Dark Song (Mature HS)

10

"Explain to me why you can't try on your dress today?" Lena states as we walk in, her body swaying through the halls.

"Because I can't face ridicule," I state, her eyebrow going up.

"Hmm, why would ridicule occur?" she wonders, but I know she's assuming hickeys. But she doesn't know I look like a leopard.

"I'm sore. And I don't look good. I'll come in, maybe on Thursday, to get fitted. I'm just not feeling good," I say, her lips smirking.

"He's that good?" she says, tugging at my scarf. Before I have time to cover myself, her eyes go wide and her jaw drops.

"What did he do to you? Strangle you?" she gasps, my mouth desperately sounding to make her quiet.

"You can't tell anyone. He begged me to stay in today," I say, her eyes wide. "And no, he didn't strangle me. These are all hickeys."

Her lips then smile, my hands wrapping he scarf back around my neck. "How many rounds?" she asks, my eyes rolling as my cheeks flush.

"We, uh...all night," I breathe out, her body jumping before we go to her dressing room.

"Please, just tell me his name," she begs, my head shaking.

"You'll talk about it. I know you will," I say. "We don't want to let our news out."

"But I promise. I will. I'm just so happy you've found someone that you feel so comfortable with an abundance of hickeys. Please just tell me," she says, grabbing my hands. I sigh, her hands squeezing my mine in encouragement.

"You have to swear," I say, her head nodding.

"I promise you. My lips are sealed. It'll be between us."

I sigh and pull her down, bringing my hand to cup her ear. "It's dad's client," I whisper, her head nodding.

"Which one?" she whispers, my cheeks flushing in embarrassment. But her eyes widen.

"Len, it isn't?!" she says, my cheeks flushing profusely.

She mouths Harry's name and I only nod, her eyes widening and hand slapping over her mouth.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" she whisper yells, my hands covering my face.

"How long have you been doing this with him?" she asks, my head looking up but keeping my hands over my mouth.

"Two weeks," I say, my words muffled.

"Hot damn, Len. He must be good," she says, my head nodding.

"But we've talked," I back myself up. "And we're practically in a relationship."

"How?" she wonders, my voice stopping as the seamstress comes in. As soon as we get her dress on, I smile and she grabs my hand.

"He doesn't want labels, but we've promised to not see other people. He's opened up to me, and I plan to tell him about mom soon. But he's shown me a side of him no one else sees," I explain, tying the back of her dress.

"So he's not an arrogant asshole?" she asks, my head shaking.

"He's actually very soft. At least when he's talking to me. He swears a lot but it's not directed at me. But I've received something no one's seen," I say, her body turning to face me. I smile, thinking about the dimpled smile.

"Oh my God, look at you. You're smitten," she grins, my head nodding.

"I can't help it when he's smiled at me," I tell her, her lips curving.