Dance, Even When No One Is Watching

Chapter 8

~Carter~

I didn’t really know where to go. I haven’t been out much since we moved back. I had avoided going to school for the past month, and I had lost contact with my last friends. Not that they were my friends, I am pretty sure they were only my friends because of my money. It didn’t matter now, I probably wasn’t going to talk to them ever again. I think that might have been the reason I didn’t tell Vi right away. I didn’t want her to treat me like everyone else did. I used to like it, the attention. But after the accident, I couldn’t stand the fake apologies and the obvious pity. I needed to avoid it, and that’s what I did.

I followed Vi up her stairs, glancing around curiously. She didn’t talk a lot about her home. It was a lot smaller than mine, but I knew my house was huge. There were pictures running alongside the staircase, revealing small shining faces of Vi’s youth. My heart twisted inside of me, jealous of the happy family smiling at me through the pictures, mocking me. I had never felt anything like what I saw in those pictures for my own family, except for Jean, but she was gone now.

“Your lucky you’ve got such great parents.”

Vi turned to look at me, raising her eyebrows and continuing up the stairs.

“Yeah, right.”

I made no comment at her obvious disbelief. If she chose to ignore the fact that she was incredibly lucky, fine by me. I wasn’t going to spoil that.

We reached the top of the stairs, opening up to a wide hall. The lavender painted walls met three doorways, two bedrooms to the right and a small bathroom to the left. I followed Vi past a neat bedroom and shining bathroom to a closed door. A sign hung from a hook warning any trespassers.

Vi glanced at me, blushing at the naivety of her sign. I smiled at her, letting her know I didn’t care. I thought it was slightly cute. Vi wasn’t as mature as she acted I guess.

Vi took a deep breath, bringing up the courage to push open her doorway. I walked in behind her, looking around curiously. Jean was notorious for keeping anyone out of her room, I had only ever walked in it briefly before being kicked out right away.

The little of the wall that was shown was a light blue almost disappearing behind the numerous posters of cute animals. Boy band posters colorfully contrasted the smiling photos of Vi and her parents. The bed was messily made, covered in fluffy stuffed animals and littered with pillows. The dresser across from the bed was overflowing with clothes, spilling out over the floor. There was a window seat at the other end of the room and a glowing laptop sat on the cushion. The room was very girly, but incredibly comfortable at the same time.

I looked at Vi, smiling. She obviously wasn’t used to having anyone in her room, especially a boy, and she didn’t know what to do.

“So I guess this is my room. You will probably sleep on the couch in the living room. That’s if my parents let you sleep here... “

She trailed off there, uncertainty exaggerating her voice. I was nervous for that part too myself. I didn’t know how Vi’s parents were going to react when they saw me.