Nyx shook her head, speaking towards Rayla who didn't understand what a club was, "A club is like a party where you don't need to be invited. You dress up, and have fun dancing and drinking juice and meeting strangers."
"Ookay, then Congratulations. It sound's like fun." Rayla stated not fully sure of how else to answer. It didn't really seem all that fun. Meeting strangers wasn'tthatinteresting, but the way Nyx said it, had her worried.
Claudia threw her hands in the air, "It is! Andyouare coming with us. You and Callum and Soren, Nyx, and, of course, me. Some of the school is coming, too." She exclaimed excitedly nearly squealing.
Callum and Rayla exchanged worried looks.
"Guys, that really isn't necessary. It really doesn't seem all that intriguing." Rayla excused.
"Yeah, Rayla's right. Clubs aren't even a good idea. Why do you think there are never any adults there?" Callum agreed furthering his point.
Claudia rolled her eyes. Of course, they would be overly cautious about it. "That's the point, Callum. No adults. Just a bunch of kids our age, trying to have a good time and take their minds off of their problems. We girls are going shopping tomorrow for it. Can you guys, please, come with us? For the sake of trying something new? And for us? You'll have fun, I promise you."
Both of them gave plain looks of unimpressed frowns, then they looked at each other, and their backs slumped. "Fine!"
"Yes! You won't regret it! I swear!" Claudia celebrated as Harrow walked in.
"What won't they regret?" Harrow questioned raising a skeptical eyebrow as he sat down beside Rayla.
Claudia chuckled nervously, "Just a teenager thing. Nothing you'd really care about." She tried to cover waving her hand up and down to pass it off as unimportant.
Harrow smiled, "I was once a teenager, try me."
"Er... Um... Well, just a small celebratory thing for the end of school. We- We're just going to go out, eat at a restaurant. You know, fun stuff like that." Claudia smiled awkwardly.
"Is this true?" Harrow looked to Callum and Rayla as they gave nervous smiles. "Okay, then."
Ezran came back from his room with his phone and Bait in hand. Claudia and Nyx fled the scene as quickly as possible.
The chess game between Rayla and Ezran began. As the end of the game neared, Rayla was confused. She was somehow losing to Ezran even though she couldn't remember him capturing any of her pieces. Ezran was ready to make his winning move when Bait ate Rayla's King piece as everyone watched. He hiccuped in response to the gaping mouths of his surroundings.
"Wait, just a wee minute, that's how I'm losin'. That grumpy, hiccupin' frog has been eatin' my pieces." Rayla realized the second she witnessed it.
Ezran defended, hoping to cover it up, "No, he didn't. You have no reason to think... Don't accuse him." He tried to make Bait look innocent. If Bait was deemed innocent, then he would be innocent.
"Ez, we're right here. We saw it. You've been havin your frog eat my pieces when we're not lookin'." Rayla retorted.
Ezran hung his head. He was caught, for sure. "You're right, I have been."
Both Harrow and Callum called out in unison, "Disqualified!!!"
"...And consequently the end of the chess match. Rayla's the winner!" Callum added as he imitated audience cheers.
Harrow shook his head with a smile as he looked at Ezran, "Just like your mother. Except she would swallow the chess pieces herself. She was a sore loser, indeed."
"Good thing, Callum doesn't. I'd be pryin' them from his miniature throat, all day." Rayla commented as she laughed.
"Ha, ha, very funny. But seriously, my throat isnotminiature." Callum argued plainly.
"It was one piece from Parcheesi, a game with miniature game pieces. And it was stuck inyourthroat, you tell me." Rayla countered finding the conversation funny .
"I still refuse to believe that accusation is true." Callum crossed hisplayfully looking away from her.
Rayla put her hands up in surrender, "Choose to believe this'accusation'or not. Everyone else knows this statement is true."
Harrow smiled wider. Their banter was amusing, to say the least. "Now, I have a good question for the two of you."
Callum and Rayla head turned simultaneously toward Harrow.
"Where exactly do Claudia and Nyx plan on taking you two?"
They looked at each other and nodded. Callum uncrossed his arms, "A club. Their favorite one... Truthfully."
Rayla nodded with a nonchalant look on her face
"And the both of you agreed to this?"
They nodded.
"They persisted and we- at least, Rayla and I are smar- responsible enough to not do anything stupid." Callum informed rephrasing certain statements.
Harrow reverted his attention to Rayla, "You don't know much about clubs, do you?"
"Not really. There are no'clubs'in Xadia." Rayla notified in response.
Again Harrow's attention turned back to Callum, "Callum, are you sure you trust to them enough that they won't misinterpret anything to Rayla. I don't want any unexpected additions to the family." He asked suspiciously. Lord knew, what they would try to convince Rayla of.
"What!!! I know what...thatis. There's no possibility they could misinterpret things, and I actually believe them. And with... Before... I wouldn't... We don't even..." Rayla stopped and took a breath. "Mr. Harrow, with all due respect, I'M NOT STUPID! I know very well, whatthatis. I'm not goin' to be fooled by Claudia or Nyx or anyone for that matter. I'm not goin' to dothat... w-with Callum, even less." She resumed getting aggravated as her face turned red thinking about it. What kind of harasser did Harrow take her for? What kind of idiot did he think she was? Just because she was from Xadia that didn't mean she was clueless about stuff like that.
