Formally Yours

Noticed

Why I had just noticed this today, I have no clue. It's been over a week since what happened. I got it just two days before what happened since I knew I was going and the guy always matched you, so I could've gotten this a month ago. But there it was, just hanging in my closet: turquoise blue with ruffles, ending at about mid-thigh, my winter formal dress. Now I saw it just sitting there, doing nothing. I wondered if I even wanted to go still. I mean, when I bought it, I assumed I was going with him. He didn't ask me or anything. We didn't even talk about it, but it was an assumption, you know. Now we're not even together, and it's next week. I don't want to go alone really, and everyone has dates by now. I know it's not prom or anything, and a date is unnecessary, but seeing everyone with a date is just going to make me sad. So I just stared at my dress, debating what to do. I got stuck, so I shut my closet.

Advice

It was 6 PM, and it was still pretty bright out considering it was winter. Then again, this is San Clemente, California. I went downstairs and knew it was almost time for dinner as I smelled the aroma of pasta cooking in the kitchen.

"Kayla? Is that you?" My mom said as I ran down the stairs. I guess she heard me.

"Yes," I said as I stepped onto the hardwood floors of the kitchen. Suddenly, I had a flashback of me and him in the kitchen. It was the day I got back from my trip that left him waiting for once. He came over, just having to get me something. I put the large Coach shopping bag on the kitchen island counter and took out the box wrapped in ribbon. I undid the bow, opened the box and smiled. I thanked him, and we hugged. Then we kissed. That was our first kiss and we hadn't even been on two dates, but it just clicked and felt right.

"Kayla? Kayla? Honey, are you okay?" I heard my mom say as my mind returned to reality.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I spaced out," I answered.

"Would you set the table for me while I finish cooking this?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure," I told her as I grabbed the placemats from the counter.

"So what have you been up to since you got back from shopping with Taylor?"

"Oh, nothing really. Well actually, I was putting my laundry away and sorting out my new stuff and I saw just realized that my winter formal dress is in there," I answered her, almost not mentioning my dress.

"Oh. So what are you going to do with that? Are you still going? Or do you want me to return it for you?"

"I'm not sure. I'm kind of debating on that. I still want to go, but not alone. I know it's not prom or anything, but after this whole thing, I don't feel like going alone. Plus, it's net week, so everyone already has dates by now."

"Hon, you know boys are always late on asking girls to dances."

"Yeah, I know, but they usually don't wait this late. And all of my guy friends assumed I was going with Ryan or already have dates."

"Well you never know. Maybe someone has a crush on you." I wasn't in the mood for my mom's teasing.

"Even so, if I don't normally talk to the guy, I don't really want to o with someone I don't know well. Not now at least, a week after this whole thing with Ryan."

"Still not over Ryan, huh?"

"No. Not exactly. Okay, not at all, which makes no sense if you ask me considering we were together for what? A month? And I got over Troy in like a month, and we were together for almost three years," I confessed as I finished setting the table and sat down.

"Maybe there's a reason for that."

"Like what? That I was more meant to be with a guy I was with for a month than one I was with 36 times that long? Mom, that doesn't make any sense," I complained as a result of my dilemma and of hunger.

"Everything doesn't always have to make sense, honey."

"Yeah, I know."

Trick

After dinner, I felt like watching some movies (no love stories) to get my mind of off the situation, so I went out for a bit. I got home an hour later, because I got sidetracked by a sale on shoes. Whoops. When I got back, I must've been hearing things.

"Yes, just send them over then, Brian," my mom said into the house phone as I walked into the kitchen. "No, thank you. Okay, bye."

"Mom?" I questioned her while holding a bag of DVDs.

"Yes, Kayla?" she replied as she wrote something down on a neon blue pad of Post-Its, meaning it was a message for me.

"Who was that? On the phone just now."

"Oh, it was your Uncle Brian. He just wanted to know if you could babysit James and Jessica tomorrow, because he and Aunt Lauren have a wedding to go to tomorrow. I told him you were available. Is that okay?" my mom asked as she placed the Post-It on the fridge calendar.

"Oh, I thought you said Ryan, not Brian. Yeah, of course it's okay. What time will they be coming?" I said before I took a bite out of a brownie my mom just baked.

"They'll be here around 6:30."

"Okay. My plans are before then anyway."

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Just going to the beach with Whitney. Tay might come too. She's not sure yet."

"Oh, okay. Are you girls going surfing?"

"I am, but I don't know about Whit or Tay. They might just spend the whole time tanning."

"Oh, okay. Well, I'll be sure to give you some money before you leave tomorrow, because we ran out of sunscreen."

"Okay. So why are you baking so much right now?"

"For the kids, since they're coming tomorrow. And Andrew's having friends over tomorrow too," my mom responded as she emptied a bag of flour into a bowl.

"Oh. Okay. Need some more flour?" I asked n consideration, noticing she ran out of flour.

"Yes, please. Thank you, Kayla."

"Mhm. Let me just go put this stuff away," I referred to the bag of DVDs in hand.

So I went up to my room, put the movies on my bed, and headed for the basement. As I headed down the stairs, I smelled a French vanilla candle. As I walked deeper into the basement, the fragrance got stronger. I ignored it as it was pleasant and walked over to our basement pantry. Suddenly, I looked on the ground and saw rose petals forming a path. I followed it to the open space next to the TV. I looked up and could not believe my eyes.