Blooming Penelope Featherington

Over you.

"The more people you let into your life, the more that can just walk right out." – Jenny Han.

Penelope got to her room and collapsed on the bed. Eloise and Daphne were rushing about after her, they got her tea, biscuits, toast, whatever she needed. She got under the covers and barely spoke a word.

"Penelope, I'm sorry, what a dick, I really didn't think this would happen."

Eloise approached the bed and tried to comfort her. Penelope knew she was lying, she could tell when Eloise was lying, she done this thing with her eyes. Penelope wasn't surprised, Eloise always hated Fife, he wasn't a great guy when they were younger. Eloise positioned herself on the side of the bed next to Penelope and placed her hand on Penelope's side.

"It's ok El. I really should have known better, I'm more embarrassed than anything."

Penelope said as she watched her friend scowl at her comments. "You should NOT be embarrassed. He should be embarrassed for losing such an amazing catch. What on earth was he doing? What a fucking idiot."

Eloise snapped while raising her hands in every direction, Penelope could tell her animated movements were fuelled with rage. Eloise was just angry for her best friend; it was nice that she was so protective. She loved that about her.

Daphne stood at the end of the bed and leaned against the canopy beam. "It's Fife, Eloise. As much I wanted to see him treat our Penelope right, you know what the boy is like. He can't keep it in his pants."

She looked at Penelope and gasped, "Fuck, Sorry Pen, that just slipped out."

Daphne apologised but Penelope knew she was right. Deep down that's probably why she agreed to keep their meetings and budding romance a secret. She deep down knew something like this would eventually happen. She sat up in the bed and wiped her face, "Right I'm not crying over that idiot. Fuck him. Let's go out tonight."

Eloise and Daphne watched Penelope completely change. She had gained some type of confidence in a matter of minutes. Penelope knew she wasn't crying because she loved Fife. She was confused just to why she was upset. She considered on the car journey with Colin that it was just an amalgamation of seeing Colin again, the fight, and the overall embarrassment. He was the first type of relationship she ever considered getting into, and it had only been around two months that they had been seeing each other. She was just that glad that she never actually slept with him.

Could you imagine? That would have been way worse.

So she perked herself off the bed and wanted a plan of action. She wanted to enjoy the summer with her friends and not be in bed crying over some boy that really had no relevance for her future. She had so much to look forward too, and she didn't want to waste one more minute feeling inadequate.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes."

The girls all smiled in unison, and Daphne ran out shouting alerting the troops that we were all heading into town tonight. Penelope picked herself out the bed, she reassured Eloise she'd be alright. She was just going to get a shower and then she'd be straight down for breakfast. Eloise felt uneasy about leaving her friend alone, but she knew that she'd get through it. Penelope squeezed Eloise's hand and told her not to worry. As Eloise shut the door, Penelope lay there for a just a minute in her thoughts.

Then it clicked.

I kissed Colin Bridgerton.

She had forgot about the earth-shattering kiss she had on his lap, in his car, outside a church no less. She shook her head and tried to wrap her head around it. She chalked it down to emotions, they were high after all, and the tension was probably just from the surprise. She wanted to get back at Fife and well kissing Colin seemed like the perfect revenge.