After Rain ✅

[ seventeen ] story

After Rain

Chapter Seventeen

There was a huge poster of the winter dance plastered on a board outside the assembly hall. A lot of people were looking at it and I stood a little distance away, reading the words. It was a week away from now and this time they had also put on a price for tickets for the couples. Since it was a dance, you weren't allowed to come alone.

''Are you planning to ask someone?'' Silas joined me, he was sucking a strawberry flavored lollipop and offered an extra one to me.

I took it and slipped it in my pocket, ''Thanks''

''Why won't you eat it now?''

''I ate a chocolate three minutes ago.'' He shrugged and looked at the poster as well,

''So, who will you go with?'' I was guilty that I already knew he was planning to ask me. Grisha shouldn't had told me.

''I'm not sure right now.'' I told him instead of saying that I had no plans to show up. I had become mare careful with my words when I was around Silas, I was too conscious now and didn't want to say anything that would hurt him.

''I am,'' he said to me, ''I want to go with you.''

I swallowed and avoided his gaze, ''I don't like dresses, they irritate me.'' It was a stupid excuse and I mentally scolded myself for saying it like that. Silas (or anyone) was smart enough to figure out I was saying no.

''You can show up in sweats, or pajamas. Heck, you can dress up as Willy Wonka and I will still go with you.'' I smiled, it seemed like Grisha had told him about that story.

''I don't like to dance. I'm clumsy and am always falling over things. Ground basically loves me.''

''Same.''

My heart skipped a beat and I looked at me quickly, ''What did you say?'' I breathed out. He just smiled in response,

''You have your style of rejecting people. Guess I will have to work harder.''

''I don't want you to.''

''Why?'' He asked,

''You already know why.'' He followed me when I started to move away from the assembly hall, he had to catch up to walk beside me and my own speed was bad enough. How come I never noticed how much he hated anything physical.

Oh yeah, I was too caught up with my own self to notice anything else.

''I won't ask you again if you are saying no, but we can go as friends can't we? I don't want to go with anyone else. You are the only friend I have here.'' I paused in my steps. I couldn't help but feel a little sorry towards him.

Knowing about Silas had really affected my feelings towards him, everything he said or did reminded me of the incident. My gaze wandered towards his stomach where he was stabbed. Was there a scar? Did it still hurt?

''What if I really show up in sweats?''

''Its fine. We will still dance in the middle of the hall-''

''Gym'' I corrected him,

''We will dance in the middle of the gym and we'll still be the most beautiful couple that the school ever had fortune to witness.''

I couldn't help but chuckle after hearing his exaggeration. I hit his chest playfully, ''You didn't seem like a dramatic person at first. Is Grisha showing you soap operas these days?''

He winked at me, ''I'm charming right? You're in awe right?''

''Riiiight''

''You seem happy, Nicola.'' We both stopped smiling when Bianca joined us. She walked casually towards me, or at least she was pretending to be casual. Her eyes were red and puffy like she had spent the last night bawling. Today, her face was free from make up and it seemed like she had forgotten to brush her hair.