Cameron: Here you go, Lexi. Is this one cool, you think?
The day of Ashley's seventeenth birthday party has finally rolled around, which the five people in the house are preparing for. In the parent's bedroom, Heather is not only getting ready herself, but also helping Ashley to look her best. Dean, currently in the bathroom, is trying to style his hair to look even a little bit fancier. His outfit is the same as Cameron's, since he had an extra. While being a simple white button down dress shirt with black pants, it still gets the job done in this situation. As for the other two, –that being Lexi and Cameron– they are in Ashley's room, with Cameron going through her closet, trying to find a dress for Lexi to wear. When he finds a good one, he hands it to her, asking for her opinion on it.
Lexi: Yeah it's pretty dope, I guess. But it's not really somethin' I wanna be wearing, you know?
In response to her vague refusal, Cameron tightens his grip on the dress, and squints his eyes as his head leans forward, silently asking for an explanation on her words. Sitting on the side edge of the bed, –with her head turned slightly to face Cameron at the closet– Lexi bounces her leg and leans back, holding herself up with her arms propped up behind her, before catching onto his confused look, and responding to it.
Lexi: I just mean like… Dresses are for girls, man.
Cameron: Then… What are you?
Lexi: A girl. But like a cool girl, you know?
As she says this, she attempts to show off her charismatic attitude by crossing both her arms and legs quickly and tilting her head. Her eyes are squinted with her lips pursed in a "cool" way. Unimpressed by this, Cameron sighs as he carefully puts the dress back in the closet where he found it. Once finished with this, he sits down on the bed next to her with a relaxed pose, creating a harsh contrast to Lexi's forced "cool" appearance.
Cameron: And what exactly is a cool girl then? I know a couple really cool girls, and neither of them act like that, dude.
His voice –supported by his genuine smile and likeable tone– comes off as understanding, resulting in Lexi loosening up. The bed sheets rustle almost silently as she scoots just a few inches away, and averts her gaze from him. Even if she felt comforted by his layered question, knowing that he understands what she feels on some level, it doesn't change the fact that she still feels attacked in a way.
Lexi: A cool girl is…
Cameron: I think a cool girl is someone who doesn't hide behind an idealized version of themselves. I could be wrong though. After all, I'm not a cool girl.
A soft chuckle carries itself through the room, and while the sound may have vanished after a short moment, the feeling of it resonates in Lexi's brain for a little while longer.
Lexi: But I'm scared though. What if-
When she attempts to argue his point from her own experience, he quickly cuts her off, snapping his head over to her. The calm look on his face may have been replaced with a moderately more stern one, but despite that, it still gives off the feeling of understanding.
Cameron: Good. You better be scared. Because a cool girl accepts her fears, her regrets, her disturbing thoughts and fantasies. She accepts all of it as parts of herself. And I think you are a cool girl. You just gotta let it show, okay?
Lexi: Okay, but-
Cameron: Stop that. You're beautiful, okay? You're amazing. You trying to hide all of that just makes things worse. I don't know what happened to you, and although I have some guesses, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. I know it must hurt. It probably gets worse like, every damn day doesn't it? But the coolest thing you can do is look past all of that. And if you can't, it's still just as cool to try.
Lexi: Yeah. Okay. I am a cool girl.
Cameron: Absolutely. So what does this cool girl want to wear, if not a cool dress? A cool suit, perhaps?
Lexi: Yeah, actually. I never really liked dresses to begin with.
Cameron: Cool, cool. Well what about this one then? Is it cool enough for a cool girl?
Lexi: Alright, man. You can stop that already. Gosh.
Trying to cheer her up with over the top movements and mannerisms in his voice, Cameron presents a suit for her to wear. At first, Lexi tilts her head when he pulls it out of the closet, immediately noticing how far back it was. Ignoring that fact for a moment, she lets out a laugh at Cameron's words, to which he laughs back, feeling proud of himself for lifting her spirits.
Cameron: Okay but seriously, is this one good?
Lexi: It is, yeah. Far more dope than that dress. I would like to ask though…
Cameron: What's up?
Lexi: Why does Ashley have a suit in her closet that doesn't even fit her?
When he tries to speak, a small laugh cuts through his voice, preventing him from speaking for a moment. Although he fights off the laugh enough to talk properly, it still noticeably squeezes through every couple of words.
