Peyton's Point of View
Miles holds the compact mirror up to the fluorescent lights of the shop, Betsy's Beauty Boutique.
"What is it?"
He opens it up, and on one half of the compact there are bristles of a brush. The other half is a mirror. He pulls me close and runs it through my hair, fascinated.
Miles stares at himself in the mirror for a while, and I roll my eyes. His smile lights up his whole face, "I'm going to buy it!"
"Why would you buy that?"
"It's a mirror and a brush," he says in awe.
I laugh as the cashier gives him a concerned look, but ends up dropping the brush/mirror in a little pink bag for him. I grab his hand and drag him out of the store in a hurry.
"This is why I love America! We have the best technology," he smiles. I turn around and shake his shoulders.
"It's just a little compact, Miles." There was no changing his mind about the beauty of it, though. He kept on closing and opening it in the next few shops we walked in and out of.
When we go into the shoe store he becomes distracted all over again, this time with the shoes.
He holds out a pair of five inch high heels, "How can anyone possibly walk in these?"
I shake my head, "I have no clue."
"Try them on," he insists.
"No way!"
"Please," he pouts.
I frown, but put them on just to humor him. They were just strappy nude heels, and even standing still I almost stumbled over.
Then Miles looks at the price tag and notices they're on sale for seventy-five percent off, and cost five dollars.
"We need to get them," he decides.
"Miles, do you ever go out?"
"Not often," he admits.
"Probably because you feel the urge to buy everything insight. I can't even walk in these!"
"Then I'll carry you," he grins.
"That's crazy," I giggle. He mistakes my laughter for weakness and carries the box to the cash register. I try to chase after him and tell him not to, but I forget the shoes are still on my feet. I have to awkwardly catch myself on the edge of shelf of shoes.
By the time I start to take them off he's back by my side, receipt in hand.
"Please tell me you didn't," I groan.
"If you take those off I will tickle your stomach right here."
"No, you won't," I challenge.
"Try me," he says, crouching down. "Hop on my back."
"You're lucky you're charming."
He carries me out of the store, laughing. "That's what my mom says."
He carries be down the sidewalk, past the tiny shops on the small town street.
"Where are we going?"
"Dinner," he responds.
"I can't believe we're doing this," I whisper into his ear. Then he loosens his grip on my leg for a second, pretending to let me go.
I start laughing at how ridiculous this is. I can see the restaurant coming up, a couple of those kind of girls standing outside.
They're smoking cigarettes and their shorts are just a little bit too short for this kind of rainy weather. At the door, Miles lets me downs and gives me his arm to hang on to. We're about to walk in when I notice a familiar head of blonde curls.
"Brianna?"
Her head snaps around, and she looks dramatically different then the Brianna I see at school and every weekend at our movie marathon sleepovers.
"What are you wearing? Are you smoking?"
Brianna's smiles falls right off of her face, "Peyton? What are you doing here?"
"What the fuck, Brianna? You don't smoke," I say stupidly.
"I didn't," she corrects.
The petite black-haired girl beside her chirps, "Last night she was at the bar with Edgar and he was laughing at her because she couldn't smoke a cigarette without coughing up a lung."
"A bar? You told me you were going to pottery class," I say slowly, dumbfounded.
"I knew you would overreact! Like you are now!"
"I'm not overreacting! You're doing all of this just to look cool in front of Edgar? Jesus Christ, I thought you were better than that."
"Oh, come on. You and Miles? I know you think I'm an idiot, but I'd have to be extremely dense not to notice the way you've been drooling all over Seth since freshman year. You're no better than me."
Bri had never talked to me like this, she was sweet, innocent Bri. The Bri who shipped beauty and the beast harder than any real couple.
I start blushing, hoping Miles wasn't believing anything she was saying. "There's nothing going on between Seth and I, and I've never thought you were stupid. You're really acting like it right now, though."
Then I take a deep breath, remembering all of the times I had thought Bri was slightly childish. I know how much this dumb relationship means to her.
I lower my voice, "I'm really sorry, Bri. I never meant for you to feel like that. Edgar is being an idiot if he's making fun of you. God, he doesn't even deserve a girl like you."
My apology doesn't even phase her, "Whatever, Peyton. I'm done being the stupid, dingy one."
I turn away, and it feels like she'd hit me. It felt almost as awful as the day Seth walked out of my life. I turn to MIles, and he leads me into the restaurant. Even if I hadn't been wearing these shoes I definitely still would have been just as dizzy.
"I'm sorry, Peyton," he whispers, squeezing my hand.
"I-I don't understand what I did," I say.
"Oh, Peyton, you didn't do anything. You told me all she's ever wanted was a nice relationship, something you've never really thought about. Now you're in a relationship, and she's mixed up with Edgar, who's actually an asshole."
"We were totally fine, best friends," I tell him, still shocked.
He pushes a piece of my hair out of my eyes, "People do crazy things for love."
