Chapter 16
“So are you and Jeremy going to the Winter Casual?” Sarah questioned Janice as they walked from their Drama class to their usual spot for their free. It’s been a week since the kiss behind the tree and Janice nor Jeremy brought it up.
“Winter Casual?” Janice questioned. It was the first time she heard about it. Was it some kind of dance or something?
“Yeah, it’s like a social sort of, like a dance! It’s nothing too fancy, that’s not ‘til Prom.” Sarah explained. “Every year around Christmas the school opens the gym and we are allowed a winter dance. But we really don’t want to make too much of a fuss over it, so it’s just a casual kind of bonding thing. Last year it was sort of a dance then sleep over. I hope they do that again this year!” Sarah rambled as they walked over to the benches.
It was quite murky and dark outside, extremely cold, but nothing close to snow. The usual group sat in a close huddle and bickered over a topic that probably wouldn’t interest Janice. The two girls walked over to the group and put their bags down. Jeremy’s hand automatically reached out for Janice and gripped her waist to pull her down on his lap. She felt herself relax on his lap and wrapped his arms around her. It was absolutely freezing by then.
“Why don’t you ever sit inside?” Janice chided.
“Embrace it, girl. We’re used to it now.” Their friend and Janice’s fellow Shakespeare friend, Chase, told her. “Was it not this cold in wherever you were from?”
“It never felt like this…” Janice quickly covered up her mistake. Chase shrugged it off.
“So are you going to ask Janice to Winter Casual?” Sarah quickly slid in. Janice gave her a pointed look, which Sarah blew off.
“No…” Jeremy drawled. Janice felt a sting in her heart. He wasn’t going to ask her? Janice tried to shake the feeling of sadness out of her, but she didn’t seem to have much.
“That’s rude!” Dana snuffed. Janice agreed with her. For some reason, Janice wanted to feel sad, but she just felt offended, but she didn’t. Why don’t I feel sad? I do like him right? I mean we didn’t have to go together. But it would’ve been nice.
“It’s not like that! I just thought since we’re dating I wouldn’t have to ask her.” Jeremy smiled and gave Janice a squeeze. The group chorused an ‘awww’. Janice forced a confused smile and sat silently. She looked around the group and made eye contact with Jay.
He stared back at her. Janice felt her breath hitch in her throat as she marveled at his bright emerald eyes. Janice felt Jeremy shake her a little. She broke eye contact with Jay to look at Jeremy. “The bell rang.” He had his lips pursed. She nodded and stood up. Janice left confused.
~
“What are you going to wear to the Casual?"
“Are you matching?”
“How are you going to get there?”
“Oh I hope it has a cool theme!”
Janice sat at the counter of Sunny Lane with Penny, Dana, Sarah, Aubrey, and Kate (two other girls in Janice’s Shakespeare class). While the five girls either sat in front of her or wandered through the store, Janice continuously raked her fingers through her hair. There were never this many people at the store at once and Janice could hear the great acoustics on the bare walls. Penny sat crossed-legged on the ground and leaned against the counter with a magazine in her lap. The girls chatted loudly and examined the clothes.
“They could go on forever.” Penny sighed up at Janice. Janice pushed herself over the counter to hang her head off the edge and let her feet dangle off the ground.
“I have a feeling that they could.”
“I also think they’re talking about you.” Penny said mindlessly and licked her finger to flip another page.
“I know but they don’t seem to notice I’m not answering.” Janice spoke in the same tone. She watched as they all burst into a loud laughter, causing a scene from outside. A young girl stopped in front of the store and called to her group of friends. She walked into the store and Janice smiled at her. The girl’s friends spoke to each other and quickly hurried in after her. “But they are attracting some business.” Janice whispered as the girl held a shirt up to her body.
“Excuse me? Is there a changing room?” A really petite girl asked.
“Behind those floral curtains.” Janice smiled. The girl nodded and walked over. Janice smiled at the wild neon colored flowers. They completely clashed against the brown walls and it felt so special. Janice rolled her eyes at herself. Look at yourself! Thinking deeply about curtains! “If you need any help you can ask me!” Janice told the group of girls.
A little less than 20 minutes later everyone in the store was slowly clearing out. “How about a employee discount?” Kate asked with innocent eyes as Janice took the payment. She quickly replaced the correct change in Kate’s hand.
“Hit the road, Kate.” Janice stuck out her tongue and watched as she scampered out the store with a last wave.
“Looks like you actually made money today.” Penny inspected.
“I know! I felt like this day would have never come!” Janice exhaled. She was still confused why her friends were in the store in the first place.
“One: You guys are really loud. Two,” Jay walked out of the storage room and into the main store. “Girls over react to everything. And three: I, as an employee here at Sunny Lane, resent that. We make money.” He snooted past an unimpressed Penny and Janice towards the register.
“Show me the money!” Jay chirped.
