15

                                    

                                          
Zee sat before her dressing mirror and watched her phone ring, the name, Stanley flashing across the screen.
She was dressed in a little black dress, her hair held in a single braid that lay flat on her head and flowed down to rest on her back.
She was wearing a black choker and other red accessories, her lips painted a bright shade of red lipstick. Her eye makeup as usual was smokey. She had her trademark nose ring in her hand, about to put it on but she was reminded of Michael's warning- when I say I don't want to see it on you again, I mean it...
She hesitated for a moment. It wasn't like she was going out with Michael. This was Stanley and he already knew who she was. If she appeared differently, it would look like she was trying to impress him or it would look like she was trying to change herself. It would look as if she was no longer comfortable with herself. She couldn't let that happen.
Stanley had been asking her out for a long time since his family moved into the neighborhood but she had always turned him down, insisting that they be ordinary friends. Then Inara got married and Lemuel started keeping them apart which would make her lonely at times, hence she started considering Stanley.
Truth be told, Stanley and her both had many things in common as far as her camouflage lifestyle was concerned. Too bad he had no idea her life was one big act. Not that she cared anyway. However, the loneliness had made her start thinking deeply about accepting the guy before the last dare had reared its ugly head.
Her thoughts were interrupted as her phone started ringing again and she stared at it, Michael's words in her head- Prepare to be engaged in no distant time. If you have a boyfriend, cut him off at once. I will not make with you the same mistake I made with Cassandra Blake.
Well, damn it, she had promised to go on this date with Stanley. She was supposed to give him an answer. 
SOME DAYS AGO
Under the moonlight, Zee and Stanley sat on the hood of a car in the backyard of an apartment. They lit cigarettes in their hands from which they sucked the smoke into their mouths and expelled it from same, some of the smoke escaping through their nostrils. Zee's truck was parked right beside the car they were sitting on.
Stanley was about twenty-two, skinny and of average height, his hair, dyed to a red color. Rock music was blaring on low key inside the car and they were smiling at each other, his earrings shining under the moonlight.
"Zee, we are good together. Why don't you just accept me as your boyfriend?"
"I thought you've let this go and we are just best of friends if you will?"
"We are friends but you know I want more. I will always want more. We are good together. We have so many things in common."
"I know."
"Of course you do. Anyway, you're wild and I like it but it seems you're not as wild as you look."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you've always refused my advances. My ex-girlfriend was in some way like you and well, we had sex before I even asked her out. She turned out to be a damn slut. But you, you're kind of a bit reserved. I see some decency in you. That's why I've not been able to get you out of my head. I'm not happy with being just friends, I'm serious."
At this point, Zee was considering him. She was practically alone ever since Inara and Lemuel had gotten married because Lemuel was keeping Inara away from her, saying that she was a bad influence.
It was painful but she blamed herself for making them play that game. Well, it wasn't her fault. She blamed Inara. Inara could have chosen a soft guy like Alex from her choir. Instead, she picked a badass guy like Lemuel, and now their friendship was bearing the brunt of her choice. Her thoughts were interrupted by Stanley's voice.