Episode 4: Shopping Day part 2
Celeste immediately broke off from the group the second they entered the mall.
Paula: “Celeste? Where are you going? Shouldn’t we wake for Cyrus?”
Celeste: “He’ll catch up. I’m going to get a head start.”
She walked away before Paula could say anything else. Metronome started to make a move towards a store with brightly colored and odd patterned clothing before Crescent grabbed his arm.
Metronome: “What? I’m just gonna look.”
Crescent shook her head slowly.
Metronome: “Fine. If I must wear a fancy suit, can I at least pick out the tie or something.”
Crescent tapped her chin in thought before nodding.
Paula: “Nothing too overboard please. Mrs. Murray still hasn’t gotten over last year.”
Metronome: “Yeah, yeah, I got the hint.”
Paula: “Ok, I think Cyrus will be here any minute, so we’ll wait for him to join us.”
Crescent: <I haven’t really had a chance to go out since I arrived. I don’t know where to start..>
Paula: “Well, Celeste knows all the great fashion stores but she seems to want to be alone right now. I know a few so I think we’ll be able to find something for you.”
Crescent: <I don’t think Celeste likes me very much.>
Paula: “I don’t think she doesn’t like you. I think she’s just trying to cope with the fact that she’s not in the spotlight right now.”
Paula: “Yeah, she really likes attention. She used to be really desperate for it, where she’d go around making everything about herself, but she’s gotten better at sharing the attention. You are the main focus since you’re brand new and she’s just having a hard time dealing with it.”
Metronome: “Cyrus said it would happen and that it’ll go back to normal once the thrill dies down.”
Crescent: <I’m not a fan of all the attention. It gets overwhelming.>
Metronome: “I’d give it another month or two before it really dies down. Then again it might be longer after the anniversary.”
Paula: “That’s true. Mrs. Murray probably has something big planned for you.”
That’s what Crescent feared. She didn’t like all the attention. It was overwhelming. She constantly had people coming up to her, complimenting her, doing things for her, basically folding themselves over backwards to accommodate her needs. She didn’t like it. She didn’t like people pushing themselves to do even the simplest things for her. Sometimes she just wanted to hide out in her apartment or the library and just be alone for a while.
She couldn’t be mad at the kids though. A lot of them were just like her. Shy, had trouble communicating their feelings, stuck to anyone they felt comfortable with. They were all very sweet kids.
The adults were a different story.
Employees waited on her hand and foot, despite her trying to tell them not to worry. It doesn’t help her much that most of them don’t know sign language. She had five dads, single or married, trying to flirt with her in the past month. In front of their kids too. Each time she had a hard time telling them that she wasn’t interested because they didn’t understand her. Cyrus seemed to appear seemingly out of nowhere and put an end to it quickly. Crescent was grateful for that.
Mrs. Murray regularly checked in on her. It felt like a mother smothering her grown up child with love and affection. One of the few forms of attention that Crescent was actually comfortable with.
Cyrus: “Oh, I was worried I’d have to hunt you guys down.”
Paula: “There you are! We were wondering when you’d show up?”
Cyrus: “Where’s Celeste?”
Paula: “She left already. I’m sure we’ll bump into her later.”
Metronome: “What did Arthur want?”
Cyrus: “Just some management things. Nothing to worry about.”
Paula: “Let’s get shopping then.”
Cyrus and Metronome had gone off to the men’s apparel store next door. Cyrus watched Metronome like a hawk as he picked out an appropriate suit. Crescent did tell him about their deal that Metronome got to pick out the tie.
Meanwhile Paula was helping Crescent pick out a dress.
Paula: “Maybe we can do some shade of blue, maybe black, oooooh maybe even a pink to match your eyes.”
Paula had already picked out a couple dresses in Crescent’s size that seemed like they’d be good choices. Crescent was embarrassed to even ask this but-
Crescent: <What… What is Cyrus wearing?>
Paula: “Hmmm, he got his suit from last year but he’s wearing a pink tie that matches his ribbons.”
Paula turned back to her.
Crescent didn’t make eye contact, fiddling with her fingers.
