Chapter Five: Galas and the likes

•

Friday was quick for everyone or just me. Either way, it was the fastest Friday ever.

Classes were a blur. Fighting with Lorraine was also a blur. Celebrating Enmity day was an elongated blur.

School wasn't a necessity come soccer season. Only Fridays and the playoffs that cme after mattered. I wasn't a fan of sports yet even I was excited.

The last bell distorted the entire prison/school system. People burst out the gates to prepare for the game happening in twenty minutes. Many who were signing a tardiness promise.

Davis Wolverines vs Some unworthy competition.

We were winning, that was for sure.

I rallied to the bleachers alone, squaring up my shoulders to be substantial enough not to be trampled upon by the soccer hungry fans.

Most of them didn't like soccer. Dean Keith always made a show of stalking the field shirtless before every game.

Late comers didn't get that sort of entertainment.

And I must admit, his abs were a reward for forceful sunbathing while praying the opposition lost teeth when they tripped.

I caught a glimpse of Dean hovering in the field already, making useless laps around the pitch while his coach yelled at him to save his energy. And, I also spotted the lunch lady rolling out her food kiosk.

Sorry Dean. Sneaking a camera into the boy's changing room was easy but getting a Churro with my pocket sized height was rocket science.

He could wait.

•

I could barely wrap my head around how fast the day went because my attention wasn't pinned on Friday, rather, the day after which I was meant to attend a gala.

You may have been wondering, who attended galas in that day and age? Well, my parents and all other residents of Chicago, Illinois who had the least important things to do on a Saturday were all avid participants in the annual travesty.

"It sounds like what rich people go to" Chelsea muttered. As usual, something diabetes inducing was tucked between her plump lips. "Wait, are you rich?"

My parents sure had enough money to sponsor my schooling at DHS and we occasionally had family vacations to unknown countries. That probably meant we were rich.

I shrugged. "That's not the problem at hand, what is is; What am I meant to wear?"

"I have an idea" Sarah said intrepidly. "Instead of spending money buying dresses you'll never wear again, Go naked" I glared long and hard at her in a mix of shock and disappointment.

Compared to Chelsea who was experiencing her first ever Milan Mayfield impromptu shopping spree, she had been seated in these seats criticizing all the clothes I put on all other years and was therefore expected to be more helpful.

"For the millionth time I say to you my companions. Zayn will be attending, which means, I need to look better than he ever would"

Sarah, as she always did, rolled her eyes. "Which is why I'm telling you to go undressed, Zayny would never think of that now would he"

"I agree." Chelsea bobbed her head.

I definitely needed new friends and possibly a stylist to save me all the stress of shopping.

"Maybe I will" I grunted indignantly. The two butt heads burst in insufferable laughs and snorts.

Expletives were leaving my lips like sap from a tree when a mien faced lady my friends and i reluctantly acknowledged on our way into the store approached our little circle.

"Any problem ladies, I noticed you hadn't tried on anything the whole time" Oh Good Lord, she already summed up my friends and I had plotted a revised grand theft Auto.

"We're getting to that, thanks for your help" I plastered a smile which matched her faux blonde hair.

Even after my indirect attempt to scare the lady off, she stood her ground, scrutiny glistening in her grey irises. The silence was terrifying and the look in her eyes growing.

"Do you need anything?" Sarah eyed her.

"Actually, yes. I need to help you young fashionistas. Your panties seemed to be in a twist"

Chelsea choked on her liquorice. Ofcouse she only got interested at the sound of underwear worn ingloriously. I was surprised Sarah didn't burst into a cacophony of laughter after that.

Ignoring Chelsea's unpleasant mindset. "I need a dress"

"That much is obvious" Sarah rolled her eyes.

The woman's smile lit up. "How interesting is that? I bet we have just the dress. What exactly are you looking for?"

There was no possible way a woman who looked in her ever so late Thirties could be this irradiated and joyful with that cold looking face. Maybe it was just a generic mishap and her heart was really carved out of gold.

That or her bosses added an extra thirty dollars to the wages of whosoever brought a smile to a customer's face.

"We want classy, something to draw attention to those curves" Chelsea made an invisible outline of my body in the air.

I could agree that was a major feature of the dress but it wasn't. I wanted something attractive, glistening, jaw dropping, Cardiac arrest inducing.

"And flashy" I added. The woman rubbed her chin in thought.

"That should be achievable. Give me just a minute" She scurried away.

"Is it me or she was sent here to rob us" Sarah blurted the very second she was far enough from earshot.

"She can't rob us of what we don't have" Chelsea emptied her pockets which were Inundated with candy and no money. "I mean, do we look like we have cash?"

"One of us does" Sarah smirked turning to me with unearthly pace.

"Oh, here comes our Consultant, who else thinks she had a Rhinoplasty" I successfully swerved the conversation towards the oncoming lady. Sarah and Chelsea bought it and nodded in amusement.

"She kinda resembled a caricature"

We went entirely undone at Sarah's remark. The poor woman, target of our tomfoolery almost stumbled in her heels as she returned. Fake smile at the ready.

"I got you three dresses that should fit just right"

"I'll be right back" I smiled and walked to the dressing rooms feet away.

Of the three dresses, I decided to try on the least beautiful one first. It was a green short dress, anchored high on my hips with tool at the bottom and a little strap over my shoulder.

The little frilly thing wasn't exceptionally ugly it just wasn't what a girl like me would find preferable to wear to a gala. Mom would shove me out of the house if I dared such but I still tried it on.

