The Art Of Noticing

Chapter Nine: Crimson and Clover.

2018. November.

The winter formal occurs during the fall. Something I've never understood. Reese says I shouldn't question it because the point isn't really the timing so much as it is the fact that we get a dance in the first place. She also says I shouldn't call the winter formal a formal because it makes it sound like a funeral.

Her demands are becoming increasingly. . . more.

She won't let me call the dance a formal, she won't let me question the illogicalness of the timing, and she won't let me see her dress.

After the matter of what I was to wear was settled, I tried asking what dress she was planning on wearing since it seemed to be something that was awfully important to her.

My questions were shut down.

The five of us had made plans to carpool. Tom, Stacy, Griffin, Reese, and I. They had me drive, of course.

Reese's house was the last stop before heading to the school.

"I'll be right back." I said as I jumped out the car and made my way to the front door of Reese's house.

I rang the bell. A few moments later, Reese opened the door. She wore a viridian green strapless dress that dropped just above the knee.

"You're. . . green!" I said, surprised, "That's my favorite color, you know."

"Oh?" she laughed, "Well, I didn't pick it out. It was a gift."

I smiled slightly, "Looks good."
We stood there for a moment, not talking.

I had read once that babies stare at people they find exceptionally beautiful. I'm not exactly sure when or where I read it, but that was what came to mind in this moment. When a newborn comes into the world, it spends almost all of its time observing, taking everything in since they're not developed enough to speak or walk. And I suppose since they have to spend all that time blatantly staring at everything, they figure, why not look at the best.

And that's what I did.

I stared. At the best I'd ever seen.

Reese looked down at her feet then looked back up at me.

"We should go," she said, gesturing to the car full of people.

I cleared my throat, "Right. . . yeah,"

She hopped over to me, closing the door behind her and wrapped her arm around mine as we walked to the car.

***

Griffin was the first to jump out of the car once we made it to the school. He stood there for a moment popping his shoulders and cracking his knuckles and adjusting his gray suit jacket. All of which he did while Stacy stared at him with a somewhat disapproving look. At least that was the emotion I gathered from the look she gave him.

"You do realize this is a highschool dance, right?"

"Shut up," he replied without hesitation

Stacy shook her head at him, trying not to laugh. She was blushing.

Griffin looked over at her, winked, and then walked into the school all suave. Tom followed.

As I got closer to the entrance, I could see the gold balloons and decorations of the dance.

"I'm gonna go find Ollie and Claire," Stacy said, walking off into the school.

I stood in front of the school steps for a moment, in my black suit and tie, looking up at the big sign that made it impossible to mistake the event for anything else. Reese looked over at me.