studded earrings.

The door bell rang as Lucky finished herself up and I figured it was Damien for Lucky. Wrong.

"Alice! It's for you!" Elena called up.

"Ready?" Bonnie and Caroline asked.

"I guess..." Not.

I made my way down the stairs, and as soon as Aster's eyes came on me, they went wide. I smiled when I reached the bottom.

"Uhm..hi, Aster." I said.

"Alice..h-hi." He stuttered. "You...you look...beautiful."

"Thank Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, and Lucky for this. They made me."

"Lucky made me too. Uhm, I have something for you. It's not really a corsage or anything but I saw it and thought of you." He pulled out a red and black rose and put it in my hair with a clip with a black rose on it.

"Aster..it's...gorgeous, thank you." I smiled and hugged him.

Elena insisted on pictures before we left and we were afraid Caroline might beat us with her heels if we said no so they took God knows how many pictures of us.

[[About an hour into the dance]]

Aster and I have spent most of the night talking because I refuse to dance to Bad Romance in my heels. Lady Gaga may but I dare not to.

"What song is this?" Aster asked me when Bad Romance ended.

"I think it's something by Ashley Tisdale."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"No, but it's slower. See?" All the couples were slow dancing and looking cute. Aster stood up and held his hand out to me.

"Well, Alice-Renee, may I have this dance even if it is to Ashley Tisdale?"

I giggled, "Of course Mr. Shaddix." I took his hand and of course, we were in the center of the dance floor.

"I remember this song now," I said nearly halfway through it. "It's Kiss the Girl, from the Little Mermaid soundtrack I think."

"Kiss the Girl, huh?"

I smiled and realized how close we were. And within a second right in the middle, he kissed me...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alice's Dress: