Sugar

15

chapter fifteen
florence thompson
song – are you lonesome tonight? by elvis

After finally finding the perfect dress that we all miraculously agreed on we found ourselves eating cheap food at the food court, talking about the latest news in all of our personal lives. It had been a hot minute since we'd all been together so its obvious enough that things have changed for each and every one of us.

Once we finished up at the food court we all went our separate ways, Rico and I slipping back into his car and heading back to my apartment to get me ready for the evening I had ahead of me. I had neglected the thought of what was going to go down tonight, and thinking about it gave me heart palpitations.

Rico was a good sport, taking note of how anxious I'd suddenly become and assured me everything was going to go smoothly. He told me that if I felt like I needed to get out of there, he would come get me.

I don't know what I'd do without this goof.

Now, though, we were sat in my room once again, me sitting cross cross on the end of my bed as Rico knelt behind me, braiding my hair.

As a girl who doesn't know how to french braid–pitiful, I know–it definitely comes in handy to have a friend who does.

He was giving me two french braids on either side of my head to keep things simple like the dress I was going to wear tonight.

"What if he asks me for more than just a couple of dinners. What if he wants something more...sexual?" I asked, a knot forming in my gut at my own question. It was something that had been on my mind since he proposed the idea to me on our first date

How can he just be okay with spending platonic time with me and in return paying for two of the biggest bills in my life?

"Well, if he does and you're not comfortable with that then tell him. Maybe things will end there, but maybe they won't," Rico's tone was soft and sincere, a stark difference from his usual sarcastic and playful tone.

I knew he really did care about my well being even if he sometimes joked about certain topics that made me squirm. At the end of the day, he one of my best friends.

"You're right," I nodded, drawing a deep breath in through my nose and out through my mouth.

Everything is going to be alright.

I kept repeating the mantra in my head in hopes to slow my thudding heart until Rico finally patted my shoulder signaling he was done with the braids.

I thanked him before rushing to the bathroom with my dress, swiping on some mascara and tinted lip balm. I quickly changed into the mock wrap dress, adjusting it slightly and staring at myself in the mirror.

My blonde hair was pulled back into two beautiful french braids, leaving my rosy cheeks and blue eyes on full display. I sighed, accepting that this was as good as it was going to get.

When I got back to my room Rico was going through my shoes, throwing each pair he didn't like over his shoulder into the messy abyss that is my room. I rolled my eyes, watching him continue to hunt for the perfect pair of shoes.

Finally he came across an unused pair of white block heels I'd bought last year for a school event but never ended up wearing.

His face lit up before turning and shoving the pair of shoes out towards me.

I took them from him silently before sitting down on the end of my bed and slipping my feet into the shoes. I concluded in that moment that this was the most dressed up I've ever been and probably will ever be.