The End of Era

Slippers

 Chapter 12: Slippers

~ Loki ~

Then

I look at myself in front of the mirror after I take a freshly cold shower. I don’t want to smell so bad especially now, that we are going to practice dance, which is purposely going to be intimate, and we will probably smell each other. I look around to find my cellphone in my room. I forgot to bring it to school. My room is a mess. I left my bed earlier without trying to fix it. So now, it looks like there’s a hurricane that came to destroy my whole room. 

I check my phone to see a notification. 

1 message

I clicked it.

Luther:

How is it going? I’m worried about her, bro. Don’t scare the hoe pls T_T

He sent this annoying message. I snorted as I read those last sentences.

Me:

Goofy. Don’t call her a hoe. 

I feel like degrading women can be shown when people are calling them stupid names. I know that it’s a joke but what if she sees this message? I know for sure that she will be furious finding out that she’s been called a hoe. I mean if someone talks to me like a stupid thing. I won’t hesitate to punch them. Unless, of course, if it’s a girl. 

He texts back.

Luther:

I’m just kidding bro. Don’t take it personally.

Me:

I know. But it’s not funny. It’s degrading. 

I texted. So, he will know that I’m serious about this matter. I am a boy, but I don’t have anything against girls. I don’t think being the guy makes you superior in anything. The reality somehow is otherwise. Women are far more superior than men, nowadays. 

My mom is a woman. She raised me all by herself without any financial help from my biological father. I admire her for being strong to leave him because she knows her worth, and is independent to raise me at a very young age. 

It has been a well know societal standard that man should practice superiority, but I disagree. 

I stand for equality.

A minute passed before Luther replied again.

Luther:

Fine, bro. Good luck!

I fidgeted on my phone to reply to him, I guess a simple thanks will do. 

I opened the door and walk through the hall. I check the time on my phone making sure it’s just 10 minutes I have wasted to prepare myself. 

“Mom?” I asked. As I rush down the stairs, I look at Era who is still standing facing my mother. She looked paler. And her eyes are unsure. On the other hand, I look at my mother who is still standing and staring at Era. 

What did they talk about?

I move forward, closer to mom so I can kiss her cheeks. A gesture of appreciation. 

“Hey, son. You never mentioned Eraleah before.” She whispered. I squinted my eyes and frowned. Confused by her reaction. The light that is illuminated around the living room cannot hide her discomfort towards Era. 

“Oh, she’s Era my partner for the dance festival. I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you that we need to practice today.” I uttered and I look at Era. She doesn’t show any reaction. She doesn’t show interest in what we are talking about. Which is good, for now.

“Is she your girlfriend?” Mom asked in a whisper. And after that, she took a glimpse of Era. I moved towards her, blocking her view from Era. I don’t want Era to hear her questions. I don’t her to think that I kind of like her. I don’t want her to hint at everything I do with malice. 

Even though, I never had a girlfriend before. I never had an attraction towards the opposite s*x. I know something is different now, that I have an attraction toward her. Having no experience with girls makes it hard for me to think of anything that would please her. 

I hope her feet are fine with her stilettos. Because I don’t usually walk after a basketball practice because my muscles became sore. But since, I want to spend more time with her. To know what I should do for her to like me back, I decided to have a long walk with her. 

It’s good to know that she can go with the flow and laugh so hard. It’s good to know that she isn’t what other people think she is. 

I came back from my reality when I saw her lift her face to look at the ceiling. 

So, I gather myself to face mom. “What? No, Mom. Of course not. I told you we are here to practice.” 

“But it’s already in the evening, what if her parents are worried about her?” Her voice is problematic, but I don’t know if it’s because she’s concerned about her, or me. 

I paused for a moment, thinking of something when she spoke again.

“I don’t want you to have a girlfriend, I want you to focus on yourself, is that clear?” She demanded. Her eyes are seriously looking at me. If there’s anything, making my mom angry is the worst decision I’ll ever make. She’s the loveliest person I know but when she’s angry? It’s going to be the end of the world.

I profusely nod towards her. She then whispered okay. 

I don’t know what happened next, or how after that we are suddenly on the balcony watching a dance demonstration on the internet. 

We are sitting beside each other on a very comfortable swing as we replayed a dance video tutorial of Bolero. Honestly, it’s a sweet and intimate dance. The music is solemnly slow, and the hips should appear sensual. That’s what I have concluded after watching a few video demonstrations.

I glance at her when our legs accidentally touch. All of a sudden, I feel an electric shock flowing inside my body. My breathing hitched. I slowly look at her face who’s now watching at my MacBook. I guess she is innocent about what’s happening to me. She doesn’t have any idea how she can affect me. Her eyes are furrowed concentrating on every move of the girl she will impersonate. She then nods while looking at the video like she already memorized every move of the girl. I smiled at her expression. She truly seems assertive. 

