sixteen: distracted

Option A was an epic failure.

Leah could see that now. She'd gone for her instincts, and had only come out with a fruitless interaction. She was so stupid for thinking that she stood a chance against mercilessly beautiful Tori. The time since her imprinting extravaganza was a mistake, all of it. A painful, unforgettable mistake.

So it was time for the second choice—onto ignoring Keenan. She would not let his name cross her mind ever again. His beautiful, unusual, unforgettable face would never haunt her subconscious again. When she closed her eyes, his voice would never plague her. She would not allow it.

Distractions. That's what Leah needed. She needed to do something that she could immerse the full use of her thoughts in. And when a girl needs a distraction, she thinks of one thing, regardless of age or race: shopping.

Well, with my funds, Leah thought sarcastically, I'll really be window-shopping. But it served the same purpose. Leah changed out of the stupid "Fishing Kicks Bass" shirt and into a smocked babydoll tank in a tangerine shade that contrasted her russet skin nicely. She ditched the sweats in favor of maroon skinny cords and her slippers for Steve Madden espadrilles. She grabbed her tan faux-leather hobo bag and her Coach wallet (a gift—living on a four-days-a-week manicurist's salary could never afford her Coach) and stepped into the muggy Seattle air.

The sound of the soles of Leah's feet slapping against the backs of her sandals was pleasant. The sunlight was bright, nearly blinding, and Leah dug around in her bag until she located her H&M sunglasses. She put them over her dark eyes and kept walking, aiming for Saks Fifth Avenue.

Leah loved Saks. She loved the expensive dresses and the outrageous-yet-über-stylish, straight-off-the-runway outfits. She would try on high-waisted sailor jeans and foil-accented miniskirts, asymmetrical cardigans and eyelet dresses. When she walked in today, she poked around for a minute before she found it—The Dress.

It was black lace over red silk, a daring and gorgeous color combination. The cut of the dress might have been what drew Leah to it; it had an asymmetrical neckline that had one arm-hugging sleeve to the wrist. The other side was strapless, leaving the arm and shoulder bare. It ran tightly to a few inches above the knee with a lace hem. An enormous metallic silver belt cinched the waist. Leah was frozen.

Cautiously, Leah approached the mannequin wearing The Dress and reached gingerly to touch it. The rough lace was an interesting contrast to the smooth silk. It was love at first sight. If only Leah could afford it. She tore through the rack until she found her size. Minutes later, the silky smooth dress was on Leah. It hung on her body just the way she'd hoped. Carefully Leah opened the fitting room door to check herself in the three-way mirror.

Another girl was there, surprising Leah. She was wearing The Dress too, but she'd paired it with black and white cuff bangles, black leather leggings, and platform wedge ankle boots. The girl's ebony hair tumbled down her back to her waist in wild, gorgeous waves. Leah took a peek at the girl's face in the mirror.

It was Tori. And where Tori was, Keenan couldn't be far behind.

-----

The little ball on Keenan's Blackberry bounced up and hit the little bricks. The mini-game BrickBreaker wasn't as amusing and distracting as Keenan had hoped. Tori was trying on a—quote—perfect dress that she—quote—had to have. Whatever. Keenan wasn't a girl, so he couldn't understand their draw to shopping.

The fitting room door flew open, and a small girl rushed out in a burst of orange and red. Keenan gave her a quick passing glance, but then did a double take. "Leah Clearwater?"

She froze in her tracks. Slowly she turned around. Keenan got a good look at her face. She had huge brown eyes and thick black eyelashes like feather dusters. She had angular cheekbones, framed by her short pixie cut and long sideswept bangs that fell into her eyes. She was biting her lip so hard Keenan was afraid it would burst.

"Um, hi Keenan," she managed.

"How's it going?" Keenan tried to keep his voice light, to mask the rainstorm of emotions that was raging inside of him.

"Good," Leah squeaked. She sounded like she was choking.

Then the door burst open again, and Tori came out. "Ta-da!" she exclaimed, arms open wide, executing a twirl. Her mouth dropped open in horror when she saw Leah. "Keenan, who's this?" Tori's voice was hollow, masking her apparent fury, and Keenan was sure she knew who she was.

"Tori, this is Leah Clearwater."

what? no reviews? *heaves dramatic sigh* what happened to everyone? well whatever i guess. review this one, and the last one too! then check out my MI fics (finally managed to get my meaty little paws on City of Glass today!) and my other Twilight fics. ummm, so, yeah. bye.