The Magician's Assistant

[9] Untameable Party

         My bed was cluttered with possible outfits for that night. The sun was already setting, so that meant I only had a couple of hours until I should head to the party. I didn’t want to wear a dress, mainly because all I owned were summer dresses. I’d look like a innocent little school girl.

          I stretched my hand to the back of my drawer and grinned at what I pulled out. A blank tank, equipped with gray and white hanging beads around the neckline. I paired it with gray jeans and some ballet flats. Flats were definitely my comfort shoes.

          I’d finished in record time, so I decided to take up the task of cleaning up the mess I made. I folded the clothes and neatly placed them back where they belonged. I suppose I had a tiny bit of OCD, so I had to arrange them properly. I got confused and frustrated when I put things in drawers in which they did not belong.

          I closed the last drawer, letting a satisfied grin spread over my face. Checking the clock, it was only seven o’clock. A puff of air escaped my lungs and I looked in the mirror for anything else I could add.

          “You should straighten your hair,” James offered.

          I jumped to the side a bit when he appeared next to me. Placing a hand over my pounding heart, I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, really?”

          “Not that I don’t like your hair the way it is,” he fumbled over his words quickly, “It’s just, why not?” James scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

          Feeling bad, I patted his shoulder soothingly. “Calm down, I was thinking the same thing.”

          My feet made their way underneath my bed, searching for the Chi box I hid underneath their somewhere. When my hands locked around it, I slid the box out and muttered, “Finally.”

          Using the remnants of my fourth wind, I plugged in the straightener and waited for it to heat up. I spent the time between thinking about the party. I’d probably stick out like a sore thumb there. How many parties had I been to in my life? One. And that was a birthday trip to a petting zoo.

          My fingers hovered over my cell phone. Deciding to go through with it, I dialed the phone number and waited for her to pick up.

          “Hey, Rach.”

          “Jess, hey. Um, I was wondering if you’d like to go to a party with me tonight.”

          “Yeah, sure,” she replied, “I just finished painting my nails, too. Perfect. Where’s it at?”

          I gave her quick directions to the place, describing the house in the same way that Ruth had to me. My instructions weren’t completely precise, I don’t think, but that was because I couldn’t remember by heart where this party was being held. I knew the general vicinity, though.

          “Oh, I know who you’re talking about! Matt Walter’s place, right?”

          “I really don’t know…” I trailed off.

          “How do you know about the party, then?”  Jess asked me.

          “Well, I was —“ I had to cut myself off. I couldn’t exactly say that Ruth wanted me to watch over William Larkin, the eighteen year old magician. He was legally an adult. I did, however, say something that would cause Jess to really want to tag along.

          “William Larkin will be there,” I said, smiling to myself.

          That’s when I realized that Jess didn’t know about my job. Silently, I prayed that she wouldn’t ask about it.