Post by silent.lullaby on Feb 22, 2010 16:56:45 GMT -5
//We Run This Town//Chapter 013// Holy Sex Appeal Batman
I took a cab home from Jesters. Zarah paralysed Mrs Wetherill, it felt like there was a boulder in my stomach. I paid the cabby and exited. Mrs Wetherill could testify against Zarah, but it would admit her family too had been in some shady dealings. I stepped into the house and took off my shoes.
“Where were you?” My mother asked as she came down the stairs.
“At Jesters for dinner with Lucia.”
“Just Lucia?”
“Yes.”
“What about the other girls?”
I shrugged, “we can’t hang out by ourselves?”
“You four are usually inseparable.”
“Blaire has a date, Gemma was busy,” I said with a shrug.
“That’s funny, she called, she didn’t know where you two were.”
I swallowed hard, caught in a lie. “Lucia and I had something we wanted to talk about in private.”
My mother studied me for a moment, “you should get ready for the dance.” I nodded and took the stairs two at a time shutting my door hard behind me. Sometimes it was really good to have a family that didn’t ask too many questions. You put private in the sentence and nine out of ten times they’ll leave you alone about it.
I flat ironed my hair and put in a gold chain headband. I opened my closet and grabbed a red dress, strapless, silver beads in a decorative design along the top, a tight inch right below the bust the rest draped and hung loosely to just above my knees. I grabbed my black two inch stilettoes with the red underside. I grabbed silver dangling earrings and put a long strand of pearls doubled up around my neck. I fussed in the mirror, removing the headband and instead of leaving my hair normal I dug out my silver, diamond studded hair comb and put my hair into an elegant bun. I found the hair to be much more sophisticated.
I did my make up quickly, mostly natural, with a bright red lip I grabbed my silver hand bag and threw in my lipstick into it’s contents and left the room. I came down the stairs slowly and carefully.
“Oh darling, you look stunning,” my father informed me extending a hand which I took and he helped me down the last few stairs. “Contessa, come and see our Lilianna.”
Mother came out of the sitting room and smiled, “darling you look stunning.”
“Trying to impress someone are we?” I turned to see Maximo coming down, dressed in black slacks, a crisp white collared button down and a grey vest with a red handkerchief in the pocket.
“Looks like you are too.” I retort.
“Hey where the hell are my black socks?” Sergio shouts from his room.
“Did you try your drawers?” I shouted back at Sergio.
“Funny!” He shouted back, “seriously, where are they?”
I looked to Maximo who pulled up his trousers and I seen Sergio’s black socks. Our house keeper could never get our socks right when we were growing up so she ended up colour co-ordinating them. I got white, Maximo got grey and Sergio got black. As we got older I started buying all kinds of socks, and stockings. Sergio only bothered to keep one black pair. And Maximo kept to his grey out of habit.
“He’s going to kill you.”
There was a honk. “That’s my ride. See you there,” Maximo quickly put on his dress shoes and was out the door before Sergio appeared on the top of the stairs in black slacks and a black dress shirt.
“He was wearing my socks wasn’t he?”
I smiled and shrugged. He muttered something before going back to his room.
“How are you getting to the dance?” Father asked finally.
“Gemma asked Preston, he said he’d take us there. Ceasario said he’d bring us home.” I respond shifting my weight from one foot to the other. There was a knock at the door. “Bet that’s him.” Preston would never just honk for anyone. I opened the door and he smiled down at me.
“You look beautiful.”
“Why thank you.”
“You have everything?”
“Yep,” I hugged and kissed my dad on the cheek and did the same with my mom. “See you guys later!”
“Love you,” Mother shouted.
“Love you too!”
Preston shut the door and helped me down the stairs off the deck and opened the back door for me as Gemma had already claimed shotgun. “You look stunning!” She gushed looking me over.
“Right back atcha!” Gemma was in a deep blue dress with black lace over it. Her hair was in her signature curls and her makeup was done artfully. “And look at this dress, it’s amazing!”
“I know right, I got it in Paris last year, but never got the chance to really wear it.”
We picked up Lucia, Preston getting her and helping her into the car with chivalry that I thought was dead. She was decked out in a beautiful yellow dress that hugged her body and would probably hit the floor, a slit that hit her mid thigh. “Holy sex appeal batman!” Gemma said as she poked her head around the front seat to get a good view.
“You look absolutely stunning,” I hugged her and she grinned.
“Thank you, you both look smoking hot.”
Gemma fanned herself with her hand, “I know right.”
I laughed.
Preston helped us each in turn from the vehicle. “Keep safe,” he told us.
“See you later Preston!” I waved as we headed toward the line that was just outside the doors of the school. We pay and they stamp our hands.
