The day of the history carnival came a few weeks later.
Magenta ran around with Reese doing errands and making sure everyone had what they needed to set up, and Blue was busy with stage directing and practically making sure everything was ready. Feeling stressed, Blue already had a lack of sleep and was running on close to empty but he tried his best to be present for the event.
The game booths and food stalls were looking so colorful and fun. They went all the way from the 19th century to the 21st. At the start of the field, there were booths in black and white and gradually bloomed into color stalls too. There was the classic 'sponge the teacher,' roses stall, hoop ring game, and bottle smash game. There were hotdogs, candyfloss, and popcorn a-plenty. Facepainting and horse riding, as well as darts and fortune telling, were there too.
Magenta was excited for the event to start but a bit nervous. She had never helped with an event so big, and though she was happy with the way it was turning out, she wasn't sure how everyone else would like the event. Especially the seniors and the staff, she wasn't sure if they would enjoy or be pleased too.
At the far end of the field, there was a big black stage, with some space for a live band and musical instruments too.
Shelby was doing a soundcheck for a song she was going to perform from the Ice Cold Elephants as well as soundchecks for MCing with Jasper. Shelby was ecstatic to be able to pay homage to her favorite band.
Magenta and Reese went off after making sure everything was prepped. They'd decided to dress up as a couple from history...Cleopatra and Mark Antony with Egyptian golden stylings. Reese wore a tunic and Magenta a royal dress.
Shelby and Jasper chose Bonnie and Clyde with a roaring 20s vibe. They looked really cool, like motorcycle gang members. Shelby and Jasper wore leather and dark colors. Shelby wore a black dress with leather shoes and scarf-like headpiece while Jasper wore a suit with a hat and dark shoes.
Blue didn't match with Gwendolyn. He chose a simple James Bond-style dark suit. Gwendolyn looked livid when she saw Magenta as Cleopatra because she also dressed in a similar outfit.
At six in the evening, the event started and people came flowing in from all walks of history. Different countries, different cultures. It was a meld and beautiful blend of cultures, history, and stories. There were kings and queens, doctors and teachers, peacemakers, all sorts of historical figures represented at the stucco event.
"Alright, is everyone ready to start the party?" Jasper spoke into his microphone.
"I'm ready!" Shelby echoed through her mic too.
"Ready!" Everyone shouted.
Shelby and Jasper mimicked a grapevine dance move and the whip nae nae to commemorate the official start of the evening. Everyone in the crowd was already moving around exploring all the booths. Some people sat on the red carpets in front of the stage, waiting for the performances to start. Others chatted as they went around to each booth. Some went straight for the food.
A couple of the teachers talked to Reese, thanking him for his prompt leadership and organization skills.
"Oh, the organizing was all Magenta. She's amazing." Reese put his arm around Magenta's waist. She blushed profusely trying to wave it off.
"We've heard some things about you, but we know you're a good boy," Mrs. Gouges told Reese.
"Yes! And you look dashing in that tunic, you two make a beautiful couple," Miss Burgundy smiled.
"Thank you, Mrs. Gouges and Miss Burgundy," Reese said.
"Excuse us, we're going to get some food," Reese said.
The staff nodded and let them go get food and refreshments. Reese bought her a hotdog and she bought some juice for them. They headed to the performance area to listen to Shelby's performance.
Shelby had a wonderful voice, its timbre was deep and soothing. Her acoustic rendition was so gorgeous. And it was a romantic song too, giving everyone the feels.
Magenta found herself wedged between Reese's legs, her head resting on his chest. Reese leaned closer to Magenta as the song came to a climax. The notes reached a crescendo, and Magenta turned to look at Reese. The sky was a deep blue, with virtually no stars visible.
It was supposed to be a magical moment. And Magenta was sitting there with the most handsome boy. But her heart beat as if beating for two different rhythms. Magenta glanced at the blue sky before Reese's head dropped towards hers.
Across from the space on the field, Blue sulked as he stared at Reese and Magenta. Gwendolyn was holding his hand, but he didn't feel like holding Gwendolyn's hand.
He shrugged Gwendolyn's hand off his hip when she tried to turn him towards her for a kiss.
"I don't think this is working," Blue said.
