Golden.
Word Count: 814
They were serving Krystaal in champagne glasses and cheese wedges on a plate.
My tight black dress wouldn’t let me breath, let alone shove another cheese wedge down my throat. The pain from my heels ached all the way up to my back and I knew that, even though I was trying to portray that I was the best person to talk to in the room, I was emulating the fact that I did not want to be there.
And not only did my attire not suit me one bit, neither did this entire environment. I was an artist for Christ sakes! I needed something other than black and white – something other than cheese and champagne.
God was I bored.
My sister, the lawyer, made her way over to me. “Keeg, stop making that face; you’re scaring everyone away.”
“Well,” I huffed, “Why am I even here, Whit? I don’t fit in one bit.”
She laughed. “I was just hoping that you’d fall into place. That dress definitely looks killer on you, no pun intended.”
“Hardy-har-har, Whit. I’m leaving; thanks for thinking of me, though. I really do appreciate it.” We exchanged cheek kisses and I made my way for the front door. It was hard to spot, considering the walls were white, the winders had white drapes, the floor was white, the ceiling was white – need I go on?
After looking deranged for a few moments, I spotted it off in the corner and made my way. Opening it, I wanted to take a nice, deep inhale of that cool, refreshing air, but cigarette smoke clouded my face and I coughed, closing the door behind me. Covering my face, I shook it off and looked at the man leaning against the wall.
“My bad,” he muttered, stomping the cigarette out on the floor. “Name’s Brody.” I rose an eyebrow, looking him up and down. Somehow, the grungy, out-of-place man in front of me looked like a Brody.
“Keegan,” I muttered, eyeing the smothered cigarette on the floor.
“Well, we’re both obviously not enjoying ourselves here. Want to head to a party with me?”
I adverted my eyes to the wall next to me, then the ceiling, then back to the cigarette, then my hands – anywhere but him, basically. “I, uh- I don’t drink.”
He laughed. “Okay.”
The night air was nippy, but it was a cool, refreshing breeze. I didn’t mind it, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of the clear black skies; it was a gorgeous night, too gorgeous of a night to feel so out of character, walking with a man you met just ten minutes ago, leaving a party you didn’t fit in, going to one you weren’t even sure about.
I should be at the park, drawing something of some sort. I’d get something truly beautiful out of this night.
“-so,” Brody started, his hands in his pockets, “You from around here?”
I nodded. “Amityville.”
“Ooh,” he groaned, laughing. “See any horrors lately?”
“Ha-ha,” I mocked, rolling my eyes. “You’re only the 100th person to make that joke in my lifetime.”
“Well, it’s not every day you meet a normal Amity person, y’know? All you guys are fuckin’ nuts,” he joked, pulling out another cigarette from his pocket. “Anyways, before I dig myself an even deeper hole,” he sighed, smoke seeping out of his lips, “Tell me why you’re here.”
“Well, I’m really just visiting my sister – a lawyer, rather. That’s why – “
“– you wouldn’t happen to be the sister of Whitney Donahue, would you?” he asked, taking the cigarette from his lips.
I stopped. “Yes, I am. Do you know my sister?”
“Oh,” he laughed. “No, not really; she just works for my brother-in-law, is all.”
I laughed. “You don’t strike me as the brother-in-law of Jonathan Worthing.”
“Well, you’ve been stricken,” he muttered from around his cigarette. “Here we are,” he declared, stopping in front of a building. I heard no music, nothing being destroyed; nobody was smokin’ a J on the front step.
“Are you sure? It doesn’t look like – “
“– this is it, Keegan. I promise you,” he laughed, opening the front door.
Some confetti fell at my feet and a smile crept on my face. I leant down to pick it up as the door creaked open a tad more, unveiling the gorgeous lights, the confetti everywhere, the art. It was gorgeous.
I walked in, my mouth limp in awe. Brody didn’t look like the kind of guy that would be into these types of parties.
“I’m not, really,” Brody suddenly said from next to me.
I snapped out of my awe, turning to Brody. “You’re not what? I don’t – “
“Shut up and enjoy yourself, Keegan; this is no time for questions.”
I nodded. Indeed, this was no time for questions. It was a golden moment, with a golden boy.
