Rags to Riches

"...and supposedly this 'business trip' was actually a vacation to Vegas with some friends. You didn't hear it from me, of course, but Diane is absolutely devastated that he lied to her. She's trying to take the kids and go..."

I learned to tune out the usual gossip within the room as our stylist gushed about the newest scandal in town to my mother. She was taking a curling iron to my long hair, giving me Shirley Temple ringlets that would be expertly piled on top of my head in a nice up-do soon after. Personally, I didn't like taking part in the gossip. I flipped through a magazine instead, making sure my lipstick didn't wipe away, or my fake eyelashes didn't slip out of place. I'd been sitting in front of a mirror while someone else dolled me up all day, which was a bit exhausting on it's own.

I winced softly as bobby pins started going roughly into my hair to keep the style in place, followed by an unhealthy amount of hairspray to make sure the pins didn't even think about moving. As much as I tried to hold it in, I couldn't help but start coughing. I usually chose to do my own hair and makeup, but my mother decided that my own simple and modest sense of style wasn't going to cut it during my teenage years. I was just glad they came to our house, instead of us going to the salons. One of the things I hated the most was when strangers stared at me while I was getting my hair done.

"Don't cough, Callie," my mother told me. "The curls will fall out."

"I don't think it's possible, with this much hairspray," I muttered, picking up a glass of water to soothe my throat.

"What were you going to wear?" she asked, ignoring my last comment.

"The baby pink gown," I shrugged. "With the flower embroidery down the side and the quarter sleeves."

"Callie!" she snapped, giving me a disapproving look. "You aren't even eighteen yet. Stop dressing like you're thirty-two years old. Why not wear that black one, with the low-cut back?"

"Mom, I'm not trying to impress anyone in that way," I told her. "Especially not Kenny."

"It's better than that pink prom dress you were thinking of," she said. "And I never said anything about Kenny."

I felt myself blush thanking the stylist quietly and getting out of my seat to trade spots with my waiting mother. "Fine. I'll wear the black one."

The black dress was one Avia had convinced me to purchase, when we were still friends. It really was a beautiful thing, but I was never confident enough to wear it. It was slim fitting, with a strapless sweetheart neckline and like my mother said, a low cut back. Matched with gold jewelry and heels, even I had to admit that I rarely looked so stunning.

I turned a few times in front of my mirror to make sure I looked alright, then emerged back into the living room, where Dad was waiting with a very, very nervous Kenny. I felt terrible for him. He had been freaking out all day, despite my attempts to convince him that this wasn't such a big thing. Of course, he wasn't used to it the way I was. Dad's smile wavered slightly when he saw me and how much skin I was showing. It wasn't much compared to most girls my age, but for my father, it was a bit of a shock.

"Cal, you look... really nice," he told me, giving me a half smile. "Was Ella the one to pick out that dress?"

"Actually, Mom was," I told him, giving him a 'watch what you say', look.

He shrunk back a bit, dropping the topic before he said anything else wrong. I moved over to Kenny, glancing at the way he tugged on his sleeves and nudging him gently to bring it to his attention. He stopped, but I could still see the nervousness in his face. He was like that the entire ride there, and it was starting to make me nervous, too. I made sure to stay close to him, making sure he knew I was there as we started making our way to the table.

TechNet always held their formal dinners in the same grand ballroom, decorated with banners and crystals with the logo appearing everywhere. It was a bit like a wedding without the drunk dancing after dinner, leaving a bunch of well-dressed people around to sip champagne and make small-talk. I sat Kenny down so he wouldn't get caught up in conversation with any strangers to freak him out. There were some pretty important people out there, and Kenny wasn't ready for that.

Ella and Connor were already there, talking to each other in hushed tones. It seemed that no matter what I wore or how fabulous I looked, Ella always managed to upstage me. If I looked beautiful that night, she looked like a goddess. Connor spotted us first, the grin on his face disappearing as Kenny introduced himself to Ella. I gave Connor a warning look, but he paid me little to no attention. Great. Now I had two guys on the verge of panic attacks on my hands. Thankfully, Dad got to Connor first, taking him away from the situation and leaving Ella, Kenny, and me alone.

