"Your escorts have arrived!" Mom's voice echoed from downstairs. 
I gave myself a final once-over in the mirror before exiting my room. As if on cue, Briana emerged from her room across the hall. I didn't bother acknowledging her presence, heading straight for the staircase with her trailing behind me. As I was about to reach the bottom, I felt a sudden push from behind. I was on the brink of tumbling down when someone swiftly came to my rescue. Without even glancing at who is it, I knew who it was already.
"Thanks, Ken—" My words were cut short as I recognized the face of my rescuer. My eyes widened in surprise. "Liam?!" I gasped, taken aback.
He was about to reply when Mom rushed over. "Mira, are you okay?" She asked, concern etched on her face.
"You really need to be more careful, you know." Briana chimed in, her hand on my shoulder feigning concern. This girl could win an award for best actress, she was so annoying! She acted as if she wasn't the one who pushed me. I brushed her hand off my shoulder and shot her a sarcastic smile. "I'm fine." I reassured Mom, shifting my gaze to her.
"Shall we?" Liam offered. I took his arm and bid Mom goodbye. Before we left, I noticed Liam giving Briana a disapproving look.
Once we were in the car, I couldn't help but fire off my questions. "Wait, wasn't Ken supposed to be my partner today? Why did you come to pick me up? I thought you weren't attending?" I asked, all in a rush.
"Nope. I'm your partner. Why would I pick you up if I wasn't attending?"
"What?!"
He took a deep breath. "I'm just answering your questions one by one." He started the car.
"But whether you go or not, Ken should still be my partner, right?"
"Do you not want me to be with you tonight?" His words sent a strange sensation through me.
"I-I didn't say that." I protested, focusing my attention on the window. I could feel my cheeks heating up.
He smirked. "I'll answer your questions properly later. Our friends are bound to grill me later anyway. You're just making me repeat myself."
"Fine." I muttered, choosing to remain silent for the rest of the ride.
We arrived at the ball, and immediately, curious gazes and hushed whispers greeted us. People were genuinely surprised to see Liam there. It was his first time attending a ball at our school, so naturally, they were speculating about who he would invite if he changed his mind.
Rhian, Briana, and Sam were the types of girls they expected him to choose as his partner, or someone like Sophie. That's probably why they were giving me those looks, because they never expected me to be his partner.
I feel the same way. I can't believe he's my partner for the ball. It was supposed to be Ken, but it turned out to be him. It's like a dream come true to have him by my side.
As we walked into the venue, I couldn't help but notice the stares and whispers around us. I instinctively lowered my head, feeling uneasy about the attention. Liam must have sensed my discomfort because he suddenly let go of my hand in his arm and took my hand in his, holding it tightly. His gesture caught me off guard, and I looked at him in surprise.
"Don't mind them. They're just jealous because you're the most beautiful and luckiest person here tonight, because I'm your partner." He said, without looking at me. It was almost perfect, and I should have been swooning, but there was a hint of arrogance in his words.
We made our way to where Sophie and Ace were, and they were both taken aback to see us. "Liam? Why are you here? I thought you weren't coming tonight?" Ace exclaimed. Then Sophie turned her attention to me. "And you're with Mira? Wasn't Ken supposed to be your partner tonight?"
"I have no idea either. I was just surprised when he showed up at my house to pick me up," I replied.
Instead of answering Ace's question, Liam looked at me as if to say, 'See? I told you they would ask.' I rolled my eyes. Well, who wouldn't be surprised and ask questions when he unexpectedly shows up at the ball, knowing that everyone thought he wouldn't come, and finds out that my partner has changed without my knowledge?
We took our seats in front of them. "Where's Ken?" Sophie raised an eyebrow at Liam's question. "Seriously, you still haven't answered us."
Before she could respond, Ken arrived with Madison by his side. She was one of our classmates and a member of the cheer squad. "Hey, guys!" he greeted cheerfully, guiding Madison to her seat before sitting beside her. Madison and I exchanged smiles. Out of all the cheer squad members, she was the kindest, most down-to-earth, and the most beautiful.
We held off on asking our questions for now, as Madison was right there with us. We didn't want to offend her by asking why she was Ken's partner instead of me, and why I ended up being Liam's partner when it could have been Madison. When Madison excused herself to chat with another table, we finally began asking our questions.
