I stare at my laptop screen biting my lip. The time was half seven and she had promised me we would talk now. I remember her last words like it was yesterday, 'It's OK Sophi, I'll message you every night at 7:30.' So where was she? I feel my eyes start to sting and I pinch the bridge of my nose, my knees jiggling under the table.
"It's OK," I whisper to myself, "she probably just forgot. It doesn't matter right?" I shake my head and let out a shaky laugh, I sound crazy. The little blue don't in the corner of her icon still remained grey and I feel my eyes flitting to our last messages. It wasn't fair, life wasn't fair.
"Ugh," I say sliding my chair back and standing up. The window above my desk was open and a cool breeze had picked up, pulling it shut with a loud bang I fall back onto my bed. Silent tears make there way across my cheeks and I blink rapidly. I wasn't allowed to cry, not over this.
Alyssa had been my best friend since we were five, we had grown up together. I knew all her flaws and she knew mine. She had been my only friend since I was 13, I wasn't good at making friends and I was even worse at keeping them but somehow she had stuck. That was until 2 months ago when I found out she was going to a private school in London. I had tried to act like I didn't care, like it didn't matter. Alyssa didn't seem to care either, she had just shrugged and said, "Sophi, we both know that at the end of this year we would of gone separate ways anyway, were not 12 any more Soph." She had a point, but that didn't mean she had the right to just blow off our entire friendship like none of it ever mattered to her in the first place. But she did, she went to the private school and left me behind with a whole lot of empty promises and half a charm bracelet we had given each other when we were 10.
"Sophi?" I quiet voice says from my bedroom door, "everything OK in here honey? I heard something bang." My mum stood by my door, her slight frame clothed in a long faded pink dressing gown. She was carrying a stack of gossip magazines in one hand and Benji our cat in the other. My mum had been through a lot these past years and I couldn't help but admire her strength.
"I'm fine, just the window," I say submissively, barely lifting my head to look at her.
"Oh honey, what's wrong?" Mum asks, dropping Benji on the floor and making her way over to me.
"Nothing Mum, I'm fine. Great even," I say forcing a smile on my face. But Mum just shakes her head, she could see right through me.
"No honey it's not. I'm your mother sweetie, you can tell me anything. Was school OK? You didn't tell me much about school. Why is your head bruised, did someone do this to you?"
"Mum stop!" I say groaning, "I'm fine, school was great. I walked into a door. Happy?" I say, not meeting her eyes.
"You walked into a door?" Mum asks, eyeing me suspiciously.
"Yes. In case you haven't noticed you gave birth to one heck of a clumsy daughter," I snap but Mum just laughs and makes an attempt to ruffle my hair but I dodge her hand.
"Oh honey, I've noticed. But how on Earth did you walk into a door, their relatively obvious don't you think?"
"I don't know," I sigh relieved she had dropped the other subject, "the door just kinda appeared," I shake my head at how stupid I sound.
"OK honey, well I'm going to hit the hay, have to be up at 6 am tomorrow for work. Make sure your up in time for school."
"Will do, night Mum."
"Night, sweet pea."
The next morning my alarm woke me up at seven. Mum had already left for work so the flat was empty. Silently I get dressed and make myself breakfast. The beauty of being a sixth former meant no uniform, but as good as everyone made it sound. It kinda sucked, I hadn't a clue in fashion and I had only been to Top Shop once in my life. My Aunt had taken me there the day after my 16th birthday and had told me to choose anything I liked. Of course I hadn't a clue and she ended up picking most of the stuff out for me. Every so often me and Alyssa would venture into H&M but the crowds and the queues for the changing rooms made me anxious so we never stayed very long there. Putting the final touches on my make-up I step away from the mirror and take in my image. I looked slightly young for someone who was 17 but I didn't mind. I wasn't exactly tall either, I was about 5 ft 4 on a good day. I had the tiniest hands, feat and head, which made my blue eyes look huge. My Mum always said it was a blessing being small, "Well Sophi," she would say, "you will never have a problem with clothes not being in your size." I guess she had a point but that didn't stop me from complaining.
YOU ARE READING
The Right To Sophistication
Teen Fiction"You can't have everything Grace," Finch says slowly looking me dead in the eyes, "and expect what you already have to still be there. Life doesn't work like that." Sophi Grace had nothing and then she had everything, you could almost call her life...
