It Started with a Bet... (Watty Awards 2011)

"Please try to make it home by eleven."

"Have fun. I don't know what your curfew is, but please try to make it home by eleven."

I knock on the master bedroom door tentatively. They give permission to enter, so I open the door.

There's a nice big one-seater sofa occupied by Trevor's mom.

"Haley!" She stands up to embrace me, her eyes revealing her exhaustion. She and Dad got home only a half hour ago, but I woke up early to talk to them before they went to bed. It's 6:30 in the morning.

"I wanted to thank you for the debit card." She smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. I probably should have waited until tonight to talk to them.

"It's nothing really. Trevor explained about that stupid Forget Therapy and how he wanted to help. How could we say no? Besides, I told you before that I wanted to take you shopping, right? I'm just sorry we couldn't give it to you directly. Working in the ER gives you a pretty screwy schedule." I nod and sit down on the floor next to her sofa. She and Dad are out Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until 6 the next morning.

"Dr Thornton didn't use that therapy on anyone else, did he?" I ask. She sighs.

"Forget Therapy was Thornton's PhD thesis research project. You were the only one of his test subjects to actually be cured, so it was never further developed."

"Thank God." She nods. I hear the shower turn off. Must be Dad.

"Um, I'll let you sleep now. Tell Dad I said thanks." I head to the door, then turn around suddenly. "Oh, I have a date with Corey tonight." Mom looked a bit upset.

"Who?"

"Just a guy. It's nothing serious. I don't think we'll last very long." She frowns.

"Do you like him?"

"No." She shuts her eyes and leans back.

"Have fun. I don't know what your curfew is, but please try to make it home by eleven." I nod and leave.

"What are you going to wear?" Clarice asks. She slept over solely for the purpose of getting me ready for the date. It seemed silly to me, considering the date was in the evening, but Clarice had a plan. She said that I'd spent too long not caring how I looked and it was time to get back in the game.

9 am: waxing and a haircut. Waxing is the most painful thing I have ever done in my life. 11 am: spa. 2 pm: lunch. I thought we should invite Trevor along, but Clarice refused, saying he should only see me when the transformation was complete. Who was she trying to set up here, anyway?

3 pm: a makeup lesson with Clarice and her older sister who was training to be a makeup artist. I've honestly never used makeup before. Before high school there really wasn't a reason to. And after Trina's death in the middle of freshman year, I never even thought to get some, let alone wear it. By 5 we were back at Trevor's; fretting over clothes and makeup.

I slip a short-sleeved white V-neck over my head and pull up the floral skirt so the large black band is just beneath my chest. I feel naked. I really want a good pair of jeans, dammit.

Clarice hands me a dangling pink crystal on a gold chain. I look in the mirror. I look amazing.

My brown hair is sleek as opposed to its usual slightly messy self, slight blonde highlights now shine in the light. My skin glows and the mascara makes the blue of my eyes pop. It's unbelievable to think that all this was hiding in me for all these years. I feel amazing.

After at least a dozen pictures, Clarice pretty much drags me out of the room to see Trevor. I feel shy for some reason. We stop by the living room couch, Trevor facing the TV.

"Geez. Why'd it take you all freakin' day to- woah." I look up to see his brown eyes widened in shock. "You look...nice." I feel the blood rush to my cheeks and butterflies take off in my stomach.

"Thanks," I mutter. Clarice takes me next door where we wait in silence for my date to show up. Even if I don't like like Corey, I'm still pretty nervous. The guy is breathtaking.

I hear footsteps at the door and see Trevor peering out his living room window at us. There's an indiscernible look on his face as he sees me open the door.

"You look great," Corey says with a smile. I just smile back.

"You too." He does look amazing. But I don't find myself tongue-tied or anything.

Dinner is nice, I suppose. I don't talk too much, but Corey is his normal charming self. Meanwhile, I keep having the feeling that someone's watching us. All in all, it's pretty stressful.

Then, just as we're leaving the restaurant, I spot someone in a corner. Someone who's been watching us the whole time. I feel nauseous as I walk over, Corey only a few steps behind me.

"Dr. Thornton?" He smiles brilliantly.

"Haley! What a coincidence!" The disgust multiplies and becomes anger.

"Coincidence? I told you yesterday exactly where and when I was going for my date. So don't even try that with me." He can tell I'm angry. He starts to stutter.

"H-h-Haley, let me explain." I slam my fist into the table and bring my face inches from his.

"No. Let me explain. You have overstepped your boundaries as my therapist. Wait, come to think of it, as of yesterday, you aren't my therapist! So where does that leave you, Mr. Thornton? A pedophile perhaps? A stalker?" He looks at me in shock. "Stay the hell out of my private life, doctor." I take Corey's hand and leave. Once were out of the restaurant, he pulls his hand out of mine gently.

"You still see your therapist?"

"Not anymore, the creep." I could explain more, but I don't want to. Half of me wants Corey to break up with me now, the other half needs, maybe even wants, him to stay. Corey just nods. I can feel him distance himself from me mentally.

We stop outside my house. "Thanks for the date, Corey. I guess I'll see you at school." He nods.

"Yeah. It was pretty fun. I'll call you later and we can go out again."

Eh? That wasn't part of the plan.

______________________________________________________________________

So...we didn't quite make it to 100. We got to 89, which is super close! But not 100, unfortunately. But that's okay. We still made it to #27 on the Watty Awards List, which is our best so far! So fantastic job everyone!

Here's a little preview of the next chapter, which'll hopefully be out tomorrow, if I can get as much voting love on this as I did the last chapter.

Chapter 28 preview:
He grabs my hand and drags me out to the car. He refuses to look at me.
***
"Sorry," I mutter.
***
"Do you remember this place?"

I begin to shake.

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