“We spend hours getting ready, and then they ruin perfection with a stupid smiley face stamp,” Gemma complains looking at it. “Stupid smiley face.” Together we walk into the gym, decorated with draping black fabric all the way around, tables with punch guarded by a teacher. The DJ on the stage set up, lights flashing and making designs on the ground. A table for requests, people dancing already, some awkwardly standing against the wall.
“Hey guys!” I turn when I hear Blaire’s voice, she walks up looking stunning in the dress she had earlier described to us. “Anyone don’t know Linden?”
“I’ve met them all,” he responds.
“Excellent,” Blaire responds leaning slightly against him and he smiles down at her even though her attention is on us. “Have you guys seen October and Riley? They look so cute together.”
“No, I haven’t seen them yet. Is Kaper here yet?” I feel Gemma stiffen beside me.
“Haven’t seen her yet,” Blaire responds, and I nod. The tempo slows and Linden bends to whisper something in Blaire’s ear which makes her smile and giggle, “of course. See you guys later,” she says to us before heading to the dance floor with Linden.
“Why would you ask about Kaper?” Gemma asked grabbing my arm roughly.
I jerked it away instinctively, “she does hang out with us.”
“I can end that,” Gemma retorts.
“She’s nice, she’s October’s best friend.”
“She’s dating the enemy.”
“He’s not her enemy!” I nearly shout at her. “She can date him if she wants. She’s a normal girl, she doesn’t belong to...” I caught myself and lowered my voice, “she’s not one of us, she can date who she wants.”
Gemma rolled her eyes at me. “He starts eating lunch with us too and I’ll put a bullet in someone.” Gemma walked away leaving Lucia and I alone.
“Wow, this is so awesome,” Lucia mutters.
“There is no reason why we can’t have a killer time despite Gemma’s freak out, give her fifteen and she’ll be back and calmed down,” I reassure her. We go to the dance floor when a fast beat song comes on. October joins us with Riley, who turns out to be really funny and had us all in stitches as we sat and cooled off for a few minutes.
“I seen the way you ran in gym, impressive,” Riley said.
“I was on the track team before I moved to Italy. I like running,” I said with a shrug.
“You’re good at it.”
October’s eyebrows narrowed and she grabbed Riley’s arm, “lets dance.”
“I thought you wanted to talk to your friends...”
“And now I want to dance.” She pulls him to his feet, “see you guys!”
“Someone’s got a green monster,” Lucia mutters. I must have looked puzzled since she explained. “Riley showed you attention, complimented you and October suddenly wants to get him away from here as quick as possible. October is jealous of you.”
“I couldn’t possibly see why.” I cringe at the voice.
“Lexie, kindly piss off.” I speak as calmly as possible.
“What, I’m just standing here.”
“Dateless and alone.”
“I’m here with Darren, who are you here with?” I stayed silent. “That’s what I thought.”
“Hey there sugar,” I’m lifted out of my chair an into someone’s arms. I brush my bangs from my eyes and look up. Matteo smiles down at me holding me close, nearly protectively. “She’s with me, now get your skank ass out of here.”
“You better watch how you fucking talk to me DeLuca.”
“You better ensure you don’t mess with my sister or her friend Reid. You’ll regret it. I promise.” Lexie scowled but as Maximo, Faith and Sergio all come up behind him she flips him the finger and leaves. I nearly push out of Matteo’s arms but he pulls me back in. “I think I deserve a dance for that.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, Serge dance with my sister.”
“Yes sir,” Sergio mock salutes and extends his hand to Lucia who reluctantly takes it.
The song becomes slow and Matteo leads me to the floor and I put my arms over his shoulders and he holds my waist. “You look absolutely fantastic tonight.”
“Thank you Matty,” I see Kaper and Gavin on the dance floor close together. Gavin in a pair of grey slacks, white shirt and grey vest, he looked so handsome and I couldn’t help but want to be the one in his arms. Gavin started to look towards me but I was now turned to the other side as we danced in a slow circle. I leaned my head against Matteo’s chest and he held me tightly against him.
“Remember the last time we danced like this?”
“The welcome home party?” I tried though I knew it was not what he was talking about.
“No not that, before you went away.”
“I know,” I sigh, “I remember.”
Matteo and I had always been friends, but we went over that boundary at a party. We danced a little too close, found a nook to hide away in as we kissed. I’d only been thirteen, he’d been fifteen. We didn’t go father than kissing, but we felt awkward around each other for a while after that. We never officially went out, we never told our friends what happened. Both of us kind of pretended it never happened. Neither of us had mentioned it till now.
Matteo stopped dancing and stepped back just a little and brushed away a loose strand of hair from my face. “You were wearing red on that night too.” He kissed my forehead and left me on the dance floor alone.
“What the heck was that all about?” I muttered before heading toward the punch bowl.