"Are you sure this fits me?" Clary asked as she turned to scan her figure in the mirror.
All the girls were in Rose and Fiona's room getting ready for the Beginning of the Year Mixer and so far they each have had three different outfit changes.
Jia was enjoying it because her friends were actually doing some bonding over the most common thing in a girl's life: Clothes.
Fiona gave her thumbs up as she put tried on her second pair of biker girl boots, "It looks perfect Clary. That dress is stunning on you."
Fiona was dressed in a fiery red top and short black jean that hugged her figure nicely. Her bottle red hair was slicked back with gel and held up with a black hair clip. She stood up from her bed and strutted around the room to get comfortable with her shoes.
Clary was wearing a strapless navy blue dress that stopped above her knees. Rose had done her hairs to make it look curly and her lips sparkled thanks to the lip-gloss that Zoey provided, "Thanks."
"I love the hair, Rose really did a good job, "Kyra gushed as she sauntered over to stand behind her and patted Clary's hair before straightening her top.
Kyra was wearing a lilac tank top and a black ruffle skirt. She had switched her gladiator sandals for a pair of brown knee high boots and her hair was full of purple glitter.
"I aim to please," Rose laughed as she applied her lip-gloss on using her compact mirror. Rose had outdone herself by wearing a backless magenta colored dress that stopped at her thighs. Her legs were in a pair of strappy silver heels and her make-up was flawless. Her hair hung down in ringlets and over her shoulders. To put it simply, she looked drop dead gorgeous.
"This is so amazing; I can't believe that I'm going to my first ever teenage non-society party!" Jia gushed.
She stood from Rose's chair and twirled in her sleeveless silver dress and brown sandals. Her white hair was ironed and held up in a ponytail just for tonight. For her gloves, she put on a matching silver pair that had black flower designs on them.
"Are you nervous?"Zoey asked with a soft smile.
She was sitting on Fiona's bed and had just finished braiding her hair and tied it into a knot before slipping a red flower over it. Zoey looked really cute in her green dress and black shorts. She wore a pair of black ankle boots that she borrowed from Clary thanks to the advice from Kyra.
Jia nodded frantically, "Yes and a little excited."
"I just can't wait to get on the dance floor and start dancing." Clary raved as she began swaying her hips. The girls laughed as Kyra moved to join her.
Jia voiced, "So I can dance however I want and no one will get mad?"
Clary's jaw dropped as she and Kyra stopped dancing, "Are you serious? People got mad whenever you danced?"
"No, it was just frowned upon."Jia confessed with a pout.
Fiona walked over to stand in front her and grasped both of her hands, "Well, girl, this is high school. The wilder you dance, the better it is."
"And the better to attract boys." Rose added slyly.
The girls all squealed and fanned themselves. Jia learned earlier that the boys from Ashton Knight Academy would be coming and she was excited to introduce her cousin to her friends.
When they heard the music starting, they all quickly left with Fiona locking the door behind them. They each had their purse in hand with their keys inside in case someone needed to come back early.
The dance floor was in the gym and there were benches and tables everywhere for people to sit and chill if the need arose. Multi colored lights sparkled everywhere and the sound of music was very much heard.
Girls and guys were talking, dancing, drinking, eating and making out. Yes, Jia was sure that most of them were making out. She forgot that hormones tended to get a little crazy in a hot and sweaty environment.
Rose instantly pulled Clary away to see some boys that she knew. Zoey was feeling a little hungry so she and Kyra left to go to the food table. After Jia had a drink with them, she was pulled away by Fiona with a laugh.
The music was awfully loud, so loud that a shout would still go undetected by the person standing inches from you.
But that was the best part! The loud music seemed to swallow the worries of the outside world as students went on with their evening, enjoying as much as their youth could offer.
Somewhere in the midst of the moving sea of bodies were Jia and Fiona, hand in hand as they danced. Lips pulled back into full smiles, heads thrown back, and every now and then in laughter whenever their feet stepped on each other.
