"You look just lovely, darling," my mother, Annabelle, grinned.
I was dressed to perfection in an outfit of my mother's selection. The ensemble consisted of a strapless white tea party dress with a flared skirt. The sweet look was paired with white heels, a silver locket, and diamond earring studs. I felt overdressed, but I knew there was no way I could get out of this. Luckily, my graduation gown would be covering the outfit for most of the evening.
"Where's Dad?" I asked.
My mother frowned. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Your father has business in Houston so he can't make it, but he sends his love."
I nodded, trying to ignore the hurt that threatened to infiltrate me. However, my heart was at full capacity for pain and I was unfortunately used to at least one of my parent's absence. I simply nodded, though my mother doesn't notice. Her attention was focused on her flawlessly coifed blond hair in the reflection of her compact mirror.
My mother was the picture perfect image of a gracefully aging Barbie doll. She had blond hair that fell gracefully to her shoulders and smooth, wrinkle-free skin. She had a slim figure that almost rivaled my own and flattering genes she'd passed on to me. The ageless beauty was aided by syringes of botox, hours in the gym with her personal trainer, and thousands of dollars worth of creams and potions. The sheer amount of time my mother dedicated to keeping up appearances had always astounded me, in comparison to the lack of time she dedicated to me. I had to admit that I was both grateful and surprised that she'd found the time to attend my graduation in the midst of her busy socialite lifestyle.
As I followed her out to her car, a white Audi convertible, I couldn't help but feel like I'd end up just like her. The thought was horrible to me. I didn't want to spend my life impressing people with sparkling diamonds and ten thousand dollar dresses, while I ignored my children and failed to develop any meaningful relationships. When my mother announced that she wanted me to meet James Garner, the son of another high ranking socialite, the thought was pressed further into the front of my mind.
And as I pondered the unnerving idea of what my life with James would be like, I couldn't help but think of Alex and how our life would be. I immediately felt like an idiot. Alex didn't want me and today, I'd been doing a good job of not thinking about him. He was a selfish idiotic asshole. Even as I thought the insult, I knew it wasn't true. Alex wasn't selfish. He was caring and compassionate and went out of his way to make sure everyone around him was happy. And he was far from idiotic. Alex was so smart and whenever he began ranting about the universe and stars and physics and space phenomena, I could only smile. I would never care about any of that, but Alex's excitement made the subject bright and enlightening. I could listen to his voice all night, smooth and warm, like sweet honey, floating through the night air. And lastly, Alex wasn't an asshole. He was lovely and I felt all kinds of desperate as I was reminded of just how perfect he was.
I wanted him here with me, not with Jess. I hated her so much. My jealousy was unwarranted, a factor of teenage stupidity and luckless romance I wished I could leave behind. I supposed I just wanted a happy ending with a guy who seemed like a fairy tale. But I was quickly reminded that Alex wasn't a fairy tale; he was a boy with emotional baggage. And I'd been watching too many romantic comedies to be so delusioned by the idea of true never-ending romance.
I was snapped away from my thoughts as my mom parked in the crowded high school lot. The idea that I was graduating was overwhelming and I was left wondering what I was going to do now. I had a summer ahead of me, and a whole year off of school before I made my decisions about university. Most of my friends were heading off to college now, rattling on about their excitement for frat parties and dorms and new people. However, I couldn't find the same excitement.
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Thanks To You || Alex Gaskarth
FanfictionAlex Gaskarth can't seem to keep it together. His girlfriend left him and now, he's watching his life fall apart around him as his anxiety takes over. When everything becomes too much, he goes to visit his aunt in South Carolina. All he needs is a b...