Living with the Boys [Complete]

06. Date Night

Hope's POV

This is something that I am not used to doing, getting ready for a date is something that I have never done. I have casually dated some guys before but I never wanted to let them close enough to my mess to actually grow a relationship with them.

I am only 17 so unlike everyone my age, I don't have much experience in dating; dating good guys at that. I am turning 18 soon and as compared to a couple of months ago when I was dreading my birthday, now I am curious and thinking about what I should plan or even celebrate like a normal teenager.

I am not used to wearing a lot of dresses as I live in jeans and leggings, dresses and skirts do not take a large part of my closet. I know I am going to have to fight not to fidget with the length of the skirt as with me anything above my knees is too short for me; it's either full length or underwear and of course I don't wear that outside. But, even though the dress is long, it's tight so I'm going to have to watch what I eat, if I can eat at all.

I know that it's normal to be nervous on your first date but when you have a history of bad anxiety and depression, nervous takes on a new meaning. I smooth my hands down my dress once again as I look in the mirror and am once again thankful for Lily as she gave me some tips on how to do my makeup and even let me borrow some of hers as I don't have that much, just the basics.

I have no idea if what I'm wearing is too formal as I also don't know what we're doing but I know that Mark is going to make it fun and just being with him should calm me down. It's amazing and so interesting how it just takes that someone to be around you or for you to think of them and calming down is that much easier.

"You look amazing." I hear someone breathe out behind me and I smile as I turn and see Mike leaning against the door, I had forgotten that I was in our room so of course he's going to bump into me.

"Thank you." I reply with a big smile on my face because honestly I felt a little like a kid that's rolling around in their mum's makeup and playing dress up, so it's nice to know that I don't look like a clown and it's nice to be a reassured.

"Do you know where he is taking me, and why I have to be dressed in this fancy dress?" I ask as I look down at the gold floor length gown which is sticking to my body in the best way possible but I know that I don't have much room for food which makes me sad.

My hair is up in a nice bun at the base of my neck so I don't have to deal with curls or straight hair and to be truthful I am so in love with the dress that I want to show if off, so thankful to have found it in the shop on sale for only £35, which I know is amazing for such a beautiful dress but it's not prom season so things are on sale everywhere.

I kept my makeup on the same theme of natural and gold, I didn't see a point of testing my luck with makeup so natural is probably best for now. All in all, I am even willing to say that I feel beautiful and can't wait to see Mark's reaction when he first sees me.

"I don't know where he is taking you but I know its going to be good." He smiles at me as he keeps staring at me, which I am going to take as a good sign that he can't take his eyes off of me; maybe I can do this dress up thing after all.

"Did you just come up here to spy on me before we leave?" I tease him as I grab a green purse that I bought years ago at a sale but as I only used it for prom 2 years ago, it doesn't look worn and is as good as new.

"Of course I had to see you all dressed up. Although, I do have to warn you that dates with me are going to be a lot more casual." He keeps smiling and I'm so happy that I can bounce right here on the spot, some of the normalcy has returned between us or at least things are not as tense and awkward, or it may just be this amazing mood that I am in right now.