After leaving the dressmaker's shop, Alicia said she wanted to go to see Mauve.
They seemed pretty close the last time we bumped into her and I was sure Alicia just wanted to talk about what Victoria had told her.
I knew I was in no position to stop her so I just went home. Mum had gone to work and I was home alone.
I felt very lonely and I began overthinking. I did not want to slip into extreme sadness so I texted Lily.
Lily was my closest friend and the only person mum allowed me to spend a lot of time with.
When we were little, we played dress up all the time. There were tons of sleepovers either at my house or hers.
Her mum usually got me presents on my birthday and I even went with her family on vacation abroad once.
It was a huge struggle to get mum to allow me go but after promising to bring home souvenirs and be on my best behavior, she let me.
Lily was over at mine in no time because she lived only a few blocks away. It had been a while since I saw her.
Our school moved our prom to sometime in the middle of our holiday so there was really no way to see her unless I texted or she did but I had been busy so she had not crossed my mind.
Lily looked sick. I was worried for her but she kept telling me she was fine.
Her skin was very pale and she had lost a significant amount of weight. Her hair was very short and her fingernails appeared whitish.
She did not let me hug her for too long and anytime I looked at her, she complained that I was staring.
I asked if she was fine and she kept saying she was so I decided not to push it.
We talked about anything and everything. I realized I missed my friend so much.
We had not spent time together like that in forever. She cracked the silliest jokes and for a moment there, all my problems seemed to fade away.
It felt as though a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders and I just wanted to remain where I was with Lily for as long as I could or until we grew tired of eachother.
After about two hours, she left.
She told me about an appointment she did not want to miss and that she was going to be seeing me on prom night.
I was not satisfied, I knew something was wrong but I did not want to get her irritated so I dropped the issue. She would let me know when she felt comfortable.
Staying alone at home was not a new thing. It happened all the time but that period was bad for me.
I really did not want to be alone because I did not want to think too much. I decided to listen to songs and dance.
After a while, I went to the local park to get air and clear my head. I was starting to worry about Alicia because she had not called or texted but I knew better than to disturb her.
The park was empty save for some children that were playing at the swing.
The air was very clear and the sun was hot. I sat at a bench and plugged in my headphones.
The atmosphere was very calming and I just wanted to stay there till the sunset.
Right in the middle of my relaxation, I felt someone grip my shoulder and I looked up.
My eyes met a strange face. It was a smooth face with beautiful wide eyes.
There was a grin on this face and it looked like this person knew me.
I felt my heart beat fast in my chest and everything around me became a blur.
I could not hear the song I was listening to anymore, I was being hypnotized by this face that had the most perfect jawline I had ever seen.
We kept eye contact for what felt like forever and he cleared his throat.
'Hi.' His voice was even more beautiful than his face.
I stood up, not breaking eye contact and I waved. He chuckled. He was probably accustomed to the way I acted.
By the time I realized who was standing in front of me, it was too late to run.
'You come to the park?' His voice traveled to my ears and I shook.
He reached for my hand and squeezed it.
This was my prom date, the guy I spent most of my high school time stalking.
George Daniels was in the same space as me with none of his basketball team mates in sight.
'Uh, so- sometimes, I guess.' I stuttered.
Was I dreaming?
Why was the man of my dreams standing in front of me and holding my hand?
'My mum made me bring Gerald, my brother, here. You met him once. You remember?' He was looking into my eyes.
It felt as though he was teasing me. He knew how worked up I got every time he was around me but it felt like he enjoyed seeing me that way.
I had met Gerald once before. He was in a relay race and had some injury.
George took him to the Red Cross where I volunteered and helped me with Gerald. I was happy to help George in any way possible.
'Yeah.' I gently retrieved my hand. I was not mentally ready to speak with George.
I didn't want him seeing me in my state of confusion but he seemed to be having the time of his life.
'I'll see you at prom, your hair looks beautiful by the way.' He looked me over for a split second and walked away.
He was looking forward to seeing me at prom?
'I'll see you at prom, your hair looks beautiful by the way.' He looked me over for a split second and walked away.
He was looking forward to seeing me at prom?
Nothing about Nate or Alicia or Lily or Mum crossed my mind when I spoke with George.
All I could think about was how one person could look so beautiful and so handsome at the same time.