{43}✔️

A/N: Trigger warning. Mentions of 'almost rape' in this one.

Dahlia's POV

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"What kind of dress are you wearing to the Sadie Hawkin's dance?" Cadence asked before taking another slurp of her slushie. I sent her a look. I've never gone to a school dance before and I don't see it happening this year either. I've always just been too shy, and nobody's ever asked me to go so I never did. Plus, I don't see the big deal. Proms and dances are so overrated and they're so expensive. You spend hundreds on hair, makeup, clothes, shoes, accessories, the tickets to get in, and you have to pay for whatever you choose to do after which is usually going to a restaurant. You only stay at the damn dance for an hour or two, and then it's over. So much money spent on something so stupid. I could literally throw my own prom for cheaper.

All that being said, I have always wanted a fancy dress. I love prom dresses and I love dressing up. It'd make for some great Instagram pictures. That's beside the point, though.

"Come on, Dahlia, you have to go to this one! It'll be a lot of fun, especially since you have Billie to go with now." She winked and shimmied her shoulders before grabbing my hand and dragging me along with her as she speed-walked across the mall. I already know she's heading toward that stupid dress boutique she loves so much. They have gorgeous dresses, but they're so damn expensive.

"I don't even know if she'd wanna go. She doesn't really come across as the type of girl who cares about dances and I don't wanna make her feel like she has to take me."

"You should still ask. There's no harm in that at all, and if she doesn't wanna go then she won't. You know that. You're scared to ask because you think she won't wanna go with you."

I really hate how well Cadence knows me.

"I know we're together now and everything it's just...I don't know. I know it's stupid and I know I'm probably worrying for nothing, but I just can't imagine asking her and having her say no." I admitted. She dragged me into the beautifully decorated store and breathed in deeply. It smells like roses and money in here.

Everything's so bright and beautiful, so much sparkly shit everywhere. I feel fucking underdressed in my sweatshirts and jeans.

I feel like I should be wearing a business suit instead or something.

"You have no reason to worry. Listen to me, I'm always right." She walked further into the store and pulled me along with her. We talked for a few moments with one of the employees before starting to browse.

Cadence went on and on about what kind of dress she wanted to wear and I stayed silent, too enveloped in my thoughts to reply. There's a twinge in my stomach and a knowing feeling clouding my head. I've never actually cared about a school dance, I've never wanted to go, not even just a little bit. I've never hoped for someone to ask me, but now...

I wish I could say that was still true, but it isn't. As much as I hate to admit it, I'd really like to go to this dance. With Billie. I'd love if she asked me.

I don't see it happening, though, and I'm not gonna force it. She'll ask if she asks and if she doesn't we just won't go.

"Isn't it a little late to decide whether or not to go, though?" I asked curiously. It's already November second and the dance is on the fifteenth which is the Friday after next. Isn't that a bit short notice to be trying to get ready for a dance?

"Not really. We're dress shopping now and hopefully, we'll decide on one before at least next Saturday so we can get it tailored and all that. Once you figure out what you're wearing, the only thing left to do is figure out who's gonna do your hair and makeup and you know I've got us covered for that. My aunt Josephine always has my back."

Her aunt Josephine is like, legit a beauty guru. She has a huge YouTube channel and everything. She's good with hair and makeup and I can't lie, Cadence always looks bomb when she goes to these dances.

"I don't know...I'd have to talk to Billie and I don't wanna—" I cut myself off as I saw the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen in my life. It's so fucking gorgeous. I nodded to myself and then looked at a smug looking Cadence. "Yeah, okay. I'll talk to Billie."

***

"There's no better way to spend a Saturday, I swear to god. This is what every Saturday should be like." Cadence moaned as the cute boy massaged her feet. The mall has a cute little spa and we just had to come in here. We're getting mani-pedis, massages, and we've got mud masks too. I can't lie, this is the fucking life.

"After this do you wanna go to that little seafood restaurant down the street?" I asked, my tummy growling as I thought of it. I need some shrimp, ASAP.

"Only if we can watch seafood boil mukbangs while we eat."

"Obviously!" I laughed.

Today's been really fun. I asked Cadence yesterday if she'd wanna spend the day with me, and she seemed happy to have an excuse to get away from Caden for a while so she agreed. We ate breakfast at my house and then came to the mall, where we've been for like six hours now. I feel so refreshed. We haven't hung out alone in a long time and so much has been happening lately that it feels like we haven't gotten to sit down and have a real conversation in ages. We talked about everything that happened with Kai, we talked a little about my past, we talked about Billie and I, we just caught up with one another. The one thing we haven't talked about, though, is what I really wanted to talk to her about. What happened to her at the party and what's going on with her and Caden.

