TPS *(original version)*

Chapter Three

The water had drained and I was toweling off, wiping my smeared makeup off my cheeks when there was a knock at the bathroom door. I sniffed and called out shakily. "Yes?"

"Uh, Sofia, my mother wants to let you know that dinner is in thirty minutes. She wants you to wear something semi-formal." Alexzander's voice said through the door.

I pulled my black dress from earlier back on and peered out. "What is semi-formal?" I asked. He wasn't in the bedroom, but I heard hangers clacking from the closet. I padded across the room to the closet and opened the veil. "What exactly is semi-formal? Ohmigod!" I yelled, turning around and covering my eyes. "I'm sorry!" I exclaimed.

He wasn't naked, but he didn't have pants or a shirt on. Just red plaid boxers and that was all I could see before I screamed and turned around.

"Hang on!" Alexzander said frantically. I heard something zip, and then the veil moved. I turned around. This time he was in a pair of black dress pants and a plain white t-shirt.

"Sorry," I said, blushing.

"Don't worry about it," he said.

"Okay, well..."

"Just wear another black dress, if you have one. If not I'll pick something out."

"Um, you can just pick something out for me."

"Okay," he said, still avoiding eye contact with me.

I turned embarrassed and rushed back into the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and washed my face, then reapplied mascara, adding a little bit of powder on my cheeks. My hair was still dry and curly, so I fluffed it out a bit and put it in a side bun, and then brushed my teeth. There was another knock on the door, so I spit, rinsed my mouth and opened it.

Alexzander stood in a plain white button up with the top two buttons undone, showing off the t-shirt I'd seen earlier, and the sleeves rolled up. He still had on the same black dress pants, and had on black dress shoes. His curly brown hair hung in his face and he flicked it out smoothly as he held up a dress with a black top, white bottom and black piping around the hemline, which went to my knee.

"I figured it we matched, my mom would like that." He said.

"Smart boy," I said.

"You sound better," he said simply.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Excuse me," He stepped around me gracefully into the bathroom.

Horror washed over me. "How long were you in the bedroom while I was in the bath?" I asked.

"Not long," he said simply. But he looked over at me, and his eyes spoke for him. He'd been there the whole time.

I bit my lip and walked into the closet, the dress in hand. I slipped the black one off and pulled the black and white one on, struggling with the zipper. I managed to get it almost all the way up, and figured that would have to do.

"Sofia, we should probably get going now, my mother doesn't like when I'm late for dinner..." Alexzander said from out in the bathroom.

"Hang on! I need shoes!" I said.

I was searching through all my suitcases frantically for a pair of black or white heels, but I'd had no such luck yet.

A chime sounded, and I heard Mrs. Laestrom's voice fill the bedroom. They must have intercoms. "Alexzander, dinner has started," she said, a bit angry.

"We're coming mother," Alexzander said.

I grabbed a pair of red heels and slipped them on. They'd have to deal. I pushed the veil aside and began walking out. Alexzander was waiting for me by the door, and when I appeared he opened it.