Open From Afar

[Oskar Strom]

Oskar had been completely caught off guard by the day's festivities. He had never experienced anything quite like it and wasn't sure what to make of it. The roses, the messages, the friendship, all of it felt so foreign. He had been at this school for over a semester now but still felt very distant from everyone else here. Except for maybe Summer but she probably just felt sorry for him. He had declined her offer to go to the dance since he didn't want to go. He didn't explain that a big reason he didn't want to go was because of his lack of wardrobe. He hadn't thought to pack any nice clothes before he left home and his mother hadn't had a chance to get him something new. Of course he could go in regular clothes. There weren't any rules he was aware of. But the mortification of standing out more than he already did was unbearable. The fact that he felt like he had no choice made the silent dorm room harder to stomach. So he found his way to the courtyard. It was still quiet but he was close enough to hear the party and that was slightly comforting.

 

[Summer Irvine]

Summer had decided. She loved Valentine's day. Even if she was still young and the whole 'love' aspect of the day felt a little out of her reach she had been thoroughly enjoying herself throughout the day. Sure, delivering roses had been far more tiring than she had expected and she had realised that she much preferred receiving them over delivering them, but it had been fun nonetheless. Still, Summer would be lying if she said she wasn't glad her deliveries were over and done with and she could focus on the most important aspect of the day: the dance. She had gone out on a limb and asked Oskar if he wanted to go with her through the rose she had send him but the fact that she hadn't seen him today had made her decide that his answer was probably no. Something she had also decided she wasn't going to be disappointed by. At least not more than a little. If she had really really wanted to go with him she should've just asked him in person and she was confident she would still have plenty of fun on her own. That's what she kept telling herself and yet she couldn't help but to walk straight past the great hall and out of the doors when she thought she caught a glimpse of Oskar heading into the courtyard. "Hey, wait up!" She called out after him, the combination of her dress and the courtyard floor forcing her to walk a little slower.

 

[Oskar Strom]

Oskar had hoped whatever was going on inside would keep everyone busy and he would be able to lurk in the shadows in peace. But when he heard some footsteps heading his way he stood up, not wanting to be caught lurking. He would hate if his attempt at avoiding embarrassment would lead him right to it. When he heard a familiar voice call out he realized he was too slow. Oskar turned to see Summer standing in a truly beautiful dress and for a moment he was too stunned to speak. "I wasn't going anywhere." he lied and sat back down. "What are you doing out here?" he asked simply, not knowing what else to say. "You should be at the party."