Parachute [Book 4]

Chapter 34 - Dangerous

The dress lay on my bed in front of me, and my heels were set in front of it, on the floor. I wasn’t wearing any clothes as I stared down at the black fabric, my eyes running over the cutout on the front of the dress.

I was excited to wear the dress – it was an amazing dress with such beautiful features – but I hadn’t gotten Jake’s opinion on it in the store, and I was frightened that he wouldn’t like it on me. I was actually afraid that I wouldn’t like it on me either.

I could hear Jake and Marley talking in the kitchen, the two of them laughing about some inside joke they both had; something about a truck horn and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. They didn’t seem in a rush for me to get out there, but I still felt the need to get ready as quick as I could.

But at the same time, I didn’t really want to. I didn’t want to see myself in the dress because I was scared I would look terrible. I was scared Jake would think I looked terrible.

And there was this little part of my mind telling me I was scared that Idony would think I would look bad, too.

For that one day when Jake came back, I was blown away and he was the only person I could think of… but as soon as I got back into my normal schedule, going to Glee club first thing in the morning and then going to school, I realized I still had Idony lingering around.

When I remembered Idony, it was exactly twenty-four hours since I had known that Jake was back in Lima. Jake and I had spent the night at Jake’s Mom’s house (she wasn’t home) and since we were running a bit late after the night’s activities, we rushed to Glee club faster than the two of us had ever imagined we could. And then first thing that happened when we stepped into the room together was an outbreak of claps and cheers.

Melissa stood up in her seat out the back of the room with Riley, and Marley followed along, standing up next to her, clapping loudly. The next person to stand up was Idony, out the front of the room. As soon as my eyes caught hers, I felt myself smile. The smile on her face, however, was small, and her head was tilted on an angle. She almost didn’t look pleased – like she was being forced to look happy for me.

And that was the moment I felt the need to impress Idony, as well as Jake.

There was a knock on my bedroom door and I jumped in my spot, wrapping my arms instinctively around myself. The knock came again as I began to back towards the closed window, and then Marley’s voice flooded through to my ears. “You nearly ready, Angie?”

She went to open the door to my room, but I rushed across and slammed it shut again. “I’m not dressed!” I screamed, leaning my back against the door to make sure Marley couldn’t open it at all.

“Oh.” Marley said quietly, finally stopping pushing on the door. “She’s not even dressed, Jake!”

I heard Jake faintly say, “Tell her to hurry up!” and then Marley repeated his words back to me in a hushed voice that almost felt harsher through the thick wooden door.

“Alright, alright,” I murmured, stepping away from the door and holding my hands up in the air, even if Marley couldn’t see me. “I’ll get dressed now, just give me a moment.”

I turned back to my bed and I stared at the black dress, still lying in the same place it was a few seconds ago. You’re going to have to put that on now, Angie, the little voice inside of my head said. Put it on, and then you’ll have to face how terrible you look in it.

Shaking my head to try and rid of the voice, I stepped forward and picked up the dress with my fingers. My hands were shaking, and it made the short dress shake in mid-air too. The ruffled and sparkly skirt was shimmering slightly in the small cracks of light coming through the closed window.