Diana and her committee on designs was already busy preparing for the JS prom venue for tomorrow night. The venue is just on their gymnasium but since their guests for the night are prestigious people, she planned everything to be elegant. She suddenly felt nostalgic about the thought of prom. She remembered her JS prom in high school. She was still socially awkward then but Nez and Albert…
It’s been 2 weeks since Albert said goodbye to her and he hasn’t texted or called her ever since. But she never texted him nor called him. It’s her way of showing that she respects his decision to stay away from her. If he is really serious on staying away from her then, she can’t do anything about it. If he appears and say that he would like to be her friend again, she would accept the offer with open arms because why not? Albert had been a great friend to her and that’s enough reason for her to accept his offer of friendship.
“Ma’am Diana, what should we put here?” one of the students in her designs committee asked her.
She came back to her senses and looked at the student who was pointing at a vacant space on the corner.
“Kindly carry the big vase over there and put it in that spot. I think it would look good on that spot.” She stated.
“Okay ma’am.” The student answered her and went to pick and carry the vase.
The student put down the vase and arranged it properly.
“Jasper I think that’s great already.” She said to the student.
The student nodded and left the vase where he put it.
“Okay kiddos! That’s a wrap now. It’s getting late. We’ll just return here tomorrow morning to check the decorations, okay?”
“Yes ma’am.” They replied.
“Let’s just clean up a bit and then we’ll go home.”
The students gathered the excess decorations and put it on an empty box in the corner. When they gathered all the excess, they went home.
While walking on the pavement going to their house, Janwill ran towards her.
“Sis! There’s a box delivered for you!” he reported to her.
“A box delivered for me? From whom?” she asked.
Janwill, now walking with her, shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know. The delivery lady said it’s for the JS Prom tomorrow night so I didn’t ask anymore. I thought you ordered. You did not?” he asked puzzled.
She frowned. Who could the sender be?
“No. I planned on renting. Are there any messages or notes?” she asked again.
“None. Just a box tied with a ribbon.”
She nodded. When they arrived inside the house, she saw the white box.
“You got some package, sis. Who could the sender be?” Anne asked.
“I don’t know. I will just carry this inside.” She said and picked up the box.
She went inside her room and locked the door. Who would give her a dress? She just assumed it was a dress by Janwill’s statement. She untied the ribbon and opened the box. She was mesmerized! The dress was elegant! She raised the gown overhead to take a closer look at it. It’s a black lace tulle with A-line foot-length skirt with a thigh-high slit gown. When she was about to return the gown back on the box, she saw a card. She read it.
‘I hope you like it. – A.’
“A? Albert?” she asked out loud, but she’s secretly assuming A stands for Arjay. ‘Well, whoever you are, thank you for lending me this dress. At least I don’t have to rent anymore. I will just return this after.’ She said and looked for the brand but the box was plain. She checked inside the box, still plain. She looked on the dress, no brand still. She scratched her head. ‘Nice play, A.’ she rolled her eyes.
After dinner, she went straight to bed. She still need to check the decorations tomorrow plus, she need to practice her emceeing. She forgot her copy of the event in the gymnasium so she can’t practice. She immediately fell asleep as soon as her body laid down on the bed.
She went to school early the next day. She immediately checked the decorations, nothing out of place. She will just ask the students to sweep the floor before they put the green carpet on the gym floor. She went to the podium to check for her copy of the event. It was really there.
Before she went to practice on her emceeing, she instructed the students who came a few minutes after she arrived at the gym. She went back to the podium to practice. She checked the invitation. She only has a few parts anyway. It will be easy.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome our guests for tonight, first and foremost of course, our beloved and respected Mayor Blah Blah. Kindly give him a round of applause. Or next guest is our prestigious Vice Mayor Blah blah. A round of applause please. And for our final guest, an image of youth and intelligence, Mr. Ferdinand Altam – “ she stopped and read the invitation again.
Ferdinand Altamira Jr?!? She rubbed her eyes to wake herself up. She looked again, and her eyes wasn’t doing any trick on her. She’s reading it right! It has a suffix in the name, and the suffix is JR. Arjay is the guest speaker and not his father! Diana gulped. She wasn’t ready for this! Her heart is pounding loudly on her chest.
Her attention was caught by the waving student. She went down the stage and went to the students. When she get to them…
“Ma’am should we put the green carpet now?”
“Yes. Four people will spread the carpet then the rest will just carry the tables and chairs up so we don’t need to move the chairs back and forth in the gym. Okay?” she said.
“Okay ma’am.” They replied.
“After, you can go home so you can have beauty rest.”
“Yes ma’am.” They replied in chorus.
She went back to the podium and practice some more. When the students were done, they waved goodbye to her. She waved back but she stayed a little longer. When she was finally alone, she started to rant about the guests.
“Ma’am Isabel could have just asked his father. Why did she invite him?” she said aloud, and fake cried.
“Ma’am are you alright?”
She immediately raised her gaze and looked around. She saw a student on the corner of the stage.
“Why are you still here, Kyla?” she asked back.
“I forgot my tumbler, ma’am. I thought you went home already, too, but I heard you were crying so I went to check ma’am.” The student answered her.
“Oh, okay. Don’t worry about me, Kyla, I’m fine. I just made a mistake in my line so I fake cried.” She lied. The student nodded.
“Okay ma’am. I’ll go ahead then, ma’am. You should go home now too, ma’am so you could rest for tonight.” Kyla said and smiled.
She smiled back.
“I will just finish rehearsing, I will go home too, after. Take care on your way home, okay?” she stated.
“Yes ma’am. See you tonight ma’am.” Kyla said and went home.
‘That’s embarrassing, Diana! It’s good the kid didn’t understand what you said!’ she castigated herself.
She shook her head to clear her mind with bad thoughts. She practiced even more. When she was done practicing, she fixed the things on the podium. She left the invitation on the podium drawer. She went down the stage and went to walk on the built in benches so she won’t mark the green carpet with her dusty sandals.
She went to the gymnasium entrance to take a wider view look on the venue. She was proud of the outcome of her rush designs. It was indeed elegant. She turned her back on the gym and went straight home. She still needs to fix herself for the prom tonight.