Breaking Hope (Finding Sky edit)

Chapter 17 - Part 1

A/N: Hello! I'm sorry  but this chapter has to be in two parts. Basically what happens is I write every chapter in Microsoft Word, then proof read it by emailing it to my phone, edit it on there, and send it back. But because of that, it doesn't have a word limit and nor am I really aware of how many words there actually are. I'm currently writing this when this chapter (originally intended to be only one chapter) is on nearly 8,000 words. That's a few too many for one chapter, I think we can safely agree that's a few too many, so I might do it in two or three parts. Also, this will be deleted when the chapters been up for a day or two.

I would also like to dedicate this chapter (and this whole book, really) to my best friend Lauren who had been accepted into Winchester university to study English Literature. I knew you could do it! 

Early the next morning, Maria rudely woke me up by loudly knocking on my door. I jumped awake, startled out of my nightmares, and looked at the small travel clock I had selectively placed on my bedside cabinet. I had not shopped for room furniture since arriving here, procrastinating my weekend'.s away. I probably should have done something productive. Eh, I'll do it eventually. I waited for my eyes to focus and just managed to work out the time displayed on the clock. 6:38am. Are you kidding? Why am I awake this early? Maria opened my door slightly, looking in. Even Maria was still in her night clothes, hair all over the place.

'Hope, you still asleep?' She whispered loudly.

'Not any more, the knocking woke me up.' I croaked. I am such a delight for early morning conversations. Pulling the duvet back over my body where I had kicked it off in the night, I looked over at the door again. Maria just stood in the doorway, looking at me wearing that slightly disappointed face that means I have done something she didn't approve of. 

'What's up?' I simply asked.

'We need to go dress shopping.' She simply said. I groaned. I watched her from my fortress of pillows, duvets and blankets and toys as she strutted over to the wardrobe, opening it dramatically causing a sheet of dust to fly off. I also spent my weekend procrastinating cleaning. 'Where are your dresses?' Maria asked, turning back around. I gestured to the side of the wardrobe that I kept (or rather, hid) the dresses I had worn to other family events. The long sleeved short hemmed blue dress I wore for my Aunt and Uncle's wedding. The small black skater dress I wore to my grandparent's 50th anniversary, and the other small black dress I wore to my cousin's graduation. I hadn't so much as looked at those dresses since. But it had just occurred the family I might not see for quite a while now we lived in another continent. I wouldn't go to my other cousin's graduation this summer as I would still be in school, and I felt swamped with guilt. When I was adopted, all my cousins were so nice and kind to me, and I just sat on my own for the first few years until I managed to forcefully accept that they considered me as family, compared to some homeless girl their Aunt and Uncle was babysitting.

'Yeah – nothing in here will do. Some of the girls who are going will be able to pull off short dresses, but we need to get you something good.'

'No shops are even open this time in the morning.' I murmured, picking up the fact that she was hinting to go dress shopping

'You're right, but it's an hour drive to Aspen after we get ready.' She said, and I immediately rolled my eyes. 'Well, you can't go in jeans tonight!'

I rolled back over in bed, pulling the duvet even tighter. The last thing I ever wanted to do was dress shop especially on an inset day. I honestly just wanted a lay in bed until the opening tonight, but I knew Maria wouldn't let me. It was either dress shopping now, or heading over to the art's centre to make all the finger food for the buffet.