Blueprint

Part 18 - Purposes

Making it much easier for myself, I replied, "Yes, of course. What time?"

"Great! It's at seven. You can leave whenever you please. Just show face a little, get to know a few people. You know," she informed me eagerly. "I'll see you then."

I'm not given the chance to bid her goodbye as she hangs up prematurely. With dread, I remove the phone from my ear and reach out to place it over the lid of the toilet. Sighing heavily, grunting beneath my breath, I close my eyes again and attempt to relax. Obviously, the rest of the day is expected to lack anything related to relaxation or tranquility, and I should prepare myself now for the kind of night I was going to have to endure.

Knowing that this meant my relaxing bath would have to be cut short, and knowing that I was bound to have to get up regardless, I stood up and faced the reality of what I just agreed to. Instead of continuing to mourn the past potential of my relaxing day, I get out of the bathroom and dry myself, quickly moving to my bedroom in order to get dressed. Finding a simple black sleeveless blouse and a pair of dark jeans a suitable outfit for going shopping, I quickly tie my straightened hair into a messy bun, figuring I'd regrettably straighten it once again before heading out. My mother was strangely called into work for the day, and her absence was felt as she was not in her room nor in the kitchen, two of her favorite places to lounge.

My attitude towards this party was straightforwardly boredom and disinterest. But, the difference between the last dreadful event I had to attend and this one...was that I felt like I should be going. I felt like I was wanted there, and also had complete justification for attending. Akira wanted me there. I wasn't going to take her flattery too seriously, considering any associate of Harry's raises red flags in the area of sincerity and authenticity. I learned that pretty quickly, considering Harry lacks in those areas as well. Maybe I wouldn't have to deal with him tonight, but I knew that was too good to be true. A close friend of Akira's like Harry would most definitely attend. And I had a feeling he'd know I was coming.

At the store, I brushed past racks of lengthy dresses of different colors, fabrics, and styles. I didn't know what I was looking for, I just knew I had to make sure it wasn't something that brought too much attention to myself. Laying low was my specialty, and I think that was my most damning talent. Only because one would think that as I begin to realize my own sense of self and the power of my perceived agency, I would be able to grow confident in anything that got people looking in my direction. But, I was not taking today as an opportunity to test the waters of my confidence or self-control. I wanted to be in a place and feel comfortable, feel like myself. That, to me, was probably harder than wearing something flashy and being petrified of people's eyes.

Content, then, I hummed past a few racks, gazing around the variety of dresses. I came up to a few racks that were no longer dresses, but a set of skirts and tops. More interested in the sets, I gaze through them and find a dark brown set, the skirt mid-thigh and the top cut into a square neckline, sleeves going mid forearm. The color complimented the tone of my caramel skin, and so I grabbed it off the rack, checking the size and the price. Before leaving, I had taken a couple hundred out of the neat stack of five grand. I was horrified by the idea of my mother finding that kind of money in my bedroom, so I was hoping to open a bank account and store it in there, no longer suppressing any anxieties as to the day my mother decides to clean my bedroom without letting me know.

As I'm checking the price, a figure in the distance caught my attention. The large outline of a man too familiar to me is noticeable in his black attire, standing out in a sea of white and pastel colored lingerie on the other side of the store. I huff to myself at the sight of him, narrowing my eyes knowingly. I'm not surprised by his presence, but I'm sure I told Harry very clearly to back off his surveillance. Axel was very clearly standing there, and he must've not given a single care that I would see him, very creepily, by the women's lingerie section. Biting down my jaw, I fish into my bag for my cell. I'm completely pissed as my thumbs quickly scroll down my call log until I find his name. Pressing on the name, I hold the phone to my ear, the two piece set folded across my unoccupied forearm.