4Dinner
When we safely arrived in our hotel room, I collapsed onto my freshly made bed and sighed. It had been a long day. I was dead tired and frightened. I still had no idea who would want to kidnap me. I was generally a nice person, yet there were a couple of people who I didn't clash well with. We had mutual understanding: I wouldn't talk to them and they wouldn't talk to me. We just ignored each other.
I just lay there with my eyes closed and replayed the day's events. What had started this horrid day was the bathroom incident. I shuddered. I rather I never think of that ever again. Then my great grandpa died. And we can't forget the grand incident with Mr. Blair! I sighed again. How many times a day can a person be humiliated without dying from embarrassment? However, I continued to remember the day.
Concert, shopping, kidnapping attempt, and some more shopping left me to where I am right now: enjoying the comfort my bed offered. I had just gotten all warm and cozy when Alan said something.
"I'm sorry what was that?" I said groggily.
"I said, 'What do you think you're doing?'"
"Taking a nap. What does it look like?" I retorted, flat out tired of talking to him. Somehow he has managed to ruin my trip thus far. I mean, if you look back, nothing was going wrong until he showed up.
"I don't think so. You're not done for the day."
I groaned and pulled a pillow over my head, refusing to get up.
"Watime ifit?" I said.
"Pardon me? It might help if you take the pillow off your head."
I threw the fluffy pillow at him and sat back on my elbows so I could glare at him.
"Never mind," I said and looked at the clock for myself. It was three.
"I have plenty of time before I have to perform again. So I can take a nap." I rolled back over and pulled the covers over my head. Soon afterwards a gush of cold air hit my arms as my blanket was rudely pulled off of me.
"What is your problem? Can't I sleep in peace?" I tried my best not to shout, but I was angry. For me, loss of sleep is equals a bad temper. I knew I would be short with people on this trip, but that was just uncalled for!
"You have one last appointment," he said calmly.
"No. I'm tired of this. You don't need to waste your money on me. I don't want anything else. I came here for one sole purpose: to perform. Music is my life, not shopping and pampering myself. Please just let me be. I'm begging you!"
"This is the last one, promise. Trust me, I am not wasting my money. And I know you love music. I want to do this for you. I feel that you deserve better."
"Why are you doing this? You don't even know me! And I certainly don't need your charity," I said, folding my arms.
"It's not charity! I'm doing this because I like you. You have a strange aura about you that I've never experienced with anyone else. Please don't mistake my fondness for charity," he replied gloomily. I sighed. I couldn't believe my ears for one thing, but I could not decide what to do.
I looked up and saw the solemn look on Alan's face. "Fine," I said grudgingly, "but this is the last time."
I lazily made my way off the bed and opened the door, as Alan followed me.
«….…..::::::::æ::::::::…»
I sat in one of the many salon chairs, waiting for Alan, Gwyn, Bekah, and the lady taking care of me—Stacey—to come back. How in the world I let him talk me into doing this I'll never know. Although I felt like I could strangle him. The four of them were planning my "make-over".
Gwyn and Bekah had my dress and accessories all ready to go; they refused to show me what my apparel would be. I was getting very frustrated.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, they were done conspiring and Stacey came back. Bekah and Gwyn were all grins.
"Just relax and let me do my job Miss Fairchild," Stacey said, as she raised my seat.
"Please, call me Sadie. And I don't care what they say. If you cut more than just the dead ends on my hair, I will sue you," I said in a dead serious tone.
"Yes Miss Sadie. You obviously know your two friends very well."
"Too well at times," I muttered. "I'm sorry I'm so short but I'm tired and it has been a very complicated day."
"I understand." I wanted to say: No you don't. But I didn't want to be ruder that what I already had been.
After that, Stacey and I had an actual conversation. Gwyn and Bekah were getting pedicures and manicures while Alan, poor thing, had to sit and read girly magazines. I couldn't help but laugh the first five minutes I saw him pick one up.
Anyways, soon after Stacey started working with my un-cooperative hair, two other girls came over and started to work on my hands and my feet, which bothered me. Working with my hands wasn't too bad, it was my feet that really bugged me. I don't like people looking at my feet, let alone toughing them! It just bothers me.
Soon thereafter, all three of them were done messing with me and I let out a heavy sigh.
"Thank you! I'm free!" I started to get up when someone pushed me back down.
"I don't think so. You're not quite done yet," Alan said, smirking. I gave him an evil glare and crossed my arms.
"When will the torture end?" I cried out in exasperation. He just laughed at me and picked his magazine back up.
"Well, at least I'm not the one reading girls' magazines," I mumbled loud enough for Alan to hear. I grinned evilly as he quickly set the periodical aside. Now he had nothing to do but watch as Stacey applied make-up to my face. Smooth move Sadie! Now he's just going to watch you be tortured…and enjoy it! I sighed again.
"Hold still Miss Sadie! It's going to take me twice as long if you keep making faces like that."
I sat still as a statue after that. I could hear Alan laughing at me. I wanted to glare at him but I knew if I did, I never would get out of here.
«….…..::::::::æ::::::::…»
Two hours after originally arriving in the salon, I was free. Now we had a half hour before we were to perform again. The four of us ran back to the hotel and dashed up to our rooms. I grabbed my choir dress and ran next door. Hannah opened the door for me.
"Wow, you look great Sadie!" she exclaimed.
"Thanks, it's all Alan's doing, unfortunately," I murmured and stepped inside.
I moved towards the beds and laid my gown atop the closest one.
Hannah and I went straight to the bathroom, after I set my gown down, and helped Gwyn and Bekah get ready for the performance.
Twenty minutes later, the four of us were dressed and dolled up, so we left the room and headed downstairs to meet in the lobby.
"Well, it's about time!" Mr. Blair called to us.
"Come on ladies, get into the buss. We've got to hurry.' We followed him out and took our seats on the bus.
«….…..::::::::æ::::::::…»
"Sadie, get up off that bed! You'll mess up your hair," Alan said.
"Give me a break! You've made me run everywhere else with you." I grudgingly sat back up and watched him pace the floor in front of me.
"What's your problem?" I asked confused about what he was worrying over. I thought that he would wear down the carpet in his habitual track of walking. He seemed not to hear my question so I just left it alone. "Hey, you know we only have twenty minutes until we have to go to dinner, unless, of course, you've decided to not continue to go with us on our tour." This seemed to have caught his attention because he stopped and looked at me…and looked at me for what seemed like eternity. "Uh…Alan you're starting to freak me out here. Could you please stop staring at me?"
He quickly looked away and apologized.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude. You're just acting really weird as of late. I know something's on your mind and I want to help you, but what can I do if you don't tell me anything?" I said, leaning on my hands for support.
"I'll tell you everything after supper. But for now, you need to change into something more appropriate." He smiled and started rummaging through the clothes he bought me earlier today; which also disturbed me. A—basically—stranger was rummaging through my clothes. How weird was that? I mean this whole trip has been nothing but coincidental. I sighed again and fell backwards on my bed again. Only to be chided by Alan two seconds later.
«….…..::::::::æ::::::::…»
We made our way down to the lobby and onto the busses. Luckily for me, Alan was not allowed on the bus. Unfortunately, he still had his car. So he followed us all the way to the restaurant. The bus ride was uneventful, because all I heard was Gwyn and Bekah fight over who knew what.
I let out a sigh of relief when we finally pulled in front of the small building. I did not know if it would hold all sixty of us until I stepped inside. It had at least two floors from what I could tell. A spiral staircase extended upward on my immediate left as I walked in the door. My breath was taken away by the beauty of the antique building.
There were a few original prints of paintings hanging on the wall as we made our way up the wooden steps. But the most spectacular thing was to come yet. AS soon as we made it up to the third floor I gasped. All around me was stain glass windows all depicting some ancient legend. The room held a fireplace on the right-hand side of the room.
There were a series of tables but together especially for u and I hastily sat down so that I could retain a most spectacular view of the room.
I didn't' notice the people who filed in behind me and picked their seats. I was too caught up in the splendor of the room. We chose the opportune time to come, for ht e way the sun hit the windows just displayed a beauty beyond words. The only close comparison would have to be Saint Paul's Cathedral, but that brilliant work is too grand for something like what I was witnessing at the moment. It wasn't quite as beautiful as Saint Paul's because it was missing the whole ancient church feeling.
I was interrupted when someone politely asked, "May I sit here?"
I looked up to see Devan. I dazedly nodded my head in acceptance, and he took the seat next to me. Soon after, every one of my friends made their way to sit around me. I drew back out of my revere to be social—which was one more thing I didn't' like to do. I turned my head to my left because I heard someone laugh a little too loud and saw that Alan had sat next to me. Joy, I thought, He follows me like a lost puppy.
That was the last thing I needed to put on top of my stress level…another groupie. But nonetheless, I smiled at him and turned my attention back to what Gwyn was saying.
The main course had come and gone before I knew it. I was lost in my own little world. I was nervous because I had no idea what was going to happen after dinner. Would Devan ask me out? And what was up with Alan? I was confused and continued to run through the possibilities of both situations over and over in my mind, but I never came up with positive endings to either.
By the time I had received my dessert, I had barely said five words and I was shaking so badly I couldn't hold my spoon still. Was I going mental? What was going on with me? I was acting silly—like I was some lovesick middle-schooler waiting for her first crush to ask her out. However, in a way that was true. But I shouldn't have been nervous, I should have been excited. Yet every time I thought of Devan, an image of Alan smiling at me would appear. I've no idea why. And it kept bugging me that he would look at me like he wanted to say something but would ever say it.
Devan had hardly spoken to me during dinner and we were leaving the restaurant. What was going on? I gave Gwyn a questioning look as she walked next to me and she shrugged in response. I sighed.
And then it happened. I heard my name being shouted from somewhere behind me. I smiled and turned around. Finally! But what I saw stunned me: Devan wasn't calling me, he was calling the other Sady—Sady Barkley.
I was close enough to hear what they were talking about, but not close enough for either of them to see my dumbfounded expression.
"So…um Sady, I've…I've been meaning to ask you something." No no no no no no no!
"Yes," she replied, looking at him with curiosity in her eyes. Was she really all that stupid to not see that he wanted to ask her out? Yet what shocked me even more was that I could see no trace of adoration or even liking in his eyes. Instead, I found sadness and regret! But what for?
"Would you like to go out with me?" he finally asked…and he had the wrong person! I stood there rooted to the spot like a tree. How I wished I could have been a tree at that moment, then I would not have to bear this humiliation for the rest of the trip…let alone my life. All this time I was lead to believe that he liked me, and I was wrong. But all the signs pointed straight at me! How could I have been wrong?
"Yes!" Sady almost screeched.
I couldn't stand it anymore. The agony was too much. I needed to get away from the scene and to have time to think. I pushed my way through the crowd of students and chaperons alike to the front—away from my friends.
"Are you okay Sadie? You're looking a bit pallid," Mr. Blair asked.
"Yes, I'm fine," I replied stiffly. He gave me a knowing look, but I ignored this and he pressed no further. Nonetheless he would soon find out why there was pain behind my eyes. I made my way to the back of the bus, effectively avoiding both Alan and Gwyn.
Neither one found me even after we started on our ways back to the hotel, which made it a nice—in my own little world—and quiet ride home. I waited until everyone was off and then numbly made my way off the bus. Oddly enough, I didn't run into any of my friends or Alan as I made my way to the elevator.
I stepped in and found myself alone with Mr. Blair. I stared at the floor relishing the silence for I knew it wouldn't last long.
"Sadie, I know something is really bothering you. Please tell me. You know I will find out eventually and I rather hear it from you firs," Mr. Blair looked at me and wouldn't give up. I sighed heavily.
"It's nothing, honestly. I'm just tired. I've had a hard day." At this he gave me a perplexed look.
"What do you mean 'hard day'?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Uh…" I had done it again, "Alan took me shopping again." There, that was true, just not all of the truth. Yet again I received that penetrating glare and knew he saw through my half-truth, but he dropped the subject and we parted our ways.
"Hi Sadie!"
I scrunched up my face. I knew that voice, but I ignored Margie, like usual, and slid my key into my room. I quickly made my way in and closed the door before she could follow.
Here's a little background history between us: she started coming to our school in the second grade and she took a liking to me immediately. I didn't like her, but I tolerated her following me all the time. I dealt with it and I was fine, but in the seventh grade, I caught her lying. Big time. And after that her whole life came unraveling. Her whole life she so called "told" me was nothing but lies. Very rarely would a truth come out of her. And then I caught her cheating. So I called her out on all of this and she called me the hypocrite! The nerve of the girl! So I put end to the tolerance of her and just completely ignored her, which ticked her off because all she was looking for was attention, and she wasn't receiving any from the one person she longed to receive it from: me.
My friends tried to talk me into making a new relationship with her, but I refused to because even after she finally admitted to lying, she still continued to lie to others. Once they saw where I was coming from, they cut their connection with her too. Although not quite to my extent, they will talk to her if she talks to them. I will not.
Now her goal is to be one of my "friends" again. From what my friends (who still talk to her) say that she holds me up highly, and thinks I am God's gift to earth and crap like that.
Back to the present, I kicked off my shoes and grabbed my P.J.'s and headed for the bathroom. After I had showered and changed my clothes, I went to my bed and turned off the lights. I curled up in a ball under the covers and went over the day's events in my mind. The death of my grandpa and the dinner gave me reason enough to cry for the second time that day. Exhausted from crying, I soon fell asleep and dreamt of good things.
A/N: Sorry it took so long. Real life doesn't allow too much time for me to write. I just finished this the other day. :) Please R&R. I could really use some help!
-Ryann