Màu nền Màu tối Mặc định Xám nhạt Xanh nhạt Xanh đậm Vàng nhạt Màu sepia Vàng đậm Vàng ố

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It was eight thirty p.m. Time for dinner and Anastasia made her way toward the kitchen door to ring the bell three times. The Bane mansion was huge in its size. There was no way that her voice could have reached everyone's ears had she merely yelled for all these years. Even as a kid, Anastasia remembered, she wouldn't be able to hear her mother calling her if they were in opposite corners of the house. And well, now that it was owned by the Hills, who knew who was here.

"Time for dinner, ladies," she heard Emma's voice as the lady probably made her way down the stairs. Ana made her way back to the kitchen where she almost stumbled upon the barrel of flour.

"What's up? You seem distracted," spoke out Alice, her fellow maid of the house. She looked at her with concern in her eyes.

"No, it's nothing," Ana replied, as a-matter-of-factly.

"Oh c'mon Ana," she began. "I've known you since you were a kid. We used to hang around in the garden outside while my mom would help your mother in the kitchen, remember? Well, she was the head maid then so I wouldn't really say help, but you know what I mean."

"And your point is?" Ana asked confused. Alice was one of her best friends since childhood. But she did have a habit of going off the point a lot more than one should. So it was mostly confusing as to what she is implying.

"Right, my point is that I've known you since we were kids. Of course, I would know when you are upset, won't I?"

"No, I'm not upset. Just a little distracted is all," Ana replied truthfully.

"And what is it that might have happened to distract our dear Anastasia?" She asked as she took out the utensils from their holders.

"Oh you know, we have the Halloween Ball tomorrow and you know how I don't much like these parties, right? Well, it is that except that I kind of have to go this time."

"Which is why, exactly?"

"There is this guy, actually and --"

"Wait, like a 'guy' guy?" Alice interrupted and asking, raising her eyebrows excitedly.

"No, not my boyfriend if that's what you are implying. Anyway, he has been out of town for the past two weeks but before he went, he asked me to promise him that I would go. He said that he would return today and that there is something important that I should know. I'm just not sure of what it is." Ana knew that she appeared confused in front of Alice. But she knew that Alice would understand this. If, after Feather, anyone would, then it has to be her.

Feather who still hadn't called her, she realized as an afterthought. Or, talked to her for that matter.

"Well, you are definitely going. And what if this something has anything to do with he falling in looooove with you," she laughed as she sang the word love and moved out of the kitchen to place the dishes, leaving Anastasia to laugh right back at her, secretly wondering if this could be true.

________

"Anastasia, come, serve!" Emma yelled from the dining room and Ana quickly made her way there.

"But won't we wait for Brevity before beginning dinner?" She asked as she looked around and saw only two people sitting there.

"Ahh, Brev isn't hungry. She is, in fact, sleeping," replied Trinity, instead of her mother, sounding excited.

"Oh-kay?" Anastasia gave her the raised eyebrows. This was weird. Since when did Brevity stop eating and since when did the twins not be together? They even take a bath together for hell's sake!

"What? We are our own different persons. We don't need to be around each other all the time. She is doing what she deems fit and I am doing what I do. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's okay, just ignore her," said Emma as she kept a consoling hand on her daughter's palm and gave Ana a compromising smile. "They had a fight. She is just reacting."

"Oh, wow!" Exclaimed Ana as she heard the same and began serving them the dishes. Once she was done, she returned to the kitchen. The two never fought. Well, they rarely did. Except that one or two time when Brevity had tried to give a pass to one of Trinity's boyfriend. God knows what would have happened this time, now.

"The twins are fighting," Ana said as soon as she entered the kitchen.

"What?" Alice asked, unbelievably and Emily, who was another one of the maids almost choked on the sandwish that she was having.

"You're kidding me, right? They never fight!" Exclaimed Alice. Still not believing it.

"I know. But well, that's what Emma seems to say. So, who knows. C'mon, let's take the dessert out and give it to them quickly. I'm really hungry right now."

"Yeah, sure," replied Alice as she began putting it all in a bowl. And that was when Emma decided to yell again.

"Anastasia!" Her voice yelled everywhere. She was really loud for a lady.

"Yes, Emma?" Ana asked as soon as she got inside the dining room.

"Ana, I wanted to ask you something. Your teachers called today. Are you feeling okay?"

"Well, yeah. Why, what's wrong?"

"They say that your grades are goong down since you entered. Maybe because of lack of motivation or distraction. Now listen up lady," she began as she patted the top of thr chair next to hers, gesturing her to sit. Ana did so. "I sent you there because I saw talent in you. Potential. Not to forget that you earned a scholarship. I just want to remind you that if you don't get good grades, your scholarship can be cancelled."

"Right. Sorry miss," Ana replied. She knew that her grades had been going down. But it was just so hard, what with spending so many hours at the Dry Cleaners and then working here and attending school and doing the home-work. It was hard to get time for herself or any of her hobbies and definitely hard to keep up with herself. So she had planned on catching up with the past studies and doing some extra for the future during the winter breaks.

"Well, you ought to be. I don't want my name to go downhill," she said, still eating on her crabs.

"Yes miss," Ana repeated.

"And now, you can very well go to your room and do your homework. Alice! Come here!"

"Yes ma'am?" Alice came rushing in.

"Our dear Ana is going to do her homework for now. Now you need to remember that you are not supposed to give her any food until she has done that. Is it okay?"

"Yes ma'am, I will remember that," she said and gestured her to leave. Then she looked at Ana, waiting for her to go and she obliged too.

__________

The night passed away in pretty much doing that, homework and then eating and then sleeping. It was tough, really. If the teachers had phoned Emma, then that meant that she was treading on dangerous grounds. She needed a lot of catching up to do. Another reason why she didn't want to attend the Ball that day. But, unluckily for her, Andrew Miles had other plans.

Unfortunately for Ana, the day passed up in planning for the Ball. When she woke up to her usual time, which was pretty early compared to the rest of the family, she decided that since the day was supposed to be a non-school day, she could actually study during that time. But apparently, the fanily had better plans.

Brevity and Trinity were both excited about the Halloween Ball. Trinity was supposed to meet some guy over there and well, Brevity was just excited to party. Which was good, since she had been pretty upset since last night, thought Ana.

But unfortunately for her, their excitement meant that they rose early in the morning. Which ultimately meant that they desired an early breakfast, an early lunch and definitely an early start towards getting ready. Thus, the idea of studying did nothing but drown in the drain.

It was in the evening that day, around six o'clock, when Ana was going through Brevity and Trinity's dresses for the Halloween Ball that Emma called her.

"Anastasia, dear, what are you doing?" She asked in her usual silken voice.

"I was just helping the twins get ready for the ball," she replied. "It starts in an hour, you know."

"Yes yes, sure. When you are done getting ready, can you come to me?" She asked in the same way and Ana felt something was very wrong. She repeated her words in her mind and decided then and there, that she won't go before dressing up herself. She could not miss the ball for the world now, could she? After all, Andrew Miles did have something important to talk to her about.

"Yes Emma." Saying that she left to go back to the room. The twins had already changed by then. They had planned on dressing up as waitresses perhaps, or so it seemed to Ana. They had identical dresses. (They always had identical dresses for the Halloween Ball.)

It looked like a deep blue knee-length dress with a white ribbon in the centre that they had tied up in a bow in the centre. Long white socks and puffed shoulders just about covered the outfit.

"What do you think we should do with our hair, Ana?" Brevity asked as she started combing them.

"I think you should leave them open," suggested the person who was asked. "It would give a more Halloween-y look. What are you costuming up as, anyway?"

"Does that matter!" Snapped Trinity, angrily. "Just get done with our hair and make-up quickly. It's barely an hour left for the Ball to begin. And you know how ladies need to arrive on time."

"Whatever you are, you are still turning up as ghosts on a Halloween night, not in ball gowns," Ana laughed as she said that, raising her eyebrows with amusement in the process.

"Anyway, come Brevity, let me do your hair and your make-up," she smiled up at her as she asked her to sit on the dressing table.

"Why her first? I'm the elder twin. I should get more priority!" Trinity snapped again as she pushed Brev out of the chair and sat on it herself. She was acting tensed that night, which was weird since she did not have anything to be worried about anything.

"Whoa! Someone's in a mood right now," Ana said, clearly more amused as she raised her eyebrows again and began working with her hair. "What has got you all worked up, Tri?"

"Does it matter to you? No, so just do your task," she snapped once again.

"Oh-kay," she replied looking at Brevity to see what this was about but the other twin just shook her head with an almost sad expression.

While Ana was half-way through Trinity's make-up (she had already done the hair), she spoke up for the first time after that last time of snapping her.

"Did you talk to mother, Ana?" Trinity asked.

"No, not yet. Why?" She asked, all confused.

"No reason. Just asking," the elder twin replied quickly. Maybe a little too quickly, thought Anastasia as she grabbed the eye liner to apply on her eyes.

_________

When Trinity and Brevity, both were ready, Anastasia decided to go get ready herself. It was already a few minutes past seven and if she had to reach the Ball on time enough to meet Andrew, she had to be ready quickly.

Luckily for her, she had it all sorted out.

She had a perfect black top, with plain black jaggings that would go well with her red and black cape. Not to forget the sexy black heels that Trinity had abandoned because they were too small for her. All she needed was a little make-up and some colour dropping from her lips signifying blood, and she was ready.

She looked at the clock. It was seven thirty. Well, that was quick, she thought as she locked her door and made her way toward Emma's room.

__________

Okay, okay, okay, please don't kill me after reading this. I know that I promised we would find out what is it that Emma had in store for Anastasia but I realized that then the chapter would be too long. I mean, it had already crossed 2k words before I began the A/n. So sorry.

But okay, we know a little bit about Ana's life now. How she has a childhood friend from her mom's days and everything. Hopefully, there will be more on Alice in the next few chapters. Btw, I named it "In Transient" because it is basically an in transient chapter. We are discussing not so important stuff while important stuff is happening elsewhere, so

Anyway, would do you think does Emma have in store for Ana? The one answering the right answer wins a dedication from me! Yay

Next on Blended Fates: It is Ariana's turn to go and get ready for the Halloween Ball now. How do you think will it be and what will she dress up like? Any ideas? Let me know through the comments. Next update on Saturday. :)

P.S. The media picture above is the twins' Halloween costume. Or, somewhat like that. You can do the editing like I mentioned in the description. What do you think?