"Which dress do you think I should go with?"
There's little point in twirling. I see no fun because the dress is skin tight, so I wouldn't see fabric float out like in one of those princess movies.
Vylad looks at me with little amusement in his eyes. His body language seems like I'm boring him, and he hasn't spoken much to me. "You could always put pajamas on and stay here with me. I don't like those dresses on you. Too flashy."
"They're your sister's."
He rolls his eyes. "My point proven."
I exhale the breath held in my lungs and sit down beside him. Even though I'm turned towards him, he makes every effort to put his back to me, arms crossed, and chin high. I can't believe I'm getting the cold shoulder from Vylad Ro'meave.
"C'mon, Vylad," I whine, leaning forward to wrap my arms around his torso, resting my chin on his shoulder. "I just want to go to this one party. Why can't you act like the gay best friend I sometimes think you are? You love this kind of thing."
He unclasps my hands from himself and stands to face me. "You and I both know that that statement is false. I'm not gay, and I hate this 'kind of thing.'" Vylad's fingers raise to quote my poor choice of vocabulary, mocking it.
"Oh please, Mr. That Color Goes Incredibly Well With Your Skin Tone."
It's this moment his tough wall begins to crack, forming little windows in which I can find his true nature. What was once a disapproving glare becomes a teasing smile. His eyes soften. Somehow, this makes me smile in return.
He gives into my playful words, picking up the other dress and fixing it to lay properly on its hanger. Holding it next to my body, his eyes skim over me. It's not perverted. His eyes don't linger on places of my body longer than they need to. The only place they linger is on are my eyes, compelling us into a shared gaze.
The dress in his hands is pushed forward towards me, the fabric hitting my chest. His gaze drops to the floor, and his hair falls over his eyes. "This one. You should wear this on. It doesn't make you look as pale as you actually are." He doesn't mumble another word until he leaves his own room, standing on the other side of the door while I change. "I still don't know why Garroth talked you into this. I didn't even know he knew of that café."
"Maybe Laurance was babbling on about how I need a better social life and your brother felt the need to 'fix' it," I comment, nearly tripping over myself trying to slide on a heel. Common sense hits me when I realize sitting down and putting them on would be a lot easier.
I open the door to see him leaning against the wall nearby. He looks over at me with an approving grin, eyeing me once more. Never in my life have I had to have a lesson regarding the rules of a party and what to stay away from, but he feels the need to teach it to me now. It feels like one a father gives to a daughter. The only difference between the actions a father would do is Vylad isn't pressing a kiss against my forehead afterwards.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
I thought at first the smile on Garroth's face would make all my anxiety go away. I thought at first, clinging onto Laurance's arm only to cling onto Kandi's once shrugged off would do the same thing. I thought while riding in that car that this would be fun.
I'm beginning to think I'm wrong, and I should've stayed with Vylad. It isn't terrible. There are people I know here, but it all feels more crowded than it actually is. Each room is hot, and the smell of sweat radiates off of those doing too much. The music I've learned to tune out as it all sounds the same as the last, but I'd much rather be spending my Saturday night with Vylad on the couch instead of wandering aimlessly looking for my brother to take me home because everybody I came with disappeared.
Even the boy who convinced me to come.
Laurance's moppy hair lets me pluck him out of a crowd like a bull in a field of dairy cows. I tug on his sleeve, and his eyes furrow when he looks down at me.
"Please take me to the Ro'meave's," I say, hoping he'd give in right away. Though, even that hope was silly. "Laur, I don't want to be here anymore, and I just want to get out of these clothes and watch TV."
My words seem stupid in Laurance's eyes before he looks at me for a moment, giving in eventually. "Alright. Let me find my jacket and meet me in the car."
"Your car is locked."
"I'll unlock it."
It doesn't take Laurance very long to find his jacket. By the time he comes out of the house, I'm strapped into the passenger side seat like a child waiting for their parents to buckle them into their car seat.
The ride is silent, and Laurance has every intent to go back to the party when he doesn't turn off the car. He waits at the end of the driveway long enough to shine light for me to walk up to the door before he quickly reverses and heads back to destination A.
"Is it too late for me to join you in tonight's plans?" I ask when Vylad opens the door.
He smiles, dressed in sweats and stepping to the side. "It's never too late. I'm just glad you came to your senses. How was the party?"
I chuckle and start to walk up the stairs with Kandi's heels dangling in my hand by their straps. "A bust. You're right. I should've stayed here. Sweatshirt on your bed?"
"And Kandi's room is always open."
