Leather Kisses

Leather Kisses. 11

"I knew it! I told you so!" Lucy's exclamation was muffled out by the clamor in the cafeteria. "He totally likes you."

I knew she would do this, but I felt obligated to tell her something about yesterday.

It was not my place to mention Dean's dark, unknown secret and I wasn't about to bring up the encounter with Blake, so the invitation to the concert was my only option.

"No, he doesn't. We both agreed that we were going as friends," I replied, emphasizing on the word friends.

"Yeah after you suggested it!"

"We both were thinking it . . . I just turned out to be the one who said it aloud," I insisted, knowing I was pushing the believable boundaries.

Lucy clenched her jaw, and then sighed. "Riley, you're really bugging me. Just accept that he likes you and you like him! Stop pushing him and your feelings away."

"It's too soon . . ." I murmured, as we took our seats at our usual lunch table.

Truth of the matter was, I was scared. Of course, I could never tell Lucy this, but I wasn't ready for another relationship. I couldn't let someone close to me like that again. No way, not after Blake.

"No, it's not! If I had a hot, bad boy throwing himself at me, I'd take him in a heart beat," Lucy replied.

"If you haven't noticed, you and me are two completely different people," I snapped, my tone harsher than I intended.

But reality was, we couldn't be compared. Lucy, with her outgoing and bubbly personality, was more trusting and took one step at a time. I, on the other hand, had been emotionally and romantically scarred. I was afraid, guarded, and constantly concerned with the bigger picture.

Lucy took a brief moment of silence, letting my words linger in the air, before changing the topic.

"Have you thought of what you'll wear?" She asked, brushing my spiteful comment off.

"That's been the last thing on my mind," I muttered, more concerned with the recent, dramatic changes in my life.

"Well then, you leave me no choice. I'm coming over tomorrow and helping you get ready for the concert."

I sighed. "Fine, but nothing outrageous. I don't want to look like a different person."

"Deal." We shook hands, and then devoured our lunches.

After lunch, the rest of my day was completely normal. I went to my afternoon classes, rode home with Dean, and spent my Friday night expressing myself through my leather journal.

To most, an uneventful day would feel dry and dull. To me, it was a blessing. For the first time in months, I didn't have to worry about anyone. Not Blake, Dean, or anybody else for that matter. Just me, myself, and I.

***

My Saturday afternoon was relatively ordinary as well, until about four o'clock, when Lucy showed up to help me get ready.

"Are you excited?" Lucy asked, as she ran a brush through my hair.

"Yeah . . . I guess," I replied, shrugging my shoulders, with false nonchalance.

Up until now, I hadn't even thought about the concert. Now that Lucy was here, the nerves and anticipation were slowly suffocating me.

Lucy went to work; pulling out boxes, containers, compacts, brushes, tubes, bottles, pins, and cosmetics. As she did various things to my face and hair, I sat stiffly as I anxiously bounced my leg.