Listen to Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith
Chapter 31
I woke up.
Scratch that.
I woke up happy.
And get this, I was still grinning from ear to ear replaying the events of last night in my mind. Despite only having a few hours of sleep I felt more awake than ever.
Closing my eyes I continued my dreaming, smiling and giggling to myself like a psycho. Hearing a light tap on the door, I opened one eye, ignoring whoever it was, snuggling further underneath the covers.
"Shayreece Taylor, get your behind out of bed right now!" I heard moms voice enter the room along with her waft of expensive smelling perfume.
She tugged the blanket off of me making me grown loudly and turn on my stomach placing my face on my pillow not wanting to get up. Basically I was feeling lazy, lazier than the grinning cat. "Just a few more hours," I whined incoherently.
"Are you planning on waking up at dinner time then?" My mom hauled me to my feet. My posture resembling a zombie.
"Wha?" I wiped the saliva off the side of my face annoyed. Checking the time it displayed 11:30am. Collapsing onto the floor I used my hands as my pillow to rest my face.
"I cannot believe you are not ready! Even with all that was going on at school, you had nothing to do with it so I don't understand why on earth you're so tired!" My mother continued to scold me letting out huffs of irritation. I heard her rummage through my closet.
The only words I picked out was not ready.
"Wait, where are we going?" I lay on my back watching her turn back her eyes furious.
This was so amusing. I enjoyed deliberately making her have to answer questions that stressed the hell out of her.
"You are unbelievable! See...this is why I only take Morgan to events...at least he's more cooperative," she spoke inwardly to herself.
"No, its cause he's such a mamas boy," I muttered under my breath attempting to make a snow angel on my rug until my butt got sore.
She finally pulled out a cute little beige dress a bit above the knee with detailed lace along the sleeves that I didn't even know I owned.
"Mom, hate to break it to ya...but whatever this is, I'm super busy today so-" I let her assume whatever the end of the sentence would be. Stretching my arms out I placed them under my head.
A girls gotta try, right?
She continued looking through my shoes for a pair of matching heels seemingly unbothered. "With what? Dreaming about a boy half the day?"
My eyes widened. "Yes, I heard you making smooching sounds in your sleep but you don't have an excuse this time. You're coming Shay and that's final."
I thank the dream gods I didn't murmur any names in my sleep instead. I still lay there confused as to where we were going. She shut her eyes briefly pinching the bridge of her nose.
Damn. She made me feel as though I was the cause of her high blood pressure.
"Its the High Tea Party at the town house and all young females and eligible males are required to attend because they will also be interviewing all the girls for the Miss Langston Jubilee."
How could I have forgotten about this? I thought it was next week, now I couldn't convince my mother I was sick or had period cramps.
Oh. And Ian would be there and Jay and Abbie. And Ryder possibly. Great. Just great.
"Remind me why we 'all' have to go again?" My bottom lip quavering pretending to cry attempting to make puppy dog eyes.
"You look ridiculous," she pointed out making me scrunch my nose at her bluntness.
"If it's another founders meeting, won't the Haynes be there this time?" I threw my towel over my shoulder heading into my bathroom. I knew I was entering deep waters with that question.
She was silent for a while. "We'll be waiting downstairs," she turned on her heels making a blatant shift out the door totally dodging my question. My mother was good at deflection if you hadn't noticed.
It was confirmed. I wasn't gonna get answers any time soon and had to do digging of my own this time.
We all ended up riding in the same car because what else screams a perfectly bonded family then a car ride together. Lame, right?
Although the car ride turned out to be Morgan telling my dad about the big plans he had this football season and all the scouts that had approached him and other guys on his varsity team.
"Shay?" My mom looked up from her phone meeting my eyes in the rear view mirror.
Good to know they thought to give me some attention.
"Hmm?" I perked up.
"Did you really have to wear your hair up?" She frowned in dissatisfaction.
Okay. Take the attention. I don't want it.
Morgan snorted watching me pull my neat bun out of place letting my curls cascade down the sides of my face. "Happy?" I made a double chin rolling my eyes trying to appear hideous.
"Much better," she answered sarcastically shaking her head reapplying her lipstick with her makeup kit.
Dad smoothly drove past all the pine trees within the property and the well kept gardens and mazes where I usually hung out when we'd come here.
Parking at the valet, we all stepped out with my mother in the lead. "Glad the whole family could make it! Don't you all look gorgeous," the usher gushed who was none other than the Mayors wife.
Morgan coolly stroll up the white stairs while I forced a smile nearly tripping in the ridiculously high shoes that my mother made me wear.
Never again.
My mother and her briefly chatted, I was almost to the top when Morgan purposefully stuck his foot out when no one was paying attention making me stumble forward. Before I could tumble to the ground I grabbed my fathers shoulders for support.
