. . .
Three steps to embarrass myself.
I stand in an awkward position, wobbling a bit in the six inch stick-thin heels. I wait in line in front of the gym's entrance, butterflies racing on my stomach, as Jacob makes his rounds of greeting and handshakes. The line moves up a few steps, and with no one to support me, I take a breath and drag my feet across the concrete.
I almost topple over, tripping over my dress, but two strong hands firmly grasp around me, saving me for the second time today. My eyes widen, in shcok, fear, and mostly embarrassment. By the size of the hands, I can tell they're not Jacob's, and when I look up it's none other than J. Chresanto.
Well, just Chresanto.
"Woah there, tiger." He chuckles. His voice is deep and lined with an accent. His chocolate eyes meet my dull brown ones, and he smiles, rising me to my feet again. "You look familiar. Where have I see you around before?" He asks, taking a step to admire my fancy attire as I gaze down, unable to speak.
"J-just lunch." I mutter, stuttering over my words. He grins and holds my chin up the same as Jacob had, showing off his white, perfectly aligned teeth. "Listen, be careful, okay? You're too beautiful to be falling head over heels. Literally." He says and I chuckle under my breath.
He only sees the fancy dressed, makeup drowned, glasses-less girl now, not the real me. "I won't." I promise, and then he's gone. When I reach the entrance, the ticketmaster asks for my name and date. Jacob's not here, and he's still doing his rounds, so technically, he's supposed to be here becuase no name can be said twice.
"Nadia Crestfield." I mumble, barely audible. Luckily, Jaxton, the man behind the whole prom night, hears me and nods. Then I say Jacob's name, but he's shakes his head. "Mr. Perez has already made his way in. Go ahead inside and get your picture taken."
I hear a few laughs behind me.
"That dateless freak shouldn't be allowed in." Someone whispers behind me, and new round of low laughs erupt behind me. I ignore them, face burning and heels clacking like they're five inch wide chunks of nothing supporting me, adding on the the embarrassment.
The man behind the photo booth looks at me curiously before making me pose alone. He snaps the photo, and I pick at my nails as he hands it to me. "
Do you go here?" He asks. I nod silently and step out of the booth, clanking over my heels again. This time, I catch myself before I fall but the loud, thumping beat of the music makes me dizzy as I wobble to the punch bowl. The green punch has swirls of a suspicious white color, and so does the red one.
I decide to take none, but when I step away from the room-stretching table, someone grabs my lower arm. Chresanto again. "Where's your date?" He yells over the pumping music. I shrug and look down, watching my step as I step away from the snack table.
But Chresanto doesn't let me go just yet. I want to step outside, but I won't be let back in. I walk over to the bleachers, Chresanto hot on my tail as he watches me. I take a sit and he sits next to me.
"So," he smiles. "What do you do for fun? Perhaps, partying, pranking, and sex?" He says, leaning close enough for me to hear his breathing. All of those are his interests, especially pranking ad joking, but mine are completely opposite.
"Reading." I say, but whenh he cups hand around his ear, I know he didn't hear me. "Reading!" I say louder, watching his expression change.
"Reading is boring. I mean, I try to read, but them high words like prejudice and discombolu-"
"Wait!" I interrupt him. He doesn't realize it. He's actually using those words. He stops talking, waiting for me to continue. "Prejudice means, like," I pause, thinking of the best way to break it down. "Like, when you judge something beofre you know what actually happened." I say.
Chresanto nods. "Like, if you were actually a virgin, but I said you had sex before even before knowing you didn't, that's prejudice. Right?" A giddy smile lines his face when I nod. It's easy to tell that sex and prank terms are all he knows. That's his mindset.
"You've got it!" I compliment and he pumps his fist in the air triumphantly, making me giggle a bit. "And discombobulate means to confuse or become unable to read or understand something." He nods slowly, disgesting the words. "Like," He says. He says like a lot, and I mentally take note in case I meet him again.
I highly doubt that will happen, though, with his infamous reputation, and well, my unknown reputation.
