I looked around the large hotel ballroom, holding back look of annoyance and displeasure.  This was one of the biggest of the year and held some of the highest ranking employees at the company and some of the wealthiest citizens in the city.  The money filling this room right now is more than I would ever own in fifty lifetimes.

  Heads held high and money being tossed around at every turn I stiffed the groan.  I only had to survive a few hours of this, then I could go home. 

  “Don’t be antisocial and withdrawn.”  My father warned me.  “Talk to people, meet some of the others here near your age.  Your actions reflect on us so mind your tongue and mingle.”

  “Sure thing.  I know the drill, same as all the other times.”

  “You’ll enjoy yourself, Tao.”  My mother pat my shoulder before brushing nonexistent dust from it.   Smiling at me my mother linked her arm with my fathers and the two of them walked off leaving me to fend for myself.

  I let my shoulders slump for a moment before I straightened my back and took a step into the ornate room.  I let me eyes move around the people walking around me, the expensive jewels around their necks and arms, the perfectly fitted and pressed suits.  The young girl in figure hugging and accentuating dresses.

  I gave nods to the people that met my eyes for a moment as they passed; none stopping to speak with me, and that was fine by me for the time being.  My mind was drifting elsewhere and I wasn’t stopping the spinning thoughts.

  The way the numbers of the clock spun by, the way an hour felt like only seconds.  I’ve never zones out so much that time just went by as quickly as it did.  It must have been an optical illusions how the red digital numbers ticked by in a blur.

  I don’t eve want to contemplate the afternoon at school.  I can remember every detail that happened throughout the classes.  I know what we talked about and I have notes to prove I went to the classes, but how all of it happened I don’t know.  I was sitting in class wanting the end of the day to arrive and the final bell to ring, a moment later I was sitting in chemistry watching the clock as the final bell rang around us.

  None of it makes sense and the more I think about it that more confused I get.  It’s like I was in a trance for hours and then woke up at the time I wished would hurry up and arrive.

  “You’re Tao, right?”  A voice pulled me from my mind and back to the present at the fundraiser my parents brought me to.

  Before stood a strikingly pretty girl with ash blond hair pulled into a bun with curls hanging around her face.  The baby doll pink dress went to her knees and clung to her upper body.  Pink stilettos where strapped to her feet and I held back my cringe, those have to be painful to walk around in for hours.  Her make up was light but it was still caked on there.

  “I am.”  I replied with a small smile.  “I don’t believe I’ve met you before.”

  She curled her finger around one of the curls around her face.  Her smile white and dazzling as she spoke, “We haven’t, but most of us know about you.”

  That’s not creepy?  I asked myself as I continued to watch her calming waiting to hear what else she had to say.  My parents wanted me to speak with people my age here, I’m sure this has to count.  Now to not say anything stupid and school my emotions about being here.

  “I’m Alena, Senator Lee’s daughter.”  She smiled.  “You seemed lonely standing here all by yourself and I thought I’d come introduce myself to you.”

  I offered her a small smile and bow as I held my hand out to her.  “A pleasure Miss. Lee.”  I knew how to be polite and greet those here; it’s been drilled into me for years.  She placed her hand in mine and I placed a kiss on her knuckles before releasing it right after.  I may know what to do; I just don’t have to like it.  “Did you come alone?”

  I didn’t miss the blush under the layers of her makeup but I chose to ignore it.  The girls here never did catch my eye.  Too much makeup and too fake for me, my friends on the other hand would love this, but they were never my type. 

  “I came with my father and plan to meet up with my girl friends.”  She replied with an impish smile.  “Why don’t I introduce you to them?  I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”

  I held the sigh back.  Why couldn’t I have been approached by one of the other guys here.  I’d rather have a conversation of sports or video games; at least I knew something about those things.  This was why I hated these things; the girls are like leeches and liked to latch onto anyone worth looking at.

  “It would be an honor.”  I had to force out as she led me over to a group of girls with skin tight dresses that left nothing to a man’s imagination.

  She linked her arm with mine, much against my liking and waved sweetly at the giggling group of four who had their eyes on us.

  I went through the pleasantries of the introduction and idle chat before I excused myself when I saw my parents not far away.  I joined them once again as they went around to speak with people they knew and had to discuss things with.  The night wore on at an agonizing slow pace.

  Can’t time speed up so I can go home already and leave this place?  I begged as I was once again introduced to another influential man at the company and his wife.  I took a glance at the sliver wristwatch on my left wrist and once again become transfixed as the second hand began to pick up speed in the rhythmic ticks.  It started spinning around faster and faster until it became a blur and then vanished to my sight.  The minute hand move clockwise round and round, the hour not far behind as it ticked away.

  Not again.  I groaned to myself.  Stop, please stop!

  No sooner had I had the thought did the time on my watch begin to slow again before it came to a halt and continued it tick away as it should.  Three hours, eight minutes and forty seconds had passed since my watch had once again malfunctioned. 

  “Tao you should get going, it’s late.”  My mother said as she came over to me.  I must have walked over to the entrance of the ballroom.  “You need to be well rested for your studies.”

  “We’ve only been here less than two hours.  I think I can stay longer.”

  “It’s close to midnight, Tao.”  My mother sighed.  “You have no reason to stay any longer.  Go home.”

  I blinked a few times before I pulled her wrist to my sigh and looked at the small diamond studded watch she had on.  Like mine it read the same time that it had changed to after that creepy spinning thing happened to my watch.

  “What is going on.”  I breathed as I nodded weakly to my mom and left the ballroom.  “What is happening?”

  I called a taxi once outside but couldn’t tear my eyes from my watch.  Tapping at the face I tried