Chapter Fifty-Six: Dearest Mia

Dance: move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps.

*

"You haven't asked her yet?" Estelle exclaimed.

I froze midway through biting a sandwich. We were at school, and Estelle was hounding me about asking Alexis to the end of term dance.

White Winter Prep students demanded social events that allowed them to dress up and be glamourous. So, they held a mid-year and an end of year dance. And this was on top of year specific dances, prom and fundraiser get togethers.

I hesitated, genuinely surprised this was a huge deal. "Umm… isn't it obvious that we'd go together?" I asked.

Estelle rolled her eyes. "To you maybe. But women like it when men go the extra mile. Eliminate the uncertainty!" Estelle almost climbed over the picnic table to get in my face, her sudden enthusiasm making me lean back.

I smirked, "Where do you hide this kind of energy, princess?"

Estelle grunted, returning to her seat and her own lunch. "Why haven't you asked her?" she whined.

I laughed, "Because I don't think it's a big deal. If we even end up going, I'd obviously go with her." Estelle slouched, pouting at my answer. I sighed, "Okay. What would you have me do?"

I couldn't imagine Alexis wanting me to do anything over the top. I felt emotionally we had really opened up to each other recently. She was suddenly comfortable telling me about her family, her life before White Winter Prep, things I thought I would never find out about her. Like how her friends in her old town use to rouse her about her art style, and how she had the highest ranked score in an arcade game called Piano Madness - until Sally Fitzgerald stole her title last year.

"If I were Alexis," Estelle started, breaking me away from my thoughts, "I'd want you to go all out! The flowers, some chocolates, get a plane and write it in the sky!" Estelle was getting worked up again.

I raised an eyebrow. "Wow, Alexis. I didn't know you could suddenly read," I countered.

Estelle's cheeks flushed. "Oh yeah… that's a thing," she admitted.

"What's a thing?" Amada asked, plonking next to Estelle with his lunchbox.

"Alexis is blind," Estelle informed.

Amia sat adjacent to her brother, "That's new."

"Don't be mean!" Estelle pouted.

"And even if Alexis could see, I'm but a poor scholarship boy from a far-off land. There's no way I could afford that. I'd ask her marry me with a method like that before asking her to some dance," I informed.

Estelle scoffed, "Poor people." She looked around the courtyard, spotting her friends emerging from one of the buildings. "Now that you're not a loner, Dorm Guard, I'm off. Later." She scooped up her bag and just like that, was gone.

"I don't think Estelle likes me," Amada stated, opening his juice.

"Don't be ridiculous," Amia snapped.

I agreed. "Of course, Estelle likes you. She's just…" I struggled to find a nice way of putting it. I recalled Estelle at the start of the year saying she'd never hang with him because he was so awkward. "In high demand," I finally worded, "That's it. In high-demand."

Amada offered a quick grin, clearly dismissing my attempt to ease his worry.

Amia changed the topic quickly. "Are you going to the dance this Friday?" she asked.

I nodded, "I think so. What about you guys?"

"Everyone from the dorm is going," Amada informed.

"Except maybe Mia and Bonnie," Amia corrected, "Mia doesn't like the crowds and loud music, and I can't see Bonnie overly enjoying something like that."

"You guys gonna get dates?" I teased.

Both twins reacted similarly, each recoiling at the question and nearly falling backwards off their benches. "What? No," Amia answered.

"Why not?" I asked, her reaction genuinely surprising me.

Amia's cheeks flushed, her eyes wandering around the ground. "Who would ask me…?" she murmured, "Or worse, who would I ask?"

Amada scoffed, "At least you can ask someone. I ask a girl, it gets weird, I ask a guy, it still gets weird."

I frowned, "What do you mean?" I glanced under the table and saw he was wearing pants, aside from his usual hair he didn't look overly feminine.

"Someone still hasn't openly reminded people he's a boy," Amia informed, lightly punching his arm, "Everyone continues to guess, and no one confronts." Amia's bitterness reminded me of her friends' flakiness to the rumours of her brother being a cross-dresser. I hoped she had gotten new friends since then.

Amada sighed, "Maybe I'll just not go," he finally said, "We were rejected for the committee thing anyway. It's not like anyone wants me there."

"Bro don't talk like that," Amia soothed.

"Hold on, what-what committee?" I asked. This was the first I had even heard there was a committee for the dance.

"There's a committee for every event the school holds. They're in charge of budgeting, decorating, organising and so on," Amia informed, half-heartedly mixing her leftover pasta in her bowl. "There's already a set committee but students can volunteer for certain events. A few of us tried for this dance, but we all got rejected."

I raised a brow, "Who tried?"

The twins hummed in thought, eventually listing off everyone in the dorm except for Alexis and Mia. "No one was expecting to get it though," Amada informed, emphasising that fact to his sister.

