"I'm sorry about the last time."

   Alex said, throwing himself on her. Dia was trying as much as possible to get rid of the sucker. At least not today. 

    Why did he always behave like a familiar spirit. Some annoying Titans. 

    "I have no idea what you're talking about."

    She denied. Zoe was lookingg at them. The tuxedo guy seemed to know Alexa. 

     "Hey, love."

    She heard Alexa say to the guy. The guy led Alexa to the table he had come from. 

     The most annoying of it all was that the guy dint give her a second look. Like turn back to look at her. Was she that bad? Fuck him. 

      She was yet to get rid of Alex, and Zoe was not helping. 

     She folded her arms over her boobs, looking as Alexa and the guy got to and settled amongst the other guys. Alexa had a rich smile scribbled on her face. Dia wasn't jealous. 

     She felt Alex's hands on her arms as he tried to hold her. She looked at him. 

    She wasn't nauseated. She was boiling, but didn't want to be rash.  

    "You have every right to be mad at me. Didn't know what I was thinking. But now, I'm sure back to my senses."

   Alex said as he went on one knee on the marbled floor of the hall. 

  They were beginning to steer the attention of other rich folks dancing in the hall. 

      Dia was trying to look around for Zoe. She didn't know where the crazy bitch had disappeared to at such delicate moment. Well, twas her shit, she'll manage it the best way. 

      "That's why I go about with the ring I couldn't give you on our wedding day. I'm so sorry if I've caused you any inconveniences."

    Alex added, his face folding into a light smile. Dia really didn't know what felt so enthusiastic to him. 

   Alex reached for her left hand and put it up, such that he would be able to slide the ring in. 

    "Dia Roshwella, would you walk with me in this path of bliss and Glee?"

    The smile sitting in Alex's face had melted into a determined gaze. 

    Dia looked around, looking through every goddamn person who was expecting her to say 'yes'. She surely didn't owe them an explanation. 

     "Ooo! Say yes!"

    A slender lady at the bar behind her said. Dia felt like making a golf stick of her. 

    A piano accompaniment began to garnish the supposed atmosphere. Dia tried to figure out where the pianist was in vain. 

    Yet, Zoe wasn't in an eye shot. 

     Twas quite obvious that the expectation was quite high. Alex had created a scene, and that was the best time to have a revenge on him. 

    That was the only thing Dia was thinking. 

    Suddenly, as though she was bewitched, she landed a cloudburst of slap on Alex's cheek. 

      "That's a no."

    Dia heard the same slender lady call. She snatched the box of the godforsaken ring from Alex and stomped off. 

     She sure was accompanied by murmurs and judging eyes. But she simply didn't give a damn. 

    She got to the door and almost knocked the security man out. She walked a little bit further without looking at her back and threw the ring into the express way. 

    She watched a bird flew to the ring and picked it up with its beak. She didn't care. 

    She facepalmed for a while then raised her head. Her sleek hair had been rumpled. 

   She looked to the left of where she was standing. There was Zoe waving a man by. 

   Zoe saw her and walked to her,

    "Where the hell you?"

   Dia shot at her. She felt irritated but didn't want to transfer aggression. 

     "Ran into a college mate."

   Zoe said, towering over her. Dia wasn't intimidated. 

      "How the hell did you even get out. Thought we were together in the hall."

    Dia argued, her eyelashes flushing under the weight of the rage. 

    "Easy babe. What's that in your hand?"

    Zoe exempted. Dia knew what she was doing. That was what Zoe always did when she wasn't willing to fill her in. She'd just change the topic. 

     Dia wasn't in for that. She didn't have the strength to argue. Her day was already ruined. 

    She walked to the side of the road and stopped a cab. She hopped on, and watched Zoe hurry to the other side. 

   She could just pay her side of the coin and leave her Zoe there.

      "Drive."

   Dia ordered the man. The man looked at her through the mirror. He seemed to had had some shots of liquor too. 

      "To paradise?"

    He asked. Dia thought at first that twas a joke, but then she noticed the man's rough face tuning to the rhythm of his eyes. 

    "Quit the charade. Drive to Sherlock's ave."

    Zoe intervened. Dia shot her a side look. She didn't ask her. Where was she when Alex was embarrassing her. 

    "Could you reduce the volume of the music?"

   Zoe said to the man. The man increased it instead. Then he reduced. He was acting as though he was under a spell. 

     He looked at them through the mirror and smiled. Dia shook her head. 

     "Uhmm."

    Zoe muttered. Twas obvious that she was trying to initiate a conversation. 

   You know, you don't have to tell a pitbull he's tough, he knows. 

    Zoe hesitated and looked through the window. The street was more throdden since the rain had known peace. 

    She looked back at Dia again and said finally,

    "Look, Dia! Fine I suck. I'm annoying too, but I got a Goodnews. You shouldn't let some Alex dickhead ruin your day. Your day only can be ruined if you allow it."

     "Save the sermon. What's it?"

    Zoe chuckled and moved closer to her. She reached out her left hand to Dia's head,

    "What?"

     Dia protested. She insisted,

     "Just allow me."

    Dia let her. Zoe helped her put her head on her comforting shoulder. 

      "What now?"

    Dia was feigning the angry-queen who never feel grateful even after being appeased. 

     "You can't be like that forever with me, baby."

   Zoe stroke her hair. Then abruptly, as though something got into her, she shifted her arm and made Dia raise her head. 

     "Paul, the guy you saw me with outside the hall, told me that Alexa is betrothed to Max, the rich guy in tuxedo."

    Dia looked at Zoe. She wasn't convinced, though she already had the feeling after the hug Alexa exchanged with the guy. 

     "We even had no faintest idea that he was the birthday guy."

    The taxi came to a halt. The driver looked through the mirror and whistled before saying,

     "Sherlock."

    He had said that as though twas one of their names. 

     Dia ignored the man. She had had enough for the day. 

      Zoe hugged her tightly and squeezed her for a while. Then she let go. Dia opened the door and stepped out. 

   Zoe unwind the glass of the window and called at Dia,

     "Give me the night to make a master plan. The first text tomorrow morning is from me."

    Zoe barely completed the sentence before the drunk driver drove off. Dia was sure that only 2% of those living in the world are sane. 

    She walked to the door of her house. There was a noise of merry coming from inside. Like music over the speaker. 

    She wasn't ready for another Grandma drama. She turned the doorknob and entered. 

    There was Gray and Philip in the parlour. She didn't care what they were busy with. 

   Gray was her stalker. Her grandma had approved of him. Grandma wanted Gray as a substitute for Alex. 

    Philip was kinda like how Zoe was to her. 

    "Tell Grandma I'm home."

   She said as she tottered to her room.

     "Hey, love."

    Gray called and stood up. She shot him an evil smile. That kinda pushed him back into the chair. 

    She didn't only dislike Gray, he nauseated her. How could a guy not have a sense of decency. 

   She opened the door to her room and entered. She threw her bag wherever her hand wanted and collapsed into the bed. 

    She was still very much dressed. She felt dizzy. The two shots of tequila was beginning to take shifts on her eyes. 

     She was beginning to close her eyes when she heard the door to her room open. 

    "My cupcake. "

    The feminine but aged voice of her grandma came. 

    Dia pretended to had slept. That was quite better than having to start a new epistle  of what happened at the party. 

     "You sure are wasted. Let's get those fancy clothes off you."

    That was the last thing Dia heard. The pretence changed too soon.