Glares and murmurs

“Dad, a boy in my school asked me to walk on the red carpet with him.”

Mr. Patrick, who didn't know what to do or say, ended up chuckling. He knew that she must have been petrified to utter it not like he would do anything, even though he always warns her to not think about boys and focus on her education that doesn't mean that she wouldn't think about them forever, in the future she will marry a noble man and caging his daughter and protecting her from an already corrupted world wouldn't help in getting to know more, make many advances in relationship.

He had actually thought about it, he knew there would come a day when his beloved daughter would bring up a subject about a man in their conversation and he was glad she had done so at the right time. He took his daughter's hand that was resting beside her, he brought it close to his lips and kissed her, he stared deep into her eyes and this made Vivian suddenly uncomfortable at the thought that he might not approve of it.

Mr. Patrick cleared his throat and smiled. “Vivy, I am glad that you brought up this topic in my presence” he said with a smile on his lips. Vivian furrowed her brows confused, “You are done with university and ready to face the world, go be with whomever you want to be with"

Vivian was speechless, she couldn't believe her father was the one saying this, he had always warned her not to get involved with any man, and hearing this from him, she was astonished. Maybe it was really time to get a boyfriend, but Romeo didn't ask her out, he just asked her to walk on the red carpet with him.

Her daddy dropped her hand and said, “Go now, he must be waiting for you” Vivian felt tears pricking her eyes, but she wanted to avoid ruining her makeup. She closed the little space between them and hugged him. Mr. Patrick patted his daughter back, “Don't misbehave, you are still daddy's girl”.

Vivian smiled shyly, "I won't," crossing her two fingers, a sign she makes when making a promise.

“Okay, go now” Vivian hugged him one more time before getting down from the car. If she had known it was going to be that easy, she would have gone straight to the point since, but regardless she was happy that her father understands her.

She walked to where Kiki and her cousins were waiting for her, they all went inside the hall, but not without waving at her father's car that made his way out of the big gate.

The red carpet show started before the main ceremony, students were asked to stand in pairs with their partner, those who didn't have were mixed, and Vivian stood beside Romeo.

She had been receiving tons of glares and murmurs from other girls, were they jealous of her? Vivian asked herself. A smile escaped her lips at the thought of it, even if a fortune-teller predicted this to her, she wouldn't have believed that she will be standing beside Romeo, the person she had only wanted for herself, this fast, and they will walk down the red carpet hand in hand. She smiled, she had this sudden urge to steal a glance again, she readied herself and turned her head, just when she turned, her eyes met the cold eyes of this person she had been avoiding to stare deep into his eyes, Romeo stood with hands in his pocket, watching her with expressionless face. Vivian gasped within and turned her head back, she didn't expect him to be staring at her like that, and he must have caught her blushing and fidgeting the entire time, Goodness!

She felt something tickling next to her earlobe, she wanted to turn around, but saw Romeo leaning towards her, what was he doing?

He whispered into her ears “Vivian” Vivian couldn't feel her heart again the moment he called her name, he wanted him to call her name forever, it was so soothing in her ears and relaxing, she almost closed her eyes relaxing in his sensuous scent that wafted in the air “The red carpet” he extended his hands towards her,

That was the moment Vivian regained herself, For the second time today, he had caught her drooling. She bit her lip, trying to avoid meeting his eyes, when she noticed that it was just her and Romeo on the red carpet. What!

She cleared her throat, and placed her palm on his, she tried to hold it as soft as she can, so she wouldn't end up looking like she is inexperienced. She looked at him through the corner of the eye, his face still carried the same expression, one can't even know what was in his mind. Won't he at least smile? Vivian asked within. Well, that doesn't matter to her as long she was walking with her crush.

The hall turned quiet all of a sudden, Two of them strutted down the red carpet feeling confident and attractive, especially Vivian who had taken the whole thing serious like she was doing a marriage ceremony, they strutted majestically towards the photo booth, some students envied especially the girls that always dream of Romeo, while others cheered for them.

When they settled inside the photo booth to take a picture, Romeo brought out a little wrapped sheet and unwrapped it, Vivian saw him take out a cigarette and lighted it. What! In the photo booth? How can someone be smoking in a photo booth?

“W-what are you doing?” Vivian asked.

Romeo brought the cigarette close to his lips and inhaled it, holding it in for some seconds before blowing out the smoke, he felt a new buzz of energy, he turned to the girl sitting beside him in the photo booth

“What will you do about it, ugh?” he held the cigarette in a gentry style and took in another smoke, this time he exhaled the smoke right in Vivian's face.

Vivian coughed and covered her nose with her palm, she wanted to shout at him for doing something so irritating, but couldn't find the right words to use. In as much as she was sitting with her crush in such a closed space, she would rather not take it too serious maybe that was how he behaved or possibly because they were in a closed space, and he had to release it in her face, Vivian thought trying to find an answer to justify her crush behaviour.

“Next time, you should wait when you are alone you can sm-"

“There won't be next time” Romeo interjected, he placed the cigarette on the floor and crushed it with his shoe, without sparing Vivian a glance he stood up and walked out of the booth leaving Vivian all alone.