TALES OF THE HEART CHAPTER 11
💜 TALES
OF
THE
HEART 💜
🌺 Chapter 11🌺
Luna>>
My heart bursts with excitement as the day of Rory’s birthday celebration arrives.
A big smile creeps on my lips when I finish wrapping her birthday present on my desk — it’s a pair of rose stud earrings in the shade of baby pink, sitting inside a small jewelry box.
Rory has always loved pink roses — she once dreamt of being showered with lots of pink roses bouquets. I can shower her with those, but the fresh flowers would only be temporary, right? I want to give her something that she can always wear.
I’ve had this gift with me since I went shopping at a jewelry shop with Mom almost a year ago, but at that time, I didn’t know how to give it to Rory.
I attach a small envelope to the present, in which a birthday card reads:
📖Dear Rory
Happy Birthday.
I love you to the moon and back <3
Xoxo,
Luna
A sigh of contentment leaves my lips. I hope that she will like this present. There’s nothing I want more than to see her beam with happiness.
“It’s lovely,” I whisper in awe as my eyes zoom in on the picture Rory has just sent to me. It’s a photo of the venue of her birthday party, already decorated based on the unique theme: Hawaiian Luau.
The concept is so Rory — she always loves the exotic atmosphere. The theme is perfect for a party on a summer night like this — it’s more like a pool party.
Rory has snapped the picture of the back garden of her house. Next to the huge swimming pool, her spacious garden is filled with comfy outdoor couches, tables — on which the drinks and desserts are set — and colorful lamps hung above the space that makes the sky look magical. The image makes me think that we don’t need to go to Hawaii to experience all the fun and dance the night away.
“You seem excited.” Mom smiles while doing my hair.
I’m sitting at my dresser, facing the mirror, while Mom stands behind me, helping me curl my hair into loose waves. She has insisted to glow me up — she’s just as excited as I am for this party.I can’t help but grin. Indeed, I’m excited. It’s Rory’s birthday party, and we’re going to spend it together. I can care less about everything else.
Everybody else may be wondering what the hell I’m doing there, but as long as I’m with Rory, all is well.
“I am.” I giggle, staring at Mom in the mirror. “I haven’t been at a party for God knows how long, and it’s Rory’s.”
Mom giggles too, hugging me from behind after finishing the final touch on my hair.
“It’s good to hear from Rory again, honey. You haven’t talked about her for quite a while, and I miss having her presence at our home.”
Another smile curves on my lips. Mom’s right. Before the incident last year, Rory used to come here often, sometimes having a sleepover — we would have a long pillow talk before both of us involuntarily fell asleep.
Oh, how I’ve missed those days.
“High school is a memorable time, and you should make the most of it with the people you love.” Mom K!SSes my cheek, tightening her hold on me as we lock our eyes in the mirror. “You look amazing tonight, sweetheart.”
Her words make me think if I indeed look pretty tonight, in this Hawaiian-styled costume, based on the party dress code.
My chest is wrapped in a bikini top, covered with flowers — artificial lilies, peonies and dahlias. A matching crown sits on my head, dominated by green, orange and pink colors.
I’m wearing a flowy red skirt that hugs my hips, and since it’s tied on my waist, it creates a slit down my left thigh. At first, I wonder if it’s too sexy, but that’s exactly what the party theme is all about.
Mom puts her favorite shimmer body lotion on my skin, which makes it glowing. Amazing, I finally feel what every Victoria’s Secret model does on their fashion show.
Mom’s fingers are magic — she makes me feel pretty, as if I can be as beautiful as she is.
Since she has finished glowing me up, we step out of my room and walk down the stairs together, Rory’s present in my hand. Dad and Aiden stand at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for me.
I don’t need Dad to say that I look beautiful, because he always does. Yet, I’m surprised when a frown touches his lips.
“Isn’t it too revealing?” is his first comment.
“It’s Hawaiian Luau,” Mom protests, making Dad shrug.
Aiden, however, just shakes his head and chuckles. He smirks at me, gesturing his arm for me to take, hinting that he’s going to walk me to the door.
“Ready to go, Princess Mõ@ɲa?”
I grin. “You know, Princess Luna would sound better.”
“Right. My apologies, Princess Luna. I mean, Your Highness.” He bows.
I laugh, circling my hand around his arm, walking toward the lobby with him, while Mom and Dad follow behind. The driver has already stood by and opened the car door for me.
I step into the car, and after the driver closes the door, I roll down the window.
“Have fun,” Mom exclaims, sounding giddy as she waves her hand. Geez . She really is excited for me.
