The Annual Hades Ball

By: Shinju Oe

In a school filled with social rejects, raging hormones and psychologically-challenged individuals, there is an annual House Party otherwise known as the "ANNUAL HADES BALL".  No one really knows when it started…or who started it or why even.  But it happens and everyone shows up for the simple reason of gathering…  Many attends this ball because most couples who started out or met in this event usually stays together.  So the ball is very popular with the young girls...and when there are girls, there are guys as well...

“Why do I need to attend again?”  Fallon finished her stretching and proceeded to the throwing area carrying a javelin.  Jin tagged behind her in her gym clothes.  “And why are you here when you’re supposed to be jogging with your class?”  She looked at the group jogging around the oval.  “You’re gonna get me in trouble again…”

“Hey!  I’m trying to get you to attend the greatest party ever in the history of Hades and you’re lecturing me about my crappy gym class?!  Besides…jogging?!  Are they kidding me?!  I’d rather go bungee jumping…  What the hell is wrong with Woody and his NORMAL syllabus?”  Jin scratched her head and placed her hands on her hips.  “You got to socialize, sempai.  Isn’t it just right that you attend an annual party of the academy?”

Fallon stared at the long expanse of green grass in front of her.  She prepared her shoulders for the throw.  “Why should I attend a party where we are once reminded how different we are?”  She took her stance, slowly jogged, twisted her hips; her strides widen as she adjusted the spear in hand and threw the spear with a shout.  The javelin flew out the school grounds.

“…”  Jin was silent at that.

“It’s not like we’re revolting…”  Fallon shrugged.  “If we are…then it’ll be more of a reason to attend.  I was surprise it did not turn out that way when you’re always present in that party.  Revolting is always a specialty of yours after all…”  She walked back to the pile of javelins on the benches.

Jin kept on mumbling to herself.  “Sheesh…I bet she’s having PMS or something…  It’s not a big deal attending a party…and everyone’s there…and…”  She suddenly stopped her thoughts.  “EVERYONE’S THERE!”  She shouted.

Fallon raised a brow.  “Your point?”

Jin grinned maniacally.  “He’s there…”

“Who?”  Fallon ignored the younger Alter and took another Javelin.  She positioned herself once more and started to throw the spear.

“The Headmaster.”  Jin answered.

Fallon lost her stance and threw the javelin early – the spear nearly passing through a runner.  “Sorry!”  Fallon called out and turned to Jin.  “So?”

Jin rolled her eyes.  “Oh phulease?!  Don’t tell me you’re not dying to go when Mr. Woody is out there…”  She whistled and placed her hands in her pockets.  “Don’t come crying when Woody finds a girlfriend…”

Fallon frowned.

“Oh! Did I hit a sore spot?!”  Jin lighted up.

“You don’t know me much, do you?”  Fallon smirked and sighed.  “I’ll check my schedule.  But if I attend, it’s not because of some silly crush.  I’m attending because you might get lonely and cry…”  She took her bag and left Jin whose jaw is dropping to the ground.

It took several seconds for Jin to react.  She blinked at what her senior answered.  “HEY! Was that because you’re my friend or that you’re a closet Bi?!”  She hurriedly caught up and nudged the taller girl.  “You’re sick, you know that?”

ALTAIR RESIDENCE

Fallon slumped herself on her huge suede-covered bed.  She opened the curtains earlier and now, she shifted into fetal position to look through the wall-sized windows overlooking the academy.  Earlier, she found a letter in her locker – a letter asking her to the dance.  It was from Celesteine she could tell not because of the initials CN…but because the letter is delicately wrapped in a floral silk textile lined with golden petals and secured with a classy red rope.  It screams Celestine.  She chuckled to herself.

It’s not that she hates Noctis… It’s just that he’s younger and it’s just that she likes someone else…  She covered her head with the pillow and groaned.  “No! No! No!  This is not happening to me!!!”  She sighed heavily and rolled about on the bed.  “How old is the headmaster exactly?  Urgh…  I feel so terrible…falling in love with a man that’s obviously too old for me…”  She stood up.  “I heard rumors that he’s 40….  Urgh…”  She lazily walked down to her kitchen and took out a microwave meal.  She shoved it in the appliance and leaned on the counter.  “That means he could be my father…”  She grimaced at the thought.  Suddenly, her phone rang.  “Hello?”

“Did you receive my letter?”

The voice froze her.  She certainly knows who it is but…everytime she hears him like this, it freezes her.  His voice is just too sexy.  “Uh…is this Celesteine?”  Fallon answered in her stern tone not giving any hints of her weakness for deep voices.

“Yes…  I was wondering if you’d care to accompany me tomorrow night at the ball?”

Fallon bit her lower lip at the question.  Am I?  Damn it!  This is the only reason I can come up with to seem natural and…  What if…  Argh…  Why the hell am I acting this way?  It’s the headmaster I’m in love with!  If I say yes, it’ll be for the headmaster.” She chastised herself for thinking so much in 0.3 seconds.

“It’s alright if you’re not comfortable, sempai…  I understand.”  Celesteine said.

“Wait!”  Fallon covered her mouth but was too late, she shouted.  “I mean…”  She swallowed hard and took a deep breath.  “Noctis…”

“Yes, sempai?”  Celesteine replied.

“I’ll go with you.”     

TBC