Beauty and Nia walked into the party dressed in their best for the night.
The room atmosphere was filled with a sense of nostalgia and excitement.
Former teachers and school staff members mingled with the guests. Beauty could spot her favorite teacher and hoped she could win the Best Teacher award.
Although older now, she still looked as if her beauty had never faded.
The hall was beautifully decorated with lights and streamers, and the energy was high as people gathered to celebrate the reunion. Families were invited for this last day, but there were no kids in sight.
Beyoncé made the rules.
"I don't think Matt will be able to find me with this mask on!" Nia said, pulling her mask off.
Beauty agreed that the mask thing was ridiculous, but that was the whole point of the party.
She wondered if Bruno would be able to recognize her without a mask. She wanted to test it and see.
It would be romantic.
"You're not pulling yours off?" Nia asked, amused.
"I think he can recognize me. I mean, it's obvious if you look at my size."
"That's not true, there are plenty of plus-size people here too."
"They're all mothers, I suppose."
"It doesn't matter," Nia replied, suddenly snapping, "Look! I think I found Matthew." She pointed at Matthew, who was seated at a reserved table, waving at them.
"He pulled his mask off too," she chuckled.
"Same brain cells couple," Beauty teased, and Nia blushed.
The duo walked to the table and joined Matthew.
Matthew and Beauty exchanged greetings as she continued scanning the room for any sign of Bruno.
"Have you seen Bruno?" Nia asked Matthew.
"I don't think he would recognize him, Nia," Beauty said sadly.
"Oh, I did. He was with me until he said he had to take care of something and left."
"Really?" Beauty asked, a bit worried.
"Yes. Why not call him?" Matthew suggested.
Beauty nodded and dialed his number. After the phone rang several times, he sent her a text.
"I'll be there in a jiffy."
Beauty sighed. "I hope it's nothing serious," she texted back.
"Absolutely not," Bruno replied.
"He said he'll be back at the event soon," she informed the couple.
Many minutes passed, and he was nowhere to be seen. She tried to shake off the growing feeling of unease in her chest, but her anxiety grew.
What could possibly be keeping him?
Nia, sensing Beauty's distraction, nudged her gently.
"Don't worry, girl. I'm sure he'll be here soon."
Beauty forced a smile and nodded.
"Yeah, you're right. He said he'd be here. I'm sure he's on his way."
But despite her words, she couldn't help glancing at her phone again, checking for any missed messages or calls from Bruno.
There were none.
Suddenly, she stood up, impatient.
"I should probably go check on him."
"Beauty, he's an adult. Look, the ceremony is starting. This is your reunion, you know... Bruno said he'll be back. Maybe he just hates gatherings like this."
That last part was convincing.
She sat back down. "I guess you're right. I should give him some time."
The ceremony had started, and the head of the alumni association was giving a speech, thanking everyone for coming and reminiscing about the good old days.
Laughter filled the room as old memories were brought up, but Beauty's mind was elsewhere.
She looked toward the entrance of the hall again, her heart sinking a little when she didn't see him walk through the door.
Nia leaned in closer, whispering, "I'm sure he's just caught up in something. He'll show up soon. Try to relax and enjoy the night."
Beauty nodded again, but her fingers tightened around her phone. She knew she should be paying attention to the ceremony and catching up with old classmates, but her mind was too preoccupied with Bruno's absence.
After speeches from many who cared to give them, the ceremony moved into the next stage: award-giving.
The alumni association was about to announce the awards for the night.
"Well, I'm sure Beyoncé must have bribed them all. Let's see what's first on the list," Nia said, going through the brochure.
"Best Dressed," she read out, but Beauty was still preoccupied with thoughts of Bruno.
She wasn't paying attention to her friend, her eyes glancing around the room every now and then, hoping to catch sight of him.
The host cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone, "And now, for the award you've all been waiting for-the Best Dressed of the evening! This individual has stunned us with elegance, style, and confidence tonight. The award goes to..."
He paused for dramatic effect, then looked down at the card in his hand, grinning.
"Beauty!"
Beauty blinked in shock, her eyes widening.
Her name echoed through the hall, and for a moment, she couldn't process it.
The spotlight swung toward her table, and everyone turned to look at her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as surprise washed over her.
No way!