Breathing Brown

Eighteen

Listen to: Alone - Halsey
While reading this chapter
————————————————————————

"So I'll see you tomorrow at school." Ashton winks at me. I smile and nod my head at him as I watch him walk to his black lamborghini parked neatly on my driveway.

I close the door and head to the sunroom. Mom is sitting on the couch and reading something in the newspaper, tea held in her other hand.

"Ashton seems like a really nice young man." Mom speaks up. I glance at her and consider what she says. Maybe.

"Sometimes." I chuckle and take a spot next to her on the couch. My phone starts going off. Like crazy.

Sending someone one or two texts, normal. Calling them once or twice, normal. Texting them 16 times and then attempting to call them, not normal. I answer the phone slightly agitated.

"TAYLOR KENNEDY!" Ella screams so loud through the phone that I actually wince a little bit. I give my mom a look and she chuckles at me.

"What's the freak out about?" I ask. Mom is giving me a confused glare but her grin soon covers it up. I assume she can hear Ella through my phone.

"Okay so I was talking to Justin and tonight he's throwing a pre dinner party thing and then tomorrow he's throwing like an actual party." Ella doesn't even stop to breathe and I can picture her flushed cheeks behind the phone. Although I processed everything Ella said, I still do not fully understand. My silence must speak for my confusion, because Ella elaborates deeper.

"It's just a random party thing. He says he's doing a casual and lowkey dinner party tonight so he can prepare everyone for tomorrow's party, apparently." I roll my eyes.

"Let me ask my mom I guess." I say and I hear Ella shriek in excitement. I wince and pray to the god above that he'll restore my hearing until I'm at least 30.

"Can I go to this pre party thing Justin's hosting tonight? Oh... And then another party hosted by him tomorrow." I give my mom an innocently pleading smile. She dramatically thinks about it before accepting my request.

"Sure honey." She sips at her tea and then goes back to her newspaper.

"YES I HEARD THAT! I'm coming over RIGHT NOW to help you get ready! Be there in ten." And then just like that, she hangs up. I exhale and give my mom a look that says save-me-while-you-can and she just winks at me back.

Ella was most definitely not joking when she said she'd be here in ten minutes. I open my front door to a widespread smiling Ella.

"You ready? We only have about half an hour to get you ready so hurry to your room!" Before she even gives me time to react, she starts pushing me up the stairs and into my room.

"Sit." She demands and points to a seat that goes along with my makeup stand. I obey her orders and watch her pull out a huge bag full of makeup. My eyes widen. Oh boy. What have I gotten myself into? She starts putting this liquid stuff on my face.

"What the hell is this?" I wiggle in my seat a little bit.

"Stay still!" She yells "But it's foundation, you don't really need it since your skin is clear and naturally really glows, but whatever." She dabs it all over my face with this pink sponge that I soon learned is called a Beauty Blender.

"Okay now we need to find you an outfit that way I can match your eyeshadow with it." She says and swings my closet door open. I scoff.

"Good luck finding anything good in there." She looks at me with a raised eyebrow.