Everything had been going so well. At least, I thought it was. It was the appetizers were brought over. In the midst of all our small talk, Kenny suddenly stood and excused himself. We watched in surprise as he rushed out the door, leaving us speechless. Dad started to get up, but Mom put a hand on his shoulder, sitting him back down.

"He said he needed air, Don. Give him some air," she told him.

"You're right," he sighed, looking to Connor. "What the hell did you say to him?"

Connor nearly choked on his water, giving Dad a shocked look. "What did I say, Dad? I was sitting here, minding my own business."

"He was," I said, defending my brother. "I'm not sure what happened. He kind of just snapped."

"You speak so highly of this boy, Don," Mom said, sipping her wine. "Like a younger version of you."

"I speak highly of him because he deserves it," Dad argued. "He isn't a younger version of myself. He's his own person. I swear, Callie is the only one who understands anything around here."

I pursed my lips, standing up from the table. "I'll go talk to him."

"I'll come with you," Dad said. He started to get up again, but I stopped him.

"Dad, I think you've done enough for one night," I said. I could see the hurt in his eyes after I said that, making me feel guilty for what I said. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant that it's your night, and there's a lot of people here to see you. You've done enough for everyone else, so just think about yourself for a little bit. I'll go talk to Kenny, so don't worry about a thing."

"Daddy's little princess to the rescue," Connor muttered into his wine glass, finishing his own off and waving over a waiter for a refill.

I glared at him and ruffled his nicely combed hair as I walked past him, careful not to trip over my own skirt as I went to the door. I kept my head down to avoid conversation on the way, praying silently that Kenny hadn't gone too far. Out in the parking lot, he was nowhere to be found. He couldn't have gone very far without a car, and I knew he would never try to steal one. Maybe he walked somewhere? Hitch hiked? I sighed, starting to head back towards the hall when I spotted a bench around the corner, outside. To my relief, Kenny was there, leaning his head back against the wall with his eyes closed. I hesitantly sat down next to him and touched his shoulder, startling him.

"Shit, I didn't even hear you," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry," I shrugged. "I thought you left. I was pretty worried."

"Where the hell would I go?" he asked. "I don't know where I am."

"Yeah, that's what I was worried about," I said. "How're you feeling?"

"Queasy... Confused..."

"Confused about what?"

"How Connor ended up in a relationship with a pornstar. And hentai," he said, looking at me.

"It's a long, long story," I blushed, not sure why I was so embarrassed. "You're familiar with Ella's work, huh?"

"No, of course not!" Kenny corrected quickly, the red that spread across his face now matching mine. "I just... knew of her?"

I gave him a half smile, bumping him lightly. "I'm just teasing."

He gave a sort of nervous chuckle, but it was better than nothing. I figured asking him to go back in was asking too much, and sat there, thinking a little bit. I stood up and held my hand out to him, giving him a reassuring smile. He raised an eyebrow, but hesitantly took my hand and let me help him up. I led him in a direction opposite the ballroom, down a dirt path twisting around.

"Where are we going?"

"Did you know that I'm classically trained in ballet?" I asked him. "My mother never got to be a ballerina when she was a kid, and she insisted that her daughter be one. I'd been going to ballet classes since the moment I learned to walk. I went to ballet classes daily for years. By the time I was in eighth grade, I got to be Odette in our junior performance of Swan Lake. I was really good."

"You've never talked about dance," he said, following me down the path.

"Probably because I hated it with a burning passion," I smirked. "I was good at it, yes, but only because I'd been trained since I was so little. I hated having to have pretty hands and pretty feet all the time. I don't see why they call it pretty feet. Have you ever seen ballerina feet? Let's just say, I couldn't wear open toed shoes. I quit before I started high school. Anyways, all that is besides the point."

"What's the point, then?" he asked.