I just don't know when I should bring it up. She seems so happy today and I'm glad because she was definitely down yesterday, as she had every right to be. I don't wanna bother her about it, but I need to make sure she's doing okay.

"I can see your worry lines through your face mask." She smirked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I laughed at her before shrugging my shoulders and trying to come up with a convincing lie. "Just...Thinking about how my birthdays coming up soon and I'm gonna have to get a job."

Well, that's kinda true. My birthday is January 3rd. Just a few months from now and I need to be finding myself a job. My dad gives me and Cora an allowance of $30 every week. He used to give Denver an allowance too, but his rule is that once we turn eighteen we have to make our own money. Fair enough.

He never wanted any of us working before we hit eighteen, always told us he wanted us to just relax and enjoy being teenagers without having to stress over a job before it was time, but eighteen is a good age to start working.

"You'll find something. Maybe you can help aunt Josephine with her videos? She's good at editing, but it's a lot of stress for her having to do it all on her own. Maybe you could do that for her. She's too proud to admit she needs someone to help, but she likes you and I'm sure you could convince her it's because you need it and not her. I know she'd pay well."

"I'll definitely think about it." I grinned. Back in tenth grade, I took a few film, photography and editing classes. I was even in photography club in tenth grade. I'm pretty good with editing so hopefully, I can help Josephine. "I wonder what I should get Denver for his birthday?" I mumbled.

Denver's birthday is January 5th.

"A house." Cadence joked. I giggled. I wish.

***

"You've been staring at me for like ten minutes instead of watching the mukbang. What is it?" Cadence questioned, putting her crab leg back on the plate. I could tell by the tone of her voice that she already knew what I wanted to ask her about, so I raised my brow and didn't answer.

We had a little staring contest for a few seconds before she sighed and paused the video on her phone. "Caden and I had a huge fight after we left Billie's house yesterday. I knew it was coming, but...I don't know." She shrugged. "He's pissed that I had sex with Julian, pissed about the cocaine, and he keeps telling me he warned me about Julian and blah blah blah. I think he's just mad at himself and taking it out on me."

I'm sure she's right.

"He'll get over it in no time..." I sighed. "Do you wanna talk about...You know?"

"I'm an idiot. I should've stopped fucking with Julian the moment he told me to do lines with him." She rolled her eyes. "He's a fucking jerk and I shouldn't have let him convince me to do that just because I wanted to hook up with him. It's just that I've liked him for literal years and when he finally started giving me attention I couldn't believe it."

"I understand that."

She let out a small breath and played with her paper towel. "One minute we were having sex and it was good, everything I imagined it to be. I was writing wedding vows in my head for him. The next second...his friends bust in, and they see me and instead of kicking them out when they start making jokes about how they want a turn and trying to advance on me, he fucking gets up and starts joking with them. I was uncomfortable as shit, obviously, trying to hide myself and everything. Then he gets all serious and he's like 'Cadence, go on, let them get some too.' And I kept saying no and he kept pushing and then one of them got on the bed with me and pushed me down and he was unbuckling his pants. I kept saying no and Julian ignored me when I asked him to tell them to leave, kept talking over me, and then he came over to help the other guy hold me down. He was gonna let him..."

Cadence let out a small sob and I quickly got up from my chair and walked over to hers, pulling her up so that I could sit down and then pulling her onto my lap. I hugged her tightly, letting a few of my own tears fall. I can't believe something like that happened to her. I can't believe Julian could be so disgusting.

It's not like we're close to him, it's not like we really know him, but we've gone to school with this guy for so long and he's always seemed nice. He's cute, charming, funny, smart, and he's got lots of girls swooning. He seems so perfect and yet this is the type of guy he is?

Makes me wonder how many other girls he put through this. How many other girls had his friends come after, and he let them? They couldn't all be as lucky as Cadence. She had her brother there to protect her and he was lucky to show up when he did. What if he hadn't?

"I don't know how to fix this, Cadence. I don't know what to say to make it better." I sighed. She turned in my lap so that she could throw her arms around my shoulders.

"Thank you for just listening to me. I'm gonna be thinking about this for a long time, but I definitely already feel better."

"Good." I cracked a small smile.

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A/N: I'm so torn because I have a lot of ideas for this book and I don't want it to feel rushed but I don't wanna end up with 100 chapters. We shall see how this turns out, but I know one thang. I'm writing all my ideas out no matter what! Even if I end up with 3000 chapters. (Fingers crossed we don't)