Fractured from the Fall

The Favor

For Lily, the week felt excruciatingly long anticipating her date thing with Ford. She didn't even know what to call it. It wasn't a date because he was her boyfriend's best friend, which she had to keep reminding herself. Maybe it was just hanging with a friend, although she wasn't even sure they were that and after what Violet said, she was extra confused. Fucking Violet, she thought to herself, she was loving every minute of torturing her. For all she knew she was purposely just trying to get in her head. She knew her sister had a thing for Grant. She had the second she opened the door that first day he came to their house and she was supposed to be his tutor. If Lily were being honest with herself, Violet and Grant made more sense together in a lot of ways, but it wasn't her fault Grant fell for her and it was too late to do anything about it anyway. She slammed her locker door shut, cursing at her sister again in her head.

"Hey," a deep voice said, startling Lily so badly that she dropped all of her books.

Lily turned and saw Ford standing next to her which was surprising since he had gone MIA since he agreed to take her to the concert. She was beginning to wonder if he was going to back out of their non-date thing-a-ma-jigger.

"Jesus Ford, you scared the shit out of me!" she grasped at her chest then once she had collected herself, knelt down to pick her books up.

Ford bent down next to Lily to help her collect her things.

"Sorry," he said in that deep baritone voice. Something about it made Lily....NOPE...noppity...nope...nope. She was not going to think those things. But his eyes locked on hers scrambling her thoughts. Jesus, Violet really had gotten in her head.

Lily rose to stand and Ford followed.

"Here," he said, handing her the books.

Lily took the books from his hands and stuffed them in her backpack. An awkward silence filled the air as they stood there with one another. Lily swore she would not be the first to speak, but the uncomfortableness was killing her.

"So," Ford began, but nothing followed it.

"Soooo...?" Lily repeated, indicating that he should finish his thought.

"It looks like I'm taking you to the concert on Friday."

"Looks that way."

Ford's short answers were just another one of his qualities that Lily found infuriating. She looked at Ford trying to read his expression, but his emotions seemed locked up as tight as Fort Knox.

"It's fine if you want to back out. I understand. I'm sure you're busy." She wanted to give him an out to see if he would take it, both to see if he didn't actually want to hang out with her (which would mean Violet was wrong) and to avoid an awkward evening.

"No, it's fine. I'll take you," Ford replied.

"Well don't do me any favors." Lily rolled her eyes and began to walk away. She didn't like that he was acting as if she'd be lucky to have him go with her.

"Well, I mean, it is a favor, that's what Grant called it."

Lily could tell he was trying to give her a hard time so she quickened her pace, even more irritated by his response.

"No, that's uh, not what I meant to say," he stumbled over his words and jogged to keep up with her. His teasing was not going over well with Lily and he didn't understand why, but for whatever reason, she seemed pissed.

"It's important to Grant so you know, it's no big deal, he's my best friend."

"That's right," Lily stopped and turned towards Ford, looking him straight in the eyes. "He is your best friend."

She wasn't sure what point she was trying to make or maybe she just wanted to say it aloud so that they were both reminded of the fact. Ford didn't say anything and the gleam in his all too beautiful eyes was starting to make her heart beast faster.

"Pick me up at 6," she said, spinning on her heels, trying to get as far away from Ford Jameson as possible before Violet's meddling caused her to say something stupid. "For 'the favor'," she said in quotes, laying on the sarcasm.

Violet was wrong, Lily thought. Lily was unsure where she and Ford stood, but she knew it was far from anything that resembled him have feelings for her.

***

Lily spent an iordinate amount of time trying to pick out her outfit for the concert, more so than she normally did, which was saying a lot. Violet refused to give her privacy and watched with a smirk on her face as her sister tried on outfit after outfit.

"Why do you care so much?" she asked.

"I don't!" Lily responded, frustrated that her sister was witnessing how flustered she was becoming.

"Sure seems like you do," Violet giggled.

"God Violet, you're so annoying! Don't you have a study group to go to or a book to read or something."

"Nope." She held the p sound, clearly pleased with herself and how much she was getting under her sister's skin.

There was a knock at the door.

"Shit! He's here already? He's early."

Lily searched frantically through the pile of clothes.

"Here," her sister said, tossing her a dress that had landed on the floor by her side of the room. "Wear this one."

It was a short white dress with buttons all down the front. It was one of Lily's favorites and she managed to give her sister a small smile, acknowledging her help.

"Thanks," she said as she pulled it over her head and shimmied it down her body. "Could you do me a favor and make sure dad's not out there completely embarrassing himself in front of Ford?" she asked in her sweetest voice.

"Sure," Violet replied, hopping off the bed. "Happy to help." And just when Lily thought her sister was actually capable of doing something nice she added, "but I don't know why it would matter if dad's embarrassing himself if you don't even like Ford and he doesn't like you," she said as she peeked her head through the door, slowly pulling it shut. Lily picked up a shirt and playfully threw it at the door in response to her sister's comment, but Violet quickly shut the door in time. The shirt hit it and fell to the ground.

Once Violet was gone, Lily reached under the bed and pulled out her favorite cowboy boots, slipping one on after the other. She walked over to the small vanity that she and Violet shared and rubbed some gloss over her lips then ran her hands through her hair. It fell in loose waves around her shoulders. She spun around and gave herself one last glance in the full length mirror that hung on the back of the closet door. She took a deep breath. She was nervous. It's Ford, just Ford, she told herself, as if casually saying his name somehow meant that her feelings for him were just as casual. Then she thought about what her sister had said, have you ever bothered to get to know him? Maybe she should get to know him. If Grant liked him and Violet liked him then he couldn't be all that bad, right? She figured one night couldn't hurt. They'd either wind up as actual friends or continue with whatever relationship they had before. It was just one night. What could possibly happen?

Then she grabbed her jean jacket that lay across her bedpost and headed out of the room determined to try and enjoy the favor-to-Grant-non-date-semi-friend-hangout-thing-a-ma-jig.