Teachers Pet

77: Something So Simple

        I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. My hands were folded across my stomach as I tapped my fingers against my knuckles. I listened to the sounds of the house. Someone was playing music, rapidly shuffling through different songs. A television was playing a little too loudly. It was loud enough that I knew someone was watching a game show. One of the questions being asked I actually knew. It had been in the art category for five hundred points. Impressionism got its name thanks to this painter's piece, Impression: Sunrise.

       "Claude Monet," I said to no one. I heard a buzzer noise before someone answered, Who is Claude Monet? I smiled feeling a little proud of myself until I thought about how I knew the answer to this question. I rolled my eyes before turning onto my side. If I was to spend three days here, I wasn't going to spend them sulking over a boy.

       "Knock knock." I sat up quickly, feeling my heart skip a beat. I hopped off the bed to open the door and nearly tripped rushing to do so. Standing in the hallway with a basket of folded clothes was the girl I now knew as Drew. I met her during dinner but we shared very few words with each other.

       "Oh, right. I forgot," I mumbled. Drew smiled as she gestured behind me. I nodded as I let her in. The clothes were for me. Layla had offered Cassie and me clothes to borrow during our stay. Cassie had fit perfectly into the clothes Layla brought for her. I, on the other hand, had not been the same size as Layla after all. I was actually a few sizes smaller. Drew was the only other one here who I might be close in size with.

       "If any of these fit you, feel free to keep whatever you'd like." Drew dropped the basket on the bed before turning to face me. She smiled as she waved a hand over the basket. I moved to the bed, looking at the clothes. The color red caught my attention. It was buried beneath a layer of jeans and faded graphic tees. I reached to pull it out and when I did, I felt my face burn.

       "Will I need this?" I asked, my voice going up an octave. Drew shrugged as she took a seat beside the basket. She smiled again as she looked over the red dress. It was beautiful but very unnecessary. What plausible explanation was there for me to wear this here of all places? I was surrounded by animals.

       "No. But I have no use for it anymore. It was meant for a wedding, but now it just collects dust in my closet. I'd like for it to go to someone who might actually wear it." Her hand stretched out to touch the dress. Before her fingers could graze the soft fabric, she pulled her hand back. She curled her fingers inward as she dropped her hand to her lap. I noted how she adverted her eyes elsewhere before looking up at me. She smiled again, but it was different. I couldn't explain it, but somehow it was just... different.

        "Oh... Well, thank you." Drew nodded, her eyes falling back to the dress. I too looked at the dress. I held it up more so I could get a better look at it. Maybe there was something I could use it for in the future. It wasn't a simple short dress nor did it look cheap. It was actually very beautiful. It was soft like silk between my fingers so it was easy to imagine what it would feel like against my skin. It was an off-shoulder neckline with an intricate jeweled design on the bodice. The back was low enough that I knew it would be very revealing.

       I had no idea where I would wear something so elegant. I never went to dinner parties and this wasn't exactly funeral attire. We never went to weddings either. The only people we really knew were Jill's family and Deans and no one from either family was getting married any time soon. Maybe I would try it on later. I smiled at that thought. What would it look like if I twirled in it?

       "I have the shoes that go with it. Do you want to see if they fit?" I laid the dress down on the bed, smoothing it out with my hand. I knew for a fact I had no shoes to go with this dress. I had a pair of black flats but they were horribly scuffed.