I Know What You're Afraid Of

Chapter 8

   Marianne was surprised to find all her own clothes in her closet. She wondered how they got there and why they just appeared now and not when she got here. She had changed out of her leggings and grey sweater, and into a light blue day dress with spaghetti straps and red and yellow flowers scattered all over it. It was her favorite dress she owned. Her Mother would say, "You're all dressed up with nowhere to go," because it was true. Marianne wore dresses almost every day, though she never planned on leaving her house.

   She found her necklace and was in the middle of putting it on, when she lost her grip on the chain, and the pink rose slipped off and rolled under the bed. Marianne let out a frustrated sigh and got down on her hands and knees to look for it. She found the charm next to a cardboard box. The box was large and wide. Marianne picked up her charm and placed it on the nightstand, before reaching her arms back under the bed and dragging the box out. It was heavy to drag across the carpet, but she managed just fine.

  Not being able to wait, she pried the box open, nearly tearing it apart. Inside was a stack of records. As she looked through them, she realized they were her Dad's old records. Queen, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka and Elvis. At the bottom of the box was his record player. She carefully lifted it out of the box and placed it on her vanity. She turned it on and decided on the Paul Anka record. 'Put Your Head on My Shoulder' started to play. Closing her eyes, she swayed lightly to the music. The song reminded her of her first dance. She was little, maybe six or seven. Her Dad danced with her standing on his toes while her Mom, her sister, and her brother watched. She remembered dancing to 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen. Her brother lifted her onto his shoulders and ran around the house. He was in college now and she missed him very much. She knew if he were here now, he would know what to do. He always did, no matter the situation.

   Marianne opened her eyes as the song came to an end. She was facing the door, which she apparently left open without realizing because standing at there with a smile on his face, was Miles. Marianne could feel her face turning red with embarrassment. She looked away quickly, trying to hide her flushed face, but he only chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets. She noticed he looked nervous, as he avoided eye contact. Marianne began to speak without thinking. "Have you ever danced before?" Mentally facepalming, she tried her best to look him in the eye as if she weren't an embarrassed mess on the inside.

  Miles looked at her and quickly looked away. "No. No, I haven't. I don't know how." He looked embarrassed and almost ashamed. Marianne decided the situation could not get any more awkward, so she decided to go with the flow.

    "Would you like to learn?" He snapped his head up to look at her. His eyes were wide, and she thought she had scared him away. But he just shrugged. So, she held her hand out for him to take. He hesitated at first, but slowly took his hand out of his pocket and took her outstretched one. Marianne pulled him into the center of the room. She could tell he was nervous, so she tried her best to calm him down. "Don't worry. It's fun, I promise." She smiled kindly and he returned it. He visibly relaxed and placed both his hands on her waist.

   "Like this?" She nodded and her hands on his shoulders.

  "A little closer." He slowly moved closer, making sure to leave some space between them. 'Puppy Love' began to play and they began to move to the music. After a few seconds, Miles' tight grip loosened as he relaxed. He met her eyes, no longer nervous or uncomfortable. Marianne never liked eye contact because it made her uncomfortable, but this was not as awkward as she thought it would be. "You sure you've never danced before? You're a natural." She laughed lightly and he smiled at her. She knew there wasn't much to the dance, but she wanted to make him feel proud. Or, maybe, she just wanted to see him smile.

   "Turns out, there's not much to learn." Miles chuckled. His face fell into an unreadable expression. "Did you talk to Sydney about earlier?" Marianne nodded and looked down. "And? What did she say about it?"

   Marianne wasn't sure if she should tell him everything. She barely knew him. Sure, he hadn't done anything bad, but there was something unsettling about him. And on top of that, she didn't know one thing about him. However, right now, as he's dancing with her, she can't spot one thing wrong with him. So, she decided to tell him the truth. "She said exactly what happened. She killed him and she had seen him before. He had been following her for months." Miles nodded, taking in the information. "She was so scared, Miles. Sydney thinks we're all afraid of her and I feel horrible. I talked to her about it and I think she feels a bit better."

   "That's good. It probably doesn't help that Brad called her a monster. I know what that's like." His eyes were no longer bright, but dark like usual. Marianne felt bad for him. She was extremely curious to know what he meant but didn't ask. She knew he wouldn't react well, and she didn't want to ruin the moment.

   "Apparently they knew each other. Brad and Sydney." Miles raised his eyebrows. "Syd said they never liked each other."

   "Yeah I got that." The song ended and Miles released his grip and backed away from her. He put his hands back in his pockets and walked to the door. Marianne felt a little disappointed but shrugged it off. "Uh, thank you.... for teaching me, I guess."

    "You're welcome." She watched him walk out of the room, a little sad. She enjoyed the dance and wasn't ready for it to end. She wondered if it was something she had said. Though, she couldn't recall anything offensive. Turning the record player off, she picked up her sketchbook, sat down on her bed, and began to draw.