Being Shot

P h o t o #48 - Chocolate Kiss

P h o t o #48 - Chocolate Kiss

"Come on already, Emma!"

"Be quiet, Jonas. Looking as good as she does takes time!"

"Well I wouldn't know that since she hasn't shown her face all afternoon since you believe in 'the art of surprise'"

"No, you wouldn't know that because you've never taken the time yourself to look good."

I would have almost doubled over in laughter at the sound of Jonas quoting what Kayla had said earlier through her closed door to him when he asked to come in and borrow the lint roller she kept in her cosmetics bin if I hadn't already been shaking at the top of the staircase, my eyes glued to the rich caramel colored carpeting below, as always worrying about my sudden change in appearance and their reactions to it. Obviously I hadn't run my decision by with any of the boys before going through with it, and when I thought about it, if I had, they probably wouldn't have cared, but something tells me it'll come as somewhat of a shock to then once I descend the steps.

"I'm..." I squeaked, causing the grumbling between the two below to end and the little conversations including Elliot's, Cooper's, and Parker's voices to be cut short, "Okay. I'm coming." I stated more firmly before walking down the stairs barefooted, my shoes swinging in my grasp.

My right hand slid down the slick wooden railing while the other gripped onto the strap of the black leather purse Kayla gave to me as a simple accessory, its contents known to only me, my nails a dark shade of elegant crimson, matching the color on my toenails after Kayla insisting that no detail was too minor the night before after handing me the bottle of polish. I watched the solid color shine under the chandelier above the staircase.

The dangling earrings in my ears, the ones I had borrowed from my grandmother ever since I had known I was attending this party, now swayed past my shorter strands of hair. I smiled, glad that I could wear such an accessory after so many years of admiring them in my grandmother's jewelry box.

Just as I was about to round the wall that divided a sections of the stairs I was on from the living room below, keeping me from seeing what was happening below, I halted at the sound of a suddenly irritated voice.

"Hey!" I heard Jonas cough, his voice hoarse for a moment before clearing his throat, "Jesus Christ! Are you trying to choke me?!"

"Choke you?!" Kayla answered back, evidently trying to keep her short temper towards him under wraps, "I was just trying to fix your wrinkled tie! What kind of guy doesn't even know how to tie a knot?!"

I could almost hear Jonas' growl vibrate up the stair well, "What's that-"

My feet clattered down the steps before I could stop them, my legs moving awkwardly as I tried running in my dress, my hands busy holding the strapless top up just so we wouldn't have any accidental flashing incidents.

Once I landed at the bottom, I raised my hand up to the party already finding something to argue about, barely even noticing the rest of our friends standing off to my side, "Are you two ready to go?" My voice came out squeaky and high pitched, basically throwing my motives to stop their brewing fight from progressing right in front of them.

I watched as Jonas' head swirled my way, the way his icy blue eyes, once filled with growing distress now stared into me with a solid look of surprise. I would have made a comment about how strange it was to see him with his light blonde locks slicked back and out of his attractive face if I hadn't registered the other looks I was acquiring from my right.

I turned my head in spite of myself. Parker gazed down at me through, for the first time I had seen, glasses-less eyes. As always, his dark eyes held a look of interest in what he was observing, but their widening suggested he wasn't expecting this either. I then looked over to Cooper at his side, who's warm, sandy irises were as circular as the coasters sitting atop the living room coffee table as he looked me up and down, his usually shaggy hair neatly brushed over and styled in a way that screamed that he was the life of the party.