Smoke And Steel

• Eighteen - Bathroom Stall Blues •

Ebony

"What are you doing tonight?" Avery asked, leaning up on his elbow so he was looking at me.

It was lunch and we were on the field, having been kicked out of the gym so they could set up. We were sprawled out on the pristine lawn, using our school bags as pillows, and having an improvised rest time. He was playing some rock music through his phone speaker, and it was nice, just chilling with him.

"I'm going to the Halloween dance thing with Rory," I answered, mirroring his position. "I'm probably going to leave early though."

"Oh," he said. I thought I saw his face fall for a brief moment, but it happened so quick that I might've imagined it. "Are you guys, like, together?" He asked suspiciously.

"No, silly. I've already told him I don't like him that way, so we're just going as friends." I smiled at the thought that maybe he'd care if I did. "What about you? Are you going to the dance?" 

"Oh right, that's good then. And no, school dances aren't really my thing. Is it dress up?"

"Sadly. Mandy is making me dress up, so I'm going as Morticia Addams." The look he gave me told me that he didn't know what I was talking about. "You know, the mum from Addams Family Values?"

"I have no idea who this 'Addams family' are," he said, shaking his head. "Is this a reality tv show?"

"Are you serious?" I asked, still not believing that he didn't know who the Addams family were. "It's a movie from the early 90's, but it was a show decades before that. It's one of my favourites."

"Yep, I still have no idea what you're talking about," he said, giving me that silly little grin of his.

"You need to get up to date with your Americana."

"It's just that I didn't watch very many movies or cartoons when I was younger. I'm more of a books and music type of guy."

"Fair enough, but either way you need to see this movie." I thought for a second, "What are you doing on Sunday?"

"I have to go to church," he said with a look of seriousness.

"You go to church?" I choked out. 

"No, but your reaction was funny," he said, grinning at me again. "Why do you want to know what I'm doing on Sunday?"

"Because if you're free you could maybe come over and watch it?" I couldn't believe that I was asking him to come over. "That's if you want to, I mean. You don't have to."

"No, I would love that." That cocky grin returned and I knew he was going to say something stupid. "Wait, this isn't just an excuse for you to get in to my pants is it? Because if it was, I'd be down with tha-"

"Oh shut up," I said, punching him on the arm. He winced a bit, and not in a joking way. "Did I hurt you?" I asked, wondering if it was harder than I thought.

"No, I've just got an old bruise there and it's still a bit tender." He shook his head, brushing it off, "come on, lunch is almost over and all you've had to eat are those bloody Twizzlers."

At the mention of food I perked up, food is the fuel for life, after all.

***

"Come here, I'll zip you up," Mandy said from her spot over by the vanity.

"Where did you even get this from?" I asked, sparing one last look at myself in the mirror.

The dress had a jeweled bodice, and these long, draped sleeves that hung down to my knees. It had a sweetheart neckline that was somehow both conservative, and risque at the same time. The dress was nice and long, so it pooled at my ankles, while giving me a wicked hour glass figure. It was cool in a quirky way.