My Little Secret

"Have a nice time Ms. Gracie." Sofia smiles at a lady as she puts her coat in the rack with other coats. The Annual Film Awards ball was one of the most awaited events in the film industry. It had been a dream of Sofia to be inside the walls of this building since she was a kid. The ball was held at Dover Castle, the most expensive restaurant and hotel in the city. Its architecture was amazing and it was built to look like a castle straight out of a Disney movie. Everything was so dramatic about this place and Sofia appreciated that. She wasn't on the guest list, but she was a volunteer in the cloak room. Anything that got her in that place.

"I am so sorry!" a girl about the same age as Sofia came rushing into the cloak room.

"Thanks for covering for me." Stella smiled and extended her hand towards Sofia.

"No problem." Sofia said and smiled.

They spent the next two hours putting in cloaks on the hangers. Stella constantly got notifications on her phone and she kept replying to them, so she seemed a little distracted. As the time passed her texts got more frequent and her anxiousness kicked in.

"Are you alright?" Sofia asked her softly when it seemed like there were going to be free for a while.

"Yeah, it's just my boyfriend. He's really drunk and keeps texting me from a party he is at. His ex is there as well, I don't really like her very much." She says and looks at the ground.

"You mind if I smoke in here?" Stella asked as she took out her cigarette. "Sure" Sofia lied. She hated the smell of smoke, but she figured that Stella needed it.

She observed her as she blew smoke in the air. Stella had jet black hair that came up-to her shoulder. She had put gel in it that made it look very shiny and she had a piercing on her nose. She had a punk look, would generally come off as someone who isn't affected by anything.

"You have a boyfriend?" she asked Sofia.

"Yeah. I do." Sofia smiled.

"Looks like he makes you very happy." Stella said as she blew smoke in the air.

"He does, yes." Sofia nodded.

"Must be nice."

"Do you trust him?" Sofia asked, looking intently at Stella.

Stella looked at Sofia for around ten seconds and answered, "We've had issues in the past. Because of her. We were supposed to go to this party together, our friend's birthday. But I got a call asking to fill in this position, the pay was really good so I had to miss it. I don't want her to make a move on him. But from his texts it seems like she is." She says and sighs.

"Does he love you?"

"Haha, yes. I mean, I think so." Stella laughs.

"Then there's nothing to worry about. You have love and trust on your side, that's an amazing combination to have in a relationship." Sofia says and smiles. Stella nods understandingly.

"Did you ever want to go into one of these?" Stella asks, pointing her finger to the entrance of the ball.

"Always." Sofia answers dreamily.

Their conversation was interrupted by a buzz in one of the coats.

"It's Ms. Gracie's phone. It must be important." Sofia says as she looks at the screen. "I'll go and give it to the security, they'd find it and give it to her." She says and walks out.

"Sofia, wait. They won't let you in with those clothes on." Stella says as she blocks her way.

"I'm not going in; I'll just hand it over to the security front door."

"This is your chance to get in, are you really going to blow it off?"

Sofia looks at the ground and shrugs.

"Oh come on! Don't you want to see what it looks like? On the inside?" Stella asks and Sofia's face lights up.

"I know just the place, come on." Stella takes Sofia's hand and walks out with her.

They walk in the deserted pathway along the edge of the castle and Stella jumps into an open window and Sofia hesitantly climbs in, looking left and right.

"We would be so screwed if we are caught." Sofia whispers and Stella shushes her.

Sofia gasps as she sees enters the room. There were gowns aligned in the room, the most beautiful of them. They were glistening. Sofia ran her fingers through the gowns and felt them. She was brimming with joy.

"Did you know that the most beautiful things are the ones that are tucked away in secret? Not everyone is meant to see it." She says as she removes a box from underneath the gown shelf on the right.

Sofia gasps as she sees the gown. It was a burnt rose gown with diamond sequins and a grey hue on the top. It was gradient and mixed into the burnt rose towards the bottom.

"It's so beautiful." Sofia exclaimed with her hands on her mouth.

"I'll wait outside. Get into it quickly." Stella says and jumps out of the window.

"You look, wow." Stella says as she looks at Sofia. She takes her hand and they run back to the cloak room.

"You have to get in through the entrance, I cannot come further."

"I don't have an invite"

"Are you kidding me? With that dress? No one can deny you in." Stella winks at Sofia.

Sofia gathers her courage and walks towards the entrance. She could feel people's gaze on her. The gown fit her perfectly and highlighted her collar bones. She tied her hair into a bun and wore a hair pin that matched the sequins on the gown. There was a little glitter on her face because of the gowns she had touched. She looked breathtakingly beautiful.

She walked nervously towards the entrance door with everyone's eyes still on her.

"I'm afraid I can't let you in Maám." A guard stopped her as she was stepping into the entrance.

Her heart sank, of course this plan wouldn't work.

The guard handed her a mask that matched the gradient in her gown.

"Wait is this a.."

"A masquerade ball, yes." He smiled at her.

Excitement filled her and she couldn't wait anymore. She put the mask on and smiled to herself.

Tonight was going to be magical.