“And I thought maybe that you were going to the Ball, so I was just going to stop in and say hi and...”
He thought I was going to ball? That's different... I wonder why he thought that? I couldn't possibly going with anyone, let alone be in a room filled with people who wonder why that one girl doesn't have a date and is sitting on the sidelines, wondering why she even came. I was that girl once, among others, but it was different then, and now, there's a new scene in place.
Things were quiet for a while after Mear stopped rambling. It took me a while to process some of this, but not much. I guess since everybody else was getting a dress or tuxedo in the house, Mear thought I was going. Not every girl likes to go to a dance...
I kept looking at Mear, with barely a hint of confusion showing off of me. Mear tried to catch my gaze again, but dodged it once he met my eyes.
“No, I am not going to the Ball,” I answered him finally. “I hate Valentine’s Day.”
“Oh...” Mear said, breaking off and seeming to be uncertain how to reply to what I said. “So you’re not going to the Ball then?” Didn't I just say that?
"I just said no," I told him once more, and this time, for a while, things stayed quiet. I couldn't help it, and it seemed neither could he, so I perked up the courage and started up the talking again.
"So what game?" I asked once more, knowing this was the third time I was asking him this. It was getting a little annoying from how I had to kept on asking this about just one thing. I decided to ignore the conversation that had just happened.
"I was thinking of either twenty-one or speed again." I already knew the answer to that.
"Speed," I told him as I wavered my hand through the air and the cards jumped off the dresser and landed in my hand. I griped my hands around them as I replied to Mear. "Let's play in the main room." I started walking past him, and brushed him by as I headed towards the main room.
Mear followed and once we got to the main room, we sat at a small, circular table near some couches, and I set the cards on the table. They sorted themselves and served themselves to us. I decided to go slow, since I had was starting to have a headache and my mind was clouded.
"Are you going to the ball?" I asked him, it bugging me once I said it. I didn't really know why I asked this. I guess I just wanted... to know, even though I already knew the answer.
He hesitated as he sort his cards at the same speed I was. It was hard for me to see the numbers for some reason.
"I think so... since..." He didn't continue, so I decided to continue for him.
"Since Lupe kind of forced you into going?" I questioned and in a small way, he nodded.
"Do you have a date?" Now this questioned me inside my head. Why specifically had I asked this? Did I really want to know the answer? My headache grew as I asked him this.
"No. I don't." And for some reason, I felt relived for this answer. I didn't exactly know why.
All I could reply was, "Ah," and that was it. We quietly continued the game as everybody rushed from room to room, doing last minute things for the dance. I never understood why this kind of thing freaked people out, like it was a mandatory thing they had to have. I saw that you didn't have to do something like this just to make yourself happy. I thought it was pretty stupid.
"Speed." I realized that Mear and I said it at the same time, which made my eyes go up immediately to him. I chuckled nervously, uncertain this time on what to say. He started this time.
"So... tie then?" I nodded, and collected the cards and reshuffled the deck. As I did this, Mear continued. "So... is there a certain reason why you aren't going to the Ball, besides hating Valentine's Day?" I paused for a while as I shuffled the deck too many times, but kept it up to stall, and I finally realized that I had to reply sometime.
"I was kind of the girl who stood out in the crowds when I was small." I didn't exactly want to describe it, so I brought up another topic. "I was reading, by the way." He tilted his head slightly in confusion.
"I wasn't taking a nap in my room, I was just reading. That's all." During this whole, I never realized how quiet I was being. I didn't really know why.
"Ah." That's all that he replied, so I dealt the cards and handed him his cards.
It was at that sudden moment that I noticed that it was a little stuffy in this room, so I turned my head to a window and moved my empty hand upwards and the window moved up, letting in a light breeze, and no sunlight. That I was glad of. A slight breeze went throughout my hair and slightly pushed my bangs to the side as I slowly sorted my cards.
I looked up at Mear, and noticed he was looking at his sketchbook, to his cards, and then to me, repeatedly. Something seemed the matter with him.
"Something the matter?" He jumped, I guessing he didn't even know that I noticed he was doing this.
"Um... N-no. It was nothing. It's nothing. Nothing..." He left off and I couldn't help but worry now.
"Are you sure?" Now, I was really sounding stupid. I never thought in my life I would ask this.
I put my cards face down, and then suddenly pulled his cards out of his hands and put them face down, and grabbed Mear's hand, slightly squeezing it. He seemed startled by this, but I gave him a slight smile.
"You can tell me anything if you're having troubles, okay?" I blurted out, then suddenly wanting to take it back. He barely nodded as he stared out our hands. They were still together, and I pulled mine back quickly, unsure why I had done this. What had come over me so suddenly?
"Sorry... about that.... Heh... Sorry," I chuckled nervously which died immediately as I didn't even dare myself to pick up the cards I had laid down.
My eyes flew to the floor, dodging Mear's gaze. Now I was the one dodging his eyes...
