EMERY'S AWOKEN by pebbles at her window. She groans, reluctantly throwing the covers away from her body. The cold air immediately hits her bare legs, as she's wearing a long t-shirt that stops low thigh.
She angrily pulls away her curtains, letting the light stream onto her and into the room. When her eyes adjust to the light, she sees somebody that she doesn't want to his early in the morning.
"What is it Harven?" She groans, trying to block the sun. She's aware that her hair is having trouble picking a direction.
He purses his lips when she arrives at the body length window.
"We have a date tonight, Little Emery." He shouts, using a nickname from way back when. Which she hated by the way.
"What do you mean?" She shakes her head. This was supposed to be school limited.
"Don't tell me you didn't hear about the party? Lana's party? We're going together." He nods, and Emery immediately wakes all the way up. She furrows her brows and widens her eyes, remembering her last encounter with the blonde.
"No thank you. I'm not going to her party." Emery begins to shut her window.
"Damn it, Emery- Ethan will be there," He says, and she stops short, "perfect opportunity?" He says.
She doesn't want to admit that this could be her time to make him extremely jealous. Emery never agreed to attend any parties with Ethan. Harven was right.
"Okay," She huffs, "Is there a theme?" She asks. Emery's always been a sucker for themes. Color, categories, you name it.
"Pretty much anything that doesn't scream "nerd." So don't wear anything in your closet." He gives her a thumbs up.
"Hey!" She exclaims, and he closes his window with a final grin. She closes her window and leans back on it. A conversation with him requires recuperation.
Woah, she thinks, I've never even been to a party before. What am I thinking?!
______________
Emery meets May later that day, at their usual table, and Emery can't help but glance at the boys just across from them.
"Um-I need your help." Emery mutters, embarrassed to even be asking what she is and agreeing to this whole thing in the first place.
"Per usual. Yes?" May cocks her head, letting her honey hair fall over her shoulders.
"Well, you see there's a party-"
"Oh yeah, Lana's place."
Emery nods. "I need help with um like- clothes? I don't have anything fitting for the occasion." Emery sticks a forkful of broccoli in her mouth.
May furrows her eyebrows. "You want me to give you some party clothes?" She says slowly.
Emery nods her head pathetically in response, her cheeks full.
"Don't tell me you're going with Harven?" May shakes her head.
Emery whimpers and shrugs.
"Oh Emery." She pats her friends head sympathetically. For once Emery leans into her friend, accepting the pity.
I deserve it, having to stick up with that boy, she thinks.
When lunch is over, Harven falls into step with Emery, who's heading to next period. Emery huffs.
"So I'll pick you up at eight?" Harven asks.
"Oh please don't." Emery gives a dry smile and looks up at the taller boy.
"Oh come on, the more we normally talk like a sappy couple, the more natural it will be. Give it a go." Harven says, and Emery wonders what he is waiting for. Oh.
"Um-see you then, uh- honey?" She grimaces.
Harven has a hard laugh at her horrible attempt, muttering a "hopeless" before turning down the opposite hall.
Emery slaps her own forehead softly.
I'm almost as cringey as Harven, She huffs.
_______________
"This one or this one?" May hold up two different dresses, trying desperately to find one that Emery will wear.
"Neither." Emery shakes her head at them, returning to her book.
May grumbles and stalks over to Emery, slamming her book shut.
"Hey! I didn't dog-ear yet!" She huffs at her friend, glaring up at her.
"You need clothes to wear, pick one or I'm leaving." May crosses her arms and lifts a brow at Emery.
Emery barely wears dresses, and never near this short. She didn't even understand why this was necessary, she thought her clothes were just fine.
"I still don't understand why you can't go with me." Emery gets up and examines the dress selection with distaste. She holds them against her body in the mirror, shaking her head at both.
"I told you. My family had some big thing to talk about. It's urgent I guess. You'll be fine though." May says it more like a question.
Emery gives her a flat look.
May ruffles through the bag of dresses that she brought, trying to fit Emery's criteria:
Not too flashy
Not too short
No plunging necklines
No strapless ones!
She pulls one from the bag that might just be a winner. She turns around, showing it to Emery.
Emery's eyebrows raise, and she takes the dress, feeling the material.
"Okay, I like this one. Four points in the criteria so I'll try it on." She disappears in the closet, coming back in two minutes with the dress on. It colored blush pink, with long puff sleeves. It flattered her body just right and reached about mid thigh.
"Oh my, yes! Throw on some heels and you're slaying the entire party." May gushes.
(Emery ended up wearing her white converse, but we're not gonna tell May about her "fashion faux pas" as she calls it)
Emery admits that she does quite like the dress, blush pink is her favorite color. She can agree that It's nice to wear something out of element once in a while. Once in a while.
The clock reads 7:43.
"I'll be on my way, tell me everything tomorrow!" May gathers her things and heads out the door. Emery pulls on her shoes, and quickly ties her wavy locks back with a ribbon.
She reads until Harven's car is parked outside. She almost finds it funny that he moves his car only a couple feet to be in front of her house.
Her parents, too busy arguing in their room again, don't notice her absence. They don't even ask where she's going.
Emery catches the strange look from Harven as she walks up to the car. It lingers on her midriff when she sits.
"Oh what?" She asks.
He looks up. "You managed to find a dress. A for effort, Emery!" He hold up his hand for a high five.
Actually feeling quite proud of herself, she returns it, smacking his large hand with her smaller one. She shakes her head and stares out the window the rest of the way.
_______________
Upon arriving, Emery's stomach drops.
She really invited the entire school.