People were dancing to the music, not the kind of dancing you'd see at school events. A mixture of songs included swing, slow songs, and other music like the two.
Flashes were going off everywhere from the cameras, and every news outlet had to be here. People were posing for pictures while others were dancing. My dad got up from the table and was talking to a man a few tables over. One second, his face stern, concentrating very hard on what the man was saying, then the next, a smile spread across his face. When was the last time I'd seen him smile at home?
"You're Doctor Vodola's boy, aren't you?" an older man at our table seemed to be making sure, questioning himself more or less.
"Yes."
"And sorry to say this, but I don't remember your name. I remember reading it, but I don't remember."
Yes, I've been mention before, but not much and momentarily—still, more than I wanted.
"Sawyer."
He smiled.
"That's right. I remember that. I knew your father when he was growing up." The man replied, nodding his head, and turned to look at Madeline, who watched the people dancing before playing with a spoon resting on the table. "You look familiar."
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Fred, of course, she does. We've seen her picture for years!" His wife said through gritted teeth.
"No, duh, Ester, I'm just saying, doesn't she seem familiar?"
His wife just rolled her eyes at him.
"Heads up, honey, if you ever get married, men are." Ester paused with a sigh, "Difficult, but the good ones make it worth it."
Ester started to smile as her husband took her hand in his.
"Sawyer, you want to get up with me?"
"Um, sure?" I raised an eyebrow.
Standing up, I looked at her. What kind of question was that? We made our way through the crowds. She smiled at a few people. I grabbed Madeline's hand as she was dodging people better than me despite her big skirt. We reached the back of the room near some windows out in the hall.
"I figured we should give them room."
"Oh."
The music was loud, filling the room with useless chatter yet, all I could feel was the silence between us. Every nerve I could feel was on end, jittery uncertain to no end.
"Madeline…"
"Yeah, I figured you needed to stand up as much as me." Madeline continued to talk, but her eyes were on the crowd around us.
"Yeah, I needed it too," I added as I felt my insides shake.
She wandered further down the hall until we reached some benches closer to the building's front door. Madeline sat on one, and I sat next to her as I played with my hands.
"You okay?" Madeline asked, looking at me with one raised eyebrow.
She always has been more mature.
Madeline might as well have been my age. My palms felt sweaty.
"Yeah, I'm just really out of my element here."
"Join the club. I've been doing this for years. I still cannot get comfortable. I just feel so out of place here."
"Sucks to be you," I tried to joke, but my insides felt like they were trying to jump out of me. I didn't know what was wrong with me.
Why was it so weird to be around her? I could not calm down. Madeline has been in my life since I was a toddler yet, the two of us have been trying to rebuild a friendship, so I figured there would be uneasiness, but this was to a new level. Like I couldn't find the words around her, and I felt a knot in my stomach.
"Sawyer, this is almost over, then we can go back home. I want to thank you for coming here to keep me company."
She was staring up at me with those olive-green eyes, and I took her hand in one of mine. Madeline was beaming at me, and I gave her a half-smile. I gazed down at our hands; mine was more prominent than hers as I interlaced our fingers. Our fingers interlocked and every knuckle wrapped around the other's hand. Her fingernails were only a little longer, with light nail polish covering them.
"So how about as a reward for suffering through this ball, we do a movie and popcorn night. We haven't had one in so long." My voice came out hoarse.
Her rose color lips bloomed into a smile once again that spread across her whole face.
"I'd like that. I really can't wait to get out of this dress and into pajamas."
I chuckled.
"I know the feeling," I spoke, reaching up to the bowtie that seemed to be growing tighter by the second.
She giggled as she pushed my hand away from the tie.
"Do not do that. You look fine."
I raised an eyebrow as a smirk formed on my face.
"Only fine?"
She rolled her eyes as she continued to laugh.
"Sawyer, your ego is showing."
I looked down at my pants.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" I sputtered, pretending to look at my zipper as I felt a slap on my shoulder.
"You are impossible!"
"And you enjoy every second." I snickered.
"Keep telling yourself that," she said, sticking her tongue out at me.
"So, the adult dress is just an act."
"Well, duh! Do I look like an adult?" Madeline looked up at me with that innocent face.
"You look beautiful…"
The tux was on my floor as the television screen lit up my room. I was waiting for Madeline to start the move, though she would wait until my dad was asleep. She didn't know what he's accused us of, I hadn't told her, and I doubted he had said anything to her face as he did to me. Madeline probably
