A/N: First off, thanks to Scary-girly, Spykid18, and generva for their story ideas. I really appreciate it. This chapter is hereby dedicated to you guys. Love ya!
Second, if anyone can guess why the chapter is named what it is, I'll give you a little spoiler for a future chapter.
And third, your chapter...
"So, do you want something that says I'm-not-a-whore-though-this-skirt-says-otherwise? Or something more like how-long-will-it-take-you-to-meet-me-in-the-bedroom-upstairs?" Kady asked, her back to me while she riffled through her closet.
Neither. I stared at the mini skirt, if you could call the scrap of cloth a skirt, in my hand and shook my head, "I don't know, nothing too slutty." I tossed the "skirt" in my hand on her bed.
"Syd, you're going to a college party, everyone will be slutty." Kady, of course, knew of Dixon and his kick ass parties. And, of course, he turned out to be a sophomore in college.
What did I get myself into? "Does that mean I have to be, too?"
Kady looked at me like I was crazy. I take that as a yes. "Sydney, dear, I love you but I cannot let you go to a party, a Dixon party, unless you are dressed properly."
I nodded, giving in, "Okay, Master Yoda, give me all you've got."
She looked at me like I was crazy, again, "What's with you and the Star Wars thing you've been doing all week?"
Michael Vaughn. Plain and simple. That boy got me quoting it now. I shrugged, "I don't know." Then changing the subject, I added, "So what do you have?"
Kady smiled widely, probably incredibly proud of herself, and held up two hangers. One hanger had a sparkly black halter top while the other had a short but not ridiculously short black skirt that had a layered hem, like some parts of the hem were longer than the others and some, unfortunately, went shorter than most of the skirt but over all it was the best outfit she had proposed all night. And that I think is what scared me the most.
I took the hangers and studied them for a moment, "Didn't you wear this outfit to a wake once?"
Kady smiled, still proud of herself, "Yes I did and I made a very good impression if you know what I mean."
"Ah, too much info!" I yelled, covering my ears and making a mad dash for the bathroom so I could change.
"Come on, Sydney, come out." Kady knocked on the bathroom door, again.
I fidgeted with the skirt before answering, "No way in hell." I so did not have the boobs for a halter top and reluctantly, I admit that the skirt looked good on me –damn, you legs. Why do you have to look so good in a miniskirt?- but I felt very undressed, for lack of a better word. Because, well, my belly was showing and my boobs were barely covered by the halter top that I didn't have the boobs for.
"Syd, come out of there or I am going to knock down the door." Kady yelled.
She would actually do it. That's what scared me the most and I think that's what convinced me to open the door. I stepped out, shyly, still fidgeting with the skirt.
Kady studied the outfit for a moment and shook her head, "That top is all wrong for this. Here try this one." She handed me a black (surprise!) tank top that had a modest neckline and looked like it would cover me belly and boobs. I grabbed the top and rushed back into the bathroom. The stupid halter top was thrown off in a hurry, replaced, happily I might add, by a decent shirt. It did cover my belly and boobs and, I forgot to mention it earlier, but the skirt actually did a very good job of covering my butt. I felt more comfortable, much more comfortable.
This time when I came out of the bathroom, Kady clapped excitedly and smiled, "I told you that I would find you something." Yeah, this outfit was something, something that you wouldn't be caught dead in, which is why I love it.
Before I got a word out, the doorbell rang. It was Vaughn. I glanced at my watch, and on time too. I thought men were supposed to be late. "What are you standing there for, go." Kady urged, giving me a shove towards the door. "And have fun for me, I wish I was going." Kady had to work on the night of the party and being one inch away from being fired, Kady had resigned her party ways for one night in order to keep one of her jobs.
I'd trade places with you gladly. "Okay," I answered, picking up my small handbag from the table by the door and opened the door, with a carefully sculpted smile on my face.
To say that his eyes bugged out would have been an understatement. It was more like, if he didn't try to keep himself together, he would have fainted dead away on my front porch. While it was kinda nice to be so openly admired, I wasn't comfortable with some guy that I didn't know very well looking at me like that, "Ready?" I asked, sweetly.
This only tortured him more. I don't think that he had yet to take his eyes off my skirt and legs. He nodded, somewhat, his eyes still glued to my legs, "Um, yeah, come on."
"You know, my face is up here." I waved to my face with my hand, hopefully getting his attention. I think it worked, because he looked up and meet my eyes for the first time that night.