"Just because they didn't want us on the committee doesn't mean they don't want us there at all. We aren't that big of a deal, and I'm sure a lot of people got rejected, they were probably full up." Amia was gradually sounding more aggravated.

"They don't tell you why you don't get on the committee?" I asked.

The twins shook their head sombrely. "They don't tell us," Amada said.

"But we already know," Amia finished.

I cleared my throat, "Okay. Why?"

They each glanced at one another before saying together, "Because we're part of the Disability Ward."

I hated that name with a searing passion. Hearing Bonnie calling it that was one thing, but hearing other students use the term with such an insulting air frustrated me to no end. I'd have people walk up to me and ask, 'What's it like being in the Disability Ward?' like it's any different from any of dormitories the school offered.

I pointed my sandwich at Amada, "You will go to the dance if I have to take you there myself," I informed taking a triumphant bite from my lunch, "Not going because you think no one wants you there is an unacceptable excuse. Your friends are going, they want you there." My statement was met with awkwardly wandering eyes on his part. "Same goes for you," I gestured to Amia, "If you're so worried about not having a date, I'll gladly take you."

Amia's cheeks reddened again, this time opting to rest her head against the table to try and hide it. Her brother proceeded to tease her about it as I stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, twins," I packed up the other half of my sandwich, "I've got a redhead to go see."

*

"The dance?" Alexis' brush stopped mid-stroke as she considered my question. She fitted the corner of my sandwich into her mouth. "You actually wanted to go to that?"

I was taken aback by her answer, not really considering that she wouldn't want to go. "Well yeah," I confessed, "Sounded like fun. And I promised the twins I'd make them go."

I couldn't quite tell what Alexis was making. Like her previous painted works, I could see so many potential things that my mind couldn't quite pinpoint. Today's artwork: several gold streaks on a black canvas. When I considered it, it looked like an unfinished figure mid-leap.

"Why do the twins have to go?" Alexis asked, almost placing her sandwich on a paint-covered cloth as she found her place on the canvas.

I sat on one of the stools in the shed, "I don't know. They seemed a little bummed that they weren't accepted onto this weird committee thing for it."

Alexis scoffed, "The school won't let any of us help with stuff like that if they can help it." She made a confident, bold stroke down the centre of the canvas, the smooth motion terrifying me. "Students may complain about liabilities and all that crap. 'Oh, she can't go upstairs,' 'She doesn't listen to me,' 'How do you expect me to work with someone like that?'"

I puffed out my cheeks. "Still doesn't seem very fair."

"Life if full of unfairness," she announced, swivelling in her chair and wilfully painting the air with her brush. "But if you want to go to this dance thing together, then I would be happy to go with you."

I smiled, standing up from my chair and walking up to her for a kiss. What started as one turned into three, which turned into six, before we both stopped. It was small moments like these I enjoyed with Alexis. Our face so close I could almost feel her eyelashes against my skin, our noses lazily brushing against each other's, that split second where Alexis closed her eyes before opening them just to give the illusion, she was looking me in the eye.

I fought back a smirk at how lucky I felt as I pulled away and announced my departure.

*

After we all walked home, Mia was the first through the front door, sprinting to play the piano. By the time I had put my bike away her chords filled the house with song.

When I ventured into the kitchen, the music was muffled but still a comforting presence.

Ava sat at the dining table, dressed in casual clothes. "How goes free life?" I asked, sitting across from her.

She didn't look up from the magazine she was reading. "I have no idea how millionaires just sit on their butts all day," she confessed.

I shrugged, "They are millionaires for a reason."

She scoffed. "They're letting me back in after break. Robyn will be going too it turns out," she informed.

I smiled, "Ava, that's great."

Ava agreed. "I think our trust issues are gonna be put to the test but… I think we'll be okay," Ava remarked.

I couldn't fight the grin on my face as I nodded, leaning back in my chair as she returned to her magazine. "Are you guys allowed to go to the dance?" I queried.

Ava considered this for a moment before answering, "I think we're allowed to go, but I don't know if Robyn is up for something like that so soon after what happened."

I shrugged, "It could be good for her. I'm already taking three dates to this thing," I informed.

Ava raised a brow, "And there are some guys out there who struggle with one."

My laughter couldn't be supressed as I explained my dates. When I mentioned the committee thing, Ava nodded, agreeing with my voiced annoyance. "Gotta pick your battles, Landon," she said, "Some are worth fighting, others are worth taking a step back and letting stuff happen. Exclusion has always been a part of these girls' lives, they're use to it by now."

"I hate it when you guys use that as an excuse," I said, "Use to it now."

Ava shrugged. "Maybe that's a bad choice of words, but it's what it is essentially. It's the same lesson with Mia retaliating to Rachel's bullying. There's no point in getting worked up over something you can't control, especially when it's something as petty as a disability."

I considered her argument, offering a quizzical look. "Do you realise how hyporitical that is coming from you?"