I left the dressing room with a strut, making whore eyes at my girls and swaying my hips in the tight fit. I was more than pleased the intrusive lady had departed and was now the problem of neighbouring customers.

"You look like an avocado" Was Sarah's endearing compliment.

"I feel like an avocado" I said, stifling a laugh.

Chelsea had no understandable words to give to the atrocity. She could only laugh as loud and insufferably as she could.

"My eyes....take it off...it hurts" She giggled between words. Sarah and I soon joined in on the unladylike chortling.

"Take it off before I hurl" Sarah shielded her virginal eyes.

I soon returned to the dressing room after insulting the travesty some more to strip from the unworthy dress.

The next one was less St. Patrick's day and more elegant. I liked it.

It was much lengthier than the green was going below my knees, a slit was present on the side of the Suede black material. My personal favourite feature was the back which constituted of two glittery strings that held my bust for their dear life.

My patience was imperceptible as I jumped out of the dressing room. A lyrical blush coated my cheeks in bright red when I received a round of whistles.

"In conclusion, I've found my dress ladies" I squealed to my starry eyed friends.

"So you have" Sarah whistled.

Each and every feature of the angelic dress drew as much attention as it was meant to. The inanimate soft textured blessing matched which whatever style of makeup mom would adorn me with was unmistakably going to hoist me up and over whatever standards idiotic Zayn Davenport was ought to set.

That was what the gala was to me, other than free food and charity, one upping Zayn was it's main objective. Despite all that, we'd end up drunk in a corner, cursing at each other.

Since our search for an award winning dress was vanquished, The girls and I bought the dress a bunch of other clothing items and hurled out of the store, thankfully sans the fake consultant noticing our absence.

The latter part of the day was spent in booths in the mall absorbing calories like sponges in a bathtub with no a care in the world unlike a dominating slice of our gender who believed in slender bodies and bulimia.

We got stares and laughs and some average heightened man saw the need to flirt with Chelsea from his table which was next to ours.

It was adorable watching Chelsea fall in love with someone who wasn't an unconscious jerk like Zayn.

When Sarah and Chelsea had been rightfully dropped off at their respective abodes, I took to mine, driving in the stary night.

The dark sky and brooding silence ignited my nostalgic thoughts of the last time Zayn and I had been together.

The night I may or may not have been constantly daydreaming of. My thoughts of anything imperceptibly related to English Lit or Night driving had me thinking of Zayn the witch Davenport.

I was discomfit each time I caught myself reliving that unrepeatable night. A disappointed grunt left my throat. It was self evident, I wanted to relive that night all over again, if I could.

Worst part was, I couldn't relate how absolutely sweet and intimate that night felt to me because I'd to each and every person accessible to in the past three years of coexisting with Zayn how much I despised his guts. Therefore, the memory stayed permanent and nonmotile in my thoughts.

"Mulan, Family meeting" Cole shouted out his bedroom window the second I pulled up at the house.

"The name's Milan, Colander" I retorted but my relative had long returned into his bedroom.

True to Cole's words, dad and mom sat the serious way they did at business meetings in the Parlour conversing quietly. "Finally home, Milan" Mom smiled and pointed at the loveseat Cole had infected using his caterpillar infested Buttocks. I cocked a brow but obeyed reluctantly.

"Scoot your bones" I pushed Cole's big frame.

"Excuse you young lady, this is pure muscle" He flexed his arms. Coles muscles were present, sometimes taunting his peers by rippling his flimsy shirts or track suits.

Man whore.

"And these are pure chocolate" I flexed my arms. Cole guffawed at the sight.

Constant exercise wasn't at the vertex of my abilities which was why my arms were stuffed with more snack sourced fat than muscle.

"Quit the banter, Children" Dad glared at Cole and I. "This meeting is about tomorrow's event. As you know, this gala is very important to me and your mom so behave and don't tarnish our image"

"Can I bring Holly?"

"Yes you can!" Mom smiled.

Oh, the Joy. Not only will I share the air with my nemesis, Holly and her lack of affinity for anything of my interest would also be present.

"Anyone you want to bring Milan?" Cole wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Cole's inelegant eyebrow dancing implied the shadowy gent I spent the night with.

"No" I shot him a glare.

He chuckled and raised his hands in defeat. Dad resumed his speech which in conclusion was charging the Mayfield family to suspend our goof for the night and feign poise.

"I'm glad we're on the same page family" Dad spared us a smile and left for his bedroom with his Lady (mom) in tow.

"Ready for tomorrow?" Cole asked.

"Honestly, No" I sighed. He was aware of the incendiary relationship Zayn and I shared and knew as well as I did, each year Zayn ate up all the spotlight I craved ever so hungrily.

"Zayn Davenport and i will meet for another year" Cole stated. The annoyed look I sported didn't weight any less at his statement. "At least this year Holly would be there and you little lass won't look so traumatized"

I feel even less excited knowing that piece of information. Cole, ignorant as a rock failed to notice how exiguous my preference for his year long girlfriend was.

"I should go up now, I need to call holly" Cole spread his arms apart for a hug and I complied. "I'll be there to punch his ass if he bullies you"

"I can punch his ass myself. Now, go call your babe" I could attribute the speed at which Cole left for his Bedroom to a c

at fleeing from socialization.

Surely, clad in the beautifully fit dress I bought, I would attract a majority of the wandering eyes in the hall and maybe even Zayn The wizard Davenport's eyes.