~*The Next Night*~

"Mom, what is it?" Riley asked.

Taylor had come down to Riley's rooms to walk her to the ball that night. "Nothing," Taylor said, but she looked like she had tears in her eyes.

Riley rolled her eyes. Why was everyone she knew acting so weird all of the sudden?

**********************************************

Riley suppressed a smile. They were having dinner before dancing, and William was sitting next to her, Kylie on her other side. For some reason, however, William wasn't talking to her much, and he looked nervous. For the millionith time she asked herself why he was acting so weird. "Time to dance!" Taylor said.

Riley noticed Taylor's gaze meet William's for a moment before she moved away. Riley shook her head. When this ball was over, she was going to make either William or her mother tell her what was going on.

************************************************

"What's going on?" Riley asked William, confused.

They had been dancing, but suddenly everyone else cleared the floor and the spotlight had come on William and Riley. William took her hands and went down on one knee, reaching into his pocket. "Riley, I love you more than anything or anyone in the world. All I want is you. And if you," he took a box out of his pocket, "would agree to marry me, then I would feel like a king."

Riley clapped her hands over her mouth. Realization hit her - how weird William and her mom had been acting. "Riley," he continued, taking a large ring out of the box before slipping the box back into his pocket. "Will you marry me?"

Riley pulled him up off the floor. "Yes," she said quietly.

She raised her voice. "Yes!" she said happily.

William slipped the ring on her left ring finger and they kissed, as everyone around them cheered and pressed closer to talk to them and see the ring.

~*~*~*Much Later That Night*~*~*~

"Stacey?" Riley asked.

She had gotten back to her rooms after the ball and immediately dialed Stacey on her video phone. "Riley?" Stacey asked sleepily.

She saw Riley's radiant smile. "Riley? What happened?" she asked.

Riley held up her left hand. "William proposed at the ball tonight!"

Stacey screamed, a huge smile on her face. "Oh my God! Riley! Oh my God!"

"I know. I've gotta go, though, okay? I want to call everyone before they find out from the media. I'll email you all later with more details."

"Okay. Riles, congratulations!"

Riley smiled. "Thanks," she said.

She disconnected Stacey, then called Jack, Chloe, Madison, Joe, and Britney. Then she and Antonia danced around the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE END ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~