CHAPTER 20- HAPPY NOW?

Chloe kept tossing and turning in her bad, she tried to figure out what manner of flustered experience she had faced before a regal personality that left her speechless. She wanted to wake Lopez up so badly but she decided against it and decided to distract herself. Suddenly, she gasped loudly as if she forgot about something important, "mum!!!"

She licked her parched lips and picked up her phone dialling her mum's cell phone without

worrying about how late it was.

"Baby, hello, How are you sunshine? Her mother was on the other end of the line.

"Oh mum. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Chloe sniffed.

"It's nothing baby. Your father and I did tell you to call us at anytime sweetie. We meant every word. I've missed you so much."

"Mum, I have missed you too, I'm just really occupied with school and the preparations for my exams coming up soon...and I feel like I'm going to go into overdrive someday. Mum, I want to come home. I really want to." Chloe masked her shaky voice.

"Then come home baby, the weekend is a good time, I want to cook you something nice too. You're loved sweetie. Hang in there." Her mother encouraged in her sweet and calm tone.

"Thank you mum. My regards to dad too. I miss you both so much."

"All the best baby. We miss you too pumpkin. See you soon. If it means getting my consent to travel when the time permits, just ask them to send me an email."

"Mum, you're the best. I will, thank you. Have a good night mum." With that Chloe ended the call and clutched unto her phone before returning to bed.

Not long after she closed her eyes, the blaring sound of the alarm clock startled both ladies who woke up with a growl.

"Turn off the freaking alarm clock." Lopez voiced through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to wake you up." Chloe tried to make small talk.

"Yeah whatever." Lopez rolled her eyes.

"How did your night go? Chloe kept at the dull conversation.

"My night was going well until that stupid ass alarm clock took me away from a good night's sleep." Lopez hissed.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I did warn you not to let me go into that meeting looking like that but you ignored me." Chloe said.

"Oh really? Now, it's my fault? Like I stopped you from eating without being clumsy or I pushed your clothes into chocolate? Which role did I exactly play?"

"Well, not allowing me change up and pulling me so badly till I yanked the buttons was nothing to write home about." Chloe sulked.

"You have put everything I've worked for on the line and Mother Superior was definitely not pleased with the whack first impression you pulled. You ruined everything. Masculine perfume, really eh? Where did that come from? Lopez snorted.

"You rushed me yesterday and I had no time to fix myself up after my bath. You were already set to lock the dorm. I just picked the cologne on the table, sprayed it in my hair and on my shirt before joining you outside."

"Chloe, did you say cologne from the table?"

"Yes, that's correct." Chloe kept a puzzled look.

"Stop it already. It is not a cologne, spray or whatever you call it. It is a Confusionist potion used for quelling chaos and walking away from trouble without being able to see your downfall. Mother Superior definitely saw you as evil before you even got a chance to introduce yourself. You have even made me lose my chances of getting the next big thing in the hood." Lopez shook her head.

"Mother Superior? Why does her opinion really count?"

"Quiet down. She is the "Mother Superior " with majority of the shares of this Academy being in her possession. The grand matron of this prestigious dance academy. She has the power to grant and revoke the scholarships of students. She also has the power to lay off employees that lose focus and stop driving towards the goal. So, yes she matters." Lopez chided.

"Oh well, I'm just sorry about ruining your chances," Chloe said.

"Whatever, allow me catch my beauty sleep. And do well to destroy that alarm clock or you'd find it in shards of glass when you get back." With that, Lopez snuggled up in bed and slept.

Chloe saw this as her cue to get dressed and ready for the day's activities. Soon enough, she stepped out.

In the hallway...

Chloe is walking towards the end of the hallway to get soda and snacks from the vending machine, but she is surprised at the silence and unusual quiet of the normally busy hallway. She hears the squeals and over excitement in the distance that sounded like people cheering someone on.

Just then, an overly excited girl rushed past her. She excused her to ask what was going on but the girl was so incoherent in her response and wriggled away within the blink of an eye.

Another girl wheezed past her almost immediately and she grabbed the chance at a conversation.

"Excuse me, what's going on?" Chloe inquired.

"Beautiful things indeed. Beautiful things are happening." The girl beamed.

"Oh okay? How so? I'm lost."

"There is a fine young man by the fountain with the portrait of a girl named Chloe and a box of chocolates, beautiful flowers, and the I want to take you out on a date vibe. He took his time to be so romantic, that's why everyone is so awestruck by it." She giggled.

"Hold on, a girl named Chloe and a fine young man? How so?"

"He asked us to help us find his girl. Wait...Hold on. You're Chloe? Yes, you are. The portrait and this face is exactly the same. I've been standing in front of the wanted lady and I didn't know? Goodness me, don't keep the young man waiting. Come on." The girl scurried along the hallway with Chloe in her folder arm, reaching the foundation in a very short time.

"I found your Chloe." The girl screamed in glee and got every eye turning towards their direction.

Chloe who's wasn't used to this type of publicity and display of attention except when on stage dancing, froze. She regained her composure when she sighted Skye.

"Oh my goodness. Skye? What is going on here? What do you think you're doing here?" Chloe tried to keep her composure but she was flushed.

"People, I found her. Thank you so much for being so sweet as to bring her to me." Everyone clapped and some shed tears at Skye's romantic and gentlemanly gesture before dispersing to continue their activities.

Skye handed her the box of chocolates and the flowers he brought, kissed her cheeks and kept grinning.

"What is this? You're a quarterback and not a dancer. So, you're in the wrong place. Start talking. Why are you here?"

"Easy tiger, hold your horses baby. I happen to have a connection with Mother Superior. I talked to her that I wanted to be here and viola she snapped her fingers and I am here." Skye bowed in mock courtesy.

"Mother Superior is connected to you, how?"

"She is my aunt. I didn't want to tell you about this detail since so as not to give room for you to doubt yourself or limit your capacity. I didn't want you to feel you got to win because of my relationship with the matron of the prospective dance academy you were interested in enrolling in. I did try to call you after the competition but, I noticed you had blocked me across every platform on your cyberspace. I did the next available thing, I had to meet your family to know how you're doing, and here I am." Skye exhaled.

"That is a lot. You must be hungry. Let us get away from this drama and grab a snack in the cafeteria. I need to process all of these things."

Chloe walked with him to the cafeteria and they ordered burgers and fries.

"So tell me, how do you intend to cope here? You don't dance." Chloe propped her elbow on the table and watched Skye, as if she could pierce his soul.

"I know being far away from home is hard, I am here to help you grow, cheer you on and be your dancing partner too. Don't underestimate me pumpkin, I took my dancing lessons very seriously. I am going to be here with you every step of the way. Just don't fight it." Skye said with finality.

"Oh alright, I guess I have no choice then. Thank you for being dramatic with your return. You have given everyone a topic to talk about all year long. I missed you Skye." Chloe smiled.

"Oh those words gladden me. I missed you more pumpkin. It is good to be back." Skye smiled back.