The Beautiful Game

Chapter One - Lou

    Ella let out what could only be described as a hysterical screech and smacked my ass as I walked to the bathroom. Honestly, I hadn't realised Ella liked Marcus so much. From that speech she clearly thought a lot of him and is in desperate need of a wing-woman, with Kate currently staying with her Dad to attend his wedding on Sunday, Ella's usual wing-woman was missing from action.

    I stare at my reflection in the bathroom mirror as I wait for the shower to heat up, it's practically an antique. The skin beneath my eyes is slightly purple due to my lack of sleep recently. From the close shift at the coffee place, to 8am Bio lectures, my sleep has been pretty shitty. My long blonde hair looks lifeless too.

    "Hey Ell?" She pops her head around the corner of the bathroom door, an unlit cigarette in one hand and lighter in the other. Ella only smokes when she's nervous or drunk; and she's definitely not drunk yet. "Do I have time to wash my hair or is it starting soon?" Ella scoffs and puts the cigarette into her other hand and uses her now free hand to squeeze my cheek.

      "Darling, Frat parties only start at around midnight. You can shit, shower, shave and we'll still have time to pregame." She laughs at my shocked stare and gives me a final pat on the cheek before sashaying away in her tight black minidress.

     I take my time in the shower, scrubbing my scalp and deep conditioning my hair. I shave my armpits and my legs but stop there; I've had regular Hollywood waxes since I was younger due to my competitive swimming and I'd just continued keeping my appointments despite quitting. Oh god, why was I even thinking this? Nothing was going to happen tonight that would require my vagina to be ready for any kind of action. The only action it had ever encountered was from myself, and even then it was clumsy. I was walking around with my V card well and truly still intact. Honestly, I'd never even met anyone I had wanted to give it to, and now I was too busy to even bother getting close. I mean, what was the point? I'll continue killing myself to get into Med school, then more chaotic years will ensue, working 100 hours + a week. I'll probably die a virgin.

     I blow dry my hair into sleek Hollywood waves, earning a wolf whistle from Ella when she sweeps into the room with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

      "Hottie alert!" I roll my eyes at her and take the glass, still only dressed in a towel, and makeup free. "Want me to do your makeup?" I loosen a sigh of relief at her offer; I'm useless with makeup, usually choosing to go without.

     We stay in my room over the next hour, dancing along to Ariana's newest album, my makeup complete and we're gradually getting drunker and drunker. We've polished off two bottles of wine and some cheap tequila shots between us and it's now 11:30pm, and I'm still sporting my blue towel and my last clean pair of panties due to an overdue laundry basket. Ella's fighting with the strap on her huge stripper heels whilst I stand staring into my pitiful wardrobe. Ella must have won the fight with her shoes because she stumbles over to my side.

      "You and my dad have similar wardrobes." She steps forwards to run her hand down the rugby jerseys. "Why must you insist on wearing such huge baggy clothes!"

     "Some of them actually were my Dad's." I say quietly and walk back to the desk, taking a gulp of my wine.

     "Oh Lou, I- I didn't- Sorry." She looks at me through her glassy eyes, revealing her drunkenness, mine are likely exactly the same.

     "Ella, it's fine." I give her a small smile, reassuring her. My dad died from pancreatic cancer two years ago, the hot burning flames of grief were still as strong and wild as ever deep in my chest, but I'd gotten better at the lies, hiding how I really felt. I'd learned how to reassure others, quickly learning that people weren't comfortable around grieving people. "You're right, I don't have anything to wear."