Death's Daughter (Black Butler)

Chapter Eighteen: Party Boys

"Hey," Ronald greeted, his face lighting up with a smile. Gritting my teeth as a blush formed, I yanked my arm away from him, causing his to fall. His hand returned to his side and he furrowed his brows together, cocking his head to the side. I forced myself to look away from him, my eyes darting to the floor. As my heart pounded against my ribs, I began to wonder what exactly it was that made me so giddy around him, what it was that attracted me so much. I glanced up, my eyes locking with his as he shot a concerned half-smile. I felt my face grow warmer as I was reminded that it was simply him. He was just Ronald. Wonderful, silly, care-free Ronald. I loved Ronald, but I couldn't. He'd break my heart, just like every other girl he was involved with.

"H-Hey," I mumbled back to him, straightening myself out and forcing myself to look him straight in the eye like a mature person. There was no possible way that I'd ever be able to get over my giddiness around him if I didn't do anything about it. I crossed my arms, glancing around the hall as an awkward silence consumed us. After I had inspected every nook and cranny of the room, I resorted to Ronald. His hair was a bit messy, but the little cowlick remained prominent. He had lost his blazer, but still kept the dress shirt and vest. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows and his tie was loose, which made for an handsome look on him. 'Stop it,' I scolded myself mentally, biting my lip and looking down towards the floor. No matter how hard it was going to be, I was going to force myself not to get involved with him.

"You made it," he stated out loud with a chuckle. I glanced up, watching him as he came closer to me. He finally stopped when he was standing next to me, his arm snaking around my waist and pulling me close to him. I looked up at him, and he stared right back down at me with a little smirk on his face. His other hand reached up, distractedly playing with a stray strand of my hair. "All the party is out there, but here you are, all alone in here. What're you doing, wandering along by yourself?" he asked, raising a brow.

"I... Uh... I..." I trailed off, my tongue tripping over itself. I didn't know what to say, I couldn't even speak right around him most of the time, especially when he decided to be flirty like this. I bite my lip, trying to think up a quick and believable excuse that I could use. "I was having trouble finding the bathrooms," I lied, running a hand through my hair, forcing out a nervous laugh, "these halls have so many twists and turn, I kind of got lost in here."

Ronald squinted his eyes together, peering at me questioningly. "Really?" he asked in disbelief, scoffing slightly, "The bathrooms are right down there," he stated, pointing down the hall. I craned my neck, and lo and behold, there was the sign that pointed to the restrooms. I nodded on the outside, while inside, I felt like bashing my head into the wall. Apparently, I hadn't examined that end of the hall very well. "I can show you to them, if you'd like."

"No, no, that's okay. They're right there, I think I've got it now. But thanks!" I yelped as I wiggled out of his grip, bounding down the hall as fast as I could to the restrooms. I pushed the door open as I rushed inside, leaving it to swing behind me as is approached the mirror. I sat my hands down on the counter, gripping the edges. What was I doing? This was ridiculous. I couldn't waste my time on Ronald. It was obvious that he was just flirting with me to flirt, and once he had his fill, he'd move right on to the next girl. I didn't want any of his attention and I still desired to have all of it at the same time.

I flipped on the sink, cupping my hands underneath and splashing a bit of cold water in my face. A wake-up call was just what I thought I needed. I stared at myself in the mirror, observing everything I could about myself. I looked like a hot mess - and at that moment, I probably was. My hair was awful, strands hanging out here, there, and everywhere. The uniform I wore made my whole figure look almost boxy. I pursed my lip and shook my head, pulling out the hair tie that kept my hair in a braid. I ran my fingers through it, guiding my hair to rest over on one shoulder. It wasn't great, but I looked better. I exited the restroom with just one thought: just one night wouldn't hurt, as long as I didn't let him get too serious.