Ava rolled her eyes, returning to her magazine. "I've already got the councillor on my back, I don't need you hopping on as well," she stated, "Embrace the insults, ignore the taunts, be as boring as hell."

I chuckled at her little motto, those words ending the topic of conversation altogether. However, there was one thing I was still curious about. "So…" I tried, "Are you and Robyn a thing now or…?"

Her eyes widened as her finger twitched on the page she was holding. "A thing?"

I wasn't going to back down. "Yeah, a thing. That was a pretty genuine kiss back at her house," I commented.

Ava rolled her eyes, "She was about to kill herself and… And you haven't told anyone about that?!"

I shook my head, "Nup. Estelle will inevitably find out and tell me about it, so you may as well say it now."

Ava's face had turned beet red by this point, and she seemed lost for words. "I… Well… We-I mean, I…" she shook her head, rising to her feet, "Shut up." Her response was enough to send me laughing off my chair as she bashfully fled the room.

That night, the weekly movie afternoons soon came into effect as Estelle laid out everyone's choices. We could all tell she was hinting at a Bollywood film she had found a few days ago, but we were all enjoying watching her squirm and try to indirectly draw attention to it.

The doorbell suddenly chimed.

"I got it," Amia announced, rising from her seat and relieving herself from having to make an input into such an 'important decision.'

"I reckon," Alexis said, running her hands over the three DVD options, "We start with the Bollywood one, skip the musical because screw that, and finish with the so-called comedy of Richard Mickson."

"Sounds like you've got more thought into this then the rest of us," I stated, putting an arm around her when she leant back on the lounge.

"I'm not in the mood to listen to a musical tonight," she groaned, "I've watched enough of The Sound of Music, Chicago, Annie and goddamn Disney to last a lifetime."

The girls gasped, leaning away from Alexis, and, with an offended tone, each began pleading their cases for the listed musicals or Disney movies overall.

Mia sat at the coffee table, idly watching the back and forth like me between the girls as Alexis continued to argue her case with them.

Amia disrupted the train of thought by declaring, "It's a package for Mia."

Silence fell across the group, each passing confused looks between Amia, who held a thin rectangular parcel, and Mia, who looked just as muddled as the rest of us.

"I swear to God Mia, if you've used Mum and Dad's credit card to buy some weird science experiment again…" Bonnie began as Amia passed Mia the package.

"Did you have to sign for it?" Estelle asked, noting like the rest of us the brown paper wrapping and matching tan coloured string keeping it together.

Amia shook her head, "No. It was on the doorstep, someone had left it."

At the mention of this, I leaned forwards, scanning the parcel for any sign of poison or suspicious shaping or trace of a bomb, something that would indicate danger, going so far as to offer to open it for Mia.

"Don't be silly," Ava said pulling out a piece of card from under the string, "There's a card."

Mia stared, perplexed, at the box as Ava read out the card. "'Dearest Mia. Would you do me the honour of going to the school dance with me this Friday? Regards, Daniel.'"

I watched as Mia's eyes stuck in their wide expression. The girls started excitedly chittering to each other. "Oh my gosh, Mia, you've been asked to the dance!" Estelle squealed.

Mia's mouth hung agape as Bonnie took the card and examined the writing. "Daniel…" she muttered, "Is this Daniel Pelew from your Chem classes?"

Mia's perplexed expression seemed almost fearful. The name was familiar to me though. "Why do I know that name?" I asked.

"He's in my year," Alexis informed, "I thought he was dating some chick from your year, Estelle."

Estelle shrugged, "Clearly not if he's asking you. That's so cute!"

Bonnie shook her head. "Why is he asking you?" she asked, "I mean… you help tutor him and you're eleven."

Mia bit down on her lip, her cheeks beginning to flush as she pulled at the bow and unravelled the packaging. When she lifted the lid, she made an audible gasp. Straps first, Mia delicately pulled out a blue and silvery dress; very party esc.

"Oh my…" Ava murmured, reaching a hand out to feel the fabric. I leaned forwards and considered the patterns and textures. The dress was mixed with blue and silver glitter patterns down the front and sides, with puffy lining around the hem and the straps.

Estelle considered the tag and widened his eyes. "Wow, he's really taking out all the stocks for this," she commented, "This is a Pax Marie dress."

This coined a similar reaction from all the girls. Luckily, Amada didn't know who Pax Marie was either.

"Fashion line," Alexis informed me quietly, "Expensive even to them."

"Maybe it's a thanks for tutoring thing?" Ava suggested when Bonnie voiced some worry over it, "Perhaps to be nice? I don't really see how this could be malicious."

"I mean, if it is, he can be malicious to me as much as he wants," Estelle stated thumbing the Pax Marie tag.

While the girls did a mixture of bicker and talk, I rested my eyes on Mia, the faintest smile forming as she held the dress against herself, a blissful look about her.