"Real love doesn't meet you at your best. It meets you in your mess".
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"What?", yelled Janice and Laura in unison on hearing from Layla that Kathleen's name was enrolled for the title of masquerade king and queen.
The girls don't usually involve them in such stuffs. And Kathleen and her friends weren't aware of the game, the scavenger hunt. And the winner of the couple will be crowned as masquerade king and queen.
"I think there has been a mistake, I didn't sign up for the title", explained Kathleen with nervous smile.
"Oh, then it must have been someone else!! But I think you will find it hard to play for the first time", stated Layla. The girls were left confused and wondered what she was talking about.
"What?? We don't get you", Laura muttered and awaits for an explanation from Layla.
"Come on girls, don't tell me that you don't know about scavenger hunt. I bet you must have heard girls talking about this game", said Layla and look at the girls. They were all shocked equally.
"Trust me, we never knew something like this, and we have zero interest in such things", affirmed Janice and adjust her mask that keeps falling off her face.
"But now, coming to know that Kathleen is going to be a part of something like, I'm all ears to know a lot about this game. Come on, pour out all you know", requested Janice.
"Scavenger hunt is a type of game where you will be given some clues regarding your dance partner( the king). The committee members would have fixed your pair by now.
The game will start shortly and you will be given the first clue that lead you to the second and so on, vice-versa. And you will find your partner by the end of the 10th clue. So, like wise your male partner will be provided with the clues regarding you.
The male and female should find out each other within the given time limit or the couple that finds each other first is the winner of the hunt. And they have to perform a dance together, after this they will be announced as the masquerade King and queen.
But you will not know who your male partner is nor anything about the other male and the other male partner will never knew who you are. All you both have to do is find each other using the ten clues that you get", Layla spent time in explaining them about the scavenger hunt.
"This is insane", mumbled Kathleen, she went numb on hearing this from Layla.
"Yes, it is!! What if she say she is not ready to do this", expressed Janice.
"Um.... you can't do it...but....if you wanted to....then......", stammered Layla.
"But what??", kathleen whisper yelled with a pout.
"Actually, not many people would sign on for this, so they set few rules to make the students participate", she said,?letting out a nervous laugh.
"What?? Like seriously ? We thought the other way..... that many would participate so they would give title to.......", trailed off Laura, thinking how stupid they have been discussing earlier.
"What are the norms for the game?! And can't Kathleen quit? She is not interested at all, then why should she?", questioned Janice crossing her arms over her chest.
"Rule number 1: The participants cannot quit in the middle of the game. They should find out all the ten clues.
Rule number 2: The participants who have signed up for the game should take part without denial. If not, they should follow the consequences.
Rule number 3: losing pair should help the committee in cleaning up the corridors for a week or so after the event ends", narrates Layla without a break.
"What if I violate rule number 2??", she asked out of curiosity to know, what happens when she doesn't participate.
"Mmm..... last year I did the same.... but......", spoke Layla fidgeting her fingers.
"Oh my goodness, you were here for the ball on your freshman year too? That's amazing", exclaimed Laura as she thought it was cool to attend the ball for two consecutive times.
"Trust me, it is not", she denied.
"What happened last time Layla?", questioned Janice.
"Actually I was enrolled in the game without my knowledge, I went straight to the committee members and said that I'm not taking part, so they offered me with something else", stated Layla and the girls wondered what it was.
"What's that?", the girls yelled together.
"I was asked to mop the whole conference hall after the event. I was held responsible for the cleanliness of the conference hall", she signed remembering her past.
"Oh shit", Laura and janice yelled in unison. Layla nodded with a smug smile.
"This is gonna put me between the devil and the deep blue sea, I can't choose to leave game nor lose the game. Argggg", groaned Kathleen in frustration.
"Hey, relax Kathleen!! I just came here to alert you about the consequences, it's better if you quit, that's for the best, because that's far more better than losing and cleaning with the corridors with your partner", Layla cried.
