The Adelaide charity event is an annual event held by Adelaide Montessori Prep to champion the causes the school supports. The school auctions off some property they don\'t need anymore to parents who are willing to buy and the proceeds go to the appropriate foundations. This year, the proceeds of the auction are going to Daisylane Miracle Centre-a foundation that specializes in raising awareness for children with autism and learning disabilities.

\'\'Woah,\'\' I exclaim. Soft jazz music plays in the background as Theo and I enter the gym. \'\'I\'ve never seen the gym look like a confetti threw up on it.\'\' Adelaide\'s gym is huge to say the least; a combination of two gyms in total. They decided to ring in the holidays early, hence the decoration with Christmas ornaments. On the far left side of the gym is a Christmas tree with the words \'Merry Christmas\' planted on it in a sea of neon lights.

The well-lit area allows me to see a couple of familiar faces, some parents, some students, others teachers and a few unfamiliar faces in the crowd. I could spot Principal Grande talking to a group of men near the Christmas tree. He looks happy, judging by the laughter that erupts from his lips at something one of the suit-clad men says.

\'\'They rang in the holidays early,\'\' Theo muses as we move to the refreshments area. A long table dressed in a red and white cloth has been set up next to the inflatable Santa. Tortilla chips, pretzel nuggets, chocolate covered potato chips, peanut-butter pretzels, caramel popcorn and Oreo ice cream cups are lined up on the table. \'\'It looks like a streamers convention.\'\'

\'\'Honestly,\'\' I concur with a Tortilla chip in my hand. \'\'The planning committee really outdid themselves.\'\'

\'\'Yea. By the way, you look really pretty,\'\' Theo says, rubbing the back of his head. \'\'I forgot to mention that in the car.\'\'

I smile. \'\'Thank you. Although this is all Paris\' handwork. I wouldn\'t be able to pull this off even if they paid me to. You clean up nicely yourself.\'\' Theo opted for a sleek suit with a thin black tie hanging on his neck. His hair, which is usually messy, is combed back and gelled.

\'\'Thanks.\'\'

\'\'Theo, Melody,\'\' Mr Owen waves us over to where the group has already gathered. We both say hello to a couple of people we know and Mr Owen claps his hands.

\'\'Today is the day, guys.\'\' he says excitedly. \'\'Are you all prepared?\'\'\'

\'\'A little nervous,\'\' Gwen admits.

Most of us nod our heads in agreement.

\'\'Don\'t be nervous. We\'ve worked really hard for the past month and a half. I know you guys will do great.\'\' He rolls up the sleeves of his white shirt. \'\'Remember, it\'s Skyscraper, Greenade, Blackbird, Sweet Love, I Was Here and They Don\'t Care About Us. Don\'t forget that.\'\'

\'\'Also, remember the arrangement: I want Sopranos on the left, Alto\'s on the right, Bass a step back from the Sopranos and Tenors a step back from the Alto\'s.\'\' We nod our heads in understanding. \'\'Our performance is immediately after Principal Grande\'s opening address, so I want you all assembled in this particular spot by 7:25. Not a second later, understood?\'\'

\'\'Yes, Mr Owen.\'\' we chorus together.

\'\'Good. It\'s 7:15 now, so go mingle. The Principal would be talking in the next five minutes.\'\'

We all disperse and Theo and I meander round the gym, side by side. We stop by the water dispenser, watching everyone as they mingle and discuss among themselves. This is why I needed Paris to come along with me. I really don\'t know how to behave in social settings. I\'m not shy, but I feel like I don\'t belong here. I may be wearing a twenty-five thousand dollar dress but, I stick out like a sore thumb.

Everything around here screams opulence, wealth and old money. Things I\'ve never had before and although I\'m content with what I have now, I can\'t help but feel out of place.

\'\'What are you thinking of?\'\' Theo questions. I shrug absent-mindedly. \'\'Just musing about how I don\'t belong here.\'\'

\'\'How so?\'\'

I flap my hands at the people in front of me, chatting and laughing without a care in the world. \'\'Don\'t you see how bougie this event is? It\'s literally screaming money.\'\'

\'\'If it makes you feel any better, I\'m not screaming money.\'\'

My lips twitch a bit. \'\'We\'re both outcasts in a society that we don\'t belong in. How wonderful.\'\'

\'\'We don\'t have to fit in, you know?\'\' he says, also watching the crowd in front. \'\'Fitting in is boring. I remember a certain pop star said, You don\'t have to fit into a format.

