Pretty as a Car Crash

Sushi and Stilettos


made by losersneeze @ Quizilla! Forums

“Wow.” I watch Maria’s face quietly, taking all of it in. I finished reciting today’s events a while ago and thus far the only reaction that I’ve gotten out f Mar-mar is a simple, unemotional “wow”.

“Yea.” I sigh, pulling my fingers through my tangled mess of curly, black hair. I am sitting next to Maria on my light-green bed spread in the same position I’ve been in for the last hour and a half. I back tracked through my day in painful detail; not wanting to deprive Maria of any details she may categorized as “important”. We sit in silence, our light breathing the only sound. Playful screams can be heard in the hallway just beyond our dorm room door.

“Well,” Maria starts, breaking the quiet, “he sounds very nice, yeah.”

“He is.” I reply almost dejectedly.

Here’s the thing, I’m a very independent person. I’m not a fan of romance or this so called “love at first sight” thing. Actually, I’m not even sure it exists.

I sigh again, something that is turning into a bit of a habit for me, and lay back on my bed. Maria turns in her seated position to get a better look at me.

“You should most defiantly go out with him.”

“I’m not sure…” I trail off, staring up at the ceiling quietly.

“Well, I think you should. I mean what is the worst that could happen?” she asks, tilting her head to the side and resting it on her shoulder. Her brunette curls cascade down her brown sugar colored arm as she stares at me intently.

“Well, he could get me into a whole world of trouble or…”

“Or he could be a monster! Ooooo! Scary vampires, werewolves, and goblins!” Maria jokes, poking me in the stomach.

“Ack, don’t. I’m being serious here, Mar-mar.”

Maria just laughs, jumping off of my bed and pulling me with her. “Come on!” she exclaims, partially dragging me out the door, partially hopping up and down. I manage to grab both of our coats and purses before fully out of the room.

“Where are we going?” I moan, throwing my head back while closing my eyes and dragging my feet in resistance. She ignores my question and pulls me out of the door of the dorm room before shutting and locking it. I groan, following a hopping and slightly giddy Maria down the hallway.

“No, Mar-mar. That’s gross.”

“No it isn’t! You’re only saying that ‘cause you’ve never tried it, yeah.”

I glare at my friend and room mate as she pulls me into the sushi bar that we are standing outside of.

“Seriously,” Maria says, taking a seat on a metal bar stool, “I think you’ll like sushi.”

“I like my food cooked, thank you very much!” I reply, turning my nose up at the supplies for making sushi that are sitting in front of Maria and I behind the small, glass wall.

“You’re acting like Chrissie.” Maria mumbles, picking up a menu and staring at it. I scoff at her and shake my hair out of my face.

“What would you like?” an Asian man asks us from behind the bar. I stare at him silently as Maria gathers her thoughts.

“Well…we’ll start out with some California rolls ands some Japanese soda.”

“Okay.” He answers simply as Maria smiles at him sweetly.

As we sit in silence, both of us consumed by our own thoughts, the bell on the door of the restaurant rings. I look in the direction of the entrance, my eyes soaking in all of the details of the modern, almost cold, sushi bar.

“Right this way!” the hostess says in a chipper tone of voice. I watch as she walks in, her stilettos clacking and her long, black hair swinging. Two men follow behind her, joking and laughing. My eyes could’ve fallen out of their sockets at this point. I turn back to Maria quickly, my eyes wide.

“There he is!” I whisper hoarsely, trying to not look back at them. I stare straight ahead, my back ridged.

Maria smiles slyly. “I thought the name Ashton Driscol sounded familiar.”

“Excuse me?” I ask, blinking at her.

“Here they are, gentlemen! Please take a seat.” The hostess smiles, flashing her bleach white teeth, before backing up and walking back to her podium at the entrance of the Sushi bar.

“Fancy seeing you here!” Ashton exclaims, taking a seat next to me as Peter sits down on Mar-mar’s left side.

“We already ordered something to drink and an appetizer. I hope you don’t mind.” Maria explains, making a slightly pouty face at her new love interest. She slides her stool closer to him, still smiling.

“It’s totally fine. We’re not hungry.” Peter replies, smiling lovingly at her. I mentally gag as I turn away from them. The young man that had taken Maria’s and my order earlier comes back bearing two oddly shaped glass bottles and a tray of what I can only assume is California rolls. I feel my face reflexively contort into one of disgust as he sets down the tray directly in front of me.