"Um, yeah. Are you ready?" I nodded. I already asked him that question, and he had just said that he was ready but I didn't press the issue. He nodded as well and walked me down the walk towards his car.
I stopped, just as we reached the sidewalk and I swear my mouth dropped a little, "This is your car?" It was one of those black sedans that you always seemed to see government officials driving. Trying to be secret agent man, are we?
He shrugged and made a face, "Yeah, well, my aunt's letting me borrow one of her cars. Something about trying to buy my love. And it's not that bad of a car." He motioned for me to get in and I did, still amazed that Michael Vaughn would have such a normal car.
After he got into the car as well, and turned over the engine, I asked, "How come you're aunt is trying to buy your love?"
"Cause I'm staying with her for awhile," He answered, coolly.
"Why?" I know, I know, I sound really pushy and annoying but curiosity killed the cat and this case, I'm the cat. Hi Death, how are you?
"My Grandmere's sick, so my Maman is in France taking care of her and since I'm still in school, Maman insisted that I stay in the States and unfortunately for me that means, staying with the aunt."
I nodded, his explanation made sense. "What about your dad?" His reaction made me want to smack myself, a first since the wedding. He flinched, very slightly but noticeable, then he got this look, like he wanted to punch someone and wanted a hug all at the same time. "Oh, God, I am so sorry. I didn't know." Yes, Death, party of one.
He shook his head, and pressed down on the gas a little harder, "It's okay, it was a long time ago." I was content to leave it at that, after making such an ass of myself. He grinned suddenly and I had to ask.
"What?"
"I think you're the only person to apologize for something they had absolutely nothing to do with," He replied, his grin growing.
"Well, sorry for being concerned. I'll try to be a cold heartless bitch next time," I answered, sarcastically, and he laughed. Okay, I think you can leave now, Death. "So your Grandma's sick?" We definitely needed a new topic and what better than his sick old Grandmother? Don't answer that.
"Grandmere," He replied, overstressing the word, "Say it with me, Grandmere."
"Grandmere," I repeated, though my French totally sucks and it sounded very American.
"Good, if my Grandmere every heard you call her "Grandma" she'd throw a chair out the window. Again." I gave him a weird look, so he continued, "Okay, so I did that once to see what she would do and she threw a chair out the window, promising me if I ever did that again, I would be the chair."
I laughed, "She sounds like a sweet old lady." He laughed as well. "So how horrible is your aunt?"
"What makes you think she's horrible?"
"Because you said she was trying to buy your love," I answered.
He laughed, "She's not horrible, just crazy. She's the black sheep of my family," -Funny, I thought that title would have been reserved for you, Vaughn, since you start fires at school and all- "if you will. Believes in all that nonsense about crop circles and aliens and one time she started to think that she could talk to the dead."
"Does your aunt have a name?"
"Trish," He replied.
"Crazy Aunt Trish," I repeated with a big goofy smile for some reason that I can't explain.
"Crazy Aunt Trish," He agreed.
I was actually jealous of him, listening to him talk about his aunt. He obviously loved her, she didn't need to "buy" his love and I couldn't help but think of my own sad, pathetic, little family unit. My mom had two sisters, Yelena and Katya, I think, but I had yet to meet them. They lived back east in like New York or maybe they lived in Europe. I have no idea. My mom doesn't really like to talk about them. And my dad was an only child. Jen had a big family but I swear I would pull a Carrie if I ever had to meet them. Besides, I still had yet to accept that my dad married said bimbo. And a snowball has a better chance of surviving in hell for ten minutes then Jen does of me every calling her "Mom" or anything related to that, even "Stepmom".
"Um, I want to apologize." Vaughn said suddenly, really out of the blue.
"For what?" I asked. My memory sucks and I couldn't think of anything that he would have to be sorry for.
"For earlier, when you answered the door, I shouldn't have been such a..." He trailed off, trying to think of a word.
"Guy," I supplied.
He shook his head, "No, more like sexist pig."
I laughed, "Well, sexist pig, the cold heartless bitch forgives you for being a sexist pig." He laughed along just as he screeched the car to a stop. I glanced out the window and started to regret my decision to go. Why did I go again? Oh yeah, because I can't say no to Michael Vaughn and his green eyes and cleft chin. Damn him.