Cameron: So a couple years ago I think, Ashley told us she was saving up her money for something, but kept getting all defensive when asked what it was. Then one day, while she was out with Leon, we searched through her room to find what she had bought, and that's when we found this. Granted, we probably shouldn't have been snooping, but it only heightened our curiosity. So we ended up getting Leon to try and figure out why she bought it without her realizing we knew. I think he asked her something simple like 'so what'd you end up buying?' and she just told him without hesitation.
Noticing the clearly confused look on Lexi's face, he pauses for a moment to let her speak. Taking a second to notice her opportunity, Lexi's eyes quickly widen in surprise before she speaks.
Lexi: Should I like, know who Leon is, or something?
Cameron (Inner): Dean never told her? I thought they were friends, right? Well, they have been distant this whole time, so maybe I was wrong? Talking to Dean is what I assumed to be what she's afraid of. I'm off topic.
The comedic attitude Cameron had was wiped away in an instant, replaced by a neutral face as he stands up straight, with his hands at his sides. With how quickly the tone had changed, Lexi instinctively sits up straighter, like she wants to appear to be respectfully listening to his words.
Cameron: Leon is a friend of the family. Someone that Ashley has trusted for as long as she can probably remember. But something about that is weird. So… Leon and Dean look frighteningly similar to each other, okay? And it's really obvious that Ashley likes Dean. But it really makes me wonder if she actually likes him or not.
Lexi (Inner): What? What? What?
Lexi: What do you mean?
Cameron: I think Ashley likes Dean for three reasons.
Shifting into a proud pose with his body angled slightly, and one hand on his hip, Cameron over-enthusiastically shoots out his hand, with one finger lifted. With how the tone continues to shift at such a rapid pace, Lexi stops feeling surprised and instead relaxes into his antics.
Cameron: One! Ashley doesn't have any friends, and I could always tell that she was looking for love. So I think she might just be settling on the first guy she meets. Which isn't good but I can't control her, haha.
His voice gets slightly –yet noticeably– louder as he lifts a second finger.
Cameron: Two! She only thinks she loves him because he saved her life during the concert. Again, not the best idea, but I can't control how she feels.
A third finger slowly lifts up, contrary to how he lifted up the other two quickly. Along with this change, his voice is a whisper. It's quiet enough to sound like a shallow exhale as he whispers 'three'. Despite this however, his voice immediately rises louder than before as he continues speaking.
Cameron: She only likes him because he looks like Leon, and is getting her feelings confused. Maybe she genuinely does love him despite these three, but I'd say I'm pretty accurate with my guesses. Who knows though? Either way, no matter how conflicted and worried I may be about all this, I still want to support her however I can!
Lexi: So… You think Ashley is like, in love with Dean, or something?
Cameron: I guess that's what I'm saying, yeah. Again, could be wrong though. But it does make the most sense, I feel like.
Lexi (Inner): My dude actually got his wish granted. Huh. That's actually kind of wild, I'm not gonna lie. Well, good for him then!
Lexi: Okay, okay. Anyways, continue your story. What did Ashley end up telling Leon?
Cameron: Oh yeah. She said that she bought it for her future boyfriend to wear. I don't know why she thought that whoever 'he' is wouldn't have something nice to wear, but whatever. She can do what she wants, I suppose.
Lexi: But… Wouldn't she like, want Dean to wear it then? You know, assuming she likes him and all.
Cameron: Yeah but Dean's not her boyfriend yet, is he? And she doesn't even know that we know her reason for having this, so I think it'd be pretty funny how she'd react to seeing you wear this.
Lexi (Inner): Boyfriend. Girlfriend. I hate those two words.
Lexi: True. You think she secretly wanted him to wear it though?
Cameron: Probably. Then again though, it might not fit him. I think she envisioned someone taller than her when she bought this. And since her and Dean are relatively the same height, that wouldn't work out too well. You'd probably fit though.
Lexi: Yeah. Alright, gimme the suit.
After their chat, Lexi holds out her hand. The action is more of a gesture for Cameron to give her the suit than anything, as she doesn't really expect him to just drop it in her hands.
