Chapter 35
"Guess what?" Darcy asks, panting as she slaps her hands on the table, making Mal and I jerk up in attention.
I look behind from where she came to check if some is chasing after her. There's no one and everything looks calm and normal with students walking around or eating their lunch and chatting.
"Um," Mal bites into his sandwich, "you won a lottery?"
"No, not yet," she turns her questioning eyes to me.
"You are going on a diet?" I guess seeing as she had no tray of food with her.
"No," she looks offended and I purse my lips in regret as Mal laughs. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," I raise both palms up. "I was just guessing."
"You think I should go on a diet? I'm not in anyway fat."
"I didn't say you're fat."
"You implied it-" Jamal says and I whack his head down with a glare.
"And I'd have you know that fat is actually a necessity for the body and going on diet hardly solves any problem on it's own," she raises a finger. "Not that being fat is a problem, only when it becomes hazardous to the health. But the notion that being fat makes one-"
Darcy doesn't finish her sentence as Mal sticks a baked green bean inside her mouth. He grins at her, "Issy's got it now."
"Yeah," I nod in agreement, grateful that he intercepted that surmon.
Darcy hisses at him before returning her attention to me. "Anyway, I'm just coming from student council meeting and..." She trails off for dramatic effect. "We're having a winter formal!"
"Winter formal?" Jamal and I exchange a look. "What's that?"
"Oh my goodness Jamal," Darcy face palms. "How dumb are you?"
Jamal glares, "I'm not dumb. Are you explaining or not?"
"It's a dance, goat. A dance that we're finally going to have."
I frown, "why?"
"Because," she stares at me eye wide like she can't believe I even asked that. "It's going to be like junior prom, so exciting. And we get to decorate and plan everything and dress up and dance."
"L.O.L," Jamal deadpans, "isn't prom enough for you guys?"
"Can you guys not be some kind of Debby Downer, I'm really excited about this," she pouts.
I smile, even though it's not entirely real. "That's great to hear Darce, I'm happy for us all."
"Yay," Darcy grabs both our hands in excitement before she releases them and brings out two papers from her bag. "We're getting people to sign up and help out in preparations. All you have to do is write your name here and sign."
"Woah woah," Jamal cuts in, eying the paper. "Who ever said we're sighing in?"
"Who ever said you're not?" Darcy asks, leaning in for the upcoming confrontation.
"I'm saying so now," Mal says not backing away at all. "We're not doing that shit and isn't it the student whatever that are supposed to be in charge?"
"Yes but other students can help out to," she turns to me. "It'll be nice Israel. A great way to spend our time together and plan this one dance that could very well be our last chance of fun before delving into future determining serious matters next year."
I almost shrink under Darcy's pushing eyes and Jamal's daring ones. "W-what if I don't want to go? What it dances are not my thing?"
"'Not your thing', what's that?" Darcy frowns at me. "It's your thing. You don't even have to dance, just be there and help make the night epic for others too."
"Hey Darce-"
"Don't spoil the fun, Israel, please," she grabs my hand, giving me pleading looks and puppy eyes. "You know it's the right thing to do."
"Um-" I look at Jamal and he sighs, falling face down on the table. I can't say no when she's being like this and he knows it. "Fine."
"Oh thank you!" She pushes the paper to me and I get my biro out my bag.
"Jamal and I would help out anyway," I smile at her as I scribble our names down.
"What? I'm not part of that."
"You are now," I blink at him as I finish writing down the names.
"Thank you so much Israel," Darcy says, standing up the chair and placing a kiss on my cheek. "See you both around."
"Uh, bye," I wave, a little stunned at the chaste kiss.
"What the fuck?" Jamal swears making me wince. I did not expect that.
"What? Darcy made me and I can't possibly be there alone, plus it's not like you have anything better doing."
He waves me off, "not about that I'd kill you later for that. Did she just kiss you?"
I touch my cheek as he says it and shrug. "I guess."
"You guess?" He stares eye wide at me. "Israel Immanuel-"
"Jamal, what?"
He smirks at me, "has she kissed you before?"
I shake my head, "no. And that's not a kiss okay, I'm sure she was just super excited or something. It's nothing."
At least I hope it's not, I am trying so hard to believe it's not.
"Okay but you know you're totally taking her to this dance of a thing right?"
"I'm not," I wrap up my sandwich, no more in the mood to eat. "I'm not even going."
"Yeah, so you say now and then next in you're both holding hands and entering a limo," he scoffs. "Darcy kind of controls you."
"She does not," I counter, trying to seem offended by the thought.
"She does," he shrugs. "You can't seem to say no."
I blink, "I say no all the time."
"Bullshit."
"Okay, maybe not all the time..."
"Maybe never?" He keeps eye contact and I glare. "If so, walk up to her and say we won't sign up for any help shit."
"W-what?" I look back and see Darcy talking to another table, probably trying to get more sign ups. "I can't do that, I already agreed to it."
"See? Putty."
"It's not being putty, it's just," I look back at her. She has a smile on, her blond hair falling over her face. "Darcy's just so pushy."
"Because you're just so putty," he tries rhyming, smiling and making me glare. "She knows you'd always give in so she never gives up. It's like when you have a dog and you're trying to train it to eat a bone or something. Like no matter how much resistance it posses, eventually it gives in because it has no choice."
"Ouch," I finally say after absorbing that all in. "You're saying I'm a dog?"
"To Darcy? Not really but yeah." He shrugs. "I'm not being mean or anything. Just saying it as I see it."
I sag down relaxing my head on the table. "I'm not a dog."
"Then start showing it man," he pats me. "Stick to your bloody decisions."
"Ugh." What if I don't have one?
"Now I'm not saying you should start rebelling against all of Darcy's words and ideas but like, let your no be no man and not just her, to others too even your mum," I peek an eye open at that and he laughs. "Okay, not your mum yet, one step at a time but you hear me right?"
"Right," I get off the table. "I still think the dance prep might be fun. I might even get Sky to join in."
"I doubt but good luck and yeah, I'd go show off my muscles there."
"What muscles?"
He slaps his arm, "aye don't fuck with me man. You know I've got them."
I laugh, "in your dreams, yeah." From the corner of my eyes I see Lou take the paper from Darcy laughing with his friends as he gets a biro and writes down on it.
Oh.
*
A lot of people end up showing and volunteering to help out in making the winter formal or snow ball as some people were calling it grand and special. Turns out not only Darcy is excited about the dance, a bunch of other students are too and their excitement is contagious.
I couldn't get a hold of Sky throughout so it's just I and Jamal here, with many other people and Lou. Even though I try not to, I can't help but look at him. It's like it's already wired in my system. He's has on a big white hoodie whose hood is on and almost covering all his face up with a cartoon figure drawn up front and dark washed jeans on. He's relaxing on the wall all on his lonesome with his legs crossed over each other and arms crossed too as he observes everything like a freaking god.
"Thank you everyone for being here!" Sara starts speaking, yelling from where she's standing on top of a box and startling my attention back to my surroundings. I blink at her, swallowing and trying to pay attention. "Honestly, we didn't expect so many of you to turn up and I'm like mind blown now so freaking excited and pumped for all these, you have no idea."
"I think we kinda do," Jamal says to me. "I mean, we are here aren't we?"
"Shut up Mal."
"So anyway," Sara continues clapping her hands together. "Your names have been gathered and shared into various groups that are going to be working together." She dangles a paper between her manicured fingers. "They would be pasted on the wall so please check it out. Some of you would be in charge of tidying up this hall where everything would go down. Others would have to go to mall to buy stuff and others would be in charge of printing out the flyers and posters we'll need. Who's excited?!"
The whole hall breaks in cheers and hollers and I actually join in, clapping and shouting too. I'm actually feeling the happiness being surrounded by all these other happy people and it's not forced or fake. Jamal looks at me funny and I laugh, "what? I'm excited."
"You're going mad is what," he rolls his eyes shaking his head in amusement and I just laugh some more.
When I look up still wearing my laugh, my eyes meet with that of Lou and he's looking at me too. I blink when I see he's wearing a smile directed at me and my face immediately heats up. He might or might not have winked but I can't exactly tell because someone jumps right into my line of sight, blocking Lou out.
"Hey sweetheart," I blink, looking at cat eyes and back at Lou only to see that he's gone.
"Hey," I recover quick to smile at Sky. My heart swelling to actually see him here, all handsome and perfect. I want to hug him but I don't and it kills me. "Where have you been?"
"Around," he looks around the bustling hall. "Missed me?"
I blush, "you know I did."
He takes my hand in his, moving our fingers together. "Me too."
I pull us forward a bit before letting go of his hand and tucking mine into my pockets to keep them distracted. "Did you sign up for this?"
"No, not really," he eyes the papers on the wall. "I didn't know you like dancing."
I almost choke on air. "I don't. I don't even know how to dance the simplest of dances. If something like that exists, but you do right?"
"Nope," he shakes his head, making his hair fall around his face. "Not really."
I shrug searchings for my name, "I think it'll be fun and Darcy convinced me to it anyway."
"It should be fun, I can't remember the last time I attended a school function."
"Um, primary school graduating ball." I say, smiling at him. "I didn't stay through the whole thing though."
"Why not?"
"It wasn't my thing?"
"Right, makes sense."
"But since I'm helping out with this, I'm definitely making it my thing."
Before Sky could say something to that, Darcy interrupts. "Find your name yet, Israel?"
"Um," I immediately see it. "Yup, I'm in mall duties."
