Assumptions
Four
“Will you stop fidgeting,” Christian said as they entered the gymnasium as partners. “You look gorgeous.”
Melissa had dyed her hair into a golden brown, and curled it. Her dress was a simple, green, strapless affair that fell just above her knees. Fastened around her waist was a thick, black belt with a diamond-shaped obsidian buckle bordered with gold. When she moved, her dress seemed to shift into varying shades of green. She wore gold snakeskin high-heels. On her wrists were several metal bangles, which rang with a beautiful ringing sound whenever they bumped against each other.
Christian himself was all in black, with a plunging v-neck shirt under his shiny suit jacket and on his head was a fedora. Making up for the bare space afforded by his v-neck, a silver chain hung from his neck. He was wearing lip gloss and light eye-shadow.
*
Everyone passing through the entrance of the gymnasium looked either beautiful or handsome. They looked as they have never looked before in the entire school year. Except, perhaps, the Senior girl Dolores, who looked like she was always about to join a pageant everyday with her fashionable clothes. Melissa and Christian found their friends and immediately congregated to talk about their classmates, what they were wearing, and who’s date was who.
Marcus, the priest’s son, was with the Goth-girl Alicia. They didn’t look too comfortable with each other in their table. Christian suspected Marcus was simply rebelling against his father.
Emily, another pretty Senior, had just broken up with her boyfriend of four years, so she was now surrounded by her faithful friends, who were so faithful they didn’t have male dates themselves. Melissa’s friends rolled their eyes at the word ‘faithful’ to describe the girls.
The Captain Ball, Joel was, of course with Dolores. They looked perfect together, with Dolores’ inch-thick make-up and Joel’s cement-hard hair gel.
Then Melissa saw Adrian. Her hand immediately caught Christian’s who turned to where she was looking. Tall and imposing, Adrian stood alone at the gymnasium’s entrance. He did not, however look dressed for the Prom; he wore a heavy coat over his house clothes. He nodded at Melissa, which she took as a sign for her to approach him.
“No,” she said, for Christian had risen with her. “Stay. I’ll handle it.”
*
“What’s up?” she said as warmly as possible, despite wanting to dig her heels into Adrian’s eyes. “Where’s Patrick?”
“Patrick is busy with his appointment,” Adrian replied simply. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here (The library, maybe, Melissa smirked). “I wouldn’t be here too, if he hasn’t made me promise to give you this tonight.”
He took Melissa’s hand and pressed something hard and cold onto it. She opened her palm and saw a black stone figurine. It had been crudely shaped into what looked like a dog, or a wolf. She looked at it from every angle, fascinated. It looked hand-made. On the underside of the figurine, Melissa found her initials written in gold.
“Thanks, I love it,” she said, turning the small stone figure around. “Did he make this?”
“Yes,” was Adrian’s only reply. “He also asked me to collect your telephone number.”
“Oh!” Melissa almost jumped. “Sure, do you have a pen?”
“I don’t need one,” Adrian said. He also didn’t make an effort to bring his own phone out to record the number.
Melissa stared at him for a second then realized what he meant. Slowly and clearly, he dictated it to Adrian, who recited it back, memorized and without a single mistake or sign of hesitation on the first try.
“That is all,” he said, tilting his head towards her. He turned around and vanished into the night.
*
Melissa went back to her friends and quickly recounted what had just happened.
“Wait,” Darlene, a very fair girl with very black hair, said after Melissa had finished. “So he had your number memorized even when you only told him once? That’s amazing!”
Melissa nodded, but did not look as impressed as Darlene. Adrian’s frank display of intelligence unsettled her. And it did not help that he spoke to her in that cold manner either. She’s heard him speak to other people before and it was never in that icy tone. She shivered involuntarily.
Melissa had dyed her hair into a golden brown, and curled it. Her dress was a simple, green, strapless affair that fell just above her knees. Fastened around her waist was a thick, black belt with a diamond-shaped obsidian buckle bordered with gold. When she moved, her dress seemed to shift into varying shades of green. She wore gold snakeskin high-heels. On her wrists were several metal bangles, which rang with a beautiful ringing sound whenever they bumped against each other.
Christian himself was all in black, with a plunging v-neck shirt under his shiny suit jacket and on his head was a fedora. Making up for the bare space afforded by his v-neck, a silver chain hung from his neck. He was wearing lip gloss and light eye-shadow.
*
Everyone passing through the entrance of the gymnasium looked either beautiful or handsome. They looked as they have never looked before in the entire school year. Except, perhaps, the Senior girl Dolores, who looked like she was always about to join a pageant everyday with her fashionable clothes. Melissa and Christian found their friends and immediately congregated to talk about their classmates, what they were wearing, and who’s date was who.
Marcus, the priest’s son, was with the Goth-girl Alicia. They didn’t look too comfortable with each other in their table. Christian suspected Marcus was simply rebelling against his father.
Emily, another pretty Senior, had just broken up with her boyfriend of four years, so she was now surrounded by her faithful friends, who were so faithful they didn’t have male dates themselves. Melissa’s friends rolled their eyes at the word ‘faithful’ to describe the girls.
The Captain Ball, Joel was, of course with Dolores. They looked perfect together, with Dolores’ inch-thick make-up and Joel’s cement-hard hair gel.
Then Melissa saw Adrian. Her hand immediately caught Christian’s who turned to where she was looking. Tall and imposing, Adrian stood alone at the gymnasium’s entrance. He did not, however look dressed for the Prom; he wore a heavy coat over his house clothes. He nodded at Melissa, which she took as a sign for her to approach him.
“No,” she said, for Christian had risen with her. “Stay. I’ll handle it.”
*
“What’s up?” she said as warmly as possible, despite wanting to dig her heels into Adrian’s eyes. “Where’s Patrick?”
“Patrick is busy with his appointment,” Adrian replied simply. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here (The library, maybe, Melissa smirked). “I wouldn’t be here too, if he hasn’t made me promise to give you this tonight.”
He took Melissa’s hand and pressed something hard and cold onto it. She opened her palm and saw a black stone figurine. It had been crudely shaped into what looked like a dog, or a wolf. She looked at it from every angle, fascinated. It looked hand-made. On the underside of the figurine, Melissa found her initials written in gold.
“Thanks, I love it,” she said, turning the small stone figure around. “Did he make this?”
“Yes,” was Adrian’s only reply. “He also asked me to collect your telephone number.”
“Oh!” Melissa almost jumped. “Sure, do you have a pen?”
“I don’t need one,” Adrian said. He also didn’t make an effort to bring his own phone out to record the number.
Melissa stared at him for a second then realized what he meant. Slowly and clearly, he dictated it to Adrian, who recited it back, memorized and without a single mistake or sign of hesitation on the first try.
“That is all,” he said, tilting his head towards her. He turned around and vanished into the night.
*
Melissa went back to her friends and quickly recounted what had just happened.
“Wait,” Darlene, a very fair girl with very black hair, said after Melissa had finished. “So he had your number memorized even when you only told him once? That’s amazing!”
Melissa nodded, but did not look as impressed as Darlene. Adrian’s frank display of intelligence unsettled her. And it did not help that he spoke to her in that cold manner either. She’s heard him speak to other people before and it was never in that icy tone. She shivered involuntarily.