Anti Blue Skies

Today was an accomplishing day. To start it off, I made myself some bagels with extra cream cheese, then I ran to the store to stock up on milk before my coupons expired. About an hour later, I stopped by Leslie’s to give her a haircut, dying her hair a darker shade of brown like she had requested. I even got away with making her pay me, although she did put up a fight, somehow I ended up winning.

Basically, I was just doing anything I could to keep my mind off the events of last night at work. I didn’t know why it was bothering me so much. I could handle people not liking me, sometimes personalities just clashed, but her opinion on the situation was almost as if there was something bigger. There had to be.

But when I thought about Jen and I’s history, which wasn’t good, I should’ve expected it. It had been a whole summer since I seen her last and I thought I was doing better. I was done crying myself to sleep, praying for forgiveness because I had ruined her life, but not only did she suffer, so did I. But I guess I hadn’t been through enough.

To help make my day better, Louis was texting me nonstop ever since I woke up. Nothing is better than getting a good morning message from someone who makes you smile. It was comforting to know that as I start my day, so does he.

My phone buzzed in my pocket while I opened the door to Manny’s house. She was still living with her parents until she got herself into a good college, unlike me who had to work in order to save up the money in order to stay in beauty school, her parents were going to pay her way in. Wherever she goes, it is going to be extremely expensive. The perks of being an only child.

I stopped in the doorway, reaching into my pocket to pull out my phone. I stared at the screen, butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I read Louis’s message slowly in my head.

‘Maybe we could get a bite to eat later? I hear that new Prisoners movie is pretty good. Idk just an idea’

Okay, so it wasn’t romantic, but it would have to do. I had never been on a date before, and to tell the truth, if Harry would have asked me on one last year, I would have said yes in a heartbeat.

I smiled to myself, typing a quick acceptance to his offer before slamming the door and shouting up the stairs.

“Manny you better be up there!” I yelled, staring down at my phone to punch in a reply to Louis.

I started up the stairs as her door flung open, signalling she was home and ready to be bothered.

As soon as I entered her zebra patterned room, I launched myself face first onto her bed. She was wearing only a pair of sweatpants and a sports bra, but it didn’t faze me whatsoever, we’ve taken showers together plenty of times--as weird as that sounds. She bent over to open a drawer, sighing in frustration to find it empty.

“Good thing you’re here ‘cause I seriously don’t know what to wear for this bloody interview. You’d think for as much as I go shopping I’d have clothes in here.” She stomped her foot aggressively, pointing down at the empty drawer.

I laughed, rolling over to my back. It was easy for Manny to start fuming, she overreacted about the smallest of things. Once she even forced her mom to call her in sick for school because she had a hangnail. From Manny's perspective, she had lost her entire finger.

“You have like, a trillion dresses in your closet. Wear one of those," I suggested while she shrugged, turning to go look. “Want to know what’s even better than you finally getting a job?”

She shrugged again, her back facing me while she held a grey sundress in front of her. “You’re going to tell me anyways.”

I ignored her sour attitude and let myself burst with excitement. “Well remember that waiter we had a few days ago? The really attractive one, like male model attractive, Manny?”

She twirled around suddenly, her mouth opening in astonishment. She threw a few dresses on her bed next to me before sitting down herself.

“You’re not playing some sick, twisted joke on me are you? Did he ask you out?” Manny picked at the ends of her ombre dyed hair, kicking her legs energetically over the edge of her bed.

I nodded my head, smiling from ear to ear. A whisper was all that managed to leak out, almost like I was relieved of something. “Yeah, he did.”

My best friend’s smile mirrored mine before she pulled me in for a tight, quick embrace. It lasted a whole two seconds, then she released me, sitting back on her ankles. “Lydia, that’s amazing. Especially now that you’ve been having kind of a hard time since Harry magically reappeared.”

Her hands flailed in the air as she talked about Harry. “Let’s face it, nothing about him exactly lets you scream ‘I’m available’.”

My mouth went dry and my smile faded away with each passing word. Why was she bringing him up? The whole reason I let her know about Louis was to help take my mind off the curly haired womanizer.

“I didn’t say anything about Harry.” I stared down at the black and white maxi dress that dangled down the side of the duvet.

Goosebumps chilled down my spine when Manny’s cold hand rested on top of mine. Her brown eyes were looking at me more seriously than they have in a long time.

“You didn’t have to.” The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, hardly enough for anyone to notice. But I noticed.

“I know what this is about, why it means so much to you. I’m your best friend, I know everything.” She chuckled, getting off the bed to retreat right back to her closet. "A date with a fit, normal, single guy is just what you need."

I stared at her, feeling less stressed as she held a red dress in front of her to examine it through the mirror, switching back and forth between the grey one as she continued speaking her train of thought.