"Aw, too bad," she waves a biro around. "I'm sticking around to tidy the hall up."
"It's great you have me then, right Issy?" Sky says wiggling his brow at me and I narrow mine in confusion before giving in and nodding along.
"Yeah, sure."
"You signed up too?" Darcy asks Sky crossing her arms at him.
"Yeah," Sky lies, "a ball or dance is such a beautiful thing I can't miss out on."
Darcy shakes her head, "whatever, you guys have fun. I'd see you Issy."
"Sure," I watch her leave and I turn to Sky. "You're coming with?"
"Yeah, we could use the subway and get that date in."
I grin taking his hand in mine. "Sounds like a plan."
*
The train turns out to be scary and crowded with a lot of people both the shady and unshady looking ones. I keep a consious attention on my school bag and I make sure my phone's not anywhere near my pockets. Sky laugh, says I'm exaggerating but he doesn't understand. I don't think the words to tell my mum that my phone has been stolen while on the train are even in the English dictionary or any other language, it doesn't exist.
Sky holds my hand while on the train though and it really goes a long way in calming my nerves. Then we relax on one of the standing poles as he shares some interesting stories he have experienced on the train and I find myself losing my senses to his voice and laughing like a love sick teenager.
"You both are so cute," a girl with two ponytails whispers to us, smiling shyly just as we get down the train.
Sky and I share a look and he doesn't let go of my hand as we leave the subway and navigate through town, walking to the mall. I can say that moment is my best part of the day but that would be a bit unfair to all the events that happen next. It feels so good hearing the ponytails girl say that, it reminded me that non-homophobic people existed even in our town and we weren't all that bad.
Shopping with Sky is one word; hilarious. He talks non-stop telling me about all the things he's experienced during his times here. He even knows some people and as we walk by, he greets them like old friend. The he bargains the un-bargainable, making me almost die from embarrassment and making the salesgirl more frustrated than she seemed. It looks like being cheap to others but I know he's just trying to make me laugh as much as he can because I can't help being so anxious that something bad would happen.
I blame it all on the fact that my parents barely let us leave the house. I'm never surrounded by many people if not school and church. The outside world is this one giant ball of unknown and if I'd come out alone, I'd definitely get lost, lose money or get myself kidnapped— at least that's what I convinced myself into believing. And I sometimes feel like everyone's watching me, my every move and waiting for me to mess it up so they could go report it to my parents, Sky makes it his duty to remind me that nobody is watching me and if anyone knew my parents here it's a ten out of hundred.
At the end of the day I find out that I singlehandedly cannot finish a full sub-sandwich, that should be an impossible task— well, except for Sky Hunt.
*
"It's not a date," I repeat for the umpteenth time, mentally groaning as Nessa fixes my tie. "We're just going as friends, right Darce?"
"Yeah," Darcy looks up from where she is sitting on the sofa, her blue gown flowing beneath her. Then she looks away and adds, "sure."
"You're hurting her feelings," Nessa leans in to whisper at me. "I think she likes you."
"She does not," I harshly whisper back, making sure Darcy doesn't hear a thing. "And I am not."
"What about Sky?" Nessa asks in a whisper too and I bite the inside of my cheeks.
"He's coming too," I sigh, running a hand over my face. I am starting to hate when Jamal's right more and more. But this couldn't be helped, it like it was written in the sands that Darcy and I would be going to the dance together. I had no choice about it and she asked me! Was I supposed to just say no when I had no one I was being vocal about going to the dance with? No.
It was inevitable and I made sure to tell her we are going as just friends, she knows, Sky knows, mum knows.
"Here it is," Mum runs down the stairs with the black suit jacket. "I had it tailored down to perfection."
"Thanks mum," I can't help but smile as she helps me into the jacket with a proud smile.
Mum sighs, patting my chest down. "Sorry I can't be there to chaperone, they brought the flier to the church late."
"It's okay," I tell and I really mean it. It's more than okay.
Darcy hands me my coat and I put it on, wishing there is a mirror I can see and trusting that my hair is still in good shape.
"You both have fun," Mum says waving us out. And Nessa adds, poking my chest with a finger. "You especially baby bro."
"I'd try," I say to her, kissing her cheek and I mean it too.
There's a car already waiting outside the house for us. It not a limo but it's Sky's dad's car and looked really fine with dark tinted glasses. Darcy puts her arm around me as we descend the porch, "you look good, Israel."
"You too, Darce," I say with my eyes trained on the model worthy guy majestically relaxing on the car as he and Jamal look into their phones with a smile. I can bet money they are playing chess.
"Thanks," Darcy says and when I look at her she's wearing a grin.
I offer her a tight lipped smile and I wish I know, I wish I know just how chaotic the night is about to become.
Unfortunately, I don't.
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Legs crossed and sipping tea in anticipation of the next chapter. Anyone with me?
Thoughts on this one though?
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