“Thanks for showing up late ‘employee of Sunny Lane’.” Janice told him. “We made more than $150 today. Girl-power!” Janice raised her hand and Penny gave it a happy slap. Jay mock raised his hand and gave himself a high-five.
“Girl-power!” He squealed.
“I have officially abandoned all my thoughts of you being manly, J. Bear.” Sidney said as she walked into the store. Penny and Janice giggled as Jay dramatically stomped his feet and put his hands on his hip.
“Long time no see, Sidney!” Janice greeted.
“Oh hello dears! I have been busy lately. Been on a couple of dates!” Sidney sighed happily.
“Ewwwww! Grandmaaaaa!” Jay extended every word, sounding like a child. She did a small wave before disappearing in the back. Penny’s phone rang Taylor Swift’s newest song.
“My mom’s here!” She gave Janice a quick hug after closing her phone. “Bye!” She smiled, ignoring Jay’s whimpers of loneliness. Janice slid off the counter and picked up her magazine.
“So are you going to Winter Casual?” Janice asked Jay.
“Are you asking me out?” Jay bat his eyelashes at her. She rolled her eyes and stashed her magazine in her cubby.
“No. I’m going with Jeremy.”
“Jeremy…” Jay hissed.
“What?” Janice blinked at him.
“What?” Jay blinked back at her. They stared at each other.
“What’s wrong with Jeremy?”
“Nothing is wrong with Jeremy.”
“They why did you say his name like that?” Janice shot back.
“It’s nothing.”
“You’re weird.”
“I get that often.” There was a pause between the two. Jay walked behind the counter and opened the register. “So what are you wearing?”
“What are you? An investigator? A girl?” Janice teased.
“It was a simple question. If you don’t want to answer then don’t” Jay grumbled and slammed the register shut. He wrapped his hand around the money and stomped towards the back door.
“Hey! I was just joking with you!” Janice called to him. She instantly felt bad. “To be honest, I didn’t find anything. I haven’t even thought of it.” Janice said softly to Jay’s turned back.
“I have an early Christmas present for you.” Jay said after he thought. He turned back to Janice’s surprised face.
“You do?” Janice asked in astonishment.
“Yeah.” Jay said sheepishly. “You can wear it to the dance if you want…” Jay trailed off. Before Janice could ask what it was Jay disappeared to the back room. He had gotten her a present? How adorable of him. Janice didn’t think they were good enough friends or anything to actually buy gifts.
Buying gifts, mementos, things to remember you by, something a missionary would never want. You don’t want anyone you’ve met while on a mission to remember you. That was the point of leaving. So you never existed. So no one could ever thank you.
Jay was back before Janice could think any deeper. He held a long box wrapped in newspaper. “Sorry, I’m not the best wrapper.” He grinned as he held out the box for Janice. She just looked at it.
“I can’t accept this.” She whispered. He would never understand. But looking down at last week’s newspaper brought Janice into second thinking.
“Yeah you can. I bought it for you! You can’t just let my money go to waste can you?” He asked with a grin. Guiltily Janice took the box. “Go on. Open it.” Janice didn’t take too much time to rip open the wrapping.
It was a dress. It wasn’t any dress, though. It was the dress. The dress Janice saw the first time she and Jeremy came to Sunny Lane. The lace ribbon felt so soft. Janice felt tears brim in her eyes. “Jay…” She whispered, overwhelmed. So many emotions ran through her at once.
“Do you like it? That was the dress you were trying on, right?” Jay asked shyly.
“Jay… it’s beautiful!” Janice placed the box and dress on the counter before throwing her arms around him. He staggered back, surprised. Janice giggled. He wrapped his arms around her thin frame and gave her a tight squeeze. He laughed to before Janice settled back on her feet; since Jay was tall she had to tippy-toe. She smiled up at him as he grinned down to her.
Janice felt this attraction towards Jay then. As if her life depended on it, she kept her arms around his neck. Sparks shocked and ran through her body. She never felt so high before. Jay’s smile had disappeared and he was staring at her intently. She knew he felt it too, but what was it? She slowly rose to her tippy toes again so she could be face to face with Jay. His breath fanned across her lips. She loved it.
“J. Bear? Janice?” Janice gasped and pulled away from Jay and slapped her hand over her mouth. They turned to Sidney looking at them.
“Thanks for the present, Jay.” Janice whispered before grabbing the dress and escaping into the back.
Jay never felt more confused with himself than he did now.
(>^u^)>
Hey there! Long time no see! I changed the dress because I couldn't find the original picture and the one I put up earlier in the story is gone so I cahanged it. THIS IS THE NEW DRESS! So I just restarted school and my favorite class so far is Art History. Mainly because of my teacher. BUT THEN I HEARD THE OTHER ART HISTORY TEACHER LIKES DOCTOR WHO SO I THINK I'M GOING TO BE BEST FRIENDS WITH BOTH OF THEM. I'm currently in English now, beh. If y'all want to be a darling, I make booktube videos! I'll leave my link in the external link and it's also on my account page! Thanks for being perf!