With only a split second of hesitation to process her words properly, Cameron picks up the suit and carefully hands it to her. Once she gently takes it with both hands, he heads over to the bedroom door, and gives her a quick thumbs up before leaving the room.
Cameron (Inner): I wonder how Dean is doing. Out of everyone, he probably needs a fun and relaxing party the most. I'm proud of him for holding onto everything though. It's not easy to convince yourself to keep going after stuff like what he's gone through. He most likely has thought about giving up. Or… It's kind of obvious that he has. He's not the best at hiding his true feelings, if I'm being honest. But it is incredibly impressive of him to push those feelings down.
With her clothes lying on Ashley's bed, and before she puts on the suit, Lexi stares down at her half naked body. For a minute, it feels as if her body refuses to move. Instead, it forces her to stare down at herself. Her fists clench uncomfortably, and her face twists to a mixture of disgust, sadness, regret, nostalgia, and anger, as her breathing deepens involuntarily.
Lexi (Inner): It's gross. Relationships are gross. Love is gross. I'm gross. Why do I look like this? Why do people like how I look? It's gross. They're gross. I look gross… Because I am gross.
A small, yet high pitched gasp escapes her slightly parted lips as her eyes widen. Suddenly, her mind returns the ability for her body to move. Noticing this change instantly, her head snaps back up to face forward as she tries to control her breathing.
Lexi (Inner): I wish I took a shower before this. I'm sweating. I smell gross.
Mind spinning with every movement, Lexi forces herself to get dressed. Dread seeps into her skin as she realizes she has to talk with Dean. However, despite this sinking feeling in her stomach, a faint sense of determination layers itself on top of the fear, which grows stronger with each step she takes towards the bathroom door.
Once she closes the bedroom door behind her, her eyes quickly dart over to the living room. Upon noticing hushed sounds coming from beyond the closed kitchen door, she lets out a quick sigh of relief, knowing that Cameron is in there.
Lexi (Inner): And Ashley and Heather are in the other bedroom too. Awesome. I can talk with Dean in private then.
Stepping out into the hallway, she quickly glances down at herself once again. Despite her earlier disgust at her figure, a sense of pride washes over her as she examines her outfit. And although she doesn't realize it, even her stance had adjusted to fit the more masculine look of the suit. A warm smile spreads across her face, wrinkling her cheeks and raising her eyes.
The prideful thoughts of herself are suddenly whipped away as a realization crosses in her mind. With squinted eyes, she pivots herself back to looking towards the kitchen door. The carpet ruffles silently under her socks as she steps lightly.
Lexi (Inner): He probably knew what I wanted to do, and that's why he's in there, huh? Dude's kinda freaky, I'm not gonna lie. I can see why Heather likes him though. They're a really good pair. What great parents. I'm sure their daughter loves them so much…
Sighing in both a relieved, yet envious way, Lexi turns herself back around and continues walking towards the bathroom door. Despite the short hallway, it feels as if the journey of a few steps lasts a lot longer than it should, whether that be because of her slowed, hesitant pace, or it being all in her mind. Either way, she eventually reaches the door. Taking a few deep breaths with her eyes closed, she gathers her confidence and lifts her shaky hand to knock.
Dean: Yeah? Whaddup?
Lexi: Hey, dude. Whatcha doing in there?
Her leg nervously bounces uncontrollably, creating a low metronome sound. While she doesn't pick up on this noise, Dean does, but he chooses not to question it. Instead, he chooses to respond to her question, irritation seeping through his words as he does.
Dean: Just… Trying to get my hair to look nice. It's like, not working with me at all, dude! I've never styled my hair, so I don't know how I would make it look nice. Uuuggghhh.
Lexi: I could help you if you want, dude. You don't gotta stress about it.
Dean: You sure? 'Cause yeah, I'd appreciate that. Like, I literally cannot get this to look good oh my god.
Taking one last deep breath, Lexi opens the door and steps inside the bathroom. As she closes it behind her, her eyes slowly slide up to face Dean, who is still playing with his hair in the mirror. A frustrated look covers his whole face as he makes the situation worse. In response to his unintentionally comedic behavior, Lexi lets out a small chuckle, causing Dean to stop and face her properly.
Dean: What you laughing at, bro? This is not supposed to be funny. I'm struggling here, man.