My tight black dress wouldn’t let me breath, let alone shove another cheese wedge down my throat. The pain from my heels ached all the way up to my back and I knew that, even though I was trying to portray that I was the best person to talk to in the room, I was emulating the fact that I did not want to be there.
And not only did my attire not suit me one bit, neither did this entire environment. I was an artist for Christ sakes! I needed something other than black and white – something other than cheese and champagne.
God was I bored.
My sister, the lawyer, made her way over to me. “Keeg, stop making that face; you’re scaring everyone away.”
“Well,” I huffed, “Why am I even here, Whit? I don’t fit in one bit.”
She laughed. “I was just hoping that you’d fall into place. That dress definitely looks killer on you, no pun intended.”
“Hardy-har-har, Whit. I’m leaving; thanks for thinking of me, though. I really do appreciate it.” We exchanged cheek kisses and I made my way for the front door. It was hard to spot, considering the walls were white, the winders had white drapes, the floor was white, the ceiling was white – need I go on?
After looking deranged for a few moments, I spotted it off in the corner and made my way. Opening it, I wanted to take a nice, deep inhale of that cool, refreshing air, but cigarette smoke clouded my face and I coughed, closing the door behind me. Covering my face, I shook it off and looked at the man leaning against the wall.
“My bad,” he muttered, stomping the cigarette out on the floor. “Name’s Brody.” I rose an eyebrow, looking him up and down. Somehow, the grungy, out-of-place man in front of me looked like a Brody.
“Keegan,” I muttered, eyeing the smothered cigarette on the floor.
“Well, we’re both obviously not enjoying ourselves here. Want to head to a party with me?”
I adverted my eyes to the wall next to me, then the ceiling, then back to the cigarette, then my hands – anywhere but him, basically. “I, uh- I don’t drink.”
He laughed. “Okay.”
The night air was nippy, but it was a cool, refreshing breeze. I didn’t mind it, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of the clear black skies; it was a gorgeous night, too gorgeous of a night to feel so out of character, walking with a man you met just ten minutes ago, leaving a party you didn’t fit in, going to one you weren’t even sure about.
I should be at the park, drawing something of some sort. I’d get something truly beautiful out of this night.
“-so,” Brody started, his hands in his pockets, “You from around here?”
I nodded. “Amityville.”
“Ooh,” he groaned, laughing. “See any horrors lately?”
“Ha-ha,” I mocked, rolling my eyes. “You’re only the 100th person to make that joke in my lifetime.”
“Well, it’s not every day you meet a normal Amity person, y’know? All you guys are fuckin’ nuts,” he joked, pulling out another cigarette from his pocket. “Anyways, before I dig myself an even deeper hole,” he sighed, smoke seeping out of his lips, “Tell me why you’re here.”
“Well, I’m really just visiting my sister – a lawyer, rather. That’s why – “
“– you wouldn’t happen to be the sister of Whitney Donahue, would you?” he asked, taking the cigarette from his lips.
I stopped. “Yes, I am. Do you know my sister?”
“Oh,” he laughed. “No, not really; she just works for my brother-in-law, is all.”
I laughed. “You don’t strike me as the brother-in-law of Jonathan Worthing.”
“Well, you’ve been stricken,” he muttered from around his cigarette. “Here we are,” he declared, stopping in front of a building. I heard no music, nothing being destroyed; nobody was smokin’ a J on the front step.
“Are you sure? It doesn’t look like – “
“– this is it, Keegan. I promise you,” he laughed, opening the front door.
Some confetti fell at my feet and a smile crept on my face. I leant down to pick it up as the door creaked open a tad more, unveiling the gorgeous lights, the confetti everywhere, the art. It was gorgeous.
I walked in, my mouth limp in awe. Brody didn’t look like the kind of guy that would be into these types of parties.
“I’m not, really,” Brody suddenly said from next to me.
I snapped out of my awe, turning to Brody. “You’re not what? I don’t – “
“Shut up and enjoy yourself, Keegan; this is no time for questions.”
I nodded. Indeed, this was no time for questions. It was a golden moment, with a golden boy.
♠ ♠ ♠
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