“Stay away from random boys who approach you,” Dad warns.
“She’s going to a party. Of course there will be guys talking to her,” Mom snaps at Dad.
“It’s okay. You can talk to them, Luna,” Aiden says, but his face is just as deadly as Dad’s. “Just bring them to me tomorrow.”
I shake my head in disbelief — this kind of conversation is neverending.
Still, it melts my heart that the three of them are sending me off with such anticipation, giving me the idea of how much they want me to enjoy the night.When the car moves, I wave at them, and once I roll the window back up, I sigh, my hand shot to my chest to feel my heartbeat.
It’s pounding hard. I would be lying if I said that there’s nothing to worry about, because I’m an outcast, and this kind of party is not for me.
But I know that my best friend is now by my side, and it’s all that matters.
🍂 Max POV 🍂
Fůçƙ .
Wearing a suit is such a hassle when all I want is to chill at a summer party night. But the damn dress code says otherwise.
What did I expect?
This is the first birthday party invitation I’ve got since I entered one of the most prestigious schools in the country, and I shouldn’t have been surprised that the birthday girl decided to hold a ball for her celebration. It’s written on the damn card.
I just hope that if there’s another invitation, it will be a lay-back party where everyone can just grab good drinks and play games. For God’s sake, it’s Fůçƙing summer.
So why am I going to this Fůçƙing ball? I’d like to consider myself a nice newcomer, especially when my classmate asked me nicely to come to her birthday party and looked like she would shoot her head with a gun if I didn’t come.
OK, that’s not it. The guys are here too, and I don’t have any problem chilling out with my friends.
When I finally arrive at Rory’s house, I can see other cars already parked. The party — no, the Fůçƙing ball — has started.
I get out of my car, and when I enter the lobby of her house, I nod at the security guarding the place. It’s not hard to find the ballroom, because there’s where the people are heading to.
I just wish that these chicks around me weren’t secretly checking me out, because I notice that, and so do their dates.
Once I step into the ballroom, I silently curse. If Rory said that she invited the whole class, she might have changed her mind, because it looks like she has invited the whole damn school.
I make my way through the place — it would be a hassle finding my friends in this grand hall filled with so many guests. They’re all well-groomed, the guys wearing suits and the girls in their gowns, most of them dancing as the music plays in the background, one that’s familiar in my ears but I can’t even remember the singers.
“Max,” a voice calls, and when I turn my head, I see Rory, her eyes wide, excitement skating all over her face. “You came.”
My eyes scan her appearance — she’s wearing an off-the-shoulder red gown that has a low cleavage, almost showcasing her assets but leaving the rest to my imagination.
The gown does a good job of hugging all the nice curves on her body, and it has a high slit reaching up to her upper thigh.
Not bad.
She rushes to me and hugs me.
“Happy birthday, Rory.”
After we pull away, she places a K!SS on my cheek. A soft smile touches her lips as she gazes up at me. “Thank you. I’m so happy that you came, Max.” She holds my hands, squeezing them.
Feeling a bit touchy tonight, isn’t she?
Behind her, I spot Tyler leaning against the wall, K!SSing a brunette in a gold gown, probably his girlfriend. When he notices my presence, he smirks.
“Good to see you here, Max.”
His girlfriend turns her head toward me and smiles, her arms circling his neck.
Little does Tyler know that the incident with Luna yesterday at the cafeteria is still very much in my head, but I decide not to fill my mind with her now.
Yet, I subconsciously turn my head around, looking for a sight of a shoulder-length brown-haired girl, even though I know for sure that she wouldn’t be here.
I’m pissed at how closed off she still is even after I provoked her to talk.
Fůçƙ right. I could care less about her.
🌺Luna POV 🌺
I step out of the car after telling my driver not to wait for me. Rory and I have talked about our plan to have a sleepover at her house, and it makes me even more excited for tonight.
Looking up at the huge mansion in front of me, I wonder how many properties that Rory’s parents have in New York.
Considering that they’re one of the major players in the real estate industry, it’s no wonder that they own many houses. I’ve been to the other one, but not this one.
My eyes travel around the parking lot, which is already filled with many cars, but there’s nobody around. That seems a bit odd.
I glance at my wristwatch, pretty sure that I’m not late — I got here exactly at the time Rory told me to arrive. Sighing, I take a deep breath before walking into the foyer.
My brows furrow as I notice the security eyeing me with a weird look.
Since the house is big and I don’t want to lose my way inside, I ask him, “Excuse me, do you know where the party is? It’s supposed to be at the back garden, next to the swimming pool.”
