The After Prom

On second thought, I shouldn't have used that much confetti, I thought to myself as I was sweeping all those tiny striped papers from the wooden floor.

The good thing was that the celebration was a huge success. Everything went smoothly with no exceptions.

My chain of thoughts was disturbed by the echoing sound of footsteps in the gym.

I looked up to see a girl dressed in a large black hoodie and leggings. Even though she's isn't very different from me except for her height, something about her makes her seem small.

She seems familiar in a way but I can assume she's neither here for the prom nor is in the management team like me.

"Excuse me?", I ask and she notices me.

She looks up and I can see her emerald eyes hiding under the shadows of her burette flicks shaping her face.

"Can I ask what you are here for?", I ask when she doesn't respond.

"Uh...They told me to help someone clean up.", her voice was smooth.

I thought for a while about who could be and said," Oh, okay. Can you manage to keep all the food that's left on the trolley kept there?"

I point towards the trolley that Lunch Lady provided me to give back the food.

"Yeah sure."

Before she could reach the table, her leg caught up in those long string confetti and she slipped forward causing an echo in the huge gym.

I ran to her carefully to prevent a fall. I gripped her shoulder to pull her up. She winced due to pain.

"You alright? Shall we go to the infirmary?"

"No no. I'm fine. Don't worry.", she said softly.

My eyes—which were on her knees—lifted up to find her face inches away from mine. Her breath was caught up as she stared into my eyes while I wasn't able to remove mine from that emerald green.

She pushed me away.

"Be careful.", I said.

"Yeah.", her voice was dull.

"Weren't you attending the prom?", I asked to start a conversation after minutes of silence when we got back to work.

"So weren't you.", she pointed.

"That's because I lead the management team of events. I can't attend the event because I have to keep checking if things are going perfectly or not.", I reply with a proud smile.

"So the leader of the event management team needs to tidy up after the event?", even though I didn't look at her, her tone had a hint of sarcasm.

"Well, I don't. It's just my choice."

"I see", she said with a hint of laughter.

I walked up to her, swirled in a curtsy way and held my hand out and said, "I'm Nathan, the prince of the confetti-clean land. What about you?!"

She let her head drop back in laughter and took my hand before saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you Prince. I'm Allen, the princess of food collection Kingdom."

"Nice to meet you Princess. I believe your kingdom would be as glamorous as those emeralds in your eyes.", I compliment to get a visible blush on her cheeks. She doesn't reply.

"Why haven't I seen you before?", I asked, letting go of her hand and going back to sweeping.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm too camouflaged, I guess"

"Possible. So tell me, ``The Princess of food collection Kingdom, five things that might describe your personality."

I heard another fit of laughter and she started speaking.

"Shy would be definitely one of 'em. I can't live without music. That's the same reason I sing. Um...what else? I love food, I'm lazy and I love sleeping.", she said chuckling.

I chuckle on the last ones too.

"Oh and for sure a hopeless romantic!", she added.

"Oh so does that mean you'd like those weird k*nky stuff like being pinned to the wall or veins?"

"Veins aren't k*nky!", she pointed.

"Oh really? Do you like veins?", I asked out generally.

"I'd be gay if I say no.", she remarked.

"Wanna see mine?"

If I wasn't sure that I was living in a cartoon then I am now. In a blink, Allen was sitting on an empty table in front of me with a poker face and legged carefully folded.

I blink sometimes before I take my arm up and flex the veins. I was self impressed with them for once but it was worth everything when I saw her face.

I can't really make out that expression but it seemed focused and yet low.

"Bomb!", she exclaimed, making another echo and jumping off the table.

I laughed. "So what're you doing after this?"

"I was planning on dinner with you actually.", she says and I tilt my head.

"Are you one of those type of people who are totally different when they get comfortable?", I ask while leaning on the mop rod I carry.

"I don't know. You tell me.", her eyebrows raised and her expressions are just playful. Indeed she was different inside.

The basic tidying up was done when Allen walked up on the stage—still decorated.

She just walked there examining the feeling I presume.

"Sing!", I shot out to her.

She turned her head towards me and held her hand as if holding a mic.

"Any song requests my dear audience?",she asked loudly.

She's sure confident about her singing.

"Broken Angel by Arash!", I gave her a old song.

To my surprise, she knew it. And without a warning she started singing! Her voice…

It was smooth, no cracks, no pitch change. It was heavier than her usual. My jaw dropped. I didn't expect that. It sounded perfect!

By the time she finished, I wasn't present there. She sounded surreal and I was lost.

"Woah. You've got to be kidding me!", I said as she jumped down from the stage.

When she walked closer to me I bent down on one knee to make her flinch, then took the mop rod and raised it over my head.

"To the honorable Highness of The food Collection kingdom, I would like to present you with our Land with this sacred sword of mop-gold.", I put out my offering.

She walked a circle around me and carefully took the sword (mop rod) from me and said, "I accept your offering Prince."

"And now you'll sing to me everyday in return", I jumped to my feet.

I started walking out when she threw the sacred sword at me and chased me to the pizza joint near the school...