Not before prom

chapter 6

Weeks passed, then months.  It had been 2 months since they met; it was now February 11.  Raoul regularly flirted with her; sometimes she’d catch him just staring at her.  There were times when she would get mad at the lack of attention he paid her; he would just stare right past her whiling seeming to look at her.  They spent a lot of times together, laughing and just fooling around.
The next day at school …
         “Raoul, good job with the test, you had an A” Mr. Burg said smiling
         “For real?”
         “Yep! You can thank your tutor for that” he said giving Raoul his test
         “Man, I think this is my first A in your class”
         “In a test ya, but all your homework are as too, you’ve been doing real good”
         “Man thanks Mr. Burg”
         “No need to thank me” Mr. Burg said handing him his paper, Raoul took it and grinned.  He walked out and bumped into Seema.  Seema Kumar, an Indian girl in his school, who actually more the traditional Indian clothes, she was a pretty girl, and he needed a date.  His aunt was getting married, he thought of asking Riah, but it she’d probably think he was playing.  She constantly seemed to think he played around when he was flirting with her, when he’d say something about him and her getting together, she’d laugh it off.  He really could get any girl in the school, but for some reason, he didn’t think some blond would look right in their big Indian wedding!
         “Hey Seema” he grinned at her
         “Hey!” she smiled slightly, Seema was a chatterbox.  She had dark brown eyes, dark reddish long black hair; her skin was a shade lighter than his.  She had a nice smile, she was slender in body and today she was wearing all pink. 
         “What are you doing this Friday?” he leaned at the door
         “Uh, I don’t know, you mean after school?” she looked so nervous, he wanted to laugh but nodded, “Uh I guess nothing”
         “My aunt’s getting married, I thought maybe you’d want to come” he shrugged
         “Me?”
         “Well yeah” he looked around, was there anyone else around?
         “Well, I don’t know” she frowned, and he frowned right back down at her
         “It’s the usual stuff, lots of dancing and singing” he rolled his eyes
         “Oh your aunt is Indian?”
         “Yeah, so you want to or what?” he said getting impatient
         “Oh yes, can, can I bring my cousin?” she said breathlessly
         “Sure whatever” he shrugged and walked off, he didn’t look back to see her leaning back on the door, hand to her heart, a big smile on her face.
After school, he went to Riah’s house, he felt awkward and left early.
Later when Riah was arranging her papers, she found that Raoul had left his book over to her house; he was going to need it, especially to study for the test this Friday.  She had called his house, but he didn’t pick up, she went up the stairs calling her dad.  Today was his day off; she really didn’t want to bother him.
         “Dad” she knocked
         “Come in” she head, she came in and found her dad sitting in bed, without his shirt.  He looked so tired, yet not a day over 28 or 29, her dad was 41 now.  He didn’t have a single white hair his silky black hair, there were only smile lines around his eyes and mouth, he was fit and in good health.
         “Hey dad, you tired?” she asked nudging her feet to the ground, he raised a brow at her
         “Why?” he asked
         “I need a ride” she said
         “Where?” and she told him, he looked at her and signed, “we need to get you a car, you passed you writing test?”
         “Since I was 16”
         “You’re only 17” he rolled his eyes rolling out of the bed.  He was only wearing his boxers, but she was used to seeing him like that.
         “17 dad” she rolled her eyes, he whistled
         “Time passes by so fast, and you need to get a car”          
         “No money dad” she said as he dressed
         “We’ll talk to your mom” same thing, always talk to her mom first, even though her mom would say she had no money
         “Fine dad, can we go now”
         “Okay” he said putting his shoes and jacket on, he took his keys and followed her to the door.
