Grey Suit Black Tie

Markers

We emptied out the punch bowl, leaving almost nothing but the ladle, clear and rocking in its shell. I could spot a line of pink huddled into the crease - the one positioned with the tables slightly dented leg that fumbled for the floor.

At the beginning of the night she stood blocking the light from the stage, the color hidden on the gym dance floor, basketball dashes hit with purple, the scuffs of Sunday shoes along free throw lines. By the end, she sat on her heels, her blue dress surrounding the body that grew up from the mess, hands folding in on one another and her eyes staring up. The curls in her hair had started falling and her breaths came out shorter, but I stayed still in my chair, legs back, as if the inches excused the distance I kept.