Summer 010

Chapter 7: Spirits

Day 7

My feet tap on the floor, impatiently as I wait for Cindy.

It's nine-oh-five, and Cindy still hasn't gotten here. I hate it when people are late. The unsettling sensation that someone is watching me keeps surfacing.

My eyes roam through the different tables, trying to check for any creeps, but I can't find any. Everything seems to be perfectly normal...

My thoughts are diverted to Cindy as she walks inside. She's wearing an indigo dress. It's the Prada Spring '07. She's too pale to wear indigo; the color doesn't suit her.

"Amy! Sorry for being late."

"It's fine."

She quickly orders before joining me. I can't help but notice that she's wearing one of my Dad's bags.

"Okay, let's start. My wedding is in two months, and November in Malibu is always a bit chilly."

Her wedding is in two months so that the signs of being pregnant don't start showing. That makes sense.

For the next half hour, we talk about the details regarding her dress. She wants something simple, loose, and bohemian. This surprises me a bit; I kind of expected her to want something more extravagant.

We talk about her bridesmaids' dresses. She tells me that Jade, Violet, and her mom are her bridesmaids. Violet will be a pain in the butt to deal with.

We decide that the day after tomorrow would probably be ideal for me to take her measurements. As I place my notebook and the color brochure back inside my bag, I notice a familiar face walking to the table right beside us.

Oh no.

The dean of Parsons School of Design.

The color drains from my face.

My father is walking next to him. What? Why is my Dad here? He's supposed to be in New York!

Thankfully, Cindy doesn't notice them when she walks out.

Please don't see me

Please.

I try to hide behind my bag.

"Amy?"

I close my eyes, staying still for a second. Maybe if I keep walking, he won't recognize me.

That's a great idea, actually! I take another step forward before a hand nudges my shoulder.

Shit.

There's no way out of this now.

"Dad..."

He grins before hugging me. "I wanted to surprise you for lunch, but you got me!"

Right.

I fake a smile before Dad introduces me to Professor Smith. "I believe that you two have met before. Prof Smith, this is my daughter, Amy. She's so excited to be joining you this fall!"

Fucking hell.

His eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Amy, that's so strange... We haven't gotten your application yet."

I shake his hand, giving him a tight smile.

"Yes, it's so nice to see you, Professor... I haven't submitted my application yet, actually."

I can feel that my Dad has gone stiff behind me.

"Oh?"

My Dad clinches his jaw. He turns to look at me.