The guard’s jaw drops a bit, but before he can respond to my question, my phone rings. I take it out from my clutch and answer the call.
“Where are you?” It’s Rory’s voice, filled with urgency, the sound of music as well as people talking and laughing echoing in the background.
“I just got here,” I say, walking further into the house, which is deserted.
Where is everybody?
“Wait. I think I just got lost.” I chuckle, feeling silly as I keep looking around, having no idea of which door I should go into. “God, Rory, this house feels so new to me.”
“Do you see a double door on your left a few steps ahead after you walk from the foyer?” Rory asks.
I nod even though she can’t see me. Again, silly me. “Yeah.”
“Well, that will lead you to us,” Rory says.
“Pretty please, come quickly. I miss you. It’s so boring here without you.”
A smile touches my lips in an instant, warmth sipping into my heart. To have this kind of conversation again with Rory is a blessing. I missed her. I missed her so much.
“Coming,” I hum before my hand touches the handle of the double door. Maybe it will lead me to some kind of an outdoor place, with a path connected to the spacious back garden and the pool.
Without a doubt and following Rory’s guide, I turn the handle to open the door.
Then everything happens in slow motion.
One step into the place, and I’m met with a grand ballroom filled with so many people, whose heads immediately snapped toward me.
And to make it worse, the spotlight hits me as soon as I enter.
My heart seems to stop, my eyes wide in shock. There before me stand the entire school wearing formal ball attires and perfectly groomed, in suits and gowns, while I’m standing here in a…bikini?
I’m pretty sure that I can say that about my attire, maybe slightly different with all these artificial flowers and a skirt imitating the hula one.
Fear consumes me, and my hands shake so wildly that I drop Rory’s present in my hands.
Whispers and sneers fill my ears, while my gaze slowly travels around these people in the ballroom who focus their attention on me.
Then laughter booms. Loud laughter.
My chest is heaving up and down. I can hear my own heavy breathing. I can also hear how loud my heart is beating — I even think that I could die with how hard it’s thumping against my ribcage.
The air in my lungs isn’t there anymore, because I can’t feel it. But why am I still breathing?
Why am I still here?
Why do I still exist in this world?
My legs are shaking, and it takes all the power in me to not collapse. Their cruel words echo in my ears, and I feel like dying.
“Lunatic… lunatic has arrived.”
“She’s crazy. Does she take drugs?”
“Hey, Lunatic! Did you crash the wrong party?” A guy boisterously laughs.
Among the people roaming my body with their eyes, I see Tyler. He scoffs before looking away, while Mikaela laughs beside him, clinging to him.
My heart freezes in place as my eyes dart on Rory, who has a calm smile spread on her face, her arms crossed on her chest as she stares at me with amusement.
Tears sprung in my eyes, I feel my heart shatter.
It’s Rory.
Rory, whom I missed the most.
Rory, the reason why I’m here in the first place, because I can’t wait to be with her again.
Rory, who said that she’d forgiven me.
It breaks me even more that while I’m here humiliated in front of everyone, the one thing that hurts me the most is the fact that I’ve lost her forever.
A guy snaps a picture of me using his polaroid camera, and just as my heart starts to drop even lower to an endless pit, someone snatches it harshly.
Max.
His jaw tightens as he crumples the photo in his hand — I can even see his fist shaking with rage. The guy who just snapped the photo gulps, stepping away from him.
“Whose idea is this?” Max’s voice booms in the ballroom, making some of us jump.
His menacing eyes scan every single person who lands their eyes on me. Then I see the fire in those emeralds as he looks at me.
“Whose idea is it, Luna?” he hisses.
I’m afraid that the tears in my eyes will fall, so I look down to avoid his gaze. When I brace myself to look up again, I look at anywhere but him. I stare at Rory instead, who looks less entertained now.
She suddenly looks pissed, afraid to meet my eyes. My tears threaten to spill even more, the pain from the lump in my throat becoming more unbearable.
“It’s her, huh?” Max’s voice is laced with so much venom that it sends chills through my body. He steps in Rory’s direction, and every movement in this ballroom feels like forever that it’s killing me.
Rory swallows, fear in her eyes as Max towers her — she’s cowering under him.
“Next time, don’t Fůçƙing invite me,” Max bites out. “Because your birthday isn’t something that should be celebrated.”
It’s harsh, but Max doesn’t give a damn.
He strides toward me, grabs my hand and takes me out of the place.
.
.
TBC…
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Ok… This is painful 😭…. My anger issues could never! 🤼🤼🤼😅
Thanks for reading 🍿🤗
