A swarm of girls was already flooding Michael's DMs, trying their luck by asking him to the dance. He didn't reply, true to his usual form. This wasn't the first time this had happened, and honestly, it bored him. He had assumed Tia would eventually ask him since everyone else was, but then he remembered the crush mentioned in her diary and the guy she claimed to be dating. Doubt began to creep in. He wanted to show up at the ball looking his absolute best to soak up the admiration of the crowd, but he didn't want to go alone. He cycled through every girl he knew, but none seemed to meet his standards. He thought of Stella; she was undeniably pretty, but Tia had somehow surpassed her ever since she changed her look. It was a frustratingly difficult decision. He considered calling Tia, but her previous warning echoed in his head. Still, he didn't mind the idea of trying again. Stella, on the other hand, was a "safe" match; she was fond of him and wouldn't dare act cold toward him at the ball. Caught between the two, he decided to call Marcus for advice.
"Hey, Marcus." Michael heard a heavy sigh on the other end before his friend finally spoke.
"Oh, look at that. My friend Michael finally remembered I exist."
"Look, I'm sorry for missing your call earlier. Stella was doing something important on my phone, so I couldn't pick up."
"And you couldn't even return the call afterward?"
"I said I'm sorry," Michael whispered, sounding genuinely sheepish.
"Fine. So, what do you want?"
"I really don't know who to ask to the ball—Tia or Stella."
The question struck Marcus as hilarious. He erupted into a fit of laughter. "So that's why you called me?" he managed to say through his chuckles. "Bro, that's something you figure out on your own."
"I don't know... that's why I'm asking you. You're my friend, and I figured you'd have a better reason for why I should choose one over the other," Michael said, hoping Marcus would finally take him seriously.
"I think you should go with Stella. She's the one actually close to you right now. Tia doesn't seem like she'd go with you even if you offered her a mountain of gold and silver."
Michael wasn't exactly satisfied with the answer, but he knew it was the truth. "Okay, thanks, Marcus," he said before ending the call. "I guess it'll be Stella then." He didn't love the decision, but he needed a date. "I don't even know what Tia thinks of herself. Why can't she just keep helping me without putting me through all this stress?" he lamented. "I really don't want my academics to slip. I just wish she would be the Tia I used to know." He slammed his hand onto the table to vent his frustration, but all he felt was a sharp, stinging pain.
Stella used a handkerchief to hide the slap mark on her cheek as she hurried past people. Once in the safety of her room, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and began to sob. "My beautiful face... Tia ruined my beautiful face." She reached out to touch it, but the skin was still tender and throbbing. "She's just jealous because I'm beautiful. She wanted to leave a mark on me." She threw the hanky onto the floor and buried her face in her hands. "I need to do something to distract myself." She picked up her phone. "Maybe it's time to see what's being posted on the campus forum."
She scrolled through the messages with little interest until two words caught her eye: Campus Ball.
"Ahhhhh!" Stella screamed with pure excitement. "A campus ball? Oh my gosh, there is no way I'm missing that!"
She dropped the phone and began to visualize herself looking fabulous. "It's going to be amazing. A stunning dress, perfect makeup, styled hair, and I'm set."
She considered who her date would be, then reminded herself she didn't need to look far. She had Michael. She was certain he would ask her, but she decided she needed to play it cool. If she acted like she didn't care, Michael would be the one chasing her. "I'll give him some time," she whispered with a smirk.
Two hours passed without a word from him, and her confidence began to waver. "What is taking him so long?" she gasped. "I hope he isn't planning to ask someone else. No, that's impossible. He wouldn't do that to me."
She decided to call him before her fears became a reality. "I didn't come this far just to see him arrive at the ball with someone else."
As the phone rang, it felt like an eternity. "Pick up the damn phone, Michael," she muttered in frustration.
"What's the problem?" Michael's voice was calm after he picked up, immediately diffusing Stella's tension. He had been trying to rest after his call with Marcus, feeling exhausted from the school day.
"You didn't call to see if I made it back to my dorm safely," Stella said with a practiced pout.
"I didn't think that was necessary... I mean, you're always alright."
Stella wanted to snap back by telling him what Tia had done after he left, but she caught herself. She had been complaining a lot lately, and she didn't want to bore him. She decided to cut straight to the chase.
"There's a campus ball coming up."
Michael sighed. "Yes, I know."
"Aren't you going to ask me? Or... don't you want to go with me?"
"I was going to, but..."
"Then why didn't you call the second you saw the announcement?" Stella interrupted.
"You didn't let me finish. I wanted to wait a bit before asking."
"Okay, so are you asking now or what?"
"Fine. Stella, would you like to go to the campus ball with me?"
Stella let out a squeal so loud that Michael had to pull the phone away from his ear. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes! I'm just so happy! It will truly be an honor to go with you," she said, gesturing grandly even though he couldn't see her.
Michael chuckled. "Okay, bye for now," he said before hanging up.
Stella rolled onto her bed in pure bliss, chanting, "I'm going to the campus ball with Michael Blaze! I'm so excited!" Then, she remembered the mark on her face. Her excitement was instantly replaced by a loud groan.
"What am I going to do?" She touched her cheek again. "What if it doesn't heal before the big day?" She sat up on the floor, thinking hard until an idea struck. "I know. I'll just fix it with heavy makeup. Then I won't have to worry."
Just then, her roommate Agatha stepped in. After a brief greeting, Agatha immediately noticed the mark on Stella's face.
"What's wrong with your face?" Agatha asked, giggling.
Stella glared. "Don't ask me silly questions."
"It looks like someone practiced their artwork on your cheek," Agatha teased.
Stella forced a sarcastic smile. "Ha ha ha. Very funny."
"Want to tell me what actually happened?"
Stella knew that if she told the truth, Agatha would see her as weak. She wasn't about to let that happen. "Just leave me alone and don't say another word, or I'll end up cursing this entire day." Stella collapsed back onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow, signaling the end of the conversation.