Cold Blood Beast

30

Everest

I held my breath as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I wore my best clothes. Golden sewn hems and my most expensive tie.

"Is it too much?" I wondered while referring to my clothes. I wanted to look nice for Lia. I adjusted the buttons on my sleeves deep in thought.

"For Lia to take off or for your princely duties?" Rutner asks while sprawled out on my floor. He spins his ring like a dreidel. It makes loud scratching noises and irritates me to no end. I felt a headache coming on.

I glare at him through the mirror and looking at his stupid face I can't help but think of his words. Lia was all that occupied my mind since I left her last night and Rutner could tell.

I was growing nervous by the second. I would see her again tonight. Would I kiss her as passionately as I've been longing to since leaving? Would I let her kiss me first? What if she had new thoughts of me? She held more beauty than any other girl I've ever known.

"Relax Everest I've never seen you so nervous in my life- I've known you forever. You're always so stoic and then Lia came along and you float behind her like a lovesick-". I stop him from speaking. His voice was already irritating enough.

"Rutner I don't care to speak of this," I ended while walking over to my open balcony. To my dismay, Rutner follows close behind. He tosses his ring in the air and catches it over and over.

"You are the most obnoxious child-man ever." He scoffs, rolls his eyes, and gives an amusing heavy stomp of his foot like a toddler. Right, I'm the child.

"What's up your ass?" I question while raising an eyebrow at him.

"I just miss Ruth. She keeps ditching me for her brainless stupid loser boyfriend." Rutner gets angry. So I probably wasn't going to tell him that brainless and stupid were synonyms.

All Rutner does is spend time with Ruth because they were all each other had but I always knew one day one of them would fall in love before the other.

"They're getting serious fast huh?" I ask and Rutner just gives me a simple nod. He tosses his ring again before catching it.

"Maybe you just need to—" My attempt at giving advice goes poorly when he fails to catch the ring he once wore. It rolls off the balcony and falls into the crowd of people.

I go to speak again but he raises a hand to my face. "Just hush." He says and walks to the balcony railing before jumping off. I'd be more worried if he couldn't fly.

I look over the edge into the sea of beasts. I can see my father down in the crowd. He places a hand on his heart while talking to a man and a woman. His mouth keeps moving. I always wondered why he made such a scene this time of year. Now I finally know. It was for this weird attention he seemed to enjoy a little too much.

I walk back into my room enjoying the silence. My bed was made perfectly by the maids. I couldn't help myself but imagine later tonight if Lia would let me take her in here that is. I dreamt of kissing her again. She consumed my mind. I'd like to show her my books and show her how tall my ceilings were compared to her microscopic cottage.

One thing I didn't want was to make her uncomfortable. I'd never want that. I just worried that I would without knowing so I knew I was going to let her make the first move. No matter how much I wanted to.