         “Who is this friend of yours anyway?” he said as they got out
         “Raoul”
         “That’s a boy” He said stopping to open the door for her first
         “Yeah dad” she rolled her eyes
The drive to Raoul’s house was the same; her dad asked her a million questions.  She really wanted to get out of the car, She was happy when they finally got to Raoul’s house; she just jumped out of the car.  Raoul’s house wasn’t small, it was just as big as hers, yet he seemed so awed at her house, she shacked her head.  She rang the bell, once, twice, then someone finally opened the door.  The girl looked like a miniature girl of Raoul.  Her long, curly hair was held in a ponytail, big hazel eyes rimmed with thick dark lashes and the same slashing eyebrows as Raoul made up her face, she even had the same lips as him.  But unlike Raoul, her nose was more straighter, her skin darker, she looked to be only slightly shorter than him too.
         “Hi, my name’s Riah, am looking for Raoul” she said
         “Hey, just go up the stairs, you a friend of his from school?” the girl asked looking her up. Riah nodded, while thinking the girl was overly dressed. She had all those Indian ornament son her head, ears and neck.  All the gold on her golden skin made her look exotic, she wore an orange gown that outlined her shape, with a sort of pant under it, it had little diamonds all imprinted on it on it with a shawl on her neck that draped to her back.  She had a lot of different colored bangles on her arm.
         “Wow you look nice” she exclaimed
         “Thanks, it’s for the wedding” the girl wrinkled her nose
         “Wedding?”
         “My aunts getting married, didn’t Raoul tell you?”
         “No”
         “No wonder , my name’s Anita” she said putting her hand out, they shacked hands,  “Come on, let me show you Raoul’s room, I have to go take these off”
She showed her Raoul’s room, which had a stop sign on it, then she left.  Riah knocked, but no answer, so she let herself in, there was Raoul in his bed, his hair falling on his face, he was wearing a white gown with gold decorations on it, it was opened to the neck, her had a guitar in his hand.  His eyes where closed as he strummed the strings, then in a low deep voice he started singing in a foreign language she guessed to be Indian.  She stood at the door just looking at him, and hearing him sing, he sounded so nice.  She loved his voice, the song captured her, and then she moved.  His eyes sprang open, his head snapped up and he stared at her.
         “Uh hey! I uh I came to drop off your book” she said showing it to him, he just stared at her, then he put his guitar down and got up.  He loomed over her and she backed up accidentally closing the door.
         “Uh sorry, I knocked, you didn’t answer” she said, he took her book and turned his back to her walking to his bed, she turned to live.
         “Riah? Don’t leave” he said, “Come, sit down” he tapped the seat next to him.  She looked at the bed, then at him.  She walked and sat next to him
         “You ever played guitar?” she shacked her head, he gave her the guitar, “I’ll show you how, it’s real easy” he sat behind her, his arm wrapped around her, he took her hand and put it on the strings, he held her hand in his, it was so much more bigger than hers, it completely covered hers.
He hummed a song as he gently guided her hands on the strings
         “Sing with me” he whispered
         “Sing what? I can’t sing” she said
         “Sing” she decided he must mean hum, so she hummed along with him, she didn’t notice he had stopped until she opened her eyes, he was just looking at her
         “That was beautiful” he said, looking into her eyes
         “Why didn’t you tell me your aunt was getting married?” the mood had been broken
He shrugged and moved from behind her, he got up and started sliding his gown off
         “Do you want me to get out?” she said hastily
         “Why? It’s not like am getting butt naked in front of you” he said not looking at her.  She sat there, staring at him as he took his gown off, he stood there, wide muscled shoulders, biceps and abs, he had a slim body but big.  His chest had no hair, yet tiny hair went down to his pant line, she tried to keep herself from looking, but she couldn’t help it.
         “I didn’t think you’d want to come” he suddenly said shrugging
         “Oh”
         “Did you want to come?” his back was to her as he rummaged in his clothes, she didn’t say anything, “Did you?” he turned to face her
         “Look, I got to go, my dads waiting for me outside” as if in agreement, a car honked, twice. She got up and was about to leave, he stopped her.
         “I want you to come” he said looking down at her, his arm encased her, she was backed to the wall, the only way out was under his arms which blocked her way.
         “It’s okay, I didn’t want to”
         “Stop being prideful, I didn’t ask you cause I thought you’d say no” he said angrily dropping his hand, he turned his back to her.
         “Call me later” she whispered and flew out the door