Awkwardly turning that grip into a hug. making him chuckle along with everyone else eyeing me weirdly. I turned back shooting Morgan a death glare, he grinned back cheekily.
"Shay, I've never seen you so eager to be here before." Mrs Sanford joked as she assisted us through to the backyard garden where the tea party was being held. I let out a cynical short laugh. "Trust me Mrs Sanford, this is the last place I'd wanna be," I answered truthfully nudging her shoulder playfully.
Her face went blank and my mothers just froze in place wondering if she heard right. Making me suddenly realize I was doing that thing again where I thought it was all in my head but really I blurted it out.
We talked about that filter Shay, come on! My subconscious echoed.
"Bahahaha," she combusted into a series of laughter, "...and that's why you're my favorite person to joke with," she chided in. My family all looked at each other with fake smiles and forced laughter while my mother studied her as if she was an idiot to have found my raw judgement amusing.
"Arnold, she most certainly won't be getting into law with all that honesty," she kidded as she walked off into the direction of where the founding family members normally held their meetings along with my parents.
Leaving Morgan and I to find our way to the outside garden where I heard faint sounds of violins being played. A few middle aged men and women also stalked off into the big meeting room acknowledging us with a friendly nod of the head.
"Where are you going? The party's this way," I said in an obvious tone when I saw Ryder slowly stride off to the East side of the building where a bunch of vintage decorated rooms were located.
He looked up from his phone. "I'm gonna look for Amber, you go ahead."
"Don't make me look like a loner. Walking in there. Alone," I whined pulling his arm as a few waiters hustled by passing with an armful of gourmet food and pastries, it's delicious smell forcing me to want to trail right behind them.
On second thought. I think I'd better hurry before all that food disappeared.
"That's exactly what I want you to look like," he grinned for half a second going back to his blank expression.
I swear, this boy had no heart at times.
"What about Jay? We have to sort this out, you can't avoid it." I told him with a serious face placing my hands on my hip.
"Uh uh. I'm not getting involved. I told you my part, its up to her to tell you and time for you to listen without judging. Like I said she chose you. I'm over her," he clenched his jaw at the last sentence like it hurt him to get those three words out. He turned round and jogged in the direction of the upstairs balcony.
"Yeah, but she's not over you," I said under my breath letting out a loud sigh. Swallowing my pride, I trudged in the direction of the wafting smell of yummy food that was soon going to be in my tummy.
Striding into the large outside area it looked like a setting straight out of an 1850's film and was where Lady Langston would usually host large events where people seemed as if they'd arrange marriages and talk about politics with classic Victorian ladies in their vintage gowns strolling around with their bumbershoots and the men with a cigar in between their teeth watching the women.
Walking straight towards the buffet table I plopped random fruit tarts into my mouth trying hard not to moan out loud. I gazed straight at the entrance of the maze because it was the only spot where people weren't standing. I avoided eye contact until I felt someone tap my shoulder while I was deciding between a chocolate eclair or a caramel puff. Eventually taking both in hand I slowly turned around.
"Glad to know you're still alive," a pair of gentle brown eyes met mine with a loop sided smile the sun shining off of him like he were an angel.
"Ian," I exclaimed with a mouthful of the eclair making it come out as Ifan instead.
"I didn't see you at the dance last night," I told him chewing and swallowing in a big gulp. Oh my jeepers. I must've looked like a pig stuffing my face infront of him.
"You have a little- let me get it for you," He looked at my lips swiping the whipped cream from the side of my mouth, eventually licking it like we were some kind of married couple.
I had to admit it was pretty hot.
"Umm...yeah. High school dances aren't really my thing," he shrugged his shoulders as we walked side by side towards the orchard garden that was a bit secluded from the sounds of the orchestra who were currently playing Chandelier by Sia.
"And I'm sorry for not answering your call...I was just held up."
By his brother, my slutty side finished my sentence in a singsong voice, I could just imagine her laughing mischievously with her tongue stuck out trying to grind.
We walked slowly around the sculpted water fountain watching a few teens run into the maze. Girls dresses flowing and the boys buttoned dress shirts half tucked out following right behind them with enormous grins with hands held. A turmoil of nostalgia slithered through my thoughts reminding me of how carefree I used to be.
"I get it. Sometimes you wanna cut yourself off from the world and take a breather." He splashed water at my face when I least expected it. He must've noticed my distracted and lost gaze. I was shocked to say the least.
"Why'd you do that for?!" I scowled before laughing doing it back wetting his whole shirt this time making him put his hands up in surrender.
He glanced at me like I knew very well. He looked out into the distance his eyes so far away suddenly losing his playful side.
"That's for making a mistake with Ryder."
The hell. My jaw dropped and so did my stomach that was now filled with my enticement of death eating guilt.