They walked into the ballroom where the ball was being held at a local hotel. "Wow, it's so beautiful!" Ali commented on the decorations. "Yeah it is," Justin said sneaking a look at Ali. He just couldn't get over how beautiful she looked tonight. It was like she was a whole new girl. A beautiful, sophisticated, elegant girl Justin had never seen before. Ali noticed Justin staring at her and gave him a small smile. "Well, let's dance!" Ali said trying to escape the kind of awkward moment. The two had a blast the whole night singing and dancing along with the music and all their friends.
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Soon the song "Have You Ever?" by Brandy came on. "May I have this dance?" Justin asked sweetly kissing Ali's hand. "But of course!" Ali replied with a laugh. Justin took Ali's hand and led her onto the dance floor. He took Ali in his arms and held her tightly, like he never wanted to let her go. "Have you ever loved somebody so much..." Ali sang softly to herself. Just hearing Ali say those words make Justin's heart ache. He loved her so much, he couldn't deny it anymore. "If only she didn't have Brian," he told himself. "But she does have Brian, so just leave it alone," he had been telling himself since he met her.
A tear came to Ali's eye as she softly whispered the words to the song to herself. "You love Justin," her heart told her, "But you have Brian," her head told her. She was so confused, she didn't know what to think.
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"They're so adorable together," Caitlin told Aaron as they danced nearby. "Yeah, it's almost like they're going out," Aaron said. "They should go out, it makes me so mad that they're not. It's so obvious they're in love. I don't know why they can't realize it," Caitlin observed. "Well it's hard, and she does have Brian, you know," Aaron said. "Yeah, if only she didn't have Brian," Caitlin said sadly.
"Yeah, it's too bad she's with Brian, huh?" a voice said from behind them. "Huh?" Caitlin asked out loud. She turned around to see Brian standing there with a single rose in his hand. "Brian! I, um, we were just...um..they're just dancing...and..ummm..." Caitlin stammered, having no explanation for what she just said. "What are you doing here?" she finally managed to get out a full sentence. "I thought I'd come surprise Ali this weekend," he said, then angrily pushed past her looking for Ali.
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Ali and Justin swayed slowly to the song in each other's arms, never wanting it to end. "She's so beautiful. I love her so much. Why can't I just say it?" Justin asked himself. "This is it. Who cares about Brian. Just do it, just tell her," he told himself. He gently lifted her chin to make her look him in the eye. "Ali, I have something to tell you," he said quietly, his voice quivering and his whole body shaking. "Yes, Justin?" Ali asked staring into his gaze with tears still in her eyes. "Ali, I..." he started.
*Chapter 8*
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