“So I know tonight is going to be a good one.” She pursed her lips, looking at me through the mirror. “ Have fun okay? Gentlemen don’t come around every day.”

I smiled, glancing back down at the maxi dress that kept catching my attention. I knew I had to wear it tonight, I had a hunch, but I was hesitant to ask because on some level I was intimidated by Manny. She always knew just what to say. I took that for granted sometimes.

“I have a pair of wedges that would look really good with that. I’ve never worn them, so if you don’t mind the pain of breaking them in, they’re all yours if you want ‘em.”

I hadn’t even noticed her hovering over me as she stood beside the bed, struggling to put in earrings.

I scrunched the dress up and nodded my head vigorously. I forgot she was basically a mind reader as well. I stood up, reaching for her ear to try my hand at the stubborn earring.

“Thank you so much, and not just for the outfit. For everything.” I confessed, finally pulling the needle through the clasp. All she did was smile, but it was genuine so it was enough.

Then, she went for her closet for the hundredth time, this time digging beneath all of the clothes at what I could assume was boxes of shoes. I wasn’t going to mention her lacy thong sticking out above the band of her sweatpants.

Then once the wedges were placed securely under my armpit, we said our goodbyes and I got halfway out the door, before I turned to peer my head back into the room.

“By the way, just in case my opinion matters-”

She looked back at me, still standing in front of the full body mirror.

“-I like the grey one.”

***

Prisoners ended up being pretty good, I didn’t think it was going to be because I wasn’t usually into crime thrillers. Thriller, good. Crime, puke. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, yum.

Dinner went well. Louis took me to the newest French restaurant that just opened up a few blocks from the theatre. It was beautiful, with it’s high ceilings and wall length windows. With beauty came money, I could only imagine what it took him to get a reservation. I tried to help him out by ordering the cheapest thing on the menu, but he wouldn’t have it. He said that by meeting me at a gelato shop, he knew I could eat more than a piece of boiled lettuce.

I ended up selecting the lyon-styled chicken with vinegar sauce, while Louis stuffed his face with some French oriented smoked salmon. For the most part, conversation went well. That was the thing I was most afraid of, that we wouldn’t be able to click the way Harry and I once did. But luckily for me, Louis loved to talk.

“At least let me split the bill.” I nearly begged, taking his hand as he helped me slide out of the booth.

Louis scoffed as he pulled me to my feet and we started walking towards the register. “Enough with the money complaints. If I wasn’t prepared to bring you here, I wouldn’t have.”

He smiled a cheeky smile down at me while the waiter extended his arm, handing him his change. He stuffed the receipt in his back pocket, then carefully enveloped his hand over mine. I didn’t have to think before slipping my fingers into the spaces between his.

Louis left his car parked at the theatre, which now I realise was a good idea considering there would have been nowhere to park at the restaurant. Before we started our three block adventure, I pulled my hand from his and looped it onto his shoulder. He chuckled a bit, steadying me by firmly holding my arm in place.

I bent down and slipped off the wedges I had borrowed from Manny. She wasn’t lying when she said she hadn’t worn them. What was I saying when I agreed to breaking them in, it hurt and I could already feel the blisters forming.

When I straightened myself back out, it hit me how much shorter I was now feeling. Nonetheless I slipped my hand back in his and he gave it a small squeeze. When I looked up at him, his bright blue eyes were giving me a once over. My stomach churned and my cheeks burned a bright red.

“Did I already tell you how stunning you look tonight?”

I bit my lip, shaking my head as we started to walk at a slow pace. Traffic sped by us, yet everything the man before me did or said felt like slow motion.

He offered to take my shoes from me and I let him. “I mean, you took my breath away the first time I met you, obviously. But tonight--” He trailed off to spin me around and I couldn’t help but laugh.

He tugged on my arm and in an instant my chest was pushed up against his. I swallowed the lump in my throat, staring up at him nervously through my lashes. He formed a coy smile and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. The way Harry always did.

“--I don’t think it gets any better than this.” He looked down at my lips, then his eyes flickered back to my eyes.

I didn’t know it was possible, but I took a small step forward to get even closer to him. His stench was enchanting, euphoric even. It made my heart thump in my chest, I couldn’t help but close my eyes as his lips drew closer and closer to mine.

A soft gust of wind feathered against my nose as Louis whispered, “I suppose you don’t kiss on the first date.”

My eyes flickered open about halfway, just enough to see his icy blue ones about as dazed as mine were. I reached up and gripped the folds of his unzipped jacket and pulled him into me. Our lips crashing together with nothing but lust.

For once, I wasn’t thinking about the boy who never left my mind.