Entry #533790, added on 09-08-07 @ 3:22 pm EDT
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| Chapter Sixteen | Entry #533790 |
Violet took a seat in front of where Drake sat, stuffing his face. She watched in amusement. Despite the many times she'd seen Drake eat like this, it never failed to entertain her, since it didn't happen all the time.
Violet had become so emersed in watching Drake that she didn't notice Christian gracefully take the seat beside her.
"Hey!"
Violet sucked in a breath and turned to Christian. "Hi! We didn't hear you come up."
"I did," Drake mumbled around a mouthful of food.
Violet threw him a glare and he began choking on his food, coughing hard. Violet only spared him a quick glance to make sure that he wouldn't die before she turned back to Christian.
Christian was turned toward her with an expectant expression on his face.
"What?" Violet asked suspisciously.
Christian took a deep breath. "So..." he said. "Prom."
Violet sighed and turned away, not wanting to listen to whatever he had to say. "No," she said tersely.
Christian cocked his head to the side. "You're confident. What makes you think I was going to ask you? I only said one word."
Violet looked sideways at him while Drake snickered. She turned back to Drake and flicked him on the ear.
"Ow!"
"Shut up."
She looked at Christian, at those eyes that she had become so familiar with. "Well, then." She brushed her palms on her jeans to give herself something to do. "What were you going to say?"
"I was going to say that a few guys said you weren't planning to attend the prom."
She blinked. "That's it?" She looked from Drake, who seemed to be quite amused, to Christian and back. "Okay. Yeah. So?"
"So..." Christian began. "I thought I could change your mind." He flashed her a dazzling smile.
"Now who's confident?" Drake muttered behind his food.
Violet shot him another look.
"He's right," Christian interrupted before Violet could say anything. "I shouldn't be so cocky. I just thought that since me and you...have been hanging out a lot," he glanced at Drake. "you'd say yes if I asked you."
Violet bit the inside of her cheek and ignored the accusing look that Drake was giving her. "I don't know..."
"Come on," Christian pleaded in a kind tone. "We'd be ther perfect pair, like...like..." he snaooed his fingers, looking for the right thing. His face lit up. "Like Danny and Sandy!"
Violet raised her eyebrows in a questioning look, then looked off in the distance, thinking. "Romeo and Juliet," she finally suggested.
Christian smiled, then added, "Barbie and Ken."
"Sonny and Cher."
"Batman and Robin."
"Frodo and Sam."
"Peanut Butter and Chocolate."
Violet giggled at Christian's addition befire hearing Drake interject with, "Bialystock and Bloom."
Violet and Christian turned to him. "Who?" they asked in unison.
Drake rolled his eyes and opened him mouth to answer, but Christian spoke over him. "It'll be fun."
Violet had forgotten their topic of conversation, having too much fun coming up with famous couples. When Christian reminded her, she shook her head. "I can't afford it."
Christian threw his arms out. "Violet, that's the point of a date. I pay. Tickets, dress, whatever you want."
"Since when is it the date's job to pay for a dress?" Drake demanded.
Christian looked at him, his mouth slightly ajar. "Drake, I'm just trying to make it easy for her. I'd really like her to go."
"Okay," Violet said loudly over Drake's comeback. "I'll go."
She didn't look at Drake, but she listened as her dropped his plasticwear, scraped his chair back, and stomped off.
Christian's eyes followed him out of the cafeteria as Violet watched them. Then his eyes met hers. "What's his problem?"
She propped her elbows on the table an dropped her chin in her hand. "He's been trying to convince me to go to prom for quite a while."
"But you said no?"
"Right."
"Why?"
She looked at him and shrugged. "I don't want to go." Christian began to speak, but she put up a hand to stop him. "It's different if I go with you. Drake's my best friend. He offered to pay, but I don't want him to. He's always paying for things."
"He's your friend."
"Doesn't matter."
Christian nodded. "They're selling tickets during lunch tomorrow. I'll get two, okay?"
She nodded, avoiding his eye.
"I have to work tonight," he went on. "But we can go dress shopping tomorrow , if you want."
She looked into his eyes and couldn't help but smile at the sincerity she saw on his face. "Really?"
He grinned. "Of course."
He rubbed her choulder blades soothingly, but it didn't make Violet feel much better.
The bell above the door to The Teacup jingled as another cutomer walked in. Maggie didn't glance up at who it is as she scanned the reciets on the counter. They were close to closing and Maggie wondered who would be shopping for antiques at nine o'clock, but it was her duty. "We're having a sale," she announed. "Everything twenty percent off for the next week."
"No, thanks," a deep voice answered. "I'm not really into ceramics."
Maggie looked up from her work and saw Christian Brite standing in front of the door, a smile on his face.
"Christian, hi. I thought I wasn't paying you until tomorrow." She reached for her purse, sitting on the shelf in front of her legs, and pulled it up to the counter.
"You are," Christian said. "I just wanted to tell you the good news."
Maggie paused and looked up at the boy in front of her. Though she had seen his smile when he came in, she noticed now how happy he looked. "What?" she asked.
"Violet agreed to go to the prom with me."
Maggie's smile was bright. "I'm glad, Christian. So, you'll need money for a dress."
Christian's smile dulled. He blinked and his dropped to the floor. "Actually, I was thinking that I would just pay for the dress myself, with the money I've saved up. I'm sure I have enough."
"Nonsense," Maggie interrupted. "The point of this was that you would have money for you savings. I wouldn't ask you to pay for it."
She pulled out her check book and began to fill one out. "How much do you think will be enough."
"Mrs. Helaine, I'm a little confused."
She glanced up at him quickly. "About what?"
"Well, Violet asys that she can't afford to buy prom tickets, but you can afford to pay a guy to take her out? It doesn't make sense."
Maggie sighed. "It's hard to understand, I guess. See, my husband was demoted a few months back. When that happened, it was hard for us to afford the luxuries that we once had. We weren't broke, but the kids had to learn to choose what they asked us for. When I got this job and began paying you, I told my husband I was making less than I am. But after prom, we'll be able to afford things again."
"And you don't think it's a little unfair that Violet thinks her family can't afford things that they actually can?"
Maggie was surprised to hear the anger in Christian's voice.
"I don't expect you to understand, Christian. I'm doing this to help Violet, not hurt her."
Christian watched her for a minute, and then nodded. "If you say so."
Maggie tore the check from her book and handed it to Christian. "Get her something she'll really like, okay?"
He nodded again and started to walk away. Before he opened the door, though, he glanced back at her. "Mrs. Helaine?"
Maggie looked up from where she was tucking her checkbook back in her purse. "Hmm?"
Christian pause, as if trying to find the right words. "I think you and your daughter may have a few communication issues."
He turned and walked out, leaving Maggie to stare at the door behind him.
She and Violet didn't have communication issues. So what if she didn't want Violet to know that they could afford prom tickets and a two-hundred dollar dress? So what if she didn't want her daughter to be as spoiled as some of the other girls her age? Maggie was doing nothing wrong. |
© Copyright 2007 GryffindorGurl (UN: magicfreak11 at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
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