Both of them let out heavy sighs as we bombarded them with questions. "My mom forced me to come to this ball. She said she would pick up my sister in Korea instead. No matter how much I resist, I won't win against her. So I talked to Ken. I asked him if I could take Mira as my date instead and find someone else for himself." Liam explained.
"And there you have it, because I'm handsome, I agreed even though I didn't want to. I asked Madison to be my date, and of course, she agreed because I'm obviously more handsome than those who invited her." Ken boasted, always full of himself.
"Why did you invite Mira if you could have asked someone else?" Sophie asked Liam, her tone tinged with teasing. I didn't know why, but it felt like she was poking fun at me.
"Because she's the only one I wanted." He replied straightforwardly. I have to admit, I felt a flutter in my heart at his words. I lowered my head to avoid them noticing that I was blushing.
Sophie stood up and approached me. "Guys, Mira and I just need to use the restroom." She informed our friends. Before I could say anything, she immediately pulled me along. This girl is so rude. I never said I was going with her, and suddenly she just yanked me.
"Thank me later." She said once we reached the restroom.
I raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you talking about?"
"For dragging you here. If I didn't pull you along, they would have noticed that you're blushing."
I quickly touched my cheeks and faced the mirror. She was right, I was indeed blushing, and it was even more noticeable than I had thought. I heard Sophie laugh. "It was so obvious that you were getting all the butterflies in your stomach earlier." She teased.
"Well, if Ace said the same thing to you, it would be impossible for you not to blush as well." I retorted.
When we returned, Madison had already joined our table, and engaged in conversation with the others. We were about to sit down when suddenly, the song "Sad Song" by We the Kings started playing. At the same time, the emcee announced that the dance floor was open for us to sway to the music. A smile crept onto my face. It was one of my favorite songs. I couldn't quite put my finger on why I loved it so much. The lyrics didn't necessarily resonate with me, but there was just something about it that brought me joy.
I didn't realize that Liam was already standing in front of me. I glanced over to where Sophie and the rest were seated, but they were nowhere to be found. They must have made their way to the dance floor.
"Would you like to dance with me?" He asked, extending his hand towards me. I took his hand and smiled. Who would have thought? The guy I've been crushing on for almost a year is here, dancing with me, to my favorite song.
"I haven't had the chance to tell you since we left your house, but..." He looked deeply into my eyes. "You look absolutely stunning today, Mira. And I feel incredibly lucky to have you as my date tonight." His words made my cheeks blush once again. I couldn't quite comprehend his sincerity. Why was he speaking to me like this? My feelings for him only grew stronger with every word he uttered. I didn't want to assume that he liked me because I knew it was unlikely to happen.
He noticed my lack of response and swiftly changed the subject. "I noticed that you smiled when that song played earlier. Does it remind you of something?"
"Nothing in particular. It's just a favorite of mine, and I can't quite explain why I'm drawn to it."
He smiled. "Looks like we have something in common."
"You like this song too?" I inquired.
"Yes."
"And you can't explain why either?" I asked once more.
"Well, except for that." After that, I fell silent. I didn't press any further because I could sense a sudden sadness in him.
The song ended, and we made our way back to our table. Ken and Madison did the same, but Ace and Sophie seemed unfazed by a single song. I watched them as they danced, their gazes filled with a deep love for each other. It's incredible how their relationship evolved from a fling, something that started as a joke. I never expected it to become so serious. Seeing Sophie so serious and genuinely happy in her relationship reminds me of how Chris and I used to look at each other when we were together. I thought he was the one, that we would never part ways. But it's a good thing we ended up as good friends. With Sophie and Ace, I can truly see that they are meant to be. They're destined to be together until the end. I just hope it stays that way.
I couldn't help but steal glances at Briana's table. I noticed the looks she gave to the couple. It made me feel uneasy, as if she had some malicious intentions. But upon second thought, I dismissed the idea from my mind. Maybe I was just being paranoid. Perhaps her gaze was simply fueled by jealousy.
An hour passed, and I decided to take some time for myself. I made my way to the terrace and gazed at the vast expanse of the sky. It was breathtaking. The view from here was stunning, just like my day today. A faint smile played on my lips. I still can't believe that Liam became my partner tonight. I feel incredibly lucky. This might be the most beautiful and joyful ball experience I've had in this school.
