I watched Lupe and Faye walk off and then turned my attention back to Shupple who was looking down at her cards and all but leering at them. I felt my face shift into a frown as I understood I had volunteered her in a way that she was not happy about. Suddenly a sound of nails on a table hit my ears, and I looked down to see Shupple digging her nails into the table tensely.
"Shupple...? You really didn't want to go... did you?" I asked quietly unsure of anything to really say. Shupple looked hurt, and I wished then that I had not convinced her to go. It seemed to hurt her in a way that was beyond my understanding of her at the moment, and there was nothing I could do but try and apologize in some form or fashion. I didn’t like seeing Shupple in this manner. She was a friend right? And I had done something wrong in doing this. I was about to say sorry when Shupple cut me off and began speaking.
"N-no.... I.... I don't have good memories of dances....." Shupple answered and continued. "I said I was the girl who stood out right?" She suddenly looked straight at me as if making sure that I would confirm that she had said this. I gave a half nod but couldn’t keep the confusion that was still painted on my face off. "I was the girl who got punch thrown on her because I was the goth girl who didn't have any friends.... That's why I hate dances, especially since it's Valentine's Day...." With that, Shupple broke off and seemed to choke on her words falling silent. I felt my stomach twitch. I hadn’t know but…. It… no I was just making excuses in my mind, and yet they were comforting as I looked at her.
People were still moving at a steady flow through the mansion, but I was in my own personal conflictions that kept my mind separate from the rest of the room. Finally, Shupple looked directly at me, and I stopped thinking as I realized that she was crying. I felt the muscle in my neck twitch… I hadn’t meant to… I…
“Shupple….” I said quietly at first and then stated again. “Shupple… are you ok?” I asked.
"Yeah.... I-I'm fine...." Shupple answered wiping the sides of her face of stray tears. Now this I wouldn’t take.
"It didn't look like you were fine." I answered, and in that instant I reflected that this was somewhat a reverse of what had just been stated only what… ten minutes ago or so… There was too much irony in this statement that I couldn’t find any way of continuing my statement. In that instant, Shupple took my quick pause to start talking again.
"I told you, I'm fine." Shupple insisted, and suddenly her face turned red for a moment before she forced a smile. I breathed out a moment and tried to relax my voice. It seemed as though I had actually started to intensify my voice as I was talking with Shupple, and it was then that I realized this was only going to make matters worse in one way or another. The best was to try and keep a calm notion with her.
"Mhm..." was a continuation of the answer Shupple gave.
Looking down at the sketchbook that was in my lap, I found that I had started drawing subconsciously. The picture was far from finished and appeared to look like nothing more than a sash of colored swirls. As I started to continue the picture and actually look down at it for a brief moment, I looked back up at Shupple to make sure that she was not about to burst into another sudden moment… However, after considering this, I doubted that Shupple would let herself cry again. There was something prideful in her that I had begun to recognize.
"Mear."
I blinked and looked up from the sketch I was still working on to see that Shupple was staring at me again. I found that I had jumped just a bit and then relaxed again. I couldn’t quite understand why I was so.. no that was a lie. I understood why I was tense and on edge. I had just been the cause of Shupple crying, and….
"Do you need a suit or something for the Ball? I don't know much about guy stuff," Shupple began half laughing, and I found that a laugh roamed up in my throat as well. After a moment, I realized that she had asked a question. Half nodding, I finally shrugged realizing that I did not have any clothes for this Ball. However, I could always resort to reverse sketch in order to solve this predicament.
"I guess..." I answered.
Suddenly an Eevee Gijika seemed to appear from right behind us. I turned my head and saw that there was also… a human?... with her.
"Why don't you two just go together? You get along great after all." The Eeevee said quickly before bouncing off almost like a rabbit. I blinked unsure of what exactly her implication was for a brief moment before it suddenly hit me. Had the little girl just… did she really just….. Before I could answer this, the little girl had bound back to the human. However, the ending of their talk was audible.
"That was mean, you know. You know they like each other from the blushing," the human said, and in that half second I realized that I had flushed red for reasons I was unsure of. I looked at Shupple who was starting to explode in redness. I felt my face grow red again, and finally I sought sanctuary by looking down at my sketchbook that was held under my right arm.
"That um.... t-that was a-about th-the ball.... I think," Shupple said aloud only just above a whisper. I nodded my head but found it only managed to make a minuscule amount of motion. This… was not something I had expected at all. What did that little Eevee know? Shupple was a fried right? I mean come on…..I had just started to get to know her and this… was … just……
There was a silence that followed that I was unsure of, and Shupple covered her mouth in that instant making me half wonder. I tried to say something and then failed as Shupple attempted and then said nothing as well.
"If you were wondering who gave you those p-paints last night, I-I was the o-one who dropped them off at y-your door." Shupple said half shaking. I felt my head turn for a moment and I wasn’t even sure why. Shupple had given me the colors? This… was…. I felt my face grow a bit more red, and I wasn’t even able to say anything for a full minute. Finally trying to relax again, I breathed out and started talking again in a nervous voice.
“T-thanks for the paint,” I answered and tried to clear my throat to speak clearly. This in the end failed, and I was just left with an out of breath feeling. “And…. Uh…. We are going to the Ball together in a group right….” That was the only thing that came to mind, and my eyes shot down quickly as I tried to find something to say. “And…. No… I… don’t have any clothes to go to the Ball with… maybe… maybe we…. could go shopping or something….” I felt a tightness grip my throat, and in that moment, I wanted to tear at it.
“T-that sounds good…” Shupple said. Her voice conveyed a sense of calm returning to it, and after that, I found that I was slowly becoming calm as well. What did that Eevee know? Shupple was just a friend, and that was that. I felt as though a strange weight had suddenly been lifted, and I continued feeling a strength return to my voice.
“So I guess we’ll go into town then since… I guess you need a dress too right?” I asked.
Shupple didn’t answer directly but nodded. I took a step back and then resumed my stance. “So… I guess… we can go now…. Or .. uh….” I said. Curse my inability to fully function. My mind somehow managed to form a spite against that little Eevee for saying something, and yet I could not bring myself to truly feel as angry as I wanted to.
“Y-ya,” Shupple answered starting to look away. “I’ll get an umbrella….”
I nodded, and with that, Shupple moved off to get an umbrella. It hadn’t quite occurred to me why Shupple needed one until she came back holding one. Then it clicked. Shupple was a ghost Gijika… so that meant the sun….. I nodded to myself taking in this new understand that had passed through my head so spontaneously.
I would have considered this more, however, Shupple had come back and was now standing before me with said umbrella in hand and was somewhat still averting my gaze. I started towards the door, and we headed outside. The crispness of the day was clashed with a few turbulent disturbances that seemed to beat the side of the mansion ever so often. The wind tugged at Shupple’s umbrella for a moment before finally giving up the game and moving on its way unfazed by the glare Shupple had given it.
We walked through the forest and into the town not far off without mush disturbance. The town itself seemed to be circulating somewhat well as people walked this way and that, and the occasional street performer made moves to try and attract a crowd for a few minutes or so. Overall, it was not crowded and relatively peaceful which in itself made me relax a tad more. We continued walking until a store that seemed to grow almost straight out of the others caught my vision. I turned my head and stopped for a moment. There were several sets of manikins posing in the window and showing off dress clothes including a few dresses and a tux.
I turned my head to Shupple and found that she had been looking at the store as well. I gave a general nod, and as she said this, Shupple gave a half nod as well. With that, we headed over towards the store. As we walked inside, I felt the sudden rush of cold air escape from the store and dance out into the breeze that still persisted somewhat outside. Shupple closed her umbrella, and both of us stepped inwards. The smell of fresh clothes and an overpowering scent of some form of flower was twirling itself about in the air and tickling the noses of all that entered as well as those that were already in the store. Not too far off, a woman stood with her hands on her hips and her back turned towards us as she ordered a young man who appeared to be lugging some sort of heavy boxes into the back of the store. After a moment, the woman turned and surveyed the enterers namely us.
“Welcome welcome!’ the woman said in a high pitched voice that strangely resembled a starley’s call. “What can I do for you today?”
Shupple’s face took on a nervous formation, and she took a step back as if getting ready to bolt straight out of the store. I looked at her for a moment, and she seemed to resume composure by breathing out calmly and then looking forwards again.
“I’m looking for a dress,” Shupple said straightening herself up.
“And I’m looking for a tuxedo,” I commented.
Right then and there, the woman’s face seemed to expand into a huge smile, and she quickly ran at us as if she really were a pokemon and had just used extreme speed. She clasped Shupple’s hands quickly and continued beaming at her.
“Well we can certainly do something can’t we?” the woman asked suddenly seizing Shupple by the arm and all but dragging her off into a different part of the store. I stood there almost dumbfounded by the woman, and it was only after a few more seconds that I came to terms with exactly what had happened. That was just… strange… to say the least…
I started to walk through the store, and the man that the woman had been giving orders to seemed to almost sneak up on me. He had a pale visage and appeared to be more of a ghost pokemon Gijika haunting the store rather than a human. However, even though he appeared in this manner, I knew that he was indeed human. This started a few extra questions in my mind, but they were quickly stored away for later as the man started talking.
“Hello….” The man said in a very calm manner. It was then that I realized that he was probably one of those people who found it so much easier to just yield to the overly emotional such as the woman that had just dragged… or rather… led Shupple off.
“Hello,” I answered back.
“How may I help you today?” the man asked with a half smile.
“I am looking for a tuxedo…” I answered finding the word tuxedo still strange on my tongue.
“Ah alright come this way,” the man answered and started to escort me to a section that seemed to confide itself to strictly dark colored tuxedo attire.
The man was meticulous in the way he would present a tux in front of me and wait for a generalize opinion. After a few changes in attire, I found the suit that fit well and had a matching red tie. All in all, it was a very inexpensive suit, and I bought it. The man seemed thankful for the fact that I was not ordering him around and even asked his opinion on things. After things began moving into the purchasing stages of things, the man finally conveyed to me his thoughts on a few things.
“My wife is very impulsive. She probably took one look at your friend and then saw something that she would look good in… It tends to happen a lot,” the man said half laughing to himself. “I think she whisked your friend off to Wonderland if you know what I mean.”
I gave a half laugh and somewhat felt sorry for Shupple in that moment. Once everything was rung up, a sound somewhat like the mix between a stampede and a polka spasm hit my ears. The woman that had run off with Shupple was coming back now looking extremely pleased with herself.
“Well it took some prodding and things, but what do you think?” the woman asked suddenly stepping away and reveling a very nervous looking Shupple.
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^_^ lol. Not six pages today hah.
Mear
KC
