Red Clay

19

          "You did what?!" Dane rolls all over my bed laughing her ass off, too hysterical to answer my question.

"Okay, okay. Oh, my stomach hurts. Alright, there was never an emergency, Janice and I faked the whole thing."

"Dane, that's not funny. He overheard what I said about him," this makes her laugh even harder, "He teased me the entire time." I can feel myself pouting.

          Clay was relentless yesterday. I was absolutely horrified and embarrassed when I realized he'd heard me talking about that thing I did in the shower. That bit of curiosity I felt was completely gone. Then, throughout the time we packed cooling pads, bottled water, and nonperishable food for the homeless, Clay didn't miss a chance he had to touch me. Subtle grazes, the slight brush of his arm against mine, his hands on my shoulder whenever he had to pass me. To put it simply, he was doing too much. Did I like it? I won't answer that.

          He's always been a little playful and flirty but yesterday I also saw him being serious and completely honest. I've always thought he was a part of this scheme but what he said makes me believe he was forced into this just like me. I'd wanted to believe it before but without communication and no reasoning on anyone's part, it was hard not to assume the worst. That these three men had conspired and schemed to smash me even further into the box that is my father's whim and control. But that was two of them apparently the other one is inside the box with me. Keeping me company.

"Okay, seriously I'm done now. If I laugh anymore I swear I'll explode." Her body is literally jerking with her suppressed laughter. She's irritating.

"I was so embarrassed but we had a good time. I'll admit that, we did."

"That's all I'd hoped for. You guys seem compatible like you would get along really well given the chance. I just wanted to give you guys that."

"Well, we kind of did. Actually found out that none of this was his plan. And Ralph is a master manipulator and a terrible father."

"What'd I tell you?"

"Shut up."

"What? I did tell you." she playfully rolls her eyes before sitting up on her knees in the bed and grabbing a hold of my hair.

"What are you going to do to it?" I ask popping a slice of apple into my mouth.

"Just a ponytail. So, are you guys going to hang out again any time soon?"

"Dane, Clay is here almost every day I don't even think I have a say in the matter." I'm still weirded out about the fact that I'm a little excited to see him. It still feels like I shouldn't be like this is moving too fast for the situation that we're in. But I am, I'm excited.

          Dane styles my hair into a sleek ponytail and demands to put mascara on me. Before she can suggest anything further the doorbell rings and I automatically know it's Clay. My father is home and so is his abundance of servants so I don't have to rush to open the door for him. But, I can hear his shoes as he bounds up the step and his voice when he tells someone that him coming up here is fine. It's not. I'm in shorts and a holey graphic tee with one of the holes being right on the top of my breast, he can't see that. I grab a shirt from my closet before he makes it to the door and rush into the bathroom.

"Should've let him see." Dane laughs. Of course she'd think that, her mind is a filthy place. I get one shirt off and the other one on so fast that I'm stepping out of the bathroom as Clay is knocking on the door.

"I'm leaving, have fun," she smirks and waves before opening the door, "hi Clay, bye Clay."

"Hi Dane, bye Dane." he looks confused as he waves at her back then he turns to me.