The promise. [Short Chapters]

Chapter Fourteen.

I thought it would get easier, spending time near Josh, but it didn't. Not one bit. If anything, every time I saw him, it got more and more awkward as the days and weeks and months went on. The season faded from a cold autumn to a nearly arctic winter, and still every moment I spent around Josh was filled with tension and awkward silences.

I was overjoyed when the term ended and it was finally time for the holidays, meaning I'd be spending three weeks away from school. On top of that, Matt offered the guest bedroom at his house up so I wouldn't have to deal with the nightmare that was Christmas at my grandparents' house. Their only requirement was that I attend their annual Christmas Eve party at their stupidly lavish house, which was where Matt and I stood that very night.

And now, backing up, since I've basically only skimmed over two months, I'm sure there are a billion questions burning in your mind. (Or at least just one or two? Humour me here.) So before you even ask, I'll get it out there: Matt and I were not a couple. Yes, he fancied me, and yes, I did quite like him, but that's as far as we got: just friends. He was simply being my saviour by letting me stay with him. And Josh wasn't (that) upset, for the most part, since Matt's house was almost the direct center between the Franceschi, Helyer, Gedder, Flint, and Miller households, so I still got to hang out with the boys and Ella quite a bit, though Josh and I did kind of avoid each other at all costs, especially since Max had become even more adamant about The Rule upon Ella's breaking off of their little affair. But that's really all the catching up that's necessary, other than Ryan actually being a human being and coming out of the house, and Isabelle being annoying, so...

As I was saying, Matt and I were stood outside of my grandparents' house in the absolute cold, the both of us dumb for only wearing hoodies over our outfits for warmth. I pushed the button for the doorbell for about the thousandth time when my grandmother finally opened the door. She immediately scowled at me, then looked Matt up and down before giving him the same cold look.

"Well, at least you're early enough to change out of that ghastly outfit," she spat, nearly shoving me inside.

I rolled my eyes as I was tugged into the foyer of the house. "Hello to you, too, Grandma."

Matt, ever the gentleman, extended a hand after he followed me in. My grandmother refused the gesture, but still Matt continued on. "Hello, Mrs. Arthur, I'm Matt."

"Well, Lolita," -- I cringed at her use of that name -- "your friend had better be grateful that he appears to be the same size as Cousin Thomas and can borrow some of his clothes."

Once more, my dark brown eyes rolled in their sockets. I grabbed Matt by his wrist and dragged him upstairs with me, to the hall closet where my grandparents usually put the clothes they picked out for parties. I handed Matt a black button-up shirt, slacks, a silver tie, and shoes of my cousin Tom's, hoping they'd fit him. I then dug around until I found the dress in the dry cleaning back marked "Lola". I was silently glad they'd used the right name, but any joy I had ceased when I saw the dress. I grimaced at it. Mossy green and ruffly and downright hideous, doomed to make me look pastier than I already was.

"It's like they want me to look like pond scum," I whined, turning to Matt with the clear garment bag held against my body. "At least you'll look handsome."

At the compliment, I could have sworn I saw Matt blush, but he bowed his head so his dark brown hair fell over his face before I could poke fun at him for it. After a moment, he looked back up at me and grinned. "I think you'll look great, love. You always do."

Now it was my turn to blush. I giggled -- actually fully giggled -- and nudged his shoulder before I showed him to the room he could change in, across the hallway from my designated room. Once I was alone, I flicked the light on and looked around at the room. The walls were bare, other than a large mirror hung from the wall next to the bed. I stripped myself of my own clothes and put on the horrid dress before I eyeballed my reflection in it.