IT WAS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AFTER a fairly hectic week.
May cries through the flat, my ears flinching immediately. "May what's wrong?" I groggily say in my comfortable football shorts and a shirt. "We forgot to get something for the ball!" I raise my eyebrows questioning her words when it hit me. We were invited to the fancy event!
I was considering calling off the deal because I had nothing that would suit a charity ball when May pushed me to my room "we need to go shopping there's still enough time" May says quickly handing me a jacket and leaping over my bed to go to her room
Too much for a Friday afternoon.
I text josh when are we leaving quickly, he answers immediately
Peanutbutter:
At 10 pm I'll pick you up be ready ;)
At least we had plenty of time, I try to stuff my phone in my jacket pocket when it dings again
Peanutbutter:
Keep your hair down shy.
So we're on nickname basis and my hair? I ignore the last message because I was practically a walking tomato. May doesn't pay attention when she walk-run to the elevator I follow her quietly. I hate my shy genes. The irony.
"May this is a big no!" I try to peel the skimpy dress that stuck to my body like a second skin. It barely hid my thighs but my best friend forced me into it saying it'll make me look taller. Desperation can deceive the desperate.
My best friend already got a flawless dress, it was backless but with a decent length.
We decide to move to another shop, I spot people eying us weirdly in our homey attires, May even kept her duck PJ pants. She gets tired from my walking pace and grabs my pigtails to stop me. I ouch and she holds her hands defensively in front of her face. I sigh and attach our arms, pulling her along.
The store is a bit fancier than the last ones with cream-colored walls and cushions everywhere, and sure the dresses looked cute. I head to dress racks hoping it's the last store I am walking in
"How can I help you?" says a girl our age with an attire that put my boyish one to shame. May walks back clumsily with a pile of dresses in her hands her strawberry blond hair stuck to her face. I crack a laugh, so does the lady beside me. I thank her and look at the dresses that may hung on her body.
"May help me with the zipper!" I whine and she sticks her head in the dressing room, she fumbles with the zipper and pulls it down, I finally breathe. Besides feeling suffocated I looked hoey. May tsks and launches herself on the couch.
I grab the next piece of clothing, a long-sleeved dark-red dress that reaches a bit above the knee; it had a heart-shaped neck cut, the fabric smooth and comfortable. It brought out the feminine side of me.
I sheer up and get out finding May bored to the bone. Once she sees the outfit she lightens up "give me a twirl!" she exclaims as she spins me around. I laugh.
Hannah, the shop assistant also appraises my look. I pay for the dress and thank her. May pulls us to a nearby ice cream shop where we take a break. We get chocolate flavored ice creams because honestly nothing beats chocolate.
Half an hour later, we make it to the flat. I take a shower and dry my dark long hair. Walking into the kitchen I find junior spread on the kitchen island. I shoo him away. No wonder he doesn't like me, I am wearing my bitch face around him 24/7
I go to my room and start dressing up; I straighten and curl my locks then put on the dress, I pull out the black stilettos dad gave me the last Christmas. May applies my makeup and I warn her several times from turning me into a hooker.
"Time for the music!" she sing-songs as I turn to look at the mirror. I shudder at the déjà vu. "You look stunning Sheryl" I hear May say through her hard red lipstick coated lips, while losing myself in my pool of thoughts. I look at myself again, the same excited eyes from that night.
The trauma never left me for a second I tried keeping up with therapists unloading the hard shit I went through but it kept coming back to me. I always try to dive in school, work anything that would pull me from the destructive depression.
I know I am not the reason but the guilt's creeping to my soul every now and then.
I feel May back hugging me and lean onto her, May helped me so much through the dilemma, if it wasn't for her I'd be hiding away forever. "Shy I know it was horrible but you shouldn't dwell on it, you deserve to be happy" I take a deep breath "also I don't need you ruining my efforts I swear to god I am not doing your make up again!"
I laugh at the desperation in her voice, she walks to kitchen flailing her arms around "I think a good caffeine boost would do you a world of good sour puss!" I scoff at her choice of words "don't get a habit of calling me that May, I loathe it" I shoot fixing a curl. I follow her in uncomfortable shoes. "Your loss"
I start sipping from the hot beverage when we hear the ring bell, May handles it and I check my hand watch. When I hear chattering in the doorway I recognize the voice. Josh walked into the living room. He was charming, polished and looked like he had stepped out of a designer suit advertisement. Okay so I wasn't immune to his looks. It was a harmless crush, one I will indeed keep to myself.
For a second there, I thought I had been caught gawking at him because he seemed to hide a smirk.
He eyes me up and down, I approach them with my mug in hand "Red I see, you look beautiful Sheryl, I guess I am seeking attention tonight with two gorgeous women" the words tumble from his mouth leaving me blushing furiously and May showing her teeth in a big smile. He gives me a confident wink. I hope I won't have a hard time keeping myself composed around him.
"You're not bad yourself" I answer trying to escape the attention, May wiggles her eyebrows as I drink more coffee and scald the roof of my mouth in the process.
She twirls around and he messes with her hair, I laugh easing into his presence. I feel there's a blooming friendship between the two. Josh's eyes wander around the apartment and suddenly I feel exposed, junior hisses at me from the couch "I like your place you've done it nicely" he says and may holds her freaky cat. "Thanks josh coffee?" I offer "thank you but we need to go now".
I grab my purse. May bids her goodbyes to junior and I roll my eyes, josh follows me and pulls her through. I thought my best friend was okay but she talks to cats like they'll respond. May sticks her phone in our faces wanting to take a selfie, josh smirks and gets closer. I brush the butterflies in my stomach away and smile at the camera.
Frankly, the wealth, the glamour and the sheer lavish scale of the event intimated me to no end, I honestly had no idea about how enormous it would be. Since our arrival josh stuck around sensing my cluelessness, he said there were 300 hundred attendees. Celebrities, businessmen, CEOs, and who intimidated me the most, models with dresses reaching just below their asses walking in stilettos. May holds a glass of white wine in her hand and sways to the music. Josh would occasionally seek time and share toasts with men in tuxedos.
"Ladies I'll be introducing you to my father in a while" josh informs us and I fix my dress "don't worry you look gorgeous" he whispers closely. I get Goosebumps and a blotchy neck. "I don't know how you manage to notice me when there's walking goddesses everywhere," I say back frustrated and he cracks a laugh "trust me you're so hot you would make the devil sweat" I grimace at the cheesy pick-up line "okay now you can stop" May laughs along with him.
Josh leads us to an empty table, the ball's theme was wine tasting and effectively it brought people together. Wine gifts made perfect centerpieces for the seating areas. The lighting was dim, and the venue was decorated with solid colors, red and white. Everything felt good minus the very tall and wildly beautiful creatures. I'd look like a kid beside them.
Josh pulls our chairs out and we take a seat, a beautiful middle-aged woman takes the seat beside me and I welcome her with a smile. "Danielle long time no see darling" I hear josh say and the woman rolls her eyes in a playful manner "your father takes almost my whole time Joshua" he winks at her and she flips her curls. Oh interesting.
"Danielle this is Cheryl and May, my neighbors and friends" he introduces us as she beams at me "and this is Danielle my father's fiancée" "pleasure to meet you Mrs michaelson" I say and she tilts her head adorably "pleasure's mine call me Danielle" she answers quickly averting her eyes somewhere.
"And there's your baby brother" what?
------------------------------------------------------
Lilly Collins as Cheryl Lugano
Elle Fanning as May O'Connell
Don't forget to vote and comment
I purple you!