People were everywhere. All over the front yard and from what I could see, it was shoulder to shoulder inside the house. You could hear the steady pump of the stereo from the street but for some reason, it didn't bother my head. Was it because of Vaughn? I really don't want to think about that right now. I got out of the car and softly closed the door behind me, taking my sweet time with it. I didn't realize that Vaughn had gotten out of the car as well and was already on my side until his hand came to the small of my back and he whispered in my ear, "Ready for your first Dixon party?"
His warm breath on my ear made my skin tingle, and I was unwilling to trust my voice, so I merely nodded. "Good." He expertly turned me around and with an arm slung over my shoulders, he led me into the house. I should have pushed off his arm but it felt so damn good to be that close to him. I could smell his aftershave or cologne or whatever it was perfectly when I was that close. It was minty yet musky but somehow clean and perfectly Vaughn. Oh, crap, what was I getting myself into?
"Hey Vaughn, man, it's about time you showed your face, now it's party," An African American guy suddenly appeared out of the mass of people and greeted Vaughn like they were brothers, which wasn't really possible, considering Vaughn was like Caucasian but whatever. "And who's your friend?"
Vaughn shook his head, a grin on his face, "Dude, all of your parties are 'parties' whether I come or not. And this," He paused to squeeze my shoulders, "is Sydney."
"Yeah, whatever," The guy replied. He extended a hand to me, and added, "I'm Dixon."
I took the offer hand, "It's nice to meet you Dixon." His handshake was firm but not bone crushing but not wussy either. I'm not making a lot of sense anymore, even to myself.
"Hey, are you Kady's sister?"
I nodded. I had been expecting that question. "Yeah, she talks about you a lot." Little white lie of the night, number one.
"Yeah, right," Dixon answered. Bye, bye little white lie. "I'll catch you later, man." Before Vaughn got the chance to respond, Dixon vanished into the crowd again.
Vaughn chuckled before looking down at me, "So, want something to drink?" His arm left my shoulder and he vanished for a moment before reappearing with two plastic cups in his hands.
Do I tell him? He was probably used to the whole drinking at the party thing but no matter how much I liked -or didn't like- him, I wasn't about to abandon my resolve not to drink until it was legal and even then only in wine and champagne and things of that nature. I tell him.
"Uh, Vaughn." He nodded, telling me to go on. "I don't drink." He got this weird look in his eye and didn't say anything for what seemed like forever.
Charmed-angel4- lol, she's going crazy, just like us. We should have a club with our bad memories and talking to ourselves and answering...hehe!
Kyla- Crazy about Vaughn you say? I think we are crazy about Vaughn but yeah, she's gonna be a little bit more crazy than the rest of us.
Scray-girly- Yeah, the beating up is coming, eventually but coming and nope, haven't seen 10 things i hate about you, or not for a while anyway and I can't remember what your talking about. Anyway, I totally appreiciate your ideas and would be very happy if you would give me more. Please?
serendipity112233- hehe, I hear that a lot, that my sense of humor is good that is and I never tire of hearing it. I'm the kinda person that can always make people laugh and i like that. Vaughn is adorable. I love flirty!Vaughn.
morrisseylover- hehe, are you going to start chating that now? Syd's in love, Syd's in love, Syd's in love...hehe. now you have me doing it. Amen to that. Loving the bad boys that is. Especially the french green eyed bad boys.
Spykid18- Marshall and sark you say? I might be able to do that, i'm not sure. thanks for the idea. hehe, i love me some troublemaker!Vaughn. lol. that would be nice. and pepper says "hi". she's weird too.
angryapplepie- hehe, Vaughn referring to himself in the third person and Syd talking to herself, yep that's a match made in heaven. nice choice of words.
genevra- okay, so I took what you said into account and i was actually past the part about syd's outfit when I read your review and I was like "stupid melanie, controdictiong yourself are we now?" and rewrote the scene so syd's outfit was better. thanks for the idea. and yeah, syd not getting along with her sisters is part of the story, you'll see. and yeah, i was talking to myself and in the third person, i'm like syd and vaughn!
neptunestar- I'm glad you liked Syd's argument with herself. It was fun to write.
largemarge416- first, thanks for the compliments, treasured them. second, all the sarcasm and wit and all that is usually what's going on in my head, so normally it's easy to write. and a third, so happy that it makes you feel so happy inside.
Laura- lol, yeah, i thought Vaughn starting a fire would be funny especially after he pulled the fire alarms the week before. and i was going to have his call her beautiful but i was like, no they're in high school, you only say that when you've been dating for a long time and they haven't...yet. :)