The Gown (Soon to undergo MAJOR editing)

The Gown- Chapter 1

The Gown- Chapter 1:

My mother was a photographer, who aimed to raise awareness and tell the world the tales of the unfortunate. Her name was Pauline, and she was the damn right kindest person I'd ever met

She died being a good person, and as much as I hate the fact that she's gone, that she can no longer cuddle me to sleep, that she's not there to unify our family, she died the way she wanted to.

It was 6 years ago- when I was 10- that she died in Afghanistan from an incurable and contagious disease, which she had caught from one of the families she had been helping.

Dad doesn't like to talk about her- apart from the fact that he's a selfish bastard- because she made him a better person. Without her, he's nothing, and he knows it.

I think that's why he avoids looking at me: I remind dad of her. I have no idea why people think that, because she looked like a princess, and me... well I don't know what I look like, but definitely not her.

She was stunning and I'm just not. Sure people say that I'm beautiful, but is it because I really am, or is it just sympathetic compliments? Yeah people stop and stare in the streets but my theory is that they're horrified at my unsightliness.

In the taxi, I turned on the inner camera on my new crisp-white iPhone and stared at myself.

My naturally silky chestnut hair was long and swirled at the tips, the sunlight allowing it to glow.

Or was it just oily?

My goldish-olive complexion gave me a sunkissed look and my cheekbones were fairly high (too high?).

Or was the setting of the lighting on my phone making my skin look better than it really is?

The only things I actually liked about myself were my slim, yet curvy-in-all-the-right-places body and my eyes. My eyes were also the only feature I would acknowledge to be exactly the same as mum's.

They were big and cat-like, the iris a silvery colour with flecked with specks of emerald green. To top it off they were protected by thick and long dark curling lashes.

Vanity is one thing I do not condone, however my eyes were truly striking.

The taxi pulled up to our mansion, and as I paid the taxi driver, my eye caught the profile of a guy talking to my older brother in the distance. Curiosity flooded through me, and I hurried up to the two.

"Hey guys,"

I greeted my brother Kenny, and the new guy. He could be considered borderline gorgeous or falling just under to the category of cute. And cute he was, with his soft brown eyes and dark messy blonde hair sticking out from under his Lakers cap.

He looked straight out of a beach clothes store, with his loose t-shirt, board shorts, thongs and shark-tooth necklace.

'Please introduce us, please do' I thought to myself, praying that Kenny wouldn't be a total bum. God must've been happy with me at that moment, because Kenny happily said "Hey Amber, meet Bryan, our new neighbour. Bryan, this is my younger sister Amber and I'm pretty sure she's going to be going to Ivory Prep as well as you tomorrow."

Bryan, who was probably the only stranger who hadn't stared non-stop at me since we arrived a week ago, spoke as though we had known each other forever

"How's it going Amber? Good? Well I just came out to say hi, you know neighbour to neighbour friendliness."

At this moment, Janise joined us, and after another introduction and pleasant chat, Bryan said "Well, Amber, how 'bout I pick you up tomorrow to take you to school. I'm sure we'll be great friends."