~ Break From Toronto - PARTYNEXTDOOR ~
❤︎❤︎❤︎
Today is my least favourite day of the year. I hate it! With every bone in my body. "Eloise Prince you better have your bottom down here in ten seconds!" I shout. I've been waiting on her for ten minutes already, we're going to be late.
"Coming!" She shouts back as she runs down the stairs and into the kitchen where I am waiting on her. She walks over to the table in a red and pink dress with hearts printed all over it.
I point to the plastic plate and cup sitting on the table. "Your breakfast, hurry up and eat, We need to get going," I tell her. It's every other Friday today which means my parents are gone.
I groan when the doorbell rings. "Stay, eat." I run over to the front door and open it up.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Ollie shouts as he pulls me into a hug. I grumble pulling out of his hold. He laughs, finding my despair amusing. "I brought you roses." He holds out a bouquet of red roses to me.
I take them and smile. "Thanks, I guess." Ollie usually gets me a small gift every year and goes into a speech about how I am his favourite girl and his valentine.
He snatches a rose from my bouquet. "Sorry, need one for El," he says. "I hope you know you're my valentine." He begins walking through my house and I follow.
"Here we go again," I sigh, mentally preparing myself for the speech.
"Out of all the girls I've been with-"
"You haven't dated anyone. You just hookup with girls," I mutter as we walk into my living room.
"Hush darling. Out of all the girls I know," he rephrases and shoots me a grin. "You're my favourite. You are the only gir-"
"I'm the only girl for you and there is no one else you could ever see yourself if you were to ever decide to settle down in the future. But for now, every valentine's day I will get flowers because I am the love of your future life and girlfriend in a parallel universe. Did I get that all?" I ask as I plop down onto the couch.
He laughs nervously as he scratches the back of his head. "Damn, I really give you the same speech every year?" He asks. I laugh nodding. "Well, it's true. Love of my life, forever." He flops down right next to me on the couch.
"Platonic love," I make clear.
He shrugs. "You're still my soulmate, platonic or not," he assures. I smile.
I hear light footsteps gradually grow. "Harley I'm done! Oh, hi Ollie," Eloise greets.
"Mini Harley! Here, Happy Valentine's Day to my girl." Ollie holds out the red rose to El. She takes it, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
Her smile grows wide. "Thank you," she mumbles. She's always nervous with Ollie. It's even worse with Grey, she always wants to stick by his side but is too shy to talk to him.
"You're welcome, gorgeous. Alright you have daycare and we have school so let's go!" We all get up and head to Ollie's car. The drive to the daycare is quick considering it's a walking distance. The way to school felt even quicker. Kind of wish Valentine's Day fell on a Sunday, would've been so much better.
We walk into the school and first head to Ollie's locker. As soