Unconditionally

17

Georgia opened her eyes and looked around her trying to work out where she was. Realising she was in her bedroom in halls she put her hand over to her bedside table and grabbed her phone. Before she could even look at it there was a bang on the door. Georgia stood up abruptly and walked over to it, holding her sore head. She squinted at the brightness of the hallway as she opened the door.

"Georgia, this parcel came for you", Daisy, one of her flatmates said as she gave her the large bag, "why are you not ready? It's nearly six and we are meeting for pre-drinks before Bop at half past!"

"Sorry! Tactical nap! I'll be ready for 6, don't worry", Georgia replied bluntly, quickly shutting the door, eyeing the parcel inquisitively.

She put the parcel down on the floor, turned the light on and sat on the end of her bed with her phone. She had no idea what to wear and couldn't remember anything about her day which bothered her. She looked over at her bedside table and looked down at her empty hand. She started to panic and looked through all her drawers, down the side of her bed and in her coat pockets for Kian's ring. After ten minutes she threw everything off her desk in frustration and knelt her head in her arms, sobbing. Her phone started to buzz next to her and she looked over at it, wiping the tears away from her face before answering. "Hi Arabella, sorry I haven't replied to your messages, I have been... napping."

Arabella knew all too well the day's events from her call with Kian but didn't want to let on to Georgia, knowing what Kian had done and that Georgia would have no idea she had bumped into him earlier that day. "That's okay, I know first-hand how tiring lectures are... Anyway, I heard you were going out this evening and was wondering if you wanted help getting ready? I actually dropped something off earlier."

Georgia looked over at the parcel she had put down by the door. "Is it in a paper bag by any chance?"

"Yes! That's it! I know it will fit beautifully. Have a good evening gorgeous girl."

Georgia looked at her phone confused as she realised Arabella had gone and moved her gaze back over to the parcel on the floor. She threw her phone on the bed as she walked over to it, picking it up carefully. She sat on the end of her bed and tore the parcel paper, revealing a sparkling black dress. She held it up in her hands, marvelling at the sparkliness and immediately stripped down to put it on. It made her feel like a fairytale princess from the books she used to read as a child and the anxiety she was feeling slowly started to melt away.

Just as Georgia was putting a headband in her hair Daisy barged into her room with a drink in each hand, "right come on now, it is six thirty-five, you are late!" She stopped as she caught a glimpse of Georgia, "wow, that is a beautiful dress. Put those black heels on", she pointed to the pair of shoes in the corner of her room, "and let's go get your fine ass drunk!"

Georgia laughed and took her heels from the corner of the room and followed Daisy out into the communal kitchen where her other two flatmates had already started their pre-drinks. Georgia had only met her flatmates a couple of times briefly when she had first moved in; she had clicked with Daisy straight away on their first day and was grateful she had some lovely girls to live with. Margot seemed nice but kept herself to herself, she was studying history and always wore a pair of thick green glasses that made her brown eyes stand out. Her hair was cut into a short frizzy bob, and she wore a strange combination of clothes; she had an extraordinarily strong Welsh accent that Georgia sometimes found hard to understand. Daisy was at Winchester studying dance. She had stayed quite local, her parents only living half an hour away in Southampton. She had impeccable taste and her brown eyes were always heavily caked in makeup that made her blonde hair stand out against her orange face. Sorsha was from London and had come to Winchester to study music. She loved singing and was a real catch with curly brown hair and dazzling blue eyes.