Summoner

Chapter 14

Layla looked around the department store, trying to find the right dress. Many of their racks were empty due to girls shopping much earlier than her. Stupid Ash, she thought. Why didn't you ask me sooner? 

She held back her sigh as she kept looking, hoping to get lucky. When she wasn't lucky, she had the idea of asking Lady Garia on where she should look for a dress. "Hello Layla dear," Lady Garia said when she answered. "Hey Lady Garia, sorry for bothering, but I have a question," Layla said. "You're never a bother dear," Lady Garia said. "So what's your question?" "Do you know where I can get a dress for the Anniversary dance," Layla asked her. "The department store by the school has been cleaned out." "Why are you shopping so late? Isn't the dance in a few days," Lady Garia asked her. "Yeah. I didn't have a date until this morning," Layla told her. "The idiot didn't ask me sooner." "We need to find you a dress then," Lady Garia said. "I'm going to send you an address, and your mother and I will meet you there." She then hung up before texting Layla the address. 

Layla took the bus there and got there as her mother and Lady Garia were arriving. She gave the women hugs before they went in. The dresses Layla saw were incredibly expensive. She kind of wanted to turn on her heel and walk out, but Lady Garia put a hand on her shoulder as if she could sense it.

A woman walked up to them, "Hello Lady Garia, how may I be of assistance?" "This is Layla," Lady Garia introduced. "She is in need of a dress for the Anniversary Dance the school is having." "What is the price range," the woman asked. "Whatever we deem is perfect," Lady Garia said with a wave of her hand and Layla had to bite back her protests.

The woman showed them many dresses that Lady Garia and Layla's mother made comments on. After getting a few, Layla went to try them on.

"So what is your date like," Layla's mother asked her curiously. Layla debated on how to answer, "It's Ash. So, well, Ash is Ash y'know?" "Ash? As in, my son Ash," Lady Garia asking, in need of clarification. "The one and only," Layla said as she finished trying on one of the dresses. "Did you lose a bet honey," her mother asked her.

Layla rolled her eyes before opening the dressing room door to show them the first dress. It wasn't her taste and felt itchy near the arm. "No I didn't lose a bet. He and I are a thing now and he genuinely asked me to go as his date," she shared with them.

"How did he ask you," Lady Garia asked. She could imagine her son asking in the rudest of ways but then again, she knew Layla wouldn't agree, unless he called her a coward and she took it as a challenge like most times when they were kids before she left. "He asked me to meet him in the library where we usually study since it was private and quiet. He then gave me this necklace." Her fingers touched the glass heart that hung around her neck.

"That is beautiful," her mother said with a soft smile. Then her and Lady Garia agreed her first dress wasn't the one. "So what started this whole change of feelings towards one another," Lady Garia asked curiously. "Well," Layla said once she was in the dressing room and began to unzip the gown. "I tested out of year one Herbs and Potiond and into year four with him. He asked me to help him study since he always struggled in her class. He began helping me study in Beasts 101, and then let me meet his dragon. He then encouraged me to try for the dragon riders team and see if a dragon picked me. He then became my dragon riding mentor. He took me flying for the first time on the back of his dragon. One thing lead to another some how and we kissed."

Lady Garia shared a soft smile with her mother.

"So what are you two going to do once he graduates," Lady Garia asked. "We haven't made it that far," Layla said when she stepped out in the second dress. She felt like a tropical bird that got picked on in the forest. The women shook their heads.

"If he becomes one of the teachers, you two can still be together as long as he isn't your teacher," Lady Garia shared with her. Layla nodded, fully aware of the rules. It was common for the students and teachers to date, sometimes the student is already to one of the teachers when they get to the Academy since the marrying age is eighteen and the school's starting age is twenty. It was rare but it did happen. Layla wasn't sure where she saw their relationship going but she was eager to find out.

She went through a couple more of dresses till she settled on a navy sparkly dress that had rhinestone straps that held it up, and was backless. The neckline had enough of a dip to show the valley of her breasts. She paired it with silver heels and a silver clutch. She found a navy silk tie that was the same shade as her dress.

The two women then took her to get her nails and hair done before dropping her off at the school. She was exhausted from shopping all day. She put her things away and tucked the tie in her bag to give to Ash when she saw him at dinner.

She then saw it was time to go feed Strayia her dinner. She brought her bag in case Ash was with Hellucio. She entered the stables and saw she was the only one there. She made her way to Strayia compartment. When she went in the dragon raised her head. "Hey Strayia," Layla said with a soft smile. She ran her hand over the side of Strayia's neck lovingly before she began feeding her. She then gave her fresh bedding and water. She spent some time with her before she grabbed her bag and went to see Hellucio. He was happy to see her like always. The tip of his tail wagged happily. She smiled and petted him. She saw he had recently been fed and his bedding changed, meaning she had just missed Ash.

When she saw it was almost dinner time she wished him a good night and left. As she was walking she saw Neko. "There you are Layla," he said while looking her over. "What do you want," she asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'd like for you to accompany me to the dance," he declared.

She couldn't help herself as she began to laugh. "I'm sorry, you want me to do what?"

"Go to the dance with me," he repeated, slightly annoyed she laughed.

"I'm sorry, but why," she asked still giggling softly.

She hadn't spoken to him or his friends since she saved them from the demon. So it was rather odd that he was coming to her now. She knew the incident didn't change his relationship with Ash so she figured it had something to do with that.

"Because I want to take you as a way of saying thank you for what you did," he said to her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm already going to the dance with my boyfriend," she told him.

"Boyfriend," Neko asked her slightly shocked. His eyes then went to the necklace. "Yeah, boyfriend," Ash said, having heard as he was on his way to the dinning hall. He wrapped an arm around her waist and she leaned into him. Neko gave Ash a look of slight disgust, "I see." He looked over to Layla, "I pegged you as a woman who had better taste in men."

"Choosing you would have been the biggest downgrade of all time," Ash said.

Layla was beginning to feel suffocated by their testosterone. "Come on Ash, I'm starving. Our mothers ran me ragged," she said, nudging him to leave Neko alone.

He walked away with her. "Our mothers," he asked with a raised eyebrow. She nodded, "I couldn't find a dress so I called your mom. She and my mother met me at a store and your mom wouldn't let me pay. Of course the store she took me too was well out of my price range. She then got my hair and nails done as well which wasn't something I originally planned."

"Do they know we're going together," he asked curiously. She nodded, "Yep. At first they thought I lost a bet."

He shook his head as he rolled his eyes.

"They then asked how we got together and whatnot. Then your mother asked what we would be doing when you graduated. She then reminded me that it wasn't against the rules for students and teachers to date as long as I wasn't in your class if you became a teacher," she shared with him.

"Teacher isn't my thing, but I have been looking at becoming one of the breeders and trainers for the school," he announced to her. She smiled, "I could see that." He smiled down at her. He could too, he thought. He just had to wait for a reply on his submission form.

He had put it in when he first started his fourth year, getting to see Layla as she went to school the next couple of years was just an added reason why he really wanted the position. He just had to wait and see.