Perfectly Flawed

30. Crazy KPOV

Kasei POV who's excited??? I know I am, I missed writing from her perspective!
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Kasei POV

I frown at my phone as it dings again, ignoring the message on the screen as I try to decide between the two pairs of jeans in front of me.
“Knock knock.” Dakota startles my train of thought and I watch in amusement as the brunette enters before I say so. Typical, though. 
“Hey cutie.”
“How’s it going?” She nods to the clothes in front of me.
“Can’t choose between these two.”
“Mm.” She hums, looking between them. “Pros and cons list?”
“I did that already.” I pout. “It basically comes down to: one is super comfy but the other makes my ass look good.”
Dakota snorts a laugh. “Okay, Kase. You have a dancer body. Your ass literally always looks good.”
I feel a blush heating up my cheeks at the compliment. “Well I appreciate it, but I don’t know.”
“With your other outfits are you doing comfier or hotter?”
Good question, if I had a plan. “I don’t even really know what I should bring.” I stare at the piles ahead of me.
“Okay, well Keila said the girls are just there for fun they mostly just party.”
“Yeah, so I obviously wanna look good, but I don’t want to bring only impractical clothes.” I laugh.
“Yeah, that’s definitely the struggle…” She hums again. “You know I’m a big fan of the comfy.” She gestures down her body to the care-bears crop top and baggy cargo pants. I'm convinced it's actually a childs size judging by the way it clings to her braless figure, but she manages to make every outfit look good.
“Yeah, impressive that you’re in actual clothing right now.”
“I have things to do soon.” She shrugs. “No other reason for making a fit.” 
I swear this woman would join a nudist community, given the chance. I roll my eyes with a smile. “So you think I should bring the comfy jeans?”
“Yeah, definitely. And we’re basically the same size so if you decide you wanna look hotter one day I gotchu.”
“Everytime you try to convince me to look sluttier it doesn’t work out for ya.” I snort. Her and Keils, always trying.
Dakota tsks at me, adjusting the wispy parts of her hair in the mirror beside the door. “One of these days.” She turns back to me. “Ok, I just gotta ask. How are you so neat even when you’re packing?”
My brows raise as I gesture around me. “Are you kidding? I’m not neat right now! Everything is all over the floor.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah in little folded piles.”
I blink at her. “Well yeah, how else would I pick which ones go together? These are cute tops and my staple tops that go with anything.” I gesture to each pile. “Then this is bottoms and shorts but it’s getting colder so should I bring any shorts? I don’t know. Then obviously I gotta bring some going out fits.” I gesture to the items hanging against my headboard. “But I don’t know which to bring because I don’t know the girls too well, and I can’t bring things that need ironing.. ya see the struggle?”
“Mhm. Sure.” She nods, not looking so sure. “Well my things are kinda in need of ironing whether I put them in the suitcase or not.”
I close my eyes with a shake of my head. “Are they in a pile everywhere?”
“Well, pile is generous.” Dakota giggles.
“Lordy. Your room is a huge mess.”
“At least you don’t have to see it.” She laughs again.
Thankfully she always contains her mess to her own areas, so she has a point, but I can’t help the itching in my bones to clean it up.
“Right.” I laugh.
“So how's things going with the studio? Any updates in the last couple days?” 
I nod, taking a sip of the cucumber water beside me. “Yeah they’re just evening out the ground now, I don’t really know what that means, to be honest and then the construction crew is going to lay the groundwork before pouring the foundation. We don’t have a basement so there's less digging and stuff to do and the studio should be done sooner!” I can’t hide the excitement in my voice as I speak.
“I love this on you.”
“What?” I look down at my cropped pink t-shirt. I’m pretty sure it's hers, so I can’t tell if she's being sarcastic.
“Not that.” She giggles. “Although yes that, and I would just like to point out I’m not the only slow one here.”
I roll my eyes, sassy comment about to ooze from my lips before she pipes up again:
“I meant this happiness. Ballet hasn’t made your eyes glow like this for years. I know it was a sad thing for you to let go of, but I’m glad you’re doing better now.”
“Me too.” I honestly reply. “And what about you? Have you talked to your parents recently?”
Dakota grits her teeth, distracting herself by pulling her hair out of its claw clip and shaking it out. “I gotta go to class soon.” She sighs.
“That’s not really an answer.” A part of me feels guilty. She hasn’t talked to her parents in a month, probably almost 2 at this point, and meanwhile I'm just always wrapped up in my own changing life. “Talk to me if you want to, I'm always here.” I chew my lip.
She nods and looks the other direction.
“So…how's Blade?”
Dakota snorts a laugh. “Did you know that you ask me that everytime you see me?”
“Yeah.” I grin. “I’m waiting for the answer to change.”
She shakes her head. “Well, same as last time. We’re having a lot of fun. He’s really good at what he does and we vibe, but I don’t think we’re a couple…”
I hum. “Did you ask him about Chicago yet? We’re literally leaving in 35 hours.”
“I know.” She takes one step backwards. “Anyway, I gotta get to class.”
“Okay!” I laugh. “What if you call him for something else and then casually bring it up?” I raise my eyebrows suggestively.
“Okay, see ya.”
“Dakota!” I shake my head as she runs out of the room and away from my confrontation.
There’s an interesting story there, I know it. As much as I love her and Blade as a thing, I’d hate for her to get hurt. He’s one of the good ones but he can be a bit closed off, according to Jake.
I pull my suitcase out, rolling each outfit as I place them in. A hack I learned from years of traveling all over, if you put the clothes you want to wear together, when you get to your destination you don’t have to worry about outfit planning all over again. I’m placing the last few bikinis when Rosa knocks on my door.