From the corner of her eye, Jia could see her annoyingly handsome cousin watching her and her companion, drink in hand and eyebrows rose in interest.
Their eyes meet, and Jia sent him a vibrant smile before pulling Fiona towards her to inform the topaz eyed girl that she needed to slip away for a while.
Fiona gave her an approving nod before Jia sauntered away to her awaiting kin.
"Dear Goddess, was that dancing?"
"Oh shush you, I'm having fun!"
"I'm sure you are. Listen, I want to introduce you to my friends," Roy paused for effect, eyeing Jia for approval.
"Sure, why not."
"Great! Come on, they're by the appetizers."
Jia mumbled something under her breath that sounded somewhat like a cross between a grunt and the words 'Hmm boys'
"Didn't know you had a dress like that? The colour suits you," Roy voiced as the two started towards the awaiting party, his eyes lingered momentarily on the silver dress Jia had on.
"You think so? Fiona lent it to me, said it brings out my eyes."
Roy downed his drink just in time for him to drop the empty cup into a lone bin as the two passed by, sending polite smiles towards the pretty wallflower standing by the gym door.
"Fiona?"
"The girl I was dancing with. Hmm... "Jia answered and turned to scan the dance floor till her face lit up with a smile," There! The girl with the long red hair, just towards the right of the stage."
His eyes found the girl immediately; it was easy to spot her for she was still dancing in the same spot where Jia left her, only this time she was with two other girls.
In all honesty, Roy had caught sight of the red head well before Jia had pointed her out. It was not hard to miss the red head that stood out with the unusual white of his cousin's own form.
The sound of clapping brought the boy out of his daze, his storm grey eyes settling into a scrutinizing glare as him and Jia stopped in front of five boys who, too lost in conversation, only seemed to notice their arrival.
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear! Roy, bro what took you so long-- well hello pretty lady..."
A hand was extended to Jia just as the words left the mouth of a boy whose skin seemed to glow golden under the lights from the ceiling. A dimpled smile appeared on his lips, a playful glint flickered in his dark blue eyes that stood out perfectly under the most luscious charcoal grey hair.
Jia stared at the boy's hand, apprehensively taking it in her gloved hand for a friendly shake.
"Cole stop it, you'll scare her away. I'm sorry for his behaviour, I'm Mike."
Another dimpled boy. A cute smile too, with blonde hair that seemed to fit his oval face almost too perfectly.
Jia blinked, momentarily mesmerized by the boy's leaf green eyes.
"I'm Jia, nice to meet you."
If anything, Mike smiled wider at the girl before he was harshly pushed aside by another who leaned into Jia's face with the utmost interest in his cocoa kissed eyes. A long, slender finger scratching his sharp cheekbones.
"What interesting colour of eyes... The name's Chase," he smiled as he leaned back, stretching the tissue of his lower lip producing a prominent view of the scar that made its home on the pink anatomy.
Were all of Roy's friends this good looking?
Speaking of Roy, the poor boy hardly had a chance to speak as the boys hovered around his cousin.
"Guys, not too close. I'm sure Roy wouldn't appreciate how you're all drooling over his date."
If Cole's deep blue eyes weren't warning signs before, than this pair of eyes was definitely raising red flags.
The air seemed to grow thicker and time slowed, the hand that was extended towards Jia seemed to go unnoticed as she locked eyes with the most enticing electric blue eyes.
The serious face morphed into a look of uncertainty, the offered hand pulled back before a smile appeared on the boy's chiselled face. Slanted eyes seemed to almost disappearing into crescents as he smiled.
Cute, Jia almost blurted out.
"I refuse to believe that this beautiful creature is this... thing's date"
If he hadn't spoken up, Jia would not have not have known he was even there. The paleness of this boy's skin made it almost difficult to even notice that he was present among his friends; he blended in so well with the lighting in the room he was almost invisible.
What seemed to stand out however, was the turquoise that was his eyes. Eyes that seemed to shine against the pale of his skin. And oh, how beautifully did his sandy blonde hair fall past his ears to rest neatly around his neck and hold his angled cheeks in the most attractive way.