A slow song comes on, and all of the lights change a from rotating red and yellow to dark, wispy blue with white streaks. "If I say that you discombolulate me, you confuse me?" He questions. The look on his face is pricelss when I shake my head.
"I'm kidding. That's exactly right." I giggle, smiling a bit. I turn my head to a beaming Jacob. He plasters a playful frown as I plaster a real one.
"Where have you been?" We say in unison. Silence emerges from both of us as we take in the twin moment. Jacob laughs at it as I stare at my lap. Chresanto stands up and daps Jacob before nodding off.
"I'm not worried about anything, but um, I'm kind of having a sucky night." He mumbles. That's the forst frown I've ever seen from him. I pat the empty bleachers spot next to me, and he sits.
"Spill it." I say.
"Since you're willing to listen, um, here it goes. So, I saw my ex, Xena, and she looked really beautiful tonight. I-I just couldn't resist being drawn to her beaut-"
"It's okay if you don't like me." I say. "Hey, I'm friendless anyway." I smile a little, but it's a sad smile. Being frinedless finally hits me. "I did enjoy walking in the heels though. Oh, and taking that embarrasing prom photo and being laughed at at the entrance. I'm completely fine with it." I encourage him. Lies, of course.
"I'm sorry, Nadia. C-Can I just have this one dance with her? Please?" I put on a fake smile and nod.
'Thank you, Xe- I mean, Nadia! I promise I'll be back, oh and I'm still going to eat with you tomo-" He doesn't finish as the song starts and he runs up to meet a waiting Xena Coleman.
It's not like I liked him, anyway. It's not like I was comfortable enough to let him eavesdrop on my bra size. It's not like tagging his siter along ever made him like me. Maybe he just wanted to help me. After all I am a hilariously pitiful loser. I laugh at myslef under my breath as I watch him dance from a distance.
He stares at Xena, the gorgeous student council co-leader, and spins her around. She laughs and everyone dances gracefully around them. Like the prom revolves around them. I get up, kick off the heels and enjoy the glazed, cool feeling of wood on my feet as I exit the gym. The concrete is comfortably hard as I past the ticket booth.
"Where you going there?" I hear someone say from behind me. It's Jaxton. I put on a fake smile and shrug, walking away. "Anywhere I can get away from here." I mumble to myself.
"But the prom has just started! I thought Jacob was your date?" He yells behind me.
"He's Xena's, too!" I yell back. Then I run. I don't know where I'm going. I just run and run and run. I don't stop until I almost collide with a sign.
Peak Hill Amusement Park. Home of the Famous Diver Slide.
I gaze at the sign and breath out memories. My mother used to always take Nathan and I here when we were young. The funny part, though, was how she would drag Dad along before he had diabetes. He'd gobble down funnel cake after funnel cake, and we'd joke to him, saying "Daddy's a big boy!"
Then, he'd always respond to Nathan, saying "You'll be one too, someday, son." Then he'd turn around to me and say "And you, darling, will be Daddy's big little princess forvever." Mom would snap pictures of our expressions on rides, but mostly Nathan's because be took on all the daring rides that I was too shy, okay scared, to go on.
"Wait!"
My thoughts are interrupted and I don't realize I'm staring at the ride thoughtlessly and that I missed two rounds of the ride, Spin-A-Log. The ride that takes you hundreds of feet in the air as you sit in one of the plastic logs for seats. I smile at the attraction and this time, I don't turn around. Instead, throwing a ten dollar bill from my tiny handbag, I dash toward the ride.
"Nadia! Come back!"
I keep running the couple hundred feet between the entrance and the ride and pull out the band holding my hair in place. The curls flow restlessly and everywhere and so do I. Who knew living a life the way a book character does can be so fun? My feet aren't blistered, but they probably have minor bruises from the soft, evenly platformed concrete of the park.
As I wait in line, eagerly, and it's short. I wait and wait for the newest round of the ride to be over, which only takes two minutes, but feels like two hours.
"Nadia." A breathless voice greets me as I climb steps. I halt and turn around, earning groans from the visitors behind me. A red-cheeked Jacob takes over my view.
"Can I ride with you?"