The Quarterback, Outcast and Me ✔

Chapter Seventeen - Playing Dress Up - Part Three

So here I was, sitting in the passenger seat of Jace's truck on the way to Charlotte. The radio was playing as we cruised down the high way, but despite trying my hardest at solely focusing on Foo Fighter's 'Best of You', I couldn't help but to think about Caleb. Just when I thought we were heading in the right direction he would slam shut like a clam and ride off on his motorcycle in the opposite direction. I let out a heavy sigh, which earned me the attention of Jace.

"Sounds tough," he said, his eyes remaining professionally on the road. I fidgeted with my hands in my lap, not really wanting to talk to him about my life, let alone about Caleb. I glanced behind me, to where Carrie and Taylor were sitting, but they seemed to be in deep conversation about costume choices, then I looked over at Jace. He looked good in profile, and the black t-shirt he was wearing fitted snugly around his protruding biceps. Focus!

"It's nothing," I finally replied, taking my eyes and inappropriate thoughts off of him and went back to counting the stripes on the free way. 1, 2, 3...

"You know, my ears work as good as anyone's if you ever cared enough to open up."

I had to look at him again I just had to. He was looking at me now, taking turns facing me and facing the road.

"Thanks Jace, but I doubt you'd want to waste time listening to me pine about my love life, or the lack thereof."

"Love life, huh?" Fudge! I cursed myself repeatedly. Why was I all of the sudden talking to this guy like we'd been confidants for years? I didn't want him to know anything about Caleb and I, particularly because he didn't seem to even like Caleb, like, not even a little.

I shook my head at Jace and shifted in my seat so I was facing the door, appearing to be deeply consumed with the scenery outside.

It took us almost an hour to reach our destination: Party City. We could have gone to Halloween Express, but their stuff was about twice as expensive. After Jace parked the car we all got out and gathered around the front of the car.

"Alright, so we split up, girls and boys," Carrie said. It came as no surprise to me that she would take the lead on this little excursion. We all nodded and I grabbed Carrie's hand. We walked into the store with determination and oozing confident that we would find the right costumes here. I mean, come on, it was a costume shop. How hard could it be?

Apparently it could be very hard. After half an hour of searching through racks and racks of clothes I was still empty handed. I had been let down immediately by the fact that they didn't seem to have my desired Maid Marian costume I had fantasied about. I hadn't tried out a single outfit, whereas Carrie was currently changing into her fourth costume option. I had declined all the outfits she had suggested me, everything from sexy first aid nurse to sexy leprechaun. Carrie wanted it to be as sexy as possible, however I was seriously thinking about going as a ketchup bottle.

"But it's not even sexy." She had wined as I held up the red pullover dress and matching lid.

"Condiments aren't supposed to be sexy," I argued, but Carrie had ripped the costume out of my hand and practically thrown it away from her, looking mortified by the mere thought of wearing it.

"Seriously, who would wear that to a party? Not even a toddler would be caught dead in that."

I was checking the surrounding costumes hanging by the changing rooms when she emerged dramatically from the changing room, wearing a tiny, not to mention tight, red dress with a blue tutu and matching colored gloves. She struck a pose, her right hand stretched out towards me and grinned at me. I had no idea what I was looking at.

"I err." I narrowed my eyes and tilted my head sideways, trying to get a different perspective. It wasn't working.

"Is it some rendition of a sexy smurf or something?" I asked and watched how Carrie instantly turned defensive and disappointed.