"I used to have dance recitals here all the time. There's a theater in that building, too. A massive, professional theater. I was thirteen years old, and they'd put a tutu on me and throw me in front of a massive audience," I explained. "You can imagine, I got pretty nervous. The only reason I danced was for everyone else, you see. I was always scared of messing up and upsetting my mother. So, I used to hide until it was my time on stage. I didn't like the other dancers. They were rude. So I explored a little bit, until I found the place I'm taking you to right now."

I pointed to a smaller building neighboring the one TechNet's dinner was being hosted in, nestled among the trees and hidden by overgrown vines and hedges. It was a place I'd found as a little girl, and one I visited before all of my dance recitals.

"Holy shit," Kenny said, eyebrows shooting up.

"Yeah, it's this really old mansion," I told him, heading towards it. "I looked it up. The owner of the place passed away years ago, and passed the mansion down to his son. Obviously, his son doesn't live in it. He lives somewhere in the Bahamas, I think. He owns the property so no one can touch the plants, but he neglected it all so much that the plants are eating up the house. The doors and windows are all boarded up, too. I think the guy plans on tearing it down and rebuilding, but clearly, he hasn't gotten to it yet."

Kenny followed me through the plants, careful not to get his suit dirty. I took off my heels so I wouldn't trip, handing them to him so I'd have my hands free to hold up my long skirt. I caught him trying not to look, but just rolled my eyes at him.

"Come on, Kenny. Don't act like you haven't seen legs before."

"If it's boarded up, why are we going to it?" he asked, changing the subject.

"You'll see. You might want to loosen your tie a bit, though."

He did as I said, following me to the back of the house. We finally made it out of the tall grass and onto the concrete floor of the back yard. It must have been a really pretty house when it was being taken care of. I glanced over my shoulder at Kenny, who looked like he'd forgotten about the party a little bit, now curious of where I was taking him. He followed me to the back where I was relieved to find the ladder on the wall was still there, after all of these years.

I motioned for Kenny to put my shoes down, then started up the ladder, holding my skirt between my teeth so I wouldn't trip. Kenny followed behind me, looking behind us nervously. It was a different kind of nervousness. Not one that would lead to an anxiety attack, but the healthy kind that came from doing exciting things we probably shouldn't have been doing. The ladder lead up to the roof, where I helped Kenny up.

"Holy crap," he said, looking around.

There used to be a garden up on the roof, and it had overgrown so much that it looked like a miniature jungle. It was a quiet, peaceful place. I always went up there before my recitals to avoid panicking on stage. There was a stone bench in the center, which I sat down on, patting the spot next to me. Kenny sat down too, still in shock.

"How the hell did you find this?"

"I was desperate," I shrugged. "It always calms me down. I was hoping it would calm you down, too."

He sat quietly for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Yeah. It's nice. Really nice, actually."

"Good."

We sat in silence for a little bit, looking up at the stars scattered in the cold night and taking in the peaceful silence. Eventually, Kenny moved, taking off his jacket and putting it on my shoulders. He seemed unsure of his own actions, clearly trying not to push any boundaries.

"It's cold," he shrugged. "I've never worn a strapless dress, but I'd imagine that you're colder than I am."

"Thank you," I smiled.

We awkwardly went silent again, not quite sure what to say to each other. There were a lot of things I wanted to ask, but I didn't want to push his buttons again. I wasn't sure he could handle another panic attack. I glanced back over at him and found him staring up at the sky, in deep thought.

"Why does your dad care so much?" he asked. "About... everything. Everyone loving each other."

"He wants to be the best man he can be," I shrugged. "He was never loved enough as a child. He had a hard time being a father at first, since he never had one. That's why Connor is the way he is, you know? It was different with me. And now that he's figured it out, he's trying to be everyone's hero."

"I didn't know that," Kenny admitted, looking down. "I guess I never thought of it that way."

"Don't feel bad," I said, bumping into him lightly. "You do the best he can. It may not show, but he's proud of you."

