Chapter 20 - Levana
Over the next two weeks, dad roped in Mr Sinclair to help him with some project I didn’t understand, and it was somewhat weird spending time with my teacher both at school and my home. Sebastian, as he’d asked me to call him, was proving to be a good friend and I enjoyed his company when he came over. If he weren’t helping dad, we’d play chess, watch movies with Eliana or just talk about history. As a professor, he had loads of exciting stories to share.
The homecoming dance was a week and a half from today and although I was reluctant to attend, Cian being a committee member refused to take no for an answer. Besides, I didn’t have anything suitable to wear. From what I heard, some of the kids went all out for this event while others didn’t bother. I aimed to fall into the first category, if I went.
With my bedroom door open, I could hear the voices float up the stairs. I stood on the threshold and listened for a bit. Dad, Mr Sinclair and Davien were discussing the upcoming football game held before the homecoming dance. I went back to my closet, drew out several dresses and tossed them on the bed.
I tried on two, chose one and went downstairs. “Dad?” Sebastian lifted his eyes from the document he was reading as I entered the living room. Davien was nowhere in sight.
“Yes, sweetheart.” My father sat with his back to me while Sebastian sat opposite him, facing me.
“What do you think? It’s for the dance, if I go.” I asked my father, yet aware of Sebastian’s gaze running a slow trail from my face down to my knees hidden behind the red polka dot dress.
My father glanced over his shoulder, gave the dress a quick once over and nodded. “Pretty, sweetheart.”
As I turned to walk away Sebastian’s eyes met mine again, I lifted a questioning brow. Wrinkling his nose, he shook his head—a subtle movement as though he were hiding his expression from my father. I glanced down at my body, rubbing the stiff material between my thumb and forefinger. He was right, I didn’t like it. With a soft smile at him, I turned and went back upstairs.
Chewing the inside of my cheek, I riffled through my clothes, then picked out another and went downstairs again. This time I didn’t bother asking my father and waited for Sebastian to look at me. Biting his lower lip, to keep from laughing out loud I realized, he shook his head. “No,” he mouthed.
When I went down for the third time, he wrinkled his brow as if thinking about it, then held up his hand, palm down and did a half-and-half gesture. Like he was two-minded. “So, so,” he mouthed.
With a small curtsy that had him winking, I blushed, went back upstairs and decided I wasn’t going to the dance until Eliana walked into my room.
“What you doin’?” she asked, glancing at the dresses on my bed.
“I was planning on going to the homecoming but none of these dresses work,” I huffed, struggling out of the one I had on.
She walked over to my closet, riffled through my dresses then disappeared for a second before backing out with a flat box. “What’s this?”
“Not sure.” I shrugged then made space on the bed for her to set it down. When she pulled off the lid, I laughed. “Oh, my God, dad kept it.”
Eliana frowned. “What is it?”
Carefully opening the plastic wrapping, I drew out the white dress made from soft lace and silk. “Just before she died, grandma bought this and said I should wear it to my first school dance. It was way too big and because I never went to any dances, I forgot about it.” I held the dress against my body.
“It’s beautiful.” She fingered the material. “And so soft. You should wear it.”
“What?” I laughed. “First, this is an ancient style, second it was bought when I was nine and third...” I shrugged.
Eliana screwed her eyes at me. “First, you’re the history boff, so what better way to celebrate it, than something old. Second, these gathers here,” she pointed to the sides of the dress, “look like they can be open to refit you and third, you’re so freaking beautiful that you hide behind shit.” She laughed.
“Yes, mom,” I teased.
“I’m sure you can get someone to let out those gathers a bit in time for the homecoming, I can ask my friend’s mom, if you like.”
“And that’s why I love you like a sister.” I dropped the dress into the box and caught her in a hug from behind and kissed the back of her head.
“Love you too.”
Later that evening, while dad worked with Sebastian and Eliana hopped off to bed, I went down to the kitchen looking for a snack. When I opened the fridge, the desserts called to me. Not sure why, I took out the cucumber, celery and carrot slices instead. After a couple of bites, I wrinkled my nose, wondering how my little sister could eat these and I couldn’t. Biting into a cucumber stick, I slid to the floor and forced myself to eat, gnashing the fresh vegetable like it was the most godawful thing I’d tasted. It was.
I didn’t hear his footsteps until he was almost on top of me. “What are you doing down there?”
I looked up. Sebastian, with his hair all ruffled like he’d run his hands way too many times through it, stood there smiling down at me. Thank God, I was sitting because the curve of those lips was just so swoon worthy.
“Eating a snack,” I mumbled holding up a carrot stick. “You want one?”