"That's because she's not my date, Dylan," finally Roy had spoken. What seemed like an endless run through of introductions had seemingly come to an end.
"I'm his cousin."
The smile on Jia's face disappeared just as fast as it had appeared when the five boys started to laugh heartily.
"Cousin?" Cole raved.
"You two?" Chase howled with laughter as he pointed at the two of them," Yeah right, Roy buddy, you almost had us there"
Roy had an uninterested look on his face "We're serious guys."
Cole leaned against Chase and snickered, "Well, that's great, let me guess, you're related from your mother's side?"
"Actually, Yes," Jia answered. The boy's laughter slowly died down, "My mother and his father are blood siblings."
"Wow, you're not joking?" Chase asked.
"Why would we joke about family relations?" Jia turned to ask her cousin. Roy simply shook his head and looked up to the ceiling as if to say 'why me?'
"How are you two related?"Mike asked as he scratched his head. His eyes taking in the different features of the two kin in front of them. Sure the only thing he could say they had in common was their skin colour but still, Roy was a few shades lighter than Jia.
Jia frowned at him, "Didn't I just explain?"
"You don't even look alike." Dylan observed.
"We're cousins, not siblings."Jia filled in as she folded her arms across her chest," We don't need to look alike."
Cole held up a hand and turned to his friends, "Hold on, this means that we just got saved by Roy's cousin sister last week?"
Chase nodded,"Yeah, you're that girl from the forest."
"How awful for all of you." Jia remarked with a deadpan face, she then turned back to pat her cousin's cheek, "Okay, it was wonderful meeting your friends. I'm going to go now."
"Sorry, Jia." Roy muttered.
Jia gave his friends one last smile before leaving for the dance floor. The boys quietly watched her get lost in the sea of bodies in front of them before someone spoke and of course, it had to be Cole.
"So is she single or-"
Roy shot him a hard glare, "Don't even think about it."
While Jia walked through the crowd, her thoughts raced with concern. Why did it matter if she and Roy didn't look like each other? They still had similarities, they loved the outdoors, fencing, video games and they shared the eyes of their mothers. Granted, she looked more like her mother and Roy more of a boy version of his mother, they still had a lot in common.
People just didn't understand how their words could affect someone and Jia was beginning to realize that the outside world of boys was just as complicated as girls.
She was so caught up in her thought that she didn't notice the guy in front of her. When she bumped in to him, she caused him to drop his cup.
Jia gasped as the guy cursed and turned to face her. Whatever he was about to say was instantly forgotten as he scanned the white-haired girl in front of him.
"I am so sorry," Jia apologized as she mentally slapped herself.
Blue eyes lit up as he realized that she had spoke," No-no problem."
"I'll get you another cup."
She moved to leave when he spoke up, "It's okay, really. It's fine."
Jia frowned, "Are you sure?'
"Yeah, I was nearly done anyway."
"Oh."Jia said, a little taken back. Usually, people made a huge deal whenever she bumped into them," Okay, if it's alright?"
"It is."
"Alright."
The boy gave her another smile before intruding himself as Thomas Maloney, a second year at Ashton Knights Academy.
He was sort of cute in a boy next door kind of way. He led her over to the drinks table to get her drink before she spent the next hour talking. Jia actually felt excited to be talking to a boy that wasn't in any way connected to her but she also held back when the topic turned to her private life. He was kind, funny and treated her nicely.
He didn't even ask about her gloves, which usually was the first thing most people asked about. He was instead interested in her magic because he needed to write a paper on one of the Advanced Magic. Jia was so excited that she said yes. Finally, another friend who wasn't the same gender as her!
She promised that she would come and see him at his school and the Thomas was so grateful.
It was only after she had received a text message from Zoey letting her know that she was turning in that she ended their conversation. Thomas in turn walked to the entrance of the gym where she proceeded to look for Roy but didn't see him.
The last she saw of Thomas, he was waving at her from the entrance.