Ewwie. I like my food cooked!

“Jessica doesn’t like sushi.” Maria states almost rudely. I shake my hair out of my face again and shrug.

“I like my food cooked.” I answer nonchalantly, looking at Ashton. He locks eyes with me and smiles that infamous, toothy grin. For a moment, I’m lost in them as his silky hair falls into his eyes.

“I know what you mean. I’m not a big fan of the raw sushi either.” He replies, the grin still attached to his face.

“Isn’t it all raw?” I ask, breaking our gaze to watch Maria eat a piece of it.

“No, not all of it. These California rolls aren’t for instance.” Ashton says, picking one up and popping it into his mouth, delicately parting his pink lips.

“Oh.” I mumble, looking away from him as quickly as my eyes would allow. I feel my cheeks getting a rosy shade of red as I think back to just a few seconds ago. I pick up one of the apparently delicious California rolls and physically cringe as I place it into my mouth. I look up, chewing slowly, to see three sets of eyes locked onto me. “What?” I ask after swallowing.

That wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.

“Wow. You are good, Ashton. I’ve never been able to get Jessica to eat a piece of sushi.” Maria gushes, a coy smile spreading across her lips as she says this. She looks pointedly at me before taking a sip of her Japanese soda. I blush, looking down at the California rolls still placed in front of me. Any ivory hand passes into my field of vision to pick one up and I follow it to Ashton’s face. He smiles.

“Good, wasn’t it?” He says rhetorically. I nod anyways and take a sip of my own drink.

*

“It was crazy bad!” I exclaim. Maria starts laughing her head off as Peter chuckles next to her. Ashton looks down at me, his blue eyes sparkling in the dim light. The four of us have been at the sushi bar for a few hours now. Long enough to move from the bar to a booth in the corner. It’s gotten quite busy by now and the atmosphere has changed quite a bit. Dim lights are on all over the place, couples are everywhere, whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears, and twilight is setting in.

Mar-mar sighs, regaining control of her self after her laughing fit. “Well, we should be getting back to the dorms. Tomorrow’s Monday and we all have class.”

“I don’t have class until noon.” Peter remarks, pulling Maria closer to his side and smiling.

I moan, resting my head on the back of the booth. “Ugg. Yeah, but I have class at seven o’clock.”

“Why so early?” Ashton questions, turning his torso slightly in my direction.

“Photography.” I say simply, shrugging.

“Ah.” He answers, nodding once. “Well,” he grunts, standing up from his spot, “we should be getting back.”

I nod in agreement and look at Maria and Peter. Maria is cuddled into his side, listening to whatever he happens to be whispering into her multi pierced ear. I shake my head at the two of them as I slide out of the booth and stand next to Ashton. He clears his throat, staring down at Peter. Something is suddenly different with him. Some intensity I hadn’t seen before is now in his eyes. An almost dangerous look.

Peter looks up, and for a mere second, his eyes are glazed over. I cock my head to the side, an inquisitive look taking over my features. Peter’s face quickly clears and he smiles endearingly down at Maria who seems to not have noticed a thing. I shake my, trying to erase the snap shot from my mind like an Etch a Sketch.

“Shall we go?” He questions, looking back up at Ashton and I. I nod, reaching for my bright yellow pea coat. As I slip it on, I grab my purse and sling it over my right shoulder.

Peter, Ashton, and Mar-mar quickly grab their stuff and we head out the door after paying at the podium where the same hostess from earlier is still standing.

“Have a wonderful evening!” she calls out as the shiny glass doors close behind us and the dark night engulfs us. I look over my shoulder to look back at the yellow light escaping from the windows of the sushi bar.

“Is something the matter?” Ashton asks me. I look at him to find him staring straight ahead, both of his hands pushed into the pockets of his coat.

“No.” I articulate, looking ahead as well.

That would’ve been a perfect picture.

“That would’ve been a nice picture, don’t you think?” Ashton speaks, looking down at me from the corner of his eye.

“Yeah, it would’ve been.” I whisper, squinting down at my brown converse. I silently concentrate on my shoes and the passing cement. I sigh after a few moments and look up at the night sky. “It’s so nice out.” I whisper to myself, whishing silently that I had brought my camera.

“It is.” Ashton agrees, nodding and smiling.