Who: Everyone! What: Fall Formal Where: Grand Foyer of Constance Billard/St. Jude's When: Thursday, September 21, after 10 PM
To anyone else's eyes, the party would have seemed lavish. The chandelier sparkled, the five-piece band played old standards skillfully, and tiny plates of colorful canapés covered every open surface. The only thing missing was alcohol. But to the students of Constance Billard and St. Jude's schools, this expensive affair was no more than a humble precursor to the real social events that would begin with the weekend. For the students at the lower end of the social hierarchy, it at least offered the chance of mingling with those comfortably ensconced at the top. But most students attended these school events from habit, rather than any belief that this would be the highlight of their week.
This time around, most students hadn't attended at all. The mysterious flu that had raged through the student body had left most students at home, coughing and miserable in their beds. A few had even been hospitalized, if Gossip Girl was to be believed. Their absence had made the Fall Formal even more of a quiet, trifling affair than normal. The few attendants milled about half-heartedly chatting in their finery. More than a couple had sneaked off to the bathrooms to spike their drinks. Most students were already planning for what would happen after the party, where things could take a turn from restrained formality to the normal wild decadence that characterized most functions.