It’s the month of December, so obviously the temperature is colder than usual. I feel the cold wind hardly brushes our hair and skin. It’s chilly out here but not too numbing, still tolerable. My eyes traveled to her moving legs, moving with the slow beat of the music. I pressed my lips flatly when I realized she’s not comfortable with her feet, I guess she moves her feet not because of the music. She is wearing nothing but cute pair of socks. Her feet must be so tired. I shook my head for realizing that now. I tried to stand up which makes a creaking sound from the swing we are sitting in. 

Makes it too obvious not to notice my subtle move.

She then gazes at me while still holding the MacBook. 

“Where are you going?” She asked.

“I’ll be right back.” 

I took a slipper from my mini shoe rack. It is in the opposite direction from the corner of where the swing is. But since Mom has her wild plants placed here, it is not apparent that there’s a mini shoe rack at first glance. 

I took a pair of slippers for Era. I know it will not perfectly fit her feet but at least it will somehow ease her discomfort. And I won’t be bothered and guilty of taking her to have a long walk with me. 

I leisurely walk towards her. Looking at her eyes. Until our gazes met. Her eyes seem to question what I am holding as I slowly walk towards her. I saw her squinting her eyes. She then swallowed as she lifts her face to look at me. Now, I’m standing in front of her. She blinked for I don’t know how many times. 

So, I cut our gazes. I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable around me. I don’t want to be her cause of distress. 

I started to feel that weird feeling in my stomach, again. I ruffle my hair to look normal, to hide what I feel right now.

I didn’t say a word at her I just crouch to reach her feet. I gently remove her socks. My sudden touch makes her flinch. Makes me swallowed. Hard. I tried to remain breathing even as my heart started to abnormally function.

I attempted to focus on my goal, which is to fully remove her socks. I did.

On bended knee, I slowly put my slippers in her feet. My hand softly brushes her ankle. I heard her gasp. Maybe she didn’t expect me to let her borrow my slippers. I don’t know what caused her to gasp. But I know for sure that I surprised her. Which is good. For me. 

I like being unexpected.

“Thank you.” She spoke. I only managed to smile at her. 

“Okay, I think we can do the first 5 steps.” She said, the glint of her green eyes shows. The moderate light emphasizes her beautiful pair of eyes. I fake a cough, so I won’t falter when I said OKAY.

“Okay. What should I do, where do we start?” I curiously asked her. 

She stifles a laugh.

“Alright, I got this.” She then stands up, facing me. 

Her eyes are very innocent to look at. 

“First, let’s hold each other’s hands like this.” She holds my hands prompting me to hold hers tightly. I can feel her gaze towards me. But I don’t want to appear affected by her touch.

Her other hand gestured to hold her hips.

“You should hold me like this, okay?” She commanded. Still, I managed to be unaffected. Sure, I can try.

“Like this?” I asked her to move my hands a little bit higher. So I can slowly shifted her body closer to me. I sounded casual, sounded condescending. I can’t help but smirk.

She paused for a moment. So, I hold her hands and move her hips closer to me as I slowly guided her to turn around. The video on the MacBook is still playing. I tried to move my hips, mimicking how she moves hers. After she turns around, her other hand found my cervical spine area, the upper back on my neck. 

Her hands send chills throughout my system. I started to look at her again only to see how green and gratifying her eyes are. 

“You easily got it right.” She whispered sensually. More likely, too sensuously for me. 

“Really.” Slowly, I said. I look at her with a playful grin. Pleasantly, enjoying how our hips are moving. How can this dance be too sweet and too intimate? 

I tucked her strands of curly hair behind her ear. 

She stopped dancing. 

I stopped too. 

Seconds passed, and we are just looking deeply through each other’s eyes. 

If someone sees us staring at each other like what we are doing? Certainly, they will be awkward of us. 

Does she feel awkward about me, though? 

“You look beautiful tonight.” Those words escaped my mouth. I know I shouldn’t. 

She shook her head, but I saw her hiding a sweet smile. “Well, thanks. I think it’s all for now. At least we both agree to that.” She said as she points out the video and music we are going to use for practice.

I nod at her. Moving a little so we can now have our personal spaces. 

“I’ll find you a cab.” I offered. It’s 9 in the evening, criminals are everywhere, but they are more active at night. I don’t want anything to happen to her. Especially not at my sight. 

“No, it’s okay. I already texted my dad.” She said as she shook her head rejected my offer.

“So, he will pick you up here?” I asked. To make sure she’s not bluffing.

I think I saw her blush. Or am I hallucinating as it abruptly fades away? 

“Yeah.” She said it more like a whisper.

Then I heard a roaring engine.

“Dad!”