"Wait, are you breaking up with me? In. Public?" Gwendolyn's eyebrows stitched together.
Gwendolyn switched from doting girlfriend to hostility in zero seconds. Her anger came so quickly that Blue was not prepared for her reactions.
"No, we'd have to date for that to happen. I don't know what we're doing but I don't want to do it anymore," Blue said, realizing that he'd been feeling this way all along.
"You can't break up with me. I'm Gwendolyn Belle." She pointed to herself.
"Don't make this into a scene," Blue warned.
"What kind of scene do you mean? This?"
Gwendolyn walked to the drinks table, swishing her hips back and forth. She interrupted the people milling around there, grabbing a glass pitcher. She pushed the glass pitcher off the table and it smashed to the ground. The sound brought everyone to look in their direction as the song just faded to a finish.
"You're crazy," Blue breathed.
"No. You're crazy if you think you can do this and get away with it," Gwendolyn hissed.
Blue had no idea what she was going on about. She was the one who suggested the whole jealousy plan.
"Gwendolyn Wells, what are you doing?" Mr. Gouges inspected the mess at everyone's feet.
Gwendolyn...Wells?
Gwendolyn froze.
"I'm Gwendolyn Belle." Gwendolyn insisted.
The only other known person in their school with the last name Wells was, well, Spider Wells. Not many people noticed that Mr. Gouges addressed Gwendolyn with a different last name. But Magenta and Blue did.
Magenta looked over to Spider who was looking at Gwendolyn with a small eerie smile. He sat at the very back of the carpet in front of the main stage. At that moment, Spider broke into witchy laughter. Rocking on his heels until tears streamed from his eyes, Spider wouldn't stop laughing.
"I'm not related to that freak!" Gwendolyn shouted.
Principal McCartney blew a whistle and stood in front of the glass bowl.
"Who did this?" He asked slowly, taking a circle around to glance at everyone around him. People pointed to Gwendolyn, who in turn said it was Spider who did it.
He took Gwendolyn and Spider to his office for reprimanding.
Shelby ran over to Magenta.
"What's going on? I just finished my set and heard glass breaking. And then Gwendolyn shouting, Spider laughing?"
Magenta filled Shelby in on the details.
"Spider and Gwendolyn are related," she revealed.
"Huh? Gwendolyn and Spider? What! They look so different though. Maybe one of them is adopted? Or they're half-siblings?"
"Anyways how did it all start?" Shelby asked.
"I don't know. I guess Blue must have rejected Gwendolyn and she got mad?"
"I've never seen her mad like that though. I mean sure I knew she had some temper problems with the way she treated others, but that? Never seen her so worked up." Shelby mused.
"Yeah, I wonder what's up with that," Magenta commented.
Before they knew it, the night was over and the girls went back to their room to undo their hair and take off their makeup to get ready for bed.
"But hey, during my song I think I saw something quite interesting," Shelby said, humming.
"Oh, god," Magenta fanned herself.
"Yeah, Reese was going to kiss me!"
"Girl! He was! But then that whole glass bowl jar thing shattered." Shelby said.
"But tell you something, I'm not sure I'm ready to be kissed so quickly, we haven't even dated that long," Magenta said.
Magenta really didn't think she was ready. That gut feeling came and was even stronger now that Reese and her were dating. They hadn't even had their first three dates, and she wasn't sure how she really felt.
"That's true. But I hope things turn out great for you and Reese," Shelby said.
Shelby watched her best friend nod and look down, and she worried for Magenta. Was Shelby right in that Reese wasn't treating Magenta well, or that things wouldn't turn out well the way it would with Blue?
"How was the night MCing with Jas?" Magenta asked.
"Oh, he's the same goofy goof I fell for last year. Same old, same old...I love him lots," Shelby said.
The girls were enjoying their night chatting. Suddenly, Magenta noticed movement outside their room window. She tried to focus on talking with Shelby, but she couldn't help but feel creepy crawlies, as if someone was watching her, in her cotton nightie dress and Shelby in her barely there lazy girl crop top and shorts. Magenta shushed Shelby, going closer to the window to check if anything was there.
Then Magenta screamed, realizing it was a pair of human eyes watching them from outside.