SKIN & BONES ; C. HARTLEY

PROLOGUE

ONE YEAR AGO

★彡

IT SHOULDN'T have felt like an 'end of the world' situation, but for Matilda Shay, it certainly resembled one.

"Are you seriously still freaking out about this? Close your eyes!" Scolded Jess, the two were hiding in one of the many bathrooms in the Washington's lodge; ever so carefully, she brushed sparkly black eyeshadow onto Matilda's closed eyelids.

Matilda scoffed, folding her arms both in protest and to try and keep herself warm. In an effort to get Chris' attention, Jess had suggested Matilda borrow some of her clothes. The two girls, despite being close, had extremely different tastes when it came to most things, clothes included. Currently, the brunette was in an oversized burgandy sweater, fleeced tights and a short black skirt, made shorter by Jess. "He won't even notice, he didn't even notice when Sam dyed her hair pink for charity. Took him half a day to realise." The girl snickered at the memory.

Outside the bathroom and downstairs were the rest of the group, the party had only started an hour ago but everyone was already getting tipsy, something that the two girls could hear faintly. "Oh god..." Groaned Jess, adding blush to Matilda's cheeks. "I think Chris and Josh are arguing about that film again -- the one with the hot guy?"

Matilda's tongue poked into the inside of her cheek. "Do you know how little that narrows it down?"

"Whatevs... Whatever they're talking about won't matter soon as he sees you." Jess blew out a breath, grabbing a handheld mirror, she put it in front of Matilda. "Open your eyes!"

It wasn't a lot of makeup, but it was more than enough. Her eyeshadow sparkled in the light of the bathroom; Jess had even added black eyeshadow under her eyes. Her cheeks were a rosy red, although she wasn't sure how much of that was due to the cold. To finish, Jess had swiped a glittery gloss onto Matilda's lips.

"I look..."

Jess grinned. "Totally hot?"

"Totally."

A loud bang on the bathroom door caused the girls to yelp.

"Come on get outta there!" It was Mike, words slightly slurred, he knocked the door again. "I needa take a shit!"

Jess grimaced, sticking her tongue out with disgust as she put her makeup away. "Mike, that's so gross." The girls stood and smoothed out their respective skirts.

Upon opening the door, Matilda received an exaggerated wolf whistle from Mike. "Wow, Jess, good job, managed to make the nerd look hot." Though she knew he was joking, she couldn't help but shrink in on herself at his words, was she a nerd? She never saw herself as one, in fact, she was sure Mike was smarter than her.

Hearing this, Jess reached up to Mike and flicked the middle of his forehead, making him gasp, both his hands rushing to where she had flicked him. "She's always been hot."

"Foul play, man!" Mike called out to the girls, who were busy walking back downstairs to the group, giggling and whispering to themselves.

~

DESPITE HOW confident Matilda had felt only hours ago, she still hadn't spoken to Chris, well, she had and still was, but it wasn't about what she wanted it to be. For the past twenty minutes her, Chris, Josh and occasionally Beth, had been playing drinking games.

"Rock, paper, scissors!" Yelled Chris.

Matilda pulled scissors.

Chris pulled scissors.