Lexi: Yeah, yeah, I know. You're just… Doing it horribly, my guy.
He lets out a quiet grunt as he tries to hide his pout, before turning back towards the mirror. As he slides his fingers through his hair, one of them gets caught on a knot, making him wince in pain as his hair is pulled.
Dean: Ow. But yea, I know I'm doing it badly. That's why I asked for help, ya nerd.
Lexi (Inner): He does look like he genuinely is frustrated about this. If I wanna have a sincere conversation, I should probably be careful about it. Word choice is important.
Lexi: Here, dude. Sit down, I got you, don't worry.
Dean: Alright.
She motions her hand towards the toilet, to which Dean obediently sits down on the lid. As he sits, his eyes focus on the connecting point of the wall, and the floor in front of him. His hands clasp over his legs, while his fingers fidget restlessly, and he slouches uncomfortably, waiting for Lexi to begin.
Hearing the sounds of Lexi rustling through the drawers and cabinets under the sink, Dean sneakily darts his eyes over, before asking what she's looking for.
Lexi: Lookin' for a brush and a comb. I know they have 'em, 'cause I was using them during the week. I just don't know where exactly they put them.
Dean: What do you need those for? I only ever really comb my hair when it's gross or after a shower or something, which I did last night.
Lexi: Dude, you can't be for real with that, come on.
Dean: What? Am I not supposed to comb my hair after I shower or something? It's what my mom told me to do, and I've been doing it forever.
Dean (Inner): Actually… Should I trust everything, or… Anything that my parents told me? Considering the fact that they literally didn't tell me I had a brother, and clearly don't respect me, I probably shouldn't trust what they told me, right? But… Maybe they did actually love me before I got my power. Or maybe you could consider that to not be love at all, since they wouldn't switch up that fast if it was. Either way though, I can't just let go of them, can I? Even though I'm happy here, and I know I shouldn't, part of me can't help but want to go home.
Lexi: You're hair's all knotted and stuff. I'll brush it to get all the knots out, and then comb it to make it nice and flowy. You probably got it all knotted in all your attempts to make it look good. But trust me, it'll be much easier to do it without all that.
Dean: Okay. Yeah my bad though. I don't know much about hair.
As Lexi brushes his hair, his eyes dart around, trying to find a spot where he can comfortably stare, without looking directly into Lexi's abdomen a few inches away from his face. While he knows that it's not inappropriate or offensive or anything of the sort, in his mind, it still feels wrong in a way.
Lexi: Hey, Dean?
Dean: Yeah?
Looking up at her without lifting his head, he immediately notices how –despite generally looking this way normally– slim the suit makes her look. Despite his eyes hurting from staring straight up at her like that, he continues to do so as she speaks, feeling that it's the respectful thing to do in this situation, even if she doesn't notice it.
Lexi: How are you?
Wincing a little bit from the fuzzy pain in his eyes after looking down again, Dean feels a little surprised and cared for by her words. Feeling so warm inside from those three words was something he didn't really expect, but he welcomes the feeling anyways. Although he isn't known to blush all too much, he feels like he should be in this situation.
Dean: I'm good. Like… Really good, actually. Ever since that moment in the rain last week, I've felt so much better. Like all the negative feelings were just pouring out of my eyes. So yeah, mentally, I've been feeling great. Physically though, not too much. Or at least not perfect, I guess. I've been getting some pretty bad headaches, which make me feel really dizzy. I don't know if it's related, but I've been unusually tired a lot too. But… How are you doing? We haven't really talked much in a while. Sorry about that, by the way.
Lexi: That's… Well I guess good to hear, but also, sorry that's happening, dude. How frequent are your headaches, would you say?
Lexi (Inner): Why am I avoiding the question? This is literally my chance, man.
Dean: No, that doesn't matter. I'm fine. I want to know how you are.
Her voice audibly stutters as her jaw drops slightly in surprise at Dean's insistence. The comb sliding through his hair becomes shaky from Lexi's nervous hands, even when she tries to control herself. Eventually, she clears her throat and gathers her composure just enough to respond with a smile.
