GALE KAPUR & GENEVIEVE ALBRECHT
"No, not at all," Gale said, and she was unsure if she was just being polite or if she meant it. The quietude evaporated, her bubble perforated; with Genevieve's entrance, suddenly the rush and babble of the full ballroom surged back. She could feel herself twitch in agitation, annoyed to have been brought back into the rabble. Now she was one of the tiny insects.
Still, it wasn't Genevieve's fault, and Gale could recognize that. She could also recognize the fact that her older friend was, no doubt, concerned about her.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Gale asked, gesturing to the milling groups. "I'm not much for actual mingling, though I've always enjoyed balls and galas and their ilk."