Caught In The Way You Got Me (Book One)

So It Seems I'm Someone I've Never Met

Asteria: 

Brendon successfully calmed me down. He's right. I need other friends and I need to be able to talk to other people. I can't just count on Davey. I have Brendon now, too. And I can make more friends. I should have started being more social when I got here...It would just help if Davey hadn't slept with a majority of the girls on campus. It would make things less awkward. But he isn't the only thing I have to worry about. 

I dial my mother's number and wait for her to answer. I'd rather talk to her in person. At dinner or something. I don't know, that's how peple do it in the movies right? Oh God I actually have no idea what I'm doing. 

"Hello?" Crap.

"Um, hi mom." 

"Asteria, are you alright? Where are you? Did your boyfriend find you?" There's an odd happiness in Brendon being acknowledged as my boyfriend.

"Yes, I'm with him right now. What time does your flight leave today?"

"It doesn't leave until eleven."

"Can we have dinner? And talk?" My voice is shakey but Brendon gives me two thumbs up and a large grin. 

"Yes, that sounds fine. I'm sure you need some time after what happened with David." ...Is she being understanding?

"Yeah, um, I'll pick you up at my apartment at six."

"Okay."

"Okay." I hang up and look at Brendon.

"I'm proud of you Asteria," he says as he kisses the top of my head. I can't wait until life starts to relax. "You know there's probably some important stuff we should take care of today."

"Like what?" I ask him. 

"Someone needs an outfit for the Fueled By Ramen Halloween not holiday party that they're hosting," he says as he pinches my cheeks. He's really cute when I'm upset. "My treat if I get to help you pick it."

I laugh and agree and we get in his car and head to the mall, discussing what will be suitable considering we can't wear costumes but it also should be themed. 

The ride to the mall is casual and light. I feel like this is one of the few times Brendon and I don't have yo talk about something serious. He tells me stories of parties in the past and how there was a year he wasn't invites because he jumped into the hotel pool from a balcony and I can't help but roll my eyes at his wrecklessness. As we pace through the mall he gets excited over everything and it takes me a while to realize that he enthusiastically keeps saying "Look! Corn dogs!" because he's hungry.

"Go ahead, get a corn dog," I yell him with a smile and he takes a deep breath and races to the corn dog stand. I pull out my phone to check my text messages and hear his voice yell "take my money I need a veggie dog!" My laugh fades quickly when I see a few texts from Davey.

Asteria can we talk?

You know I didn't mean what I said.
Asteria please answer me I'm worried about you.

Asteria we really need to talk about what happened.

I sigh and drop my phone back into my purse. When I look up Brendon is smiling me with a half gone corn dog in his hand. I giggle as he kisses my nose.

"So the hostess always wears a dress," he says with his mouth full. I nod and he continues. "So I was thinking why don't you just go as a goddess?"

"You can't be serious," I snort.

"Asteria! It's just being yourself!" I give him a shove as we make our way into an expensive looking dress shop. I start heading straight to the clearance section but he hooks my arm and pulls me back.

"I'll buy it for you," he says shyly.

"Oh Brendon you really don't have t-"

"No. I'm buying it for you. Think of it as an early birthday gift."

"You don't even know when my birthday is."

"Yes I do. It's on Halloween." I glare at him.

"No it's not."

"Stop lying!"

"How would you even know when my birthday is? You've known me for like a month!" Brendon and I both make a face, realizing that it's been such a small period of time and there's a pang of sadness in my chest when I realize he's leaving soon.

"I um...admitted you into the hospital," he says and takes a bite of his corn dog to have a reason to not say anything else. I just give him a small nod. "So I'll be here for your birthday!"

"You mean for the not holiday party," I say with a smile and he gives me a wink as he finishes his corn dog and tosses the stick into the trash bin.

After having to awkwardly explain that my ribs are healing to the sales associate in the store and trying on what felt like at least forty dresses I stop and stare at myself as I'm zipped into a dress that makes me not recognize myself. It's almost like a two piece black cocktail dress and I wouldn't be comfortable with the short skirt length and the crop top portion if it wasn't for the rest. Over the cocktail dress portion is a whole new dress made completely from a navy colored chiffon and there are embellishments along the shoulders and chest that match bands of more embellishments along the waist and skirt. The sleeves are a mesh material that have a portion for my ring finger to go through which gives it a comfortable feeling of my usual attire. I'm nervous for Brendon to see me in it. When the sales associate pulls back from zipping the dress up her jaw drops. 

"You. Looking. Freaking. Amazing." I smile and give a small thank you, still unsure that I look anything like myself but in the best  possible way. She excitedly runs out of the fitting room. "I'll go tell him you're coming out!"

When I step out he's talking to her and he glances and only catches a small glimps of me, but that glimpse makes his head turn completely and a huge grin spreads across his face as he bites his lip. He slowly turns the rest of his body and lets out a mix between a laugh and a sigh. I give an awkward shrug, still not comfortable but glad to see his reaction. 

"That's it. That's the one." He doesn't step towards me, he just stares which makes me nervous but slightly satisfied with myself for being able to pull this dress off. I never would have bothered to try anything like this on on my own. I didn't even notice he had picked this out. The sales associate, whom I discovered to be named Ana, gives me a thumbs up and a satisfied nod. I give a small nod back and Brendon's eyes stay glued to me as we walk back to the fitting room and I try to embed his reaction into my brain. 

(Double updating and maybe quadruple updating to get this Halloween part on time! Yes there's a Halloween part. Also I need to remember to put my titles in before I publish!!! agh!!!)