“Phone’s for you.”
“Oh!” I grab it. “Thanks. Hello?”
“We’ve been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty.” The smooth baritone washes over me and I feel a bit of stress melt away.
“Weirdo. You could have just called or texted my phone.”
“You’ve been too busy to check your phone.” Jake chuckles. “Also I tried 15 minutes ago. Unread. Whatcha doing?”
“Packing.” I stand up and stretch my legs, looking at the smaller piles around me. “Or at least, I was trying to. I’m still on the fence about a couple things…”
“We’re going to be there for less than a week. I’m sure what you have will be great.” His tone is laced with amusement.
I sit down on my bed with a grin as I kick the suitcase lid closed. “So what do you want, baby?”
“You.”
I bite my lip as I feel the blush crawl up my cheeks. “Jake.”
He chuckles again. “Well actually, I’d like to take you out on a date.”
“A date?” My eyebrows raise. “Really?”
“Yes. I know I shouldn’t care about what that little khaki wearing fucker said but he’s right. You deserve to go on fancy dates regardless of how busy we are.”
Khaki wearing…? Oh. Antonio. I knew that comment he made at dinner bothered Jake. “Okay, I know Tony bugs you but that wasn’t directed at you.”
“It definitely was. Who asks the group: ‘what’s the best restaurant you’ve eaten at in the past 2 weeks’? It was.”
“Sab and Marc also said they haven’t been out recently.”
“Sabrina has a husband and a baby and Marco is about to open a second location of his club, so they simply don’t have time.”
He remembers things about my family. A little part of me melts at the thought. “Okay, you’re running a business with a dozen hooligans who don’t like to listen and I’m starting a dance studio. I think it’s acceptable that we don’t have time, no matter what that idiot says.” I snort, then soften my tone. “I kinda like that we’re falling into a routine where we don’t have to be honeymooning and hanging out constantly. I’ve never felt more secure.”
“I feel the same way, Red. But you deserve it, so I won’t take no for an answer. You’re free for an hour tonight so we’re going out.”
“Am I?” I giggle.
“Yes, already checked with Rosa.”
“Oh? So you’re not asking me out, just telling me.”
“Is that a problem?” His voice drops into the panty-tingling octave.
“No-nope.” I bite my lip. “I’ll talk to you later.”
I hang up before he can say anything else that’ll derail me from my tasks. Wow, I love this man. 
“Rosa?” I call as I exit my room. “What do I have left on the schedule today?” I enter the dining room where her unofficial office is taking up the majority of the table.
She grabs the phone from my outstretched grasp, quickly flipping through the planner with the other hand. “You have an instagram live q+a scheduled later, and Katherine wants you to call her, then your date with JT.”
“Ew, why does my Mother want me?”
She shrugs. “If I’m honest I’m not exactly sure, I just know that she was asking me for the update after you got off Zoom with the construction crew this morning.”
I crinkle my nose. “That’s annoying, but okay.”
“So you’re free for a little while.”
“Okay, define little while.” A short laugh escapes me.
“You have 1.5 hours.” Her elaboration is followed by an eye roll.
“Hmm.” I hum, walking out of the room and back down the hallway. “Okay. I’ll see you in a bit then.” The slightly ajar door of Dakota’s room is tempting me so I peek inside.
Clothes are in fact all over the floor, bedsheets thrown recklessly and the whole space smells like her perfume mixed with paint. I can’t help the gasp that comes and I sheepishly poke my head out back into the hallway to make sure Rosa didn’t hear.
“Okay, even if I just clean it a little bit she won’t notice.” I whisper to myself. I grab the sheet on the end of the bed, a little gasp escaping me when a sex toy rolls out from under the covers. “Alright.” I mutter, kicking it under the bed as I pull the sheet over and tuck it in the end. I arrange the pillows and fluff the comforter back on.
How she has a full comforter on her bed in September confuses me, but oh well.
I lose track of time, dusting her furniture and sorting what belongs in the wash, folding the floor pile into sections of what belongs where, and I’m about halfway finished when Rosa’s voice cuts through the silence.
“What are you doing?” She narrows her eyes as a small scream escapes me.
I hide the shirt behind my back like a child sneaking something from a parent. “Nothing!”
“Mhm.” She hums.
“I was uh…looking for my shirt!” I bring it forth.
“That is a huge lie. You were cleaning.”
“I was not.”
“You can’t tell me Dakota’s room has been this clean the whole time.” Rosa snorts.
“Okay, fine.” I huff. “I admit I may have cleaned a little bit.”
“Oh my god, Kase. I think you have a problem.”
“No I don’t.”
Dakota suddenly materializes in the doorway. “Yes, yes you do.”
The shirt suddenly drops out of my hands, and she frowns at it on the floor. “Why are you home again?” I rush to say.
She laughs. “I forgot my tip tracker book.” Dakota grabs it off the dresser. “Joanie sent me home on my break to grab it so she can tally. Y'know the end of the month and everything. I didn’t realize what I was walking into, you crazy person.”
“I’m not a crazy person, you left your room in complete disarray.”
“Who says disarray?” She snorts. “A crazy person.”
“Shut up. You love me.”
“Eh, maybe a little bit.”
“Okay, I’m going back now.” Dakota holds up her book again. “This looks okay, but if you touch my loft, I will kill you.”
Rosa laughs, looking back at Dakota’s face for a second before looking back at me. “I think she’s serious.”
“I am dead serious. Don’t go near it.”
I look into Rosa’s wide gaze. “Who’s crazy now?” I snort.
“Still you.” Dakota flicks her hair on her way out and I stare at the discarded shirt.
“You have a serious issue.” Rosa giggles, watching me grab it and throw it on a hanger.
“What? It only takes a second. How could I just not pick it up real quick?”
“Crazy.” She giggles again, leaving the room.
I shake my head and follow her. Maybe, but it's fine.