Paula: “Oh. OH! You wanna match Cyrus! That’s so cute!”
Crescent got even more embarrassed, hiding her face with her hands. Paula was absolutely ecstatic. Both of her friends had crushes on each other.
Crescent nodded from behind her hands before she slowly lowered them and began signing.
Crescent: <I want to ask him to be my date to the anniversary.>
Paula nearly leapt for joy. She abandoned the dresses she’d picked out on the nearest rack.
Crescent: <I don’t want him to feel pressured though. We’ve only known each other for a short amount of time and I don’t want to rush into things if he doesn’t feel the same.>
Paula smiled. Both her friends had crushes on each other and they both had the same idea and they both felt like they’d be pressuring the other with the timing and they are considerate of how the other feels. She was going to make sure those two got together. Step by step.
Paula: “Ok, ok, ok, this is so exciting. First things first, It doesn’t have to be like an actual date. You can ask him as a friend. You are new and it’d be perfect if you asked Cyrus to accompany you since he’s our leading man.”
Crescent: <That makes sense.>
Paula: “It’ll be wonderful. You guys can talk, get to know each other better, dance…”
Paula continued to ramble as Crescent followed her towards the pink dress, a bright blue glow on her cheeks.
Paula: “I’m sure we can find something in that same shade and in your size too.”
It took them a few minutes of searching the store’s selection of pink dresses before Paula found it. She all but shoved it in Crescent’s hands and pushed her into a dressing room.
Paula might’ve gotten a little too excited but can you really blame her? Oh if only she could do the same thing with Celeste. They’ve known each other for almost three years now and she still couldn’t muster up the courage to ask her out. Celeste was wonderful and pretty and perfect. Why couldn’t she just ask her out?
Crescent nervously came out of the dressing room.
Paula: “Oh Crescent! You look marvelous!”
They did end up running into Celeste while they were looking at jewelry. She had several shopping bags, all from different stores.
Metronome: "Don't you think that's a bit much?"
Celeste: "This coming from you?"
Crescent wondered if it would be worth asking Celeste if she could help her. She wasn't exactly sure how to ask it. Like "hey, I don't like all the attention I'm getting, can you take some of it off of me?". That sounds weird. Maybe it would help the two of them bond. She really is hoping to be on good terms with everyone she worked with.
Maybe Paula and Metronome were right, and the attention would just fade away over time. Maybe she can just bear through it for a while longer.
Cyrus: "Did you find everything you needed?"
Crescent: <And then some. Paula got very excited.>
Cyrus: "You should've seen what she did for Celeste's birthday party. It was like some Hollywood event with red carpets, stage lights, a fancy dinner. She even picked out Celeste's outfit. She looked like a movie star."
So, Paula and Metronome both had a habit of going overboard. Paula with the intentions of making her friends happy and Metronome... to look like a living disco ball.
Crescent: <I can't wait to see what they have planned for the anniversary.>
Cyrus: "I have some idea as I'm helping manage everything and with any hope we won't have a repeat of next year."
They both fell into a comfortable silence as they walked behind their friends as they left through the mall's glass doors. Metronome had said something to piss off Celeste, who had shoved all her bags into Paula's arms to chase after the DJ. Cyrus could only shake his head and chuckle.
Cyrus and Crescent hung back behind them for a bit, stealing glances at each other.
Now seemed like the perfect time to ask. The sun was about set as they had spent all day shopping, they were alone as they're friends walked further ahead, and both had the nervous confidence they needed.
Crescent was even more confident about asking after her talk with Paula. It seemed to have been the subject they talked about all day. They talked about what she could say and how to deliver it. They talked about how this could be one small step to bringing them closer together, whether as friends or something more later on.
Paula also told her about her crush on Celeste, a secret no one seemed to have caught onto yet, which was surprising with how obvious it was. Crescent didn't know Celeste well enough to help Paula in her endeavors to ask her out but she was willing to help anyway she could.
This is it. Time to ask. Crescent raised her hands to sign.
<"Will you be my date to the anniversary?">
(I wrote this rather quickly. I apologize if it sounds rushed-🍵)