Lexi: That's actually what I wanted to talk about here, Dean. I mean, you probably already know, considering how distant we've been, but I haven't been doing the best. I've felt pretty lonely and loathing myself. It kinda hurt seeing you sideline me for Ashley so much. I didn't say anything 'cause I didn't want to ruin your happiness, and I guess I was scared for some reason, I dunno. But… I really just wanted to know where exactly we stand as friends. Especially after everything that happened before that moment in the rain last week. I kinda spat in your face when you were trying to help me, didn't I? I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean to hurt you, dude. I just… I don't know what I was thinking actually. Sorry.
Dean: Woah. Don't feel bad. It's fine, Lexi. I was an emotional mess that day, that's all. I'm sure I would've freaked out at like, any minor inconvenience with all those bottled up emotions. So please. I don't want you blaming yourself for that when it wasn't your fault at all. If anything, I should thank you for pushing me over the edge and helping let all that out. And… Yeah, I'm sorry for treating you that way. Focusing more on Ashley instead, and all. That was pretty shitty of me to do, huh? I guess I just got caught up in how fantastical it all felt to me. Like a dream I didn't want to wake up from, so I savored every second I could. But yeah… I'd say we're still good friends. Or at least, I still wanna be good friends, if you're cool with that?
Lexi: Yeah. I do.
Dean: Cool.
Placing the comb next to the brush on the counter of the sink, Lexi gently pats Dean's shoulders, signaling that she's all done, and he can get up. However, once he does get back on his feet, he's quick to notice that his hair still hasn't been styled. It's still messily parted in the middle, and extending down to cover half of his ears.
Dean: My hair still looks normal. Thought you said you were gonna style it for me?
Lexi: Be patient, dude. Jeez louise!
They both chuckle, before Lexi lifts her hands up and carefully tucks his hair behind his ears, and fixes any straggling strands of hair on his face. Overall, it's a simple look, but it is nice. Or at least, nicer than how it looked before.
When he tries to take a step over to the mirror to see how he looks, Lexi instead quickly traps him into a hug. His body tightens in surprise as she leans down and rests her chin on his shoulder. But he eventually loosens up after a few seconds, and returns the hug. It's a tender moment that leaves both of them feeling emotional, but not quite to the point of crying, even if Lexi really wants to.
Dean (Inner): I want to say I love her. It would be some nice reassurance but…
Lexi (Inner): I won't lose you, Dean.
Lexi: Alright, all good now. Thanks, broslice.
Dean exhales sharply from his nose in amusement as his lips expand into a smile. Once Lexi releases him from her embrace, and takes a step back to give him a little space, he turns around and looks into the mirror to see how his hair turned out.
Dean: Wow! It's really smooth and clean! Won't it like, become messy during the party though? I mean, if I'm gonna be movin' and stuff, I feel like all this would come undone. Especially since there's nothing keeping it there.
Lexi: Well yeah. I assumed things were gonna get rowdy anyways, so I didn't wanna go super hard on the hair or anything. But it does look nice, right?
Dean: For sure!
Lexi: Super dope.
Dean: Insanely dope.
Their friendly banter is interrupted by the sound of a door opening a few feet down the hall, followed by Ashley's soft, nervous voice, asking where everyone else is. In quick response to her question, the two glance at each other, before Lexi –being closer to it– opens the door for them.
Ashley: Oh, hello, you guys! I was wondering where you two were. What were you doing in the bathroom together?
Averting his gaze from her with wide eyes, Dean subtly stares at the wall to his left, not wanting to see what she looks like yet.
Lexi: I was just helpin' him fix his hair and make it look nice.
Ashley: Well that's nice of you. It does look pretty good, so good job, Lexi!
Feeling awkward and weird for his absence of attention, Dean's eyes quickly dart over to Ashley, as if trying to rip off the band-aid and not feel weird. A simple dark green dress drapes down her body, stopping at the shins. Although Dean can't quite describe how her hair looks in detail, the only word that comes to his mind is 'majestic'. The colors look more vibrant somehow. It branches off in multiple places, creating beautiful shapes that envelop the top of her body. It's clear the makeup is light, like she doesn't want too much attention brought to it. While Dean can obviously tell that she used mascara, he isn't completely sure whether she used foundation or not, but he assumes she did. It was a clear choice as to why she didn't want to use blush. While it probably could've been used to cover up her natural blush, with how much she hates blushing, it makes sense why she wouldn't want to look like she was at all.
