Page 2 of Withered

“Yeah, me too,” she says, struggling to hold her bags. “Let’s go eat something. I’ll take a quick detour, put these bags in the car, and meet you at the food court.”

I nod. “Sure,” I voice my next words carefully, “while you are at it, is it okay with you if I quickly go check for a book at the bookstore?” I plead, giving her my best puppy-dog eyes. I know how worked up she gets when I mention anything related to books.

She raises a perfectly threaded eyebrow at me, but then rolls her eyes and gives in. “Make sure you get to the food court on time; otherwise, I will not hesitate to drag your ass out of the store.”

I search the store, walking around from one section to another, looking for something, but nothing seems to catch my attention. Fifteen minutes wasted for nothing.Yes, I do judge books by their covers, so sue me!I leave the store with nothing in my hands. It shouldn’t matter, as I have a long list of books waiting at home, but looking for one more doesn’t hurt, right?

As decided, Kristy is sitting at a table. I joined her, but she was too busy on her phone to notice my arrival. I tap my fingers on the table, which seems to get her attention.

“When did you come?” She asks and adds, “I already ordered.”

“Just now. What are you so lost in?”

Her eyes lit up, and with an excited tone, she chirped, “There is this new boy who joined our school, and he wants to get to know everyone, so he is throwing a party tonight. It looks like the whole school is invited. Must be rich.”

She smiles sweetly and says, “Come with me to the party.”

Here we go.It’s not that I don’t like parties; I’ve had my fair share of those, but today I’d rather stay in. I can’t say no to her, so I don’t try. She always convinces me.

She interrupts me with a sly grin on her face before I can explain. “I got you a dress.” She points at a bag on the floor.

Didn’t she put the bags in the car? When did she find the time to buy this?

I facepalm myself and groan. She chuckles, knowing I’m lost here.

“Who is this new guy anyway?” I ask her.

“His name is Tyler, that’s all I know.” She says.

I settle for a nod because I don’t know what to say. I have a feeling today will be a long day.

It’s almost 6 p.m. when we arrive at Kristy’s house. It’s eerily quiet and empty, with no one to greet us at the door. Her mom died of cancer when she was only seven, and her dad is the best lawyer in Texas, so he is mostly on business trips. Our parents are mostly busy working, which is why we are close to each other. We had each other when we didn’t have anyone else.

We freshen up quickly and start getting ready. I let Kristy do my makeup, as she wouldn’t listen otherwise. When I’m done, she hands me the bag, and I open it to find a black-colored sequin dress, off-shoulder on one side. But my eyes go wide at thehuge side cut;it’s that high!

“I’m not wearing that.” I huff in annoyance and shake my head in a clear no.

I shove the dress back into the bag and throw it aside. I’m not going to wear that. That is not my style.

She smirks and puts the bag right back in my hands, saying, “Hell yes, you are. I have nothing else for you.”

I glare at her as she pushes me into the closet. Taking a deep breath and praying that the cut somehow disappears, I put it on. The dress fits perfectly against my body and is comfortable enough despite its glitter material, which reflects whenever light hits it. I resemble a disco ball right now.

Kristy’s eyes widen as I walk out of the closet. The thigh-high cut makes me nervous and only adds to my discomfort. She gasps, “You look so hot. We might as well find a boy for you tonight.”

Yeah. Not happening.We are not finding anything or anyone; no one holds my interest. I don’t connect with anyone on that emotional level, except fictional men.

Kristy is dressed in a white cocktail dress that looks stunning on her body, with her red lipstick popping up her whole persona.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I comment. I’m not sure about myself, but she’s going out tonight.

Locking the door, we head to the party. On the way, I silently pray to whoever is listening, wishing that this night passes smoothly.

WearriveatTyler’shuge house in 15 minutes. The parking lot is full, and I see many familiar faces from school. The music is loud, and the place is crowded with people dancing, drinking, and making out, with onlymestanding like an idiot still wondering how I even ended here.

Kristy waves a hand in front of my face, tearing me away from my thoughts. “Try and relax.” She whispers in my ear.I hate parties.

“I didn’t know a prude was invited.” A voice speaks from behind us. We turn around to see the only person we didn’t want to see.

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