When My Heart Stops, I'll Give It To You

(13) Making Sure

When My Heart Stops, I'll Give It To You

Christopher watches Phillip go with scorn on his face.

"Stay away from him, okay?" He says.

"You don't control me." I say, trying to keep my voice firm.

He grabs me by my chin. "Have you forgotton...?"

I shake my head out of his grasp. "How could I?" My voice shakes a bit and I silently curse myself for being caught off guard by him.

He smirks at me. "Just...when you go to school tomorrow, be...ready."

"What do you mean-" Then it hits me. Tomorrow is the betting.

He smiles at my shocked face. "Exactly. Now come on, I'll take you home." He grabs my hand.

I know why Phillip assured me that Christopher wouldn't win me now.

"Don't touch me." I snap, trying to force my hand out of his.

He leans in so close and I feel shocks running through me. He's not even touching me. "It's a little too late for that."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Remember."

I nod and walk away from him, afraid that he was watching me go.

When I get to the door, I finally get the nerve to turn around.

Christopher is gone.

I repeat the lie that he's making me say to my mom over and over in my head.

Mom runs out the door, once I'm turning the knob. We run into each other.

She grabs my face in her hands and scans it quickly. "Are you okay?" She sounds out of breath.

I fake smile. "Of course, mom."

"Where were you?" She asks, though she looks like she already knows.

"I was with a friend from school." I say, the cheesy smile still plastered on my face.

"Oh..." Mom fake smiles too, though it falters a bit. "That's great. Who?"

"His name is Phillip Caspor."

A real smile finds it's way on mom's face. "Really? Do you like him? Is he cute?"

I laugh. Mom didn't look nervous anymore. "Sure."

"Why haven't you asked him over?" Mom says, excited.

"Um...I don't have..time." I lie. Christopher and Phillip are at the bottom of my "Ask Over" list, and that's a lot to say when I have Julia in my life.

Mom's face goes dark. "Oh. So you're too busy spending time with that Carrow boy to like anyone else?"

Dang. I needed to lie. Fast. "No! In fact, I'm hoping that Phillip wins me tomorrow at the betting."

Mom lightens up a bit. "Great! I was just thinking about that." She stares at me, suddenly serious. "We won't let Christopher Carrow win you, okay?"

I nod.

"Now, let's go shopping!" Mom says, smiling at me and grabbing my hand. I wince at the word.

"F-For what?" I ask.

Mom laughs. "You have to look stunning if you want Phillip to bet big money on you, right? Now, come on. You didn't think just jeans and a t-shirt would be fine, did you?"

Actually, that's exactly what I was thinking.

I don't say that if I look beautiful, it would just make Christopher bet more too.

It's all okay, though. It would take alot to fix me up, and mom doesn't have that kind of money.

I get in mom's car and sigh. "Well...you excited?" Mom asks, putting on her seatbelt and starting up the car.

"Ecstatic." I say, trying to make my voice not sound too bland.

"Good! Because I've been saving up!" She pulls out a wad of money. I see at least five hundred dollor bills.

I hate my life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ooooh! We're getting this one!"

Yep, that's it. No, "How you like this one?" or "You'd look beautiful in this". Not my choice at all.

I hate it. It's a low cut, short, red dress. At the bottom, there's ruffels that go around it. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful, just...not me. It will defiantly get me attention, though. It doesn't even seem apporiate for school. I think this is the first time my mom will ever want me to show some skin. She really hates Christopher.

I go in the dressing rooms to try it on. When, I come out, mom gasps.

"Oh my godness. Honey, you look amazing!"

I look at myself in the mirror. I don't look like Nessa.

The girl in the mirror has a dress that hugs every curve and a low cut neckline. When she moves, the ruffles at the bottom bounce around. She looks absoutely beautiful.

I touch my face to see if I'm really there, if the mirror is just another girl. But the mirror copies me.

I furrow my eyebrows. "Thanks."

"We're getting it!" She says, pratically pushing me into the dressing room.

I strip off the dress and put back on my jeans and t-shirt.

I walk out and hand the dress to mom. "It's one hundred-thirty dollors." I mutter.

"And drop-dead gorgeous on you." Mom says, rolling her eyes.

"It's too much-"

"It's worth it." Mom looks worried again.

"Is that all, ma'am?" The cash register girl asks.

"It is." Mom says.

"That'll be one hundred-thirty dollors, ma'am. Cash or card?"

I start to walk away from them to look out the store window. I almost scream when I see Christopher staring at me from outside the store. He was standing in front of the fountain.

I put a hand over my mouth and turn my back on the window.

Please go away, please go away...

I turn around again and he's gone.

"What's wrong, Ness?" Mom asks, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Nothing."

Mom just nods and steers me away from the window and to the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I want you to know that...I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that Christopher doesn't win you." Mom assured me. We were home, and I was about to go to my room when mom said that.

I laugh. "Mom you got me a dress, you made me get a manicure, get a haircut and buy ten pairs of shoes. I think the odds aren't in Christopher's favor."

Mom nods. "I hope so." She says, her voice tiny.

"Thanks." I say, quietly and start up the stairs.

I do too.

~~~~~~~

Writer's Comment: Heres the link to her dress if u want to see it: http://s1137.photobucket.com/albums/n503/alwaysdreamer1198/?action=view&current=NessaCarrow.jpg :) PLEASE COMMENT! Because of Watty Awards, I REALLY need alot of votes and comments.

And PLEASE vote and comment for I'm Yours Book 1:D

Love you guys!

-Bridget