Overall, her look is simple and cheap, as should be expected. But despite that look, Dean can't help but stare at her. While he doesn't have any sort of romantic or sexual feelings for her, the idea of her being there like that is something he wished for for a long time, so finally getting to see it feels like a dream.
Ashley: You okay, Dean? You keep looking at my dress.
Ashley (Inner): I guess I do love him… Or… I think I do? I dunno. I sure feel like it, but I can't be totally sure. Either way, him staring at me like that is kinda weird. Even if he likes me too, something about it feels off. Well… To be fair, I have had a nervous feeling in my stomach all day, so maybe I'm just on edge about everything.
Dean: Oh. Sorry. You just like, look really good in that.
Ashley: Yeah? Well you look nice too. Even if those are my dad's clothes, heh. And uhh… You look good too… Lexi.
Ashley's face immediately turns pale when she notices the suit that Lexi is wearing. While her face is completely blank, –in an attempt to hide her feelings about the suit– her eyes are wide as she stares at it. Nails to skin. Noticing her behavior, Heather –who was standing behind her the whole time– reaches her hand out to stop her. As she does, she leans in and whispers the words 'please don't do that' faintly into Ashley's ears.
Understanding Ashley's hidden feelings and purpose for the suit, Lexi begins to tease her a little bit for it. She tries to do it in a way that feels natural, so that Ashley won't be able to pick up on the fact that she knows the intended purpose of it, especially in her current flustered state. This only makes Ashley more internally embarrassed, and leaves Dean somewhat confused.
Lexi: Oh thanks so much, dude! Yeah, your awesome dad just fished around in your closet for a second and found this! We were both pretty confused why it was there but it fit so I'm wearin' it! Don't I just look amazing!?
Ashley: Mhhmmm…
Cameron: Sure do!
Dean: OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL!?
Suddenly appearing behind Dean without him noticing, and practically yelling in his ear as he speaks, is Cameron. During the conversation, he quietly made his way to Dean, who had his back turned to the living room. The noises he made while walking –like the creak of the floors under the carpet– were muffled out by the voices of the others. Once he got there, he leaned down and spoke with a mischievous grin on his face, causing Dean to jump and flail his limbs around for half a second in startled fear.
While Dean's breathing began to go haywire, and he attempted to calm it down, the other four people there broke out into laughter.
Feeling somewhat bad for his prank, –as well as trying to segue the conversation– Cameron lightly pats Dean on the shoulders with both hands, before speaking.
Cameron: Sorry, sorry. I saw my chance, and I had to take it, man. But anyways, I got some snacks out on the kitchen table. Basically just water and chips, but yeah. So uhh, whatever you wanna do first, Ashley. It's your day.
As all eyes swiftly shift their attention over to her, Ashley's body tenses for a moment. Her fingers twitch as her mind subconsciously screams at her to scratch her arm. However, fighting that urge off, she gathers up all her courage with a deep breath and announces what she wants to do first.
Ashley: If it's okay with everyone, I would like to do the thing where uhmm… Where you… Like… You know… Sing songs with people, but the lyrics are on the screen. Whatever it's called. That's what I want to do.
Lexi: That's just karaoke, my guy.
Ashley: Sorry. I forgot what it was called. But yeah. Can we do that, please?
Feeling embarrassed by her forgetfulness, Ashley's voice slowly gets quieter and quieter as she speaks. Noticing this defensive behavior, –and how it will soon lead into her scratching– Cameron chimes in with a supportive and enthusiastic voice.
Cameron: Absolutely! Except we're gonna have to do the knockoff version since our tv sucks and the only songs we can really play are Ashley's!
While speaking, Cameron's eyes are directly focused on Heather's. More specifically, he's looking in between Ashley and Heather, both to make it look like he's speaking to Ashley, when he's actually trying to catch the attention of Heather. Thankfully, because of their long romantic history, Heather almost immediately picks up on his signal. Once he finishes speaking, she traps Ashley in a tight hug from behind, saying words of comfort in love in a voice mainly used for pets or small children.
Heather: Don't worry about forgetting the word, honey. It happens all the time. It is quite a strange word if you think about it. It just doesn't feel like what it should be called, right? But don't be embarrassed. We love you.