Harrow cleared throat, instantly regretting his statement. "Rayla, I apologize. That was out of line. It was incredibly wrong of me to jump to such a stupid conclusion. I am sorry. I'm sure you wouldn't be so easily fooled. I fully trust that neither of you would so anything out of line. Have fun, but by all means be careful."
Callum nodded, and placed his hand on Rayla's shoulder calming her down.
"It's okay."
~RxC~
The next day came and everyone woke early for Dean Harrow's announcement at school. He would announcing the passing students and those that would retake the semester after the following few weeks as well as the newer students that would be joining them in the next semester of High School, their Senior year, including Kasef Abner.
The event lasted 3 hours, until it finally finished. The girls took Nyx's dad's truck to each of their houses to change from their school clothes, then to the store for their dresses.
Claudia and Nyx went fishing for their dresses taking, yet another hour to find the"perfect"dresses. While they took their time, Rayla sat on a bench waiting patiently, and nearly falling asleep.
At last, their called out, "PERFECT!!" Waking Rayla from her sleep.
"Are you surethistime?" She asked skeptically yawning. They nodded wearing their dresses.
Rayla stretched, "Okay, then change back into your clothes, we'll pay for them, and leave."
Claudia disagreed, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Rayla, remember, you're coming, too."
"Like I could forget." Rayla said plainly. "I already looked through the dresses, here. None of them are... Anything I'd want to wear at all."
They decided to go to another store to search for Rayla's dress. While rummaging through the racks of clothes Nyx and Claudia would pull some out and Rayla would shake her head.
"You're so picky." Claudia commented.
Rayla scoffed, "Look, I'd rather wear jeans and a t-shirt, but I agreed to wear a dress. I don't want somethin' too elaborate, or too long, or too exposin' of me." She returned to searching through the rack.
"Don't you want to? To impress him or something like that?" Claudia wondered.
"Impress who? Callum? Why would I want to... What's so impressive about wearin' something revealing? I doubt he'd find that impressive, any way. He knows, I'm modest. He would tell me to wear somethin' I'm comfortable in."
Nyx looked at Claudia with an agreeing look, "She's right. He thinks she's hot in a baggy t-shirt, and jeans. He'll check her out no matter what she's wearing."
Rayla wished. She chose to ignore Nyx's point. It wouldn't do her much good to believe it.
Rayla still couldn't find a dress so they came to a third store where they actually asked about some of the more modest dresses they had. The woman at the register brought them to the back, and showed them some of their newer dresses and outfits that were still being finished and tweaked.
Being allowed to try some on, Rayla changed into one of them, and added her opinion on it about possible changes and additions. After changing back into her regular clothes, the woman took an extra hour to take Rayla's advice in adjusting the dress. She came out with the dress, and Rayla paid for it thanking her prefusely.
After that, they went shopping for accessories, shoes, and jewelry.
Meanwhile, Soren brought some of his friends with him and Callum looking for suits and outfits to wear at the club. Most of them were loud as they were goofing around more than looking for anything. Callum was quiet. He quickly found an outfit, paid for it, and sat on a bench waiting for the others to be finished. Soren was his ticket home. He literally had no other choice than to wait on him to be done.
Suddenly, Carl grabbed him by the shoulder. "Hey, you're that beanpole, Callum, right?" He asked him only half-heartedly friendly.
"Um,.. I- I guess, but I'm really not that skinny." Callum replied falling off topic. He wasn't that skinny, was he?
"I hear, you're dating the new girl, Rayla. I bet you're probably going with her to the club, huh? You know, you're lucky. She's pretty, smart, and strong. I gotta tell you, I was really hoping she was single. Turns out, she's not." Carl pointed out.
"New? She's not really new. But wait... Single? No,... I mean, Yes, she's not... She's not like dating...we're not dating. She doesn't see me that way. She doesn't even like me.. Well, not like that, at least. We're not... we're not going as a... No, it's a thing with friends. It's not a.. It's not a date." Callum stammered and stuttered over his words, before hoping it was clear.
"Wait! She doesn't? Then why she say... Ah! She's playing hard-to-get. I see how it is." Carl smirked to himself after'registering'the situation.
All the awkwardness suddenly vanished, as Callum remembered that Rayla had used him as an excuse to get out of dating anyone. She was clearly not interested in him. So Callum was sure to remind him, it didn't hurt that it made him feel a little better to remind Carl of it. "Carl, she's not playing'hard-to-get'.She just doesn't like you like that... if at all. You're not really.. Her type."
"Andyouwould know her type?" Carl asked in disbelief.
"Well,... Y- Yeah, we're best friends. Why.. Why wouldn't I?" Callum looked around obviously lying, but Carl didn't even notice it.
Soren walked over to them,"You know her type, alright." He chuckled to himself.
Carl took that as a red flag regarding Callum really knowing her type, and he smirked smuggly.
A couple of Soren's teammates, saw it as what it was, and teased Callum about it. Others were still sure they could"woo"Rayla into falling for them with their"charms". They bragged claiming they would sweep her off her feet, and everyone would see it at the club.
Out of annoyance, and ever so slight jealousy, Callum retorted to the dumbbutts that were sure they could'woo'her, " Didn't she reject most of you?"
Everyone stopped and looked at him, then they shrugged it off.
Ugh! He really should've let them think he and Rayla were dating. Now, they'd be trying to get her attention. He'd be lucky to spend anytime with Rayla at the club. But then again, She wasn't interested, she will like make sure to be clearer if they decided to mess with her.
He'd just destroyed her cover up, because of an awkward situation. Oops.