Anticipating Forrest

Chapter 3

Just as I recalled from decades before, his appearance never changed either; he still carried that charismatic rock star appearance I remember seeing.

Pulling me from my daydream he reaches out a firm hand and swings me into his mansion. I step slowly inside the large room, and glance around in awe at my surroundings. A shiny chandelier sparkles from the ceiling, a staircase swirling up into the second floor of the house resides to the near back.

"Do you like what you see?" A gruff husky tone asks me, I spin around to see Forrest watching me in amusement.

"How rich are you?" I bluntly blurt out, which causes him to giggle softly.

"It's not mine, it's my fathers." He says, leaning against the wall still holding himself back from laughing. "I live with my mother in a trailer park."

"Why are we here?" I ask, even more bluntly this time.

"Change into the dress, and meet me in the dining hall in thirty minutes." He instructs leading me down a hall to a bathroom. I nod to him and cautiously glide into the bathroom, I strip off my old clothes and slide into the beautiful blue ballgown he had provided me with. I spin around and stare at myself in the full length mirror before me, almost stunned at the girl staring back at me.

I have never worn such lovely attire, I've only worn the rags I was left with while I sat around waiting for this very day. I spin around a few more times happily, feeling like I could have just won the lottery.

I hear a small knock on the door and a soft voice whisper, "Hi dear, it's Julia the housekeeper. I was instructed to check up on you, and I also have something from Mr. Jaspar Pierce to go with your dress."

I open the door a crack and see an older lady with beautiful blond hair peaking back at me, her blue eyes sparkle with the help of the sunlight from the window. I open the door slightly more and she smiles and hands me a small box and a pair of silver heals.

"What is all of this?" I whisper, referring to the dress, shoes and small box I had been given.

"You'll find out soon enough." She says, turning and walking down the hallway.

I open the small box and find a beautiful necklace with a heart locket, it looked very brand new, and had my initials carved into the locket.

I put it around my neck and wince at the sudden feeling of coldness it leaves as it hits the baseline of my neck. A sensation that had been taken away from me many years ago. I look at myself in the mirror one last time, and something about my appearance begins to alter. Yet, I can't place it at that very moment.

The shoes fit my feet just perfectly, and I wonder of how he knew my shoe size despite hardly knowing me. I throw the bathroom door open, in a rage of curiosity and wonder for answers.

"This way..." A voice echos in my mind as I descend down the long hallway to the dining hall.

I follow the voice to where it leads and enter a room full of strangers, upon entering the room they all abruptly stop their conversations and stare directly at me.

"What the...?"

"She has arrived."

*Flashback*

"The dance is tonight and you still don't have a date?" My best friend Cynthia asked me as we walked outside for lunch.

"See the thing is, I don't want a date." I protest, knowing one way or another she was going to find me one.

"Have you at least been asked?"

"Nope, and can't be bothered to care. Why don't we just skip the stupid dance and stay home and watch movies."

She kicks a pebble that falls underneath her feet, it skips down the sidewalk and we sit at a bench and begin opening up our lunches.

"Because, I have a date."

"I figured you would." I said, taking out my mothers homemade pasta and meatballs.

"How about that hottie right there?" She says, her eyes widening suddenly.

I turn around but see no one in the general direction that her eyes are peering at, she shakes her head and points to the right of me.

"He's literally right there, staring right at you! I've never seen him before. He must be new, go and make your move before Janice Meilworth does!"

"Cynthia, I have no idea WHO you are talking about. The only people I see are the people we have grown up with since kindergarten and none of them are dance worthy so, whatever game you're playing cut it out!"

Suddenly she shakes her head and her eyes go back to normal, she continues listing off guys who I should ask to the dance, forgetting about the mysterious new guy she thought she saw.

"I'm just saying, Jeremy Calbert is pretty good on the eyes."

"I'm sure someone will save me a dance at some point during the night." I said, trying to shake the entire incident from my mind.