Ashley: Thanks mom.
Cameron smiles and lets out a relieved sigh as he notices Ashley begin to relax from her mother's words. He quickly turns around overdramatically, –almost robotically– and heads towards the tv, which has a cupboard underneath where they keep physical recordings of all of Ashley's songs.
After comfortably sitting down on the couch, Ashley scoots just a little closer to Dean. While trying to be subtle about it, she failed horribly, and instantly caught the attention of Dean.
Dean: What's up?
Ashley: Do you wanna do a song with me?
Dean: Uhh… Sure, but… I don't think you have any duet songs, right?
Ashley: Oh yeah, you're right. Well we can figure out a way to make it work, right?
Dean: Yeah, I guess we could. In that case, sure. I'd absolutely 100 percent love to do a song with you.
Ashley: Wonderful.
Dean: Wonderful indeed. Splendid even.
Ashley: Definitely splendid.
Lexi: Sweet.
Upon hearing Lexi butt into their banter, the two –in perfect sync– stop laughing and turn their heads towards her with a blank, yet disappointed expression. Seeing their disapproving faces, Lexi's body recoils slightly as embarrassment washes over her.
Lexi: Sorry… I don't really know what you guys were talking about. I just wanted to be involved…
Dean: Uh, yeah! You better be sorry, bro! That was unbelievably disrespectful, dude! You should be ashamed of yourself… G-guy!
At Dean's comedically yet offendedly over the top voice, Lexi giggles and instantly feels more relaxed about her intrusion a moment ago. As Dean joins in on the giggling, Ashley is left in the middle of the two, feeling awkward.
Knock…
Knock…
Knock.
Everyone suddenly stops talking, and quickly shifts their attention over to the door. Cameron –who had been on his knees looking through the cupboard– slowly stands up and stares towards the door with a protective, yet worried look on his face. Heather –being more confused than worried– instinctively wraps her arms around Ashley from behind, before gently speaking to Cameron, who responds in a firm tone.
Heather: Did we invite anyone else?
Cameron: No.
Heather: Do you think it might be Leon?
Cameron: Leon doesn't knock.
Knock…
Knock…
Knock.
Ashley (Inner): I was worried that something was going to happen…
With clenched fists, Cameron begins walking to the door. He opens it slowly and cautiously, only opening an inch or two, before looking through and seeing who it is.
Cameron: Wha-
Before he can even speak, the door is quickly shoved open by the person on the opposite end. Startled by the entrance, Cameron takes a few steps back. Two people walk in without taking their shoes off. A man in a suit, and a woman with blonde hair in a bun, and a white jacket with a black shirt underneath.
Christina: Well isn't this place cute. Now which one of you… Oh! Is your name Dean Jeeves?
Standing there with her hands crossed behind her back, Christina leans forward with an irritated yet tired look in her eyes as she smiles at Dean. Sincerity and anger blend in her lips as they stretch the freckles on her cheeks. Her look strikes terror into Dean's heart, especially as she utters his name from her cold lips. All eyes are drawn to him as he sweats and nods slowly.
Christina: That's great to hear! Oh. I forgot about you. Ashley Falinx.
Ashley: Y-yeah?
Christina: Happy birthday, sweetie. And I apologize in advance for whatever is about to happen.
Being the main subject of the situation, Dean feels a sense of pride and protectiveness ignites within him as he stands up in front of Ashley.
Dean: What's going to happen?
Lexi: Dean. Holy shit, what are you doing? Sit the hell back down, dude.
Her voice is a hushed whisper. She isn't exactly trying to hide her words from Christina, but she doesn't want to announce it either. Either way, Dean ignores her words and walks towards Christina at an alarmingly fast pace. Or… It would be more accurate to say that he flew. As if Christina had dragged him there out of the air, after holding her hand out.
Seeing Christina forcefully grab Dean by the throat with both hands, everyone in the room attempts to get up and help him. However, they quickly notice their inability to. No matter how hard they try, their bodies refuse to move. Not as a mental issue. They literally cannot move.
Dean: W-what…
Struggling to breathe, Dean tries to kick his legs and claw away at her hands. But similarly to the others, he can't move. Instead, he's forced to stare deep into her eyes. Her white, glowing eyes.