Page 15 of Ink & Stardust

Me, the girl who never wears anything more revealing than a sundress, wearing a fitted, strapless dress that doesn’t even go to my knees, which is usually the length I prefer.

I don’t know. I guess I was so high on the possibility of being someone new that I had a momentary lapse and forgot who I actually am.

I will admit, though, I don’t regret the wax. It really is quite nice, not that I’d admit that to Char. She’d never let me live it down. Getting it done wasn’t so nice, but I do like not having any hair down there, something I never would have expected.

Just goes to show, it does pay to try new things because you truly don’t know what you’ll like or won’t like unless you experience them for yourself.

“I absolutely love the color,” Maisie agrees. “The blue really complements your skin tone.”

“I feel ridiculous,” I admit.

“The only thing ridiculous about you is those damn shoes.” Char snorts, tossing open the door before extending her hand to help me out, probably so I don’t show my butt to the dozens of people loitering in the front yard.

“I don’t know.” Maisie climbs out on the opposite side. “Her Converse are starting to grow on me.”

“See,” I tell Charlotte. “She gets it. Look how good they look.” I hold out a foot, showing off my bright white Converse, which are the only ones I own that I thought complemented the deep blue of the dress.

“Please do not encourage her.” Char gives Maisie a pointed look.

“Just wait... I’ll get you there eventually,” I tell her with a grin.

“Doubtful,” Char grumbles as I follow her around the back of the car, joining Maisie on the sidewalk.

What started as a little nervous flutter on the way over has suddenly bloomed into a swarm of butterflies flapping so wildly in my stomach I feel seconds away from taking flight. I haven’t seen Owen since the day we met, so there’s definitely some unknowns here, and as we’ve established, I’m someone who likes to know what to expect.

“You good?” Maisie asks as we make our way up the front lawn of the large, two-story house.

“Yeah.” I nod, not sure how convincing I am.

“If you ladies are good, I’m going to go find Erik,” Char tells us just as we enter the house.

“We’re good.” Maisie smiles. “Have fun!” She wiggles her fingers at Char.

“Oh, I intend to.” Char saunters off, looking every bit a man-eater in her tight silver dress and matching heels, her auburn hair flowing down her back in big, chunky waves.

Between her and Maisie, who’s wearing a pink dress that accents her soft brown skin and dark hair beautifully, I really do feel like the duff (designated, ugly, fat, friend). Not that I’m fat, or ugly, but compared to them... Well, you get the idea. It’s hard to feel confident when you know next to your friends, you simply don’t measure up.

“At least one of us is getting laid tonight.” Maisie knocks her hip into mine. “Come on. Let’s get a drink.”

Once we both have our drinks, Maisie and I spend the next several minutes walking around, talking to random people. Like Char, Maisie knows a ton of people, which makes me feel very much like a pathetic little tagalong because I know very few people. And even the ones I do know, I don’t know well. I’m learning that the majority of students are from in state, which makes it a little hard to make friends when so many others already had friend groups established coming into freshman year.

Maisie and another girl whose name I can’t remember even though we were just introduced a few minutes ago, are in pretty deep debate over a particular class they share when I feel someone slip up behind me. I’m seconds away from throwing an elbow when a familiar voice tickles the back of my ear.

“I almost didn’t recognize you in this dress.” Owen’s hand slides around my front, his fingers spreading across my stomach.

While the motion makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, considering I barely even know the guy, I try to push past the feeling, knowing it’s just my nerves getting the better of me.

“What gave me away?” I ask, glancing back over my shoulder to see his hazel eyes glossy and bloodshot.

Well, someone started early.

“The shoes.” He gives me a lopsided grin, spinning me around to face him. “Can I get you a drink?”

I can smell the alcohol thick on Owen’s breath as he leans in closer.

“I’m okay,” I tell him, having not even drunk half of my first one before setting it down somewhere and leaving it. I meant it when I said I had no intention of repeating my past mistakes. I’m the kind of person who usually learns my lesson fairly quickly.

“Then a dance?”

---