I snapped back to reality when I realized that Liam was already beside me. "I've been looking for you. Why does it seem like your mind is somewhere far away?"
"Nothing. I'm just happy." I replied, trying to keep my words brief as I returned my gaze to the distance.
Just two weeks ago, he was this incredibly distant and unapproachable person, someone I felt was out of my league. But somehow, things have changed, and here I am tonight, spending time with him. It's amazing how things can shift so suddenly. 
"Are you happy because I chose you to be my partner?" He asked, a hint of teasing and playfulness in his words.
Yes. "No, don't flatter yourself." I denied.
He suddenly burst into laughter. "Oh come on, Mira. Don't deny it. I know that you have a crush on me." He said, and in that moment, I literally found myself staring at him.
"Who even told you?!" Seriously, was he for real?
He laughed again, this time even louder. "Look at your face. I'm just joking, you know. I know that I'm not the type you're into." If you only knew.
"Because your type is cheap and tacky." He continued teasingly.
In frustration, I playfully swatted his chest. "You're so annoying, I swear!"
I noticed that he was looking at me, so I glanced back at him. His gaze was intense, as if his eyes were exploring every inch of my face. Suddenly, my heart started racing, causing me to instinctively hold my chest.
He then smiled at me. "You're cute." I immediately looked away from him. I would have thought he was just teasing, but the way he said it made me feel like he was being sincere.
Stop it, Liam. Please, it's hard to pretend. You've been making me feel butterflies this whole time. We stayed silent for hours until he let out a sigh. That's when I looked at him again.
"Are you okay? You seem to be the one who's not okay." I said.
"It's because of you." He replied.
I furrowed my eyebrows at his statement. "Hey, what do you mean?"
"You made me remember someone." He uttered without looking at me.
"Who and why?" I asked.
"My ex." He said briefly.
"Ah, is it Hailey?" I blurted out. I bit my lip immediately after saying that. It was too late to take back my words. It seemed like I got carried away. Surely, he would ask me how I knew Hailey's name, his ex. What would I say if he did ask? Should I tell him it was because of his diary, or should I lie? Well, the problem is, I'm not that good at lying. It would have been better if I were like Briana, maybe then I wouldn't be so noticeable.
He didn't respond immediately. I could see the surprise in his eyes from what I said. Instead of questioning me about how I knew, he just smiled at me. "Yup, it's her," he said as if I didn't say anything surprising. "The way I tease her, you react and behave the same way. Both of you hit me on the chest and pout like a child."
I remained silent and listened to him. "I think about her almost every day. I can't believe that I only stopped thinking about her today, except when you brought it up," he chuckled lightly. "Remember when I told you that I liked the song 'Sad Song'?" I nodded in response. "You asked me if I like that song for no reason. I actually like the song because it feels like it was made for me. The lyrics perfectly express my feelings for her. But you know what? It's really strange because it feels like the song no longer belongs to her."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know. I can't even explain it myself."
"You know what, we should go back to our friends before you completely go into drama mode," I teased him.
He laughed at what I said. "You're right."
We walked towards our seats when we bumped into Sophie.
"Where are you going?" I asked her.
"Have you two seen Ace?"
"Nope, why?" Liam replied.
"He told me he was just going to the restroom earlier, but he hasn't come back yet. I asked Ken to check the restroom, but he said Ace wasn't there."
"You're being too protective of your boyfriend. Maybe he just went to get a drink or some food. He's not a child to get lost, he'll come back." Liam responded again.
"You're right, let's just go back then." Sophie let out a sigh and followed us.
As we were walking in the middle, we suddenly stopped upon hearing a loud bang coming from the other hallway.
"Wait, what was that?" I asked.
"Maybe something just fell. Let's go." Liam answered. We were about to continue walking, but Sophie stopped us.
"Wait, I'll check it out." Sophie walked towards the sound.
"Sophie, don't bother it. Let's just go." But she didn't listen to us. She was too curious, so she continued walking to see what it was. She suddenly stopped and her face changed. "What the hell are you doing?!" She said, her voice trembling.
Liam and I ran towards Sophie and found Ace leaning against the wall, facing Briana. From their appearance, it seemed like Sophie caught them kissing.
For me, this ball has been the best experience because of having Liam as my partner. However, it's a different story for Sophie, who feels miserable after witnessing what she did.