┌───── ∘₊✧₊∘ ─────┐
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘
the dance
└───── ∘₊✧₊∘ ─────┘
( formality; pt.ii )
SOMETHING doesn't feel right about tonight. Maybe it's just her anxiety blowing things out of proportion but when everything that's happened in the last two months has seemed to reach the climax before suddenly dropping into normalcy. It feels like reaching the drop of a rollercoaster —— Maddie's never been on a rollercoaster but the expression is used all the same —— her stomach is in knots, her breaths thin. She realises what's going on pretty quickly, her anxiety is building up and sooner or later, something as simple as a pin dropping is going to throw her into an anxiety attack.
She should've seen it coming with the sleepless nights and racing thoughts but she just attributed it to everything else that's been going on; her mental health has taken a back seat recently which is never good for her.
She stares at herself in the mirror, constantly fiddling with the sheer sleeves of her dress, ones that puff out and cuff at her wrist. It's a nice dress, beautiful, but it feels wrong on her. The shoulderless collar is embroidered with fabric flowers, a faded blue to match with the light blue of the dress that reaches her feet, and the waist held together by a thin belt decorated in expanding white blossoms. It makes her feel ethereal, but that doesn't mean it's the right fit for her. She wants to believe it is, the dress is gorgeous, but she doesn't feel right in it.
But at least the brace doesn't clash with it. The good news of the week: she no longer has to wear the brace. The doctor recommended she wear it if her wrist begins to hurt but other than that, she's a free woman, no clucky black fabric preventing her from moving her wrist or wearing the things she wants to.
Trying to feel more comfortable, she tries a flurry of the flowing skirt, grabbing the sides and swaying it around lamely, her mouth twisting to the side as she watches. "Look at you," with awe in her voice, Maddie's mom compliments her daughter with every honest bone in her body. Her hands stay together, hiding her mouth as she looks to her daughter. "You're beautiful."
Maddie chuckles bashfully, still untrained in the art of taking a compliment. She drops the sides of her dress, adjusting the sleeves as she bows her head. "Mom, I look like I usually do."
"Exactly." Sarah approaches her daughter, carefully grabbing her daughter's face and smiling. "Beautiful."
She kisses her daughter's cheek and Maddie hides her neck in her shoulders, shying away from the affection. Sarah lets out a soft chuckle, using her thumb to brush a stray eyelash from Maddie's face, careful not to smudge her make—up.
"Lilli, come here!"
"Oh, God, mom, don't." Maddie shakes her head, becoming uncomfortable with the increasing attention.
The numbers only increase as voices come from the hallway, the Brite women looking over to the door. Soon enough, Harry and Connor walk towards the door, their eyes closed with Harry's hand glued to his cousin's shoulder as he feels around on the wall, hand slipping past the threshold of Maddie's room as the other holds a camera by his side.
YOU ARE READING
Empathy ⌯ Stiles Stilinski
Fanfiction❝ the way he looks at her, i don't think he's never looked at me that way ❞ ❝ maybe you just weren't looking ❞ High school is supposed to be hard. The homework, the socialisation, the worry of deciding your future. At least, that's what's supposed t...
