Tempest (Royce/Winston)

017

Chresanto's P.O.V.

"Mom, can you whip out your sewing kit and tailor my old tuxedo for my friend?" Jacob asked his mom, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Jacob's mom, who insisted she be called Mrs. Teresa, looked around the room at everyone. Jacob invited Elijah, Ray, and I over to his house because prom was right around the corner and Elijah needed a tux. Jacob went ahead and bought tickets for him and I, even though I told him that I didn't want to go to prom. Jacob doesn't listen though, so it was no surprise when he flashed the tickets one morning, kissed my cheek, and quickly ran to his class before I could yell at him.

"Of course, which one?" Mrs. Teresa asked, "I hope it's not this one, I'd be happy to do it, but I'd have to get more fabric!" She exclaimed cheerfully, gesturing to Ray who was standing beside me. "You're a tall one, love".

"Yeah" Ray chuckled, "five'eleven".

He was the tallest one here, me being the second at five'seven. Elijah was literally a head shorter than Ray and I always found it interesting how he was able to keep up the pace with him whenever the two walked together.

"Elijah needs the tux, so you won't need fabric, you'll actually have to hem a lot" Jacob explained, placing an arm on Elijah's shoulder.

"I'm short" he reassured.

"Like me" Mrs. Teresa smiled, and she was right because it was obvious she wasn't taller than five'four. She was a petite woman, but she didn't let it bother her, she had a strong voice and made herself known. Just because she was small didn't mean she had to act small. "Jacob, could you go and get the tux and sewing kit for me, please?"

"Yeah".

"You all can sit if you'd like, except for you hun, I've got to get your measurements".

Ray and I sat down on the couch, watching as Elijah immediately sucked Mrs. Teresa into a conversation.

"Do you have a suit?" I asked Ray quietly, looking at him.

"Yeah, actually, I do" he answered, "and I know you do as well".

Humming softly, I glanced at Jacob when he came back downstairs with everything his mother asked for. I didn't have a tux or a suit up until a few months ago, I bought one so I'd have something to wear to Axel's funeral, but I'd chickened out and didn't go at all.

"So let's see" Mrs. Teresa began, she pulled out a tape measurer and began to get Elijah's body measurements. "I'll take two full inches from the pants legs, then I'll hem those up an inch. The in-seam will be pulled in too, and the band will be removed, the fabric cut, and the band will be re-sewn".

"I only understood forty percent of what she just said" Ray murmured quietly, watching as Elijah was sent to the bathroom to put on the suit.

"Same".

"So tell me about yourself, Jacob doesn't really bring home friends as much as I'd like" Mrs. Teresa confessed, she wasn't talking to me because she'd met me before and knew me well.

"Oh, um... I like art" Ray admitted, "anything with paint or oil pastels, any type of medium at all really, I'll have a go at".

"He's gonna go to art school" Elijah added, walking into the room, "over in New York".

"Wait, what?" I asked, staring at Ray with wide eyes. "You're what?"

"I told you the school I'm going to was far away from home".

"You didn't tell me it was in freaking New York, Rayan".

"Too far away for'ya?" He asked curiously, smiling as he pulled out his sketchbook and pencil. "Are you going to miss me?"