Page 186 of Mud

Rosabel La Rouge

2 years ago

My stomach hurt from laughing so hard at the awful joke Carlos, a friend of Taland, told us.

He asked—and with a straight face—what’s red and brown and bad for your teeth?And the rest of us gave it a good thinking, throwing ideas around until he shrugged and said, “Nope. It’s a brick.”

The most awful joke I’d ever heard, but his face was priceless, and the way the rest of us felt like idiots for actually trying to come up with the right answer…

We were still laughing when we made our way outside the second tower, headed for the fourth where the Feast of Hope was about to begin soon. Everyone was dressed up and so ready for the party—and for graduation. We only had two more weeks of classes left, and then school was over. We would all be free to pursue whatever career or life we wanted.

I would be free to start my life with Taland.

He wore a black tuxedo his brothers had sent him—he had three, all older than him. He had no parents, either, just them. They sent him a pair of expensive-looking, shiny shoes, too, but he chose to go with his boots, and he made it work effortlessly. He was clean shaven, like always, and I’d gone to his room to do his hair as soon as I’d gotten myself ready because I said I wanted to see it sleeked back, and he said,do with it what you will.

So, I did, and it looked fucking amazing on him, and I couldn’t believe that this guy was my date.

That this guy wasmine.

My heart was about to burst into all the colors of the universe.

I wore a red dress, courtesy of Madeline, and it fit me perfectly. It covered me from my neck down to my wrists, and the flared skirt fell all the way to my knees. Not somethingIwould have picked, but still, Taland loved it. Said the deep red of the slightly shimmery fabric made my eyes look even more on fire than usual—this when he bent me over his desk and fucked me from behind in his room as to not to ruin my hair and makeup.

It was perfect, as perfect as always.

After that he finally let me fix his hair, put his jacket on, and we were out the door.

All of us together, all friends arm in arm with our dates, walking through the backyard slowly, laughing and telling stories and telling each other how good we looked.

We were happy, all of us.

Before we entered the hall in which the party was being held, Taland pulled me to the side, down a dark corridor where other couples had already gone to make out. We went all the way around the corner, and he pressed meagainst the wall, and he kissed me like he might die if he didn’t taste me this very second.

My red lipstick was going to be smudged, but that’s why I’d taken it with in my purse. Knowing us, we’d be taking make-out breaks every half an hour tonight, so I was prepared.

“Almost done,” Taland whispered while we breathed heavily still from that kiss, forehead to forehead, arms wrapped around one another tightly.

“Almost. Two more weeks and we’re free.” I still had to convince Madeline that I would be going off on my own, and an ugly voice in my head tried to convince me that she would rather put me in prison than let me go, but I ignored it because I would be with Taland. He made me feel like I could do anything—even manage to keep Madeline Rogan off my back, make her forget about me, let me live my life far away from her.

“I can’t wait to start life with you,” he said, biting my lower lip.

My poor heart.

“I love you, Taland.” With all of me, every fiber of my being and every ounce of my soul.

He pressed harder against me, eyes squeezed shut, lips against mine.

“You’re my dream come true, sweetness,” he said, and my toes curled all the way.

He was my dream come true, too—a dream I had never even dared to dream until we met.

We had no idea what exactly we were going to do, Taland and I. He’d turned eighteen a month ago so he would have his anchor as soon as school was over. We’d have magic with us in case we needed it for anything. I wouldn’t turn eighteen for another few months, but it wasokay. Taland’s would be more than enough. All that mattered was that we were going to be together.

We promised to talk abouthowwe were going to make that happen once this party was over, and we had another two weeks to figure out all the details. We weren’t worried—of course, we weren’t. Everything was possible because—like I said—we would betogether.

The party was fantastic. The band played all the right songs, and my feet were so sore from dancing that I took my shoes off an hour in. You’d think Taland was not the type to dance, and I honestly thought I’d have to drag him to the dance floor by force, but I didn’t. He was right behind me every step I took.

It was a night we would never,everforget. Our friends were there, and we had wine and music and space to justbe.

---