Kashmir [BxB]

Chapter 21 - To dye for

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I'd cleaned the bathroom, and then my room, and then the bathroom again before I decided to re-organize my closet. I was jittery and energized, like I'd drank too much coffee right before giving a presentation at school.

Because Kade was coming over.

I'd rehashed Esme's bleaching tutorial to the point that I almost could rehearse it in my sleep, and I'd gone so far as to even ask Ravi what I should wear. He had suggested some form-fitting shirt with strange cutouts and skintight jeans with different colors on the legs, but that didn't really feel like me. Besides, it was a casual hangout. Chill, right?

So, chill clothes. A college sweater? Yeah, that was chill, right? I go for my green one, a dark tone with a small ghost embroidered on the chest, floating above a bit of text. I waver between a pair of solid pants or black ripped jeans, and decide to go for the latter in the end - chill, casual, like bros hanging out. Yeah.

I pace back and forth in my room for a bit, before deciding to wait by the front door. Mum and dad were out on a date, and Ravi was off working, so we'd have the house all to ourselves. I groan at the thought - God, what we could get up to if we wanted it.

But we weren't there. Not yet at least.

I tense up as a large figure moves out on the porch, and try to catch a glance through the window next to the door without being seen. The figure stays still, perfectly still, for what feels like years before two knocks sound through the house.

Opening the door, I smile widely, feeling oddly short of breath as I try to speak.

"Hi! Please, come in!"

He smiles back, greeting me and walking into our small hallway.

"You can just put your shoes there, do you need a hanger for your coat or is it okay just hanging on one of the hooks?", I ramble before he's even had a chance to remove his bag. I feel almost naked as he takes me in, really looking at me before answering.

"It's fine on a hanger.", he states, bending down to untie his shoelaces.

We wait in silence as he undresses and I pick at my cuticles, squirming in my place.

"I was thinking it's probably best to do it in a bathroom, right?", I suggest, before panicking and hoping he understood I was talking about the hair bleaching, and not something else.

Kade nods, agreeing.

"...also, you probably want to change clothes. In case anything stains."

I look down on my outfit and feel heat rising up my neck and over my cheeks. Of course, Esme said to do it with clothes that you weren't fond of. That, or without clothes, but as much as I wanted to see Kade shirtless I don't think I'd be able to help him out much if he was.

"Right! Well, we'll go upstairs and you can set up in my bathroom while I change!"

I'm surprised I managed that whole sentence while holding his gaze, and I quickly turn to walk up the flight of stairs before I can fumble and make a fool out of myself. I can hear him following me, trudging along the corridor to my room.

I direct him to the bathroom and he smiles at me before closing the door behind himself and leaving me alone to change. Now, what did I have that I wasn't scared of potentially getting bleach on?

Not a lot of things, it turns out.

My style was mostly in the darker color spectrum, like forest greens or dark maroon. I guess grey could work, but the only grey shirts I had were designer. Digging through my closet, I conclude that I'll either be doing this in pajamas or a horribly old cartoony one.