-Wattson-

I chose a red dress to wear to the celebration. I already decided that my hair would act as the yellow for the anniversary colors. I browsed my shoe closet for a bit and took the red flats with small bows on the fronts of them.

I was nervous. I was going to meet Tae at the celebration, but I didn't know what to say to him. I kept having doubts about telling him about my feelings. Or the truth of my feelings.

Even if he did reciprocate my feelings, he would probably be angry about how I hid my feelings. I realized, that if he returned those feelings, I had caused him unnecessary sadness, and the thought dampened my mood.

If he does, have I really caused someone pain like that?

I hated the fact that I could do something like that, and I thought about how rightfully mad he might be.

Maybe I shouldn't go, or just avoid him, I thought, but I countered that idea quickly.

I can't, I promised Elliott would be there, and if I avoided Tae, he would know I was doing so. It would only hurt him more.

I was jolted out of my thoughts when a knock sounded on my door, and I suddenly remembered that I promised to go down with Wraith.

"Nat? Are you inside?" I heard her ask.

"Yes! I need a moment" I replied, grabbing my hairbrush.

Brushing my hair was easy, seeing as my hair was short. I knew I couldn't just stay back now, and I certainly couldn't avoid Tae. I had to talk to him and tell the truth. There was no other way.

I supposed an easier way of saying it was that because he told me the truth, I would tell him.

"Alright, I'm done!" I announced.

I bounced out excitedly, but Wraith simply stared at me.

"You don't have to pretend you're excited about this, Nat," she told me.

I immediately dropped my smile and slouched down a bit.

"Are you sure I should tell him?" I asked.

"I'm very sure, Natalie."

I put on my facade again, and bounded down the stairs with Wraith behind me.

"We're five minutes late," she informed me, and I spun around.

"We are?" I asked, hoping I had heard wrong.

"Yes, we are," she confirmed.

"Let's go, then!" I exclaimed, worried about what Elliott and Tae were thinking right now.

We quickly hurried out, and reached the gate. Now that we were there, my doubts started to creep in again.

"Are you sure I can do this?" I asked weakly.

"I'm sure," she said, giving me a rare supportive smile.

I nodded, and we went right up to the gate which was opened by a decoy.

"Nat! Wraith! I was starting to think you weren't coming!" he exclaimed.

"I promised, didn't I?" I said back, with as real of a smile as I could make. Behind that, though, I was really nervous.

"Yep! That you did! Wraith," he said, turning to her, "You can step inside the bar. I took the lie-lirb-liberty of making some Appletinis for you, and they're on the counter with some notes with your name on em."

I noticed that Elliott seemed almost nervous talking to Wraith, and I wondered why. It was different than when I talked to Tae when accidentally running into him, but it seemed as if-

I quickly pushed the thought away. There was no way he liked Wraith like that!

I was too absorbed in my thoughts to hear what she responded with, but based on Elliott's smile and her walking away, she most likely took his offer. The sound of my name than took me back to reality. I faced Elliott, and I realized that he was looking slightly serious. I was a little scared, as I barely saw him like that, and it was only for serious occasions.

"Just so you know, I've had to deal with the old man asking where you were like, five times, so I think you should go relieve him of his fears, or whatever the saying is," he said, muttering the ending to himself."

"Ease his fears," I corrected, "and I'll make sure I will. Do you know where he is," I asked, after looking past him and not seeing him.

"Nope! You're gonna have to find him!" he said, smiling, "So go on!"

He moved and took my wrist, gently pulling me inside.

"Okay," I said, a wave of nervousness crashing into me at once.

"Alright! Bye Nat!" he grinned, waving.

"See you later," I called back, slightly quieter than him.

I went inside anxiously.

Please don't let this ruin everything, I thought.

I saw everyone standing there, when I suddenly saw Tae, and I almost called out to him. But I repressed the urge when I saw him talking to someone.

It can wait, I decided.

I was curious to who he was talking to, though, so I went a little closer, and my eyes widened.

He was speaking to Octavio!

He was holding a glass of something that looked like tequila. I needed to make sure that he wouldn't say anything. I needed to tell him on my own!

If I was going to tell him at all, I added as an afterthought.

I went slightly closer, when Octavio said something that made me go rigid.

"Y'know, Nat actually likes you, not me," he said, slurring his words, slightly.

"I-I never said that she liked you, and I don't think she does romantically like me," Tae replied tentatively.

"You didn't, amigo, but she did! She was sure that you didn't like her, though, so she made up this dumb plan of her liking me to hide her love for yo-oh look! There she is now!" he suddenly said, pointing towards me.

I did the only thing I could do when I saw Tae start to turn, and I ran.

"Nat!" I heard Tae call behind me, but I didn't slow down.

I didn't know if I would be able to face him again.