\'\'You listen to Ava Max?\'\' I giggle. \'\'I didn\'t peg you as the type.\'\'

He groans. \'\'That song has been playing all over the radio and now it\'s living in my head rent free.\'\'

\'\'Yea.\'\'

\'\'But seriously, you don\'t have to feel like an outcast. Just do what you\'ve always been doing for the past four plus years: be yourself. There\'s nothing wrong with that.\'\'

\'\'By the way,\'\' he continues. \'\'Not all that glitters is gold. They may scream opulence, but you don\'t know what demons they may be hiding.\'\' Funny, Paris said the same thing. \'\'It\'s best not to envy them and just live your best life.\'\'

\'\'If I may have your attention please.\'\' Principal Grande\'s voice floats throughout the gym thanks to a microphone.

\'\'Come on. Let\'s move forward.\'\'

Theo and I move towards the crowd we were just observing minutes before. We all angle our face forward, awaiting the principal\'s next words. Grande has always been an eloquent speaker. With a boisterous voice and a charismatic personality, he knows how to make people listen to him. As the room falls silent, Grande clears his throat and continues. \'\'Parents, teachers, students, it brings me great joy to see that you were able to arrange your schedules and join us for this wonderful occasion, especially parents because I know how busy you all can be.\'\' A few people chuckle and Grande sees that as a sign of encouragement.

\'\'For those of you who don\'t know, the Adelaide Charity event has been an annual event held since the inception of the school in 1979. The aim of our founding father, Ronald Deckdale, may he rest in peace, was to give back to society. The world is a cruel place, and unfortunately, inequality is one thing that sadly hasn\'t been erased. We partner with many charities and laudable causes to bridge the gap between the divide in our own little way.\'\'

\'\'This year, we are partnering up with Daisylane Miracle Centre-a foundation that specializes in raising awareness for children with autism and learning disabilities.\'\' A few people clap their hands together and nod. It\'s an amazing cause, I\'d give them that.

\'\'This cause is so dear to my heart because I have a son who\'s autistic.\'\' I didn\'t know that. Now I feel like a dick for stressing him out so badly. \'\'If you\'ve ever dealt with an autistic child as a parent, you would know that it\'s a challenge, but it\'s a rewarding one. Not a lot of public schools and teachers are well trained in the art of dealing with autistic children.\'\' He wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead with his handkerchief. \'\'Yes, I said art because it takes a lot of skill, patience and determination to care for a child with special needs.\'\'

\'\'Apart from raising awareness, Daisylane runs a school with highly qualified teachers who are trained to work with these children. I\'ve had the opportunity to visit the school myself and I was highly impressed by what I saw. In fact, it made me wish Jesse, my son, had an opportunity to attend the school back when he was younger.\'\'

\'\'That\'s so beautiful,\'\' I whisper to Theo.

\'\'I agree.\'\'

\'\'Today, we would be auctioning off a few items from the school\'s treasury and all proceeds would go to Daisylane. My hope is that you all support this wonderful cause.\'\'

\'\'In other words, get your chequebooks ready,\'\' I joke and Theo snickers, but masks it with a cough. I feel a set of eyes on my back. I felt that same pair of eyes follow Theo and I immediately we entered the gym but I decided to ignore it, thinking it was my paranoia.

I look back trying to search the faces until my eyes land on a familiar face on the far right. He doesn\'t even try to hide the fact that I caught him staring. We hold each other\'s gazes until his eyes move away from mine and rakes my body, surveying my outfit. Fire ignites all over my body, almost like a chain reaction. My heart pulled the trigger and now heat fills my body but I don\'t look away. A woman who is next to him gives him a swift nudge and her gaze falls on me. When I see her, I almost gasp.

What is she doing here?

She clearly recognizes me judging from the smirk on her face and I frown as old and unpleasant memories come rushing in rapidly. I look away and turn my attention back to Grande.

\'\'…Enjoy the rest of your evening.\'\'

\'\'Wait, why are you frowning?\'\' Theo asks with concern. \'\'Are you bipolar because minutes ago, I swear you were tearing up a bit.\'\'

\'\'I saw something,\'\' Someone. \'\'unpleasant.\'\'

\'\'Oh-kay,\'\' he answers unsurely. \'\'Well, it\'s 7:25 so let\'s go meet Mr Owen.\'\'

\'\'Yea, let\'s.\'\'

It\'s almost showtime.