Lamppost on 39th Street

Chapter three

"Ellie, come on it can't be that damn bad!" yells Ashley from outside the closet door. So she thinks. It truly is awful. "Get your ass out here!"

"Fine. Just know i absolutely hate you." I emerge from the closet holding my hands over my chest. "This is ridiculous," I say, "I look like a hooker wannabe gone wrong." I look at Ashley pointedly and she just laughs at me. "Unbelievable. You actually think this is funny?"

"It's absolutely hilarious. So yes, i do think it's funny. And that is so not a nice thing to say by the way. I wear that dress to the club all the time. It's the kind of thing you wear to 'crazy nightclubs'." I look at her and roll my eyes. 

"My boobs are hanging out!"

"Well that's the kind of thing that gets the guys' attention."

My half-smile fades and i look down at the floor sadly. I remember the first day that Jackson noticed me. It was the second week of tenth grade and i had decided to wear this tiny little jean skirt and a highly revealing tank top. Given I got dress-coded by third period, but it worked because the very next day he asked me out in the corridor between fifth and sixth period.

"Oh Ell, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to imply-"

"Jackson used to call me Ell. It's weird hearing it come out of your mouth. I haven't heard that in what seems like forever. I miss him Ash. His absence is everywhere. It's almost as if he left this void in me where my him and my soul used to be."

"Ellie I really am sorry. Look, we don't have to go if you don't want to. We can just stay here and watch a movie and pig-out on junk food. Chick-flick night?"

"No," I say, waving my hands around. "I'm the one who lied to my mother, complicated as she can very well be. So we are going out. However, I am not leaving the house in this dress." I look down at the blue sequined dress that i am currently wearing. "What else did you manage to grab from your supermodel closet that is even the tiniest bit more modest than this?"

                                                                                       ***

I slide across the dirty, over-used seat of the taxi cab as i watch Ashley climb out. I glance out the open doorway and hesitate to leave the security of the backseat of the car. However, when Ashley says my name i soon follow suite as I place my feet on the sidewalk and step out of the car. I glance around at the busy street through my mascara caked eyelashes. I feel Ashley's hand grab mine as she leads me towards the door of the club she has taken me to. 

"Hey Al, how you doing tonight? Busy?" Ashley asks the man at the door holding one of those red ropes like you see in the movies.

"Hey Ash. Yep always busy. It's Saturday night. But we got room for ya. Who's this lovely lady with you?" Al asks, pointing at me.

"Oh, this is my sister-in-law, Ellie." Ex-sister-in-law, I think to myself but don't say. I smile at him weakly and look down at the ground. "Sorry she's a little shy. She hasn't been out in a while. I decided to bring her out with me tonight."

"She seems very nervous. Ever been in a club like this before young lady?"

"Hilarious. I'm not 15." I say snidely. "It has just been a while. Like Ash said, i'm a little shy. Mostly because i'm wearing this ridiculous dress, but also i'm embarrassed that some of my more prestigious friends might see me here and tell everybody."

"If they make fun of you for having a little fun and letting loose a little bit, then they aren't your true friends. If they were they would be happy for you."

"Yeah, thanks...Al. Um Ash, lets just go inside now."

Ashley says goodbye to Al, and we walk inside. The flashing green and blue lights throw my focus off. The music is incredibly loud and Ashley decides it's a good idea to mix this effect with alcohol. She leads us over to the bar and orders two dirty martini's. "Are you alright?" she asks me. "You're completely spacing out." I look up at her and giggle a little bit. "I'm fine, its just i'm not used to this kind of thing." I pick up the drink she ordered me and take a sip when some handsome man comes up and asks her to dance. "Will you be okay?" she asks.

"Go. Have fun." I say and smile smugly. She walks off and I turn around and face the chest high counter-top. I climb up on the stool, sigh, and place my hands over my face. I look up at the exhausted bartender eyeballing me strangely. I raise my glass at him and he walks off. I lift the glass to my mouth to take a drink when  a voice comes out of nowhere and scares the hell out of me. "Nice dress." The deep voice comes from a highly attractive brunette man sitting beside me. "Yeah, thanks. My sis....friend picked it out for me. It's her's. That's her over there." I say pointing out into the crowd at Ashley and the mystery man, but he doesn't look. His eyes are fixed on me. "Do you wanna dance?" he asks. I stare into his emerald eyes for a moment and then shake my head. "Dancing like this? Yeah, not really my thing." He smiles and disappears into the crowd. How rude, I think. I turn back to the counter as a slow song comes on. I feel a hand fall at my lower back and I roll my eyes. "How about now?" he says and smiles this breathtaking smile. "You're very persistent. I thought you left." My mind is telling me not to dance with this man but I find my hands taking hold of his as we swing out onto the dance floor. We pass Ashley on the way out and she laughs at me and gives me a thumbs-up. I roll my eyes at her as the man pulls me into his arms.  I start to think about Jackson and I's first dance at prom but the man's voice breaks though my thoughts and starts new ones.

"I should probably introduce myself. I'm Paxton Smith." he says.

"Ellie Pierce." I smile at him in the semi-dark room as we sway to the beat of the music.