I caught a hint of a smile on Kenny's face now. He'd calmed down, thankfully.

"Thank you, Callie," he said. "I haven't really thanked you for everything you've done for me."

I felt myself blush, pulling his jacket tighter around my shoulders. "I haven't done much..."

"No, you've done pretty much everything, actually," Kenny told me. "I had no idea what I was getting into. And you didn't know me, either. But for some reason that I can't fathom, you went out of your way to help me with all the little, but important stuff. With the clothes and the hair... Thanks. That's all I'm trying to say."

"You're welcome," I grinned. "I wouldn't have done it for just anyone. I guess I just like you more."

Were my eyes deceiving me, or was Kenny the one who blushed this time? It was dark and hard to tell, but I could have sworn that he had turned red. I wasn't sure who leaned in first. And if you asked Kenny, I'm sure he would have a hard time remembering as well. The next thing we knew, we were lip locked. Everything was a blurry daze, but it was the best blurry daze I had ever felt in my life thus far. All that awkwardness, history, and tension seemed to disappear with one kiss, leaving just me, Kenny, and the lingering smell of his cologne.

The spell stayed for a few moments after he pulled away, brow furrowed as he traced his thumb down my cheek, but reality snapped right back like a rubber band and hit us both in the face like a ton of bricks. A good kind of brick, but a brick nonetheless. Kenny stood up, awkwardly fixing his hair back into place and holding his hand out for me.

"We should probably go back," he said. "Before they send out search parties."

I nodded and took his hand, following him back down the ladder until we were safely on the ground again. He looked like he was going to hold my hand again, but decided against it, letting me lean on him so I could put my heels back on. They made my feet hurt like hell, but I couldn't be seen without them.

Kenny and I were fairly silent on the way back, other than some small talk. I wasn't sure about him, but I was definitely in deep thought. On one hand, I had quite possibly had a first kiss far more magical than I ever expected. On the other hand, it was with a boy from a completely different world, who happened to be my father's intern and the bane of my brother's existence. I found myself glancing towards him every now and then when he wasn't looking, like I knew he was doing with me. He was definitely in thought as well, but his expression seemed slightly more concerned. Oh lord, please don't scare one of my only friends away...

When we returned, it seemed that the party had warmed up. Everyone had finished dinner and was up from their tables, making small chit chat with glasses of wine and champagne in their hands. There were a few couples on the dance floor, swaying to the jazz from the live band. It wasn't exactly a electric rave, but everyone was dancing and having a good time. Connor and Ella were one of the dancing couples, and I watched for a few moments as he spun her around over and over, making her laugh. I then spotted my father sitting alone, checking emails under the table.

He looked up from his phone and sighed in relief, smiling at the two of us. "I was about to call you, Cal. You guys were gone for a while."

"We got caught up in conversation," I told him. "Where's Mom? Didn't she want to dance?"

"She got caught up in conversation, too," he grumbled. "Apparently, you get that from her. Can't find her anywhere. Must have found some friends or something..."

"Well, I would personally love to dance with my father, if he would like to dance with his daughter," I said, holding out my hand to him.

He finally dropped the sad look and smiled, just as I hoped he would. "Calliope Rosanne, it would be the greatest of honors to dance with my daughter. You don't mind if I steal your date for a bit, do you Kenny?"

Kenny's head snapped up at the word "date", like he was significantly more sensitive to it now. On the bright side, he wasn't freaking out anymore. He was at ease now, with a little concern. He gave Dad a half smile and shook his head.

"She's all yours," he said.

"Literally," my father pointed out. "I made half of her."

"Okay Dad, don't ruin the moment," I laughed, rolling my eyes as I led him out to the dance floor.

Kenny watched us from one side, and I could see Connor eyeing us from the other. His smile wavered as well, but this time, I wasn't sure what it was from. When Dad turned me so I could see my brother over his shoulder, I saw that Connor's gaze had shifted over to Kenny. Obviously, all was not well. But at least no one was tearing each other's heads off. The night wasn't a complete loss, after all.