Part 4
The day of the Gay/Straight alliance dance, I went to see Jessie. It was one of the few times she wasn't with Katie, and I really needed some serious bonding time with my sister. I knocked on the door of the attic, and entered as she screamed at me to do so.
"Hey," I said, as I entered her room which now looked like a disaster area. There were clothes strewn everywhere, with Jessie standing in the middle of the,
"What do you think of this?" she asked, holding up a short, light blue dress.
"It's nice," I said. "What's it for?"
"The Gay/Straight Alliance dance," she said, as if I should have known.
"Oh, right," I said. "Grace is making me go with her."
"Yeah, she told me," Jessie said, holding up a long red dress. I shook my head and she looked back down.
"I didn't realize you were going," I said. "Do you have a date?"
"Katie," she said. "I'm going with Katie."
"That's cool," I said. "It's fun to go with friends."
"No," she said, looking at me seriously. "I'm going with Katie." I looked at her confused, and then realization suddenly dawned on me.
"Oh!" I said. "I had no idea!" I paused, realizing the intensity of her statement, and gazed into her eyes, which were obviously begging for my approval. I collected my thoughts, and desperately searched for something to say. "I'm happy for you," I finally said. "At least one of us is content with their feelings." She smiled at me, obviously relieved.
"This is my last hope," she said, abruptly changing the subject by holding up a short, black halter dress.
"That's perfect," I said, and her grateful smile transformed into a huge grin. She reached up and hugged me, and I could feel her tears on my shoulders. "You're the best, Eli," she whispered, and I didn't even bother to answer. I just hugged my sister, knowing that that was what she needed.
******
Later that night, I got ready to escort Grace to her dance. I put on khakis, a light blue shirt, and a drop of cologne, wanting to look nice, but not like I was trying to look nice. Just as I was checking myself in the mirror, a knock came on my door. *Leave it to Grace to be right on time* I thought amused, but thee smile quickly turned into a stunned expression as soon as I opened the door.
Grace was absolutely breathtaking. She was wearing a short, form-fitting blue dress that cut of in the middle of her thighs. It had short sleeves and a modest neckline, to make up for how tight it was. Her high-heeled shoes matched the color of her dress, and I was impressed that she was actually able to walk in them. Her makeup was light, with sheer pink lipstick and powdery blue eye-shadow. Her hair was loose, and crimped the way she so often wore it.
"You look great," I said, finally finding my tongue.
"So do you," she replied, her voice not much louder than a whisper.
"Are you ready to go?" I asked, wanting to get to a crowded area before something bad happened.
She nodded, and I led her to my car. We drove in a comfortable silence, listening to some alternative radio station. She reached and changed the station, changing to some light, sultry female singer.
"Hey," I said, switching back. "No touching my radio."
"But your music sucks," she said, changing it yet again.
"It does not!" *change*
"It does too!" *change*
"It's better than this shit you listen to!" *change*
"Are you insulting my music?" *change*
"Yes!" Laughing, we both reached for the radio at exactly the same time. As our hands met, we both pulled away, as if touching a hot oven.
"This is fine," I said quickly, and we dropped into a silence that was a lot less comfortable than the first one. Fortunately, we reached the school soon after, and we were able to leave the constraints of the car. I looked at Grace, and noticed she was shivering.
"Are you cold?" I asked.
"No, I'm nervous," she replied. "I mean, everyone in there thinks I'm in love with Mr. Dimitry. Half of them don't even expect me to be here. What's going to happen when I walk in with you?"
"I don't know," I said. "But I'll be there with you the whole time. You have my undying support, OK?" She nodded, smiled, and led me into an over decorated gym filled with high schoolers who were dancing and talking. As Grace and I walked in, all the conversations stopped and everyone stared at us. Grace grabbed my hand tightly, and I knew this was going to be a trying night for her, and I intended to help her through it.
The day of the Gay/Straight alliance dance, I went to see Jessie. It was one of the few times she wasn't with Katie, and I really needed some serious bonding time with my sister. I knocked on the door of the attic, and entered as she screamed at me to do so.
"Hey," I said, as I entered her room which now looked like a disaster area. There were clothes strewn everywhere, with Jessie standing in the middle of the,
"What do you think of this?" she asked, holding up a short, light blue dress.
"It's nice," I said. "What's it for?"
"The Gay/Straight Alliance dance," she said, as if I should have known.
"Oh, right," I said. "Grace is making me go with her."
"Yeah, she told me," Jessie said, holding up a long red dress. I shook my head and she looked back down.
"I didn't realize you were going," I said. "Do you have a date?"
"Katie," she said. "I'm going with Katie."
"That's cool," I said. "It's fun to go with friends."
"No," she said, looking at me seriously. "I'm going with Katie." I looked at her confused, and then realization suddenly dawned on me.
"Oh!" I said. "I had no idea!" I paused, realizing the intensity of her statement, and gazed into her eyes, which were obviously begging for my approval. I collected my thoughts, and desperately searched for something to say. "I'm happy for you," I finally said. "At least one of us is content with their feelings." She smiled at me, obviously relieved.
"This is my last hope," she said, abruptly changing the subject by holding up a short, black halter dress.
"That's perfect," I said, and her grateful smile transformed into a huge grin. She reached up and hugged me, and I could feel her tears on my shoulders. "You're the best, Eli," she whispered, and I didn't even bother to answer. I just hugged my sister, knowing that that was what she needed.
******
Later that night, I got ready to escort Grace to her dance. I put on khakis, a light blue shirt, and a drop of cologne, wanting to look nice, but not like I was trying to look nice. Just as I was checking myself in the mirror, a knock came on my door. *Leave it to Grace to be right on time* I thought amused, but thee smile quickly turned into a stunned expression as soon as I opened the door.
Grace was absolutely breathtaking. She was wearing a short, form-fitting blue dress that cut of in the middle of her thighs. It had short sleeves and a modest neckline, to make up for how tight it was. Her high-heeled shoes matched the color of her dress, and I was impressed that she was actually able to walk in them. Her makeup was light, with sheer pink lipstick and powdery blue eye-shadow. Her hair was loose, and crimped the way she so often wore it.
"You look great," I said, finally finding my tongue.
"So do you," she replied, her voice not much louder than a whisper.
"Are you ready to go?" I asked, wanting to get to a crowded area before something bad happened.
She nodded, and I led her to my car. We drove in a comfortable silence, listening to some alternative radio station. She reached and changed the station, changing to some light, sultry female singer.
"Hey," I said, switching back. "No touching my radio."
"But your music sucks," she said, changing it yet again.
"It does not!" *change*
"It does too!" *change*
"It's better than this shit you listen to!" *change*
"Are you insulting my music?" *change*
"Yes!" Laughing, we both reached for the radio at exactly the same time. As our hands met, we both pulled away, as if touching a hot oven.
"This is fine," I said quickly, and we dropped into a silence that was a lot less comfortable than the first one. Fortunately, we reached the school soon after, and we were able to leave the constraints of the car. I looked at Grace, and noticed she was shivering.
"Are you cold?" I asked.
"No, I'm nervous," she replied. "I mean, everyone in there thinks I'm in love with Mr. Dimitry. Half of them don't even expect me to be here. What's going to happen when I walk in with you?"
"I don't know," I said. "But I'll be there with you the whole time. You have my undying support, OK?" She nodded, smiled, and led me into an over decorated gym filled with high schoolers who were dancing and talking. As Grace and I walked in, all the conversations stopped and everyone stared at us. Grace grabbed my hand tightly, and I knew this was going to be a trying night for her, and I intended to help her through it.