The Shadow That Smiled At Me

Chapter seventeen

The prom was approaching. Jessica was hoping that I would finally kick Vincent and introduce her to Samael from the drawings. Waiting in vain. I'm going with Vincent. He solemnly invited me in front of the whole school, after the football match, which they won by the way. I don't know how he managed to involve the cheerleaders in his plan, since they don't really like me, but he managed it. They rehearsed a choreography, spelled my name, and each member of the football team had a red rose for me. Even Jessica herself admitted that it was indeed impressive.

Jess decided that none of the dresses in my closet, and the many I had planned to choose from, were spectacular enough for an event as special as prom, so she dragged me out to her favorite boutique to choose. I think she just didn't want to go shopping alone and found a good excuse for it.

As soon as I crossed the threshold, a pile of beautiful festive gowns, hanging on hangers and dressed in mannequins, jumped out at me. Jess almost squealed with excitement. We dived into the flood of gorgeous dresses in search of the perfect one. Black, blue, silver, all the colors of the rainbow and much more. Glitter, pearls, lace. Short skirts and long skirts down to the floor and trains stretching far behind you. All kinds of cuts and all kinds of fabrics.

Jess pulled out one dress after another, asking my opinion. She was constantly in and out of the fitting room trying on all these gowns - always finding something she didn't like about them, despite my positive feedback. The color of the first ones did not go well with her skin. The second one was making her broad shoulders. In the third one, she felt like she was pregnant. The fourth one was all bad. Every time, she liked the clothes she chose at first, but after she wore them, she hated them.

When she noticed how I was rummaging around aimlessly, she pulled out about ten dresses and forced me to try them on, saying: "If none fit me, at least you can look like a princess."

"You look stunning in a million dresses, Jess," I argued. "The problem is that you're finding fault where there aren't any."

"No," she countered in return. "I look like a troll."

I painfully rolled my eyes at her throwing herself. "You carry a crooked mirror in your head," I told her.

"Clearly," she said pushing me into the booth with another dress in her hands. "Now try. It's your turn." She didn't give me a chance to wriggle out of it.

I complied and tried everything she brought me. When I showed myself to her in them, she always praised me to the heavens, as if I were some kind of fairy about whom poems are written. I didn't feel so sure. However, I wanted to make her happy and I was already tired from spending the whole day in the boutique, so we made an agreement that if she chooses, I will choose too.

"How about the red ones?" suggested Samael.

He startled me with his presence but didn't surprise me. Lately, he has been visiting more and more often.

I took a hanger with a deep red narrow dress with a train, on thin straps. The back was deeply cut and boasted a large bow at its bottom. I pointed at them with my finger and Samael nodded. I took them to the cabin and put them on. One thing must be acknowledged to Samael, he knew exactly what suits me and what I like, and at the same time, it also fit in with his ideas.

"You look stunning, dear Arya." Samael wrapped his arms around my waist from my back and kissed my shoulder.

"Show yourself, Arya!" Jessica whined. "I'm dying of anticipation."

I pulled back the curtain that separated us and showed myself to her. Jessica's eyes widened at me. With the sled down, she stammered out, "Perfect."

Her words, one word to be exact, brought a mischievous smile to Samael's face. He leaned his shoulder against the cabin entrance and watched us. I found it funny that Jessica had no idea. She didn't see him, she couldn't, and at the same time, she wanted to know him so much.