Page 31 of I Hear You

My shift goes by pretty fast and I may have even gotten a hint of a smile out of Chuck when I started singing orders to him every time I came up to the window. I think it was my attempt at opera that finally did him in. After I change out of my work clothes and wave bye to Joy, I start my walk home. I’m not a fan of how much time the walk to and from work takes, but I have learned to enjoy the walk. Easton is a beautiful town. Every street is perfectly manicured and the whole town has the same charming details like decorative iron street lights and tons of trees everywhere. I can’t wait until fall when all the trees start to change color.

I’ve almost saved up for a car. A few more weeks of stashing away my tips and I think I can make it happen. Easton will start getting snow before it’s even officially winter and walking two miles each way in the snow to work doesn’t sound fun. I’ll also need to invest in snow boots and a warm jacket just to get around campus. I’ve managed to add to my savings over the past few weeks and I’ve now got three grand put away. There would be more in my savings account, but I needed some summer clothes and a new pair of shoes. Easton doesn’t have much in the way of second hand options. Thankfully, they have a Target one town over. I bought everything I needed there except the shoes. I splurged and ordered a new pair of Converse online. Just a pair of simple black high tops, but I haven’t had new sneakers in years and I’m glad to have a pair that the soles aren’t wafer thin on.

I make it back to my dorm room and it’s empty. Taylor must be hanging out with Jesse. I’m exhausted, but I begin the arduous task of sorting my laundry. Get it done now and you’ll have all day tomorrow to relax, I tell myself. I’ve been working on it for a few minutes when the door opens and Taylor comes bursting in.

“We’re going to a party tonight!” Taylor says, with even more enthusiasm than she normally has about everything in life.

Shit. I promised her I wouldn’t bail the next time she invited me to a party and I don’t have work or classes as an excuse. I’ve somehow made it the entire summer quarter without getting roped into an actual party. The kind with lots of other people from school and booze–and most likely Henry. It’s not that I don’t want to socialize and I adore Taylor and Jesse, so I’m sure I’ll love their other friends. I just don’t know if I even know how to have fun anymore at parties. By the time I was old enough that my friends were having parties–my life at home was falling apart. I’ve only ever been to a few and I’ve only ever been drunk once. I’m not gonna lie and say I didn’t have a blast while I was drinking, but I hated the hangover. It made me wonder how the hell my mom drank so much and so often.

“Well hello to you,” I say, tossing a pair of leggings into the darks pile.

“Someone Jesse knows on the football team is throwing a party to celebrate the end of classes. You’ve dodged me all summer. It will be so much fun and you promised you’d come, eventually. I know you don’t have work tomorrow so…”

I cringe. There’s no way I’m getting out of this.

“I did promise. Okay, where’s this party? How are we getting there and what should I wear?” I ask, trying to at least match a little of her excitement.

Taylor jumps up and down and starts pulling clothes from her closet. A deep blue dress that looks like it won’t even cover half my ass and a pair of black combat boots are dropped on my desk.

“You’ll wear this. Trust me, it will look amazing on you,” she says while heading back to her closet to pick out an outfit for herself. “The guy who's throwing the party is named Caleb. I met him once. Jesse says he can be a prick, but apparently his parents are out of town and his house is massive and he said he’d supply all the drinks. Emmett and Jesse are gonna pick us up at nine.”

I eye the dress and then look at Taylor, who is grinning from ear to ear.

“Fine, but you’re helping me with my laundry first,” I tell her.

“Taylor. I’m almost seven inches taller than you. There’s no way this dress is going to fit me.”

“Oh, just put it on!” she says, grabbing the dress and pushing it toward me.

Taylor stands there with the dress held out in one hand, the other on her tiny hip. She looks serious, and it’s a hilarious look for her. So out of place when I’m used to her near constant megawatt smile.

I groan, take the dress, and start attempting to put it on. She did as I asked and helped me get all my laundry done earlier so I’ll humor her with this dress.

This dress definitely isn’t something I would normally wear, but I appreciate that she wants to pair it with combat boots to give it a little more of an edgy look. Heels are something I’ve only worn once, to a dance in eighth grade, and I was miserable the whole time. Having someone to share clothes and get ready for parties with is more fun than I thought it would be. This is probably something every girl got to do in high school, but I didn’t.

Shockingly, when I finish shimming into the dress, it fits. The hem comes several inches below my butt. I turn and look at myself in the mirror. Damn! Taylor was right. This dress looks fucking fantastic. I slowly look myself over in the mirror. The dress is simple, but it’s the perfect length and just tight enough to show off my figure but not so tight I can’t breathe.

“Taylor, how does this fit youandme?” I ask her as I admire myself in the mirror.

“It comes down to my knees,” she says, laughing while she touches up her makeup at her desk.

I pull on the combat boots and it’s perfect. I look good and I actually feel good. Maybe this night will be fun after all, and it’s been way too long since I’ve had fun. I left my hair down, just adding some curl to the ends. I stick with my usual minimal makeup; mascara, a little blush and lipstick, against protests from Taylor, who wants to add more. We head out to the parking lot right at nine to get picked up by Taylor’s friend Emmett.

A mid-sized SUV pulls into the parking lot and Taylor lets me know it’s our ride. She’d mentioned that Emmett’s family was rich, so I shouldn’t be surprised at how nice his car is. I don’t even recognize what brand it is, but I can tell it’s expensive. The SUV pulls up to the curb and the front passenger door opens and out comes Jesse.

“Madison, you darling, can sit up front with Emmett so I can kiss on my girl in the back.”

Taylor giggles and climbs into the back seat, Jesse patting her butt as she does. I lean over and look into the front seat and wave at Emmett as Jesse climbs in the back behind Taylor.

“Hi, I’m Madison! I guess I’m up here with you so those two can make out,” I inform him, pointing my thumb at the back seat.

“Hey, Emmett,” he says, extending his hand out to me. “Come on in, I don’t bite.”

I shake his hand, then take my place in the front seat. Emmett adjusts the rearview mirror so he can see Taylor and Jesse and says flatly, “You are NOT making out back there the whole drive to the party.”

I turn in my seat a little and see Jesse play tackling Taylor and giving her big loud kisses all over her face as she giggles and pretends to push him off. Emmett shakes his head and readjusts the mirror before pulling away from the curb.

“So, Madison, what kind of music do you listen to?” Emmett asks, poking at the touch screen dash radio.

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