"Hey, Layla but it is far more worse,? cleaning the entire conference hall all alone is the worst nightmares comes true", moaned Janice.
"Kath, look here. It's okay if you lose, you are gonna clean up the corridors? with every other participants of the game", she added with a nod.
"Maybe she is right!! Kath I know it's new to you and it was not something that we expected for the night but still I hope you can give it a try", encourages Laura.
Kathleen really don't want to be a part of some mysterious games but the thought of cleaning the whole hall all alone gave her shivers. She can never quit, because quitting doesn't make it any better. So, she decided to get a reward out of it.
"You know what, I'll knock it out", she accepted sending a wicked smile.
Because they will never who Kathleen was in the past. She was once a lover of adventures especially bad ones. She was known to be the goddess of dauntless damage.
Janice chuckles on noticing her evil grin. Layla smiles nervously and waves goodbye to Kathleen and her friends. She walks towards the last table and finds the girl who asked her to say so, to Kathleen and her friends.
"What?? Have you did what I said?", the masked woman questioned Layla.
"Yes.....but....", she mumbled.
"What??! What but....??", the masked woman was furious.
"She said she is not gonna quit. She is going to play..... I tried my best and told her about the consequences...but no she is not afraid of the game.....", Layla stuttered and the masked woman listened to her eyeing Kathleen from a distance.
"I gave you one simple work and can't you do that properly", she grunted.
"Hey, don't you see it. You have misjudged Kathleen. She is not some delicate girl, okay?!", Layla hissed.
"I don't care who the fuck she is, but I don't want them to play together. I saw the list and he is gonna be her male partner and what if they finish the game???",?snapped the masked woman.
"If they succeed, they have to dance together and later they will be given the title of masquerade king and queen. I can't stand to that. I should be his queen not some stupid lame girl", huffed the masked woman.
"I don't know why he is crazy for her!! She has put him under some kind of black magic spell. Kathleen is such a jinx to him", the masked woman hissed.
"So, what are gonna do now?", Layla questioned the masked woman.
"Maybe, confuse her game", she smirked.
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"Good evening friends and fellow professors, I stand before you tonight to?start the fabulous events and it's my pleasure in welcoming you all to this auspicious night, the masquerade ball.
If we all could look back at Howard's history, it has always been the best in conducting any large event and this masquerade ball is one among them. The student committee has always played the crucial role in the success of the event. I would like to thank them for that and the professors who are here today as a part of the event.
It's our 16th masquerade ball and I wish each and every one of you to enjoy this best night of the year. Have a great night", cheered Elizabeth winters, the faculty head of Howard's University.
"So let's get started", she announced happily.
Kathleen, Laura and Janice moved towards a table and made themselves comfortable in the small place. The arrangement of the hall was well planned and roomy.
The hall was spacious inspite of the arrangement of round tables and chairs in the left and right side of the hall. Leaving a capacious space in the middle of the hall for the dance event. The scavenger hunt game has already begun.
Kathleen giggled at Janice's comments over something that Laura couldn't understand. Someone tapped her shoulder and Kathleen turn around to find a boy in blue suit and blue mask.
"Yes??!"
"Here, this is for you", the boy gave her a small folded white paper. Kathleen guessed it has to be her first clue. She unfold the paper and it read:
'To find the next clue take a good look, at page 18 of a special book.'
Laura and janice guessed that the next clue has to be in the library but that would take like 10 minutes to reach library from the conference hall. So Kathleen said they should have hid the clue somewhere around.
"But Kath, special book?? What does that mean?!", asked Laura scratching her head.
"I got it, I got it....", saying that Kathleen scurried away from her friends.
While the participants of the scavenger hunt were busy finding clues and solving each one to get to the next one, the others were enjoying the night to the fullest by dancing, swaying their hips, twirling in delight to show of their dress.
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Stay tuned for updates!! Wanna find Kathleen's mysterious partner and the masked woman?? You will find unexpected things in the next chapter.