If I Die Young

14. Use and abuse

Coming home from school the next day was filled with sparks of excitement that only Ladon and I shared. I was sure to keep my mind off of it around Noelle and Aurelia if they were to take a peek and I worked quietly on my homework while I waited for the dinner call.

I was busy doing long division when there was a knock on my door. When I called for them to come in I saw a group of small hands pushing the wooden slab open and in came the three girls, all giggling and hiding something behind their backs. I was incredibly confused, but the moment I pulled my earbuds out I heard them all squeal in unison:

"Happy Valentine's Day!"

They produced little red paper hearts, a candy taped to the back of each one. My heart melted at the sight of them and I was on the verge of tears when I got out of my seat, if only to pull each of them into a tight embrace. Daisy was giggling uncontrollably and Noelle had a giant smile on her face. Delilah produced a small bouquet of white blossoms, budding and blooming in her hands as she placed them in mine.

"Happy Valentine's Day, girls." I told them. "Thank you for all of this, I wish I'd done something for you."

"Don't worry!" Daisy grinned. "We know you love us just the same."

"Of course I do." I pulled her into another hug, then Delilah, and last but not least, Noelle.

They all said their goodbyes, running out the door just as quickly as they'd came and closing it behind them. I took my seat again and peeled the candies off of the back, reading each heart before taping them to the wall above my desk. I placed the white flowers in a small vase that contained the rose Daisy had pulled for me, still as red and lively as it had been the day she gave it to me. I loved those girls more than I'd ever known I could love another human being.

It wasn't too long after they left that Elyse stopped by my door, telling me dinner was done. I followed along close behind her, joining everyone else in the dining room just as I had on any other day. I'd stopped sitting on the opposite end and instead had joined them all, placed in between Elyse and Ezra. Tonight's menu consisted of game hens and stuffing, alongside steamed vegetables and scalloped potatoes. I ate until I couldn't eat any more, and even then I still had room for the brownies and ice cream Miss Huld had prepared for desert.

While everyone was cleaning up, I found that I was the last one left in the kitchen as I scrubbed the dishes and wished them all a good night. The sun was setting outside and I'd just placed the last plate away when I saw what was left of the brownies sitting out on the counter. I grabbed a bowl and cut a square out, heating it up for a few seconds in the microwave before grabbing a spoon and heading up the stairs. I'd remembered where Ladon's room had been from watching him walk in and out of it, and I knocked gently, only to be met with silence. A smile pulled up on the corners of my lips and I popped the door open slightly to find the room dark, lit up only by a curtain that had been shifted aside to reveal the moon. I placed the bowl on the desk beside the door and closed it again, knowing the smell might rouse him eventually.

With quiet footsteps I made my way back over to my room, closing the door behind me gently and turning to my closet. I wasn't sure what the appropriate dress would be but I was glad it wasn't a formal occasion. I spent a good amount of time pulling things out and trying them on, switching out one top for another and kicking off my shoes only to pull on another pair. Finally I settled on a sultry ensemble: a suede miniskirt that laced up the sides and a green mock neck tank top with a keyhole cut in the front. I pulled on a pair of boots that wrapped around my thighs and matched my skirt, boosting me up a couple inches and giving me the look I'd been looking for. A velvet cardigan worth more than myself looked good as I tied it across my chest, the bow resting in the center of the keyhole cut out.

As I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup I heard a knock on the door. With one last swipe of a lilac lipstick I got up and answered, finding Ladon on the other side. My heart felt like it was caught in my throat when I saw him, his hair gelled and wearing a leather coat that made him look like the mysterious badass he was. Something in his eyes flickered as well and I felt he'd never seen someone like me before.

"I'll admit, I've seen girls dress for the occasion, but you have taken the cake by far." He reached out, my breath catching in my chest when his finger brushed my jaw. "I like that color. You should wear it more often."

"Thank you." I finally breathed, unable to find any other words among the jumble that crossed my mind.

"It's almost ten so we should get going, my buddy should be here any time." Ladon turned, leaving me to follow along behind him.

I turned my light off and closed the door, treading on the balls of my feet as to not let my heels make the click-click sound on the hardwood as I walked. We snuck to the back door and popped it open, slinking out into the dewy grass and trotting around the side of the house. We hopped back onto the pavement and I felt the breeze trace my skin again, the taste of adventure driving me wild. I ended up pretty much running ahead of him only to stop at the end of the driveway and wait. It wasn't long after that an old Honda pulled up, the paint scratched off of a dent in one door and one headlight dimmer than the other. The driver rolled his window down, revealing a dark skinned eighteen year old with shoulder length dreadlocks and a charming grin.

"Who's the little lady standing in the dark?" He asked Ladon as he jogged around to the passenger side. I slipped into the backseat and closed the door, watching as Ladon snagged his friend's phone and looked through the music.

"Sable, this is my friend Lenny," Ladon looked back at me, "Lenny this is Sable Snow."

"You're kiddin' me?!" He looked back, his eyes wide as I grinned and waved at him. "You have a damn model in the back of my car, you ain't kiddin'."

"Nice to meet you Lenny, I'm new to the house." I felt a certain wave of nostalgia wash over me, my social charm sliding back over me.

"It is an honor to be in your presence." He reached back to shake my hand and I gripped his gladly. "God dammit Ladon, least you could've done was warn me!"

"I figured you'd enjoy the surprise." He snickered. "Hey Sable, you listen to Gorillaz at all?"

"I saw them live last September."

"Oh girl I envy you." Lenny groaned as Ladon turned the music on, heavy beats and fast rap echoing down the street as we raced along.

I sat there and stared out the window as we drove, a smile constant on my lips as the boys laughed in the front seat. I hadn't seen Ladon this happy since I'd been in the house, but I guess it's hard to be happy in a place where you feel like an outsider looking in.

We drove for a solid forty five minutes at fifteen over the limit before we finally reached what looked to be one of the bigger cities in the state. We'd just entered Jackson city limits, and I couldn't have been more elated to see it all. Another five minutes and we pulled up to the curb of a suburban street, finding that the house was already bustling. The moment my feet touched the pavement I grinned, feeling the heavy beats from inside the house having traveled out onto the surrounding street.

"Now, little lady," Lenny caught my attention as he'd slammed his door shut, "you ever been to one of these parties before?"

"No." I said simply. "The parties I'd been to had art and fashion moguls drunkenly stumbling about in thousand dollar dresses."

"Well then, be prepared to see everything from drug use and abuse to public fornication." He warned me. "Something happens you come straight to me or the beast over there and we'll knock someone's ass out. Got it girl?"

"Yes sir." I grinned, wrapping my fingers around the crook of his arm. He seemed to pause for a moment and made the motion of a cross on his chest before kissing towards the sky and bringing me inside.