Taming the Street Racer ✔️

33 | red dress

"Where'd Violet go?" Sadie asks, confused. "Did I do something wrong?"

Peyton grabs her hand and assures her, "No, you didn't do anything, Sadie. Violet's just...Violet."

"What happened?" I ask, leaning into Grayson's side. Looking at Peyton calming Sadie down and realizing mine and Gray's position, I can see how Violet feels that we're rubbing our relationships in her face.

"I don't know," Peyton admits. "After talking to Sadie, I suggested to Violet that the five of us have a group dinner tonight. You know, for everyone to hangout and get to know each other. Violet apparently did not like that idea. She just stormed off."

I frown. "A dinner with the five of us sounds great. You think she'll come?"

Peyton shrugs. "She said something about organizing her toenail collection tonight, so I'm guessing she can come. Whether she wants to come is a different story."

Grayson scratches his head, tilting his head thoughtfully. "I don't know Violet very well but I'd imagine being a third-wheel sucks pretty bad. I bet being a fifth-wheel is even worse."

"I agree," Sadie says sadly, resting her head on Peyton's shoulder.

"We should still go. I mean, I'd like to get to know Grayson. I thought Violet would like to get to know Sadie," Peyton replies wistfully. "She'll come around sooner or later."

I think about it, feeling bad for still doing the dinner without Violet. But she was invited and she just doesn't want to come, so it's not like we're leaving her out. "I guess."

Sadie beams, jumping slightly on the balls of her feet. "Okay, I'm so excited! I wish Violet could come, but there's a new super fancy restaurant downtown that Pey and I have been dying to check out. We could get all dressed up."

Feeling her good energy rub off on me, I can't help but feel excited as well. I look up at Gray and he looks down at me and nods. I smile at Sadie and Peyton. "Sounds perfect."

♔     ♕     ♔

After we leave the game, I drive home and mess around for a few hours, rifling through the depths of my closet trying to find the perfect outfit. I put on the High School Musical 3 soundtrack and blast it through my speakers. Something about the upbeat music inspires me to go all-out on my outfit for tonight.

Of course, I try calling Violet several times, and text her more frequently than I usually do, but she doesn't respond to anything. Peyton tells me she drove by Violet's house after practice, and Violet's car wasn't there.

I think about what she said about us rubbing our relationships in her face and I feel terrible. It's thirty minutes before Peyton is supposed to pick me up when I come up with a genius idea. In the middle of doing my makeup, I call Grayson and text Violet, hoping my plan falls into place perfectly.

Peyton arrives ten minutes late, as Peyton usually does. Sadie is in the passenger seat, so I slide carefully slide into the back seat, careful not to trip over my own 6-inch heels. After walking down my brick driveway, I'm already starting to regret my choice of attire. My feet are already killing me, and the tight hem of my dress is making it hard to get comfortable.

"You look amazing," Sadie says, at the same time Peyton warns, "Don't scratch my seats, bitch."

I say thank you to Sadie and compliment her indigo romper, before leaning forward to shove my middle finger in Peyton's face. She swats my hand away before starting the car. Before long, they're continuing an in-depth conversation over what type of dog breed they're going to get when they're married.