Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Chapter 303

The vast dance studio was filled with colorful lights, captivating music, and people with a variety of

masks and matching

allire.

A young boy stood in the center, holding a microphone and explaining the rules. He pointed toward the

display screen on the wall.

Initially, this screen played dance videos, but now it was being repurposed for a different use, making

the most of its

utilization.

The boy said, “Today is our annual mask party. I’m thrilled that we can get together again. Let’s cut to

the chase. I’ll explain the rules. The students who participated in the past years know the rules, but our

new juniors don’t. For those participating for the first time, we welcome you to join our faculty’s big

family!

He continued, “Currently, the lights are on The entire dance studio is very bright. Our principal has

spared no expense. He bought the best lights for this studio. First of all, thanks to the principal’s

generosity. Okay, I stop the flattery now. Let’s continue with the main topic. You all have to wear the

mask you like now, and you can’t see each other’s faces. Then, there’s a blank name tag on your

chests. Before the game starts, pick a name from the screen you think you’ll meet when the lights are

off. After the lights come on, we’ll reveal the answers. Check if the person you’re holding hands with

matches the name on your tag. When the time as up, take down masks and let everyone witness.”

He added, “Rules are laid out. Let’s talk about some key points. No cheating is allowed. You can’t

secretly remove your mask and no sneaky actions.

“Now, onto the prizes. The first prize is a Tesla Model 3 You can choose the color you like. Of course,

this game doesn’t have second or third prizes, nor participation prizes. So don’t hold onto any hopes for

those. I’ve covered the rules, the prizes, and the key points. Any questions? I suppose not. Then, let’s

start writing down the names.”

His voice was loud, filling the dance studio. As his words faded, they carried a lingering echo. “Are you

all done writing? Then, I declare the mask party begins.”

With a resounding announcement, everyone in the room became excited, enthusiastic, curious, and

hopeful about winning prizes. They were also curious about who they would see when the lights came

on later. This kind of game was full of unknowns. It ignited a strong sense of curiosity and exploration in

people.

Ava, Rose, and Sherri stood together. They even added Alex Natalie and Trevon did not take off their

name tags or write down names because their names were not on the screen. They were here to

experience the atmosphere of Ava’s school.

Sherri pursued a sense of ceremony and wrote “Hackett’ on her name tag, while Hackett wrote “Sherri”

on his

Rose randomly picked a name from the screen. It was Alex.

Ava neatly wrote “Alex” on the blank name tag, and Alex also wrote “Ava” on the name tag.

After five minutes, the bright lights dimmed, casting a dim atmosphere in the dance hall. In the

darkness, one could not see other people clearly. They were all in the same school uniforms but with

different masks, making it impossible to distinguish one person from another.

Trevon felt uncomfortable in his school uniform. Everything felt strange to him. However, Natalie was

quite happy as she held his waist and hugged him tightly. He asked, “Honey, are you having fun?”

Natalie smiled in the darkness and replied, “Yes, does this count as a campus romance?”

Trevon chuckled and mischievously pecked her ear. “Maybe.”

The damp sensation on her ear made her body tingle, and her ear turned slightly red. Fortunately, the

lights were off. She warned, “Behave yourself. We are in a school”

Trevon replied, “Alright, I’ll behave now, but I won’t let you off when we are home.”

Natalie went speechless.

Suddenly, a group of burly people disrupted the atmosphere and scattered the clustered crowd. Only

then did the dance begin. Ava and Alex were naturally separated by the crowd.

Amid the confusion, a pair of large hands firmly encircled Ava’s waist. Their warmth transmitted through

her school uniform to her body. One hand rested on Ava’s shoulder, providing a protective touch. She

knew this person was not Alex, but she had no choice. After all, this was the game’s rule.

In the subdued light, Ava lifted her gaze. Her hands dangled loosely on the man’s arms, giving off an

air of detachment. Behind the mask, the man’s eyes were as deep and bottomless as the sea. They

were pitch-black and profound, yet there was a hint of restrained tenderness, His gaze looked very

familiar.

Ava’s immediate thought was of Frank’s eyes. They were very similar. Lately, due to the arrival of

Rose’s group, she found herself constantly reminded of Frank.

As time passed, these thoughts grew more frequent, almost overwhelming her.

She looked up for quite a while, her neck getting sore. Her steps followed the rhythm, and the man’s

steps coordinated with hers. Their dance was precise, without any foot-stepping mishaps.

Sherri’s voice came from nearby, scolding Hackett, “You stepped on me. Hackell, can’t you be more

careful?”

Hacken quickly apologized, “Sweetheart, Im sorry, it’s too dark. I can’t see. I’ll be more careful”

Ava’s eyes were transparent and clear as crystal. Her voice was soft and sweet as she said, “Mister,

have we met somewhere before? Your eyes feel very familiar to me”

The man remained silent and just danced quietly. Ava asked again, but since he didn’t respond, she

assumed he wasn’t interested and stopped asking. She loosened her grip on his arm, but has hand on

her waist tightened even more.

This feeling puzzled her. She reminded him, saying, “Excuse me, can you loosen your grip a bit? We’re

dancing, not hugging”

After a pause, the man’s hand indeed loosened a bit. Ava didn’t say anything more and continued

dancing. She had to endure it until the end of the dance. After all, she wasn’t going to be the first-place

winner. Today was just about bringing her friends along to join the party.

Half an hour later, the lights came on. Ava voluntarily pulled away from the man’s chest, creating a bit

more distance between them. The sudden brightness caused everyone present to shield their eyes

from the light.

When one got used to darkness for a long time, they would become less adapted to brightness. It took

time for them to adjust

The man wasn’t wearing a school uniform. He wore a jet-black suit with matching trousers. A pure

black custom-made belt was fastened around his waist. He wore a white cotton and linen shirt with the

top button undone, and his sexy Adam’s apple stood out.

His black fox mask added a touch of wildness and rebellion, as well as a hint of innocence and allure.

As Ava looked at the man in front of her, her heartbeat skipped a beat. An incredible thought popped

into her mind.

Her heart raced faster, almost to the point of suffocation.

Even the lace mask she wore couldn’t hide the surprise, panic, and astonishment in her eyes. She

tightly clenched her school uniform, almost forgetting to breathe.

Just as she was in a daze, a commanding voice rang out, “Now, let’s remove our masks and see who’s

beside us. But don’t be surprised. The matches might not be opposite genders. It could be male-male

or female-female pairings. It’s normal to pick someone of the same gender accidentally in the dark.”

Laughter filled the room, but at didn’t affect Ava in the slightest. She continued to stare at the person

before her. She really wanted to see the hidden face behind the mask, but she was also afraid at the

same time.

Her emotions were in turmoil.

The lights were on, and everyone started removing their masks. Natalie and her friends had also taken

off their masks, finding themselves surrounded by familiar faces. Rose had managed to catch Alex, but

she did not know about it yet.

They gathered around Ava, who still had her mask on. In a silent exchange, the scene became quite

strange. From the stage. someone announced, “There are two people who haven’t removed their

masks yet. Let’s see if they match the names on each other’s name tags, shall we?”

Upon hearing this, Ava’s clenched fist relaxed. She had mentally prepared herself. Then, she reached

out to take off her mask slowly. She held her breath as she waited for the man to reveal his face.

Her feelings were conflicted. She hoped it was Frank, yet she didn’t want it to be. She hoped because

she missed him. However, she also hesitated because she wasn’t ready for a reunion.

She didn’t even know how to face him.

In his school uniform. Trevon pulled Natalie and urged the man with the mask. “Take it off now. The

sooner, the better.”

As Trevon finished speaking, the man lifted his well-defined fingers and slowly removed his mask. For

a brief moment, the air grew silent. Everyone was astonished, except for Rose, who had the biggest

reaction. ‘Shit, Frank. You’re such a show-all.

“When did you arrive here? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Frank was indeed something else. He had this idea from the start, and Rose had been encouraging

him all along, getting worried for him. It turned out she was worrying for nothing.

Damn, he had planned it all along. No wonder he went missing. He was waiting here. What a cunning

guy.

As Rose analyzed all the details, everything connected. Frank’s annoying smile on the plane must be

because of Ava

She cursed Frank many times in her heart, and the words she used were quite explicit.

were

Meanwhile, Ava’s expression showed that she probably didn’t know Frank would show up at the mask

party.

What was Frank up to? Surprise or shock? Pursuing someone wasn’t supposed to be this complicated.

Judging by Trevon’s tone, he clearly knew Frank would be here, but he hadn’t expected Frank planned

to reveal himself in such an unexpected way.

No one was prepared. Perhaps Ava was not mentally prepared too. It was all so sudden.

Well, it was still a little bit romantic.

Natalie gave Trevon a light pat and shot him a stern look. He responded to her warning gaze with a

pleading look, saying, “Honey, I’ll explain everything tonight when we go home. I was also forced to

cooperate with him.”

Natalie said. “You can’t come up with better lies? You two are really scheming together.”

As outsiders, both Natalic and Trevon refrained from intervening in Ava’s decisions. This was

something she had to handle on her own. Besides, it was also a crucial step in Ava’s growth.

The only thing they could do was to be there for her when she was sad and provide guidance when she

was lost. Nothing

more.

Unconsciously, a clear teardrop rolled down from the corner of Ava’s eye. Her throat felt right, rendering

her speechless. She had already thought about that bouquet of flowers.

The delivery person had said. “You’ve taken one step toward him, and he will take the next 99 steps

toward you.”

This phrase kept replaying in Ava’s mind over and over again. And the eleven flowers, what did they

signify? Complete

devotion?

Yesterday, she had racked her brain trying to figure out who the “future boyfriend” mentioned by the

delivery person could he. It turned out he was right here.

All the arrangements, the words… were they all Frank’s doing? Did he ask the delivery person ΙΠ say

that?

Was this a public confession?

Ava thought, “Stay calm, Ava. Your image as a little princess mustn’t crumble. Keep steady”

She desperately searched for words in her mind, bot in the end, she didn’t say anything. She looked

up, gazing at Frank’s handsome features, especially his sharp contours. His face was still the attractive

one from her memory. It had not changed at all.

If anything, he looked even more handsome and charming now,

Children would say goodbye, but adults would plan reunions.

Ava wasn’t foolish. She knew this reunion was Frank’s plan.

Frank held the mask in his hand and took a step forward. With his long brows and deep, bright eyes, he

gazed at Ava directly. He reached out, gently wiping away her tears, and put on a faint and charming

smile. “Is it too late for me to answer your question NOW?”

Ava tried to control her emotions, but her quivering lips betrayed her. Tears continued to fall onto the

polished floor. She asked in a hoarse voice, “Didn’t you reject me?”

Frank’s eyes deepened, locking onto her. He continued to wipe her tears away gently. Ava didn’t resist.

She cried because of him anyway. What was wrong with him wiping her tears?

There was no one else in Frank’s eyes at the moment. He ignored the curious gaze around them. He

lowered his voice with his tone laced with a captivating allure, saying, “I don’t recall ever expressing an

opinion from the beginning until now. So, 1 have never rejected you.”

He was right. He hadn’t agreed or refused, and he had just remained unresponsive. Did it count as a

rejection?

Ava’s emotions at this moment were complex. Alex couldn’t bear to see her friend being so sad. When

she remembered Ava crying last time, she felt uncomfortable.

Given the situation, Alex could also guess that this man was the one who had rejected Ava. Feeling

indignant, she stepped. forward and reached for Ava’s shoulder. She then pulled Ava into her embrace.

“What are you doing? She’s my honey. Get lost!”

Only the people from the same faculty knew that Alex was a girl, but the freshmen didn’t know. At this

moment, a love triangle formed in everyone’s minds, creating a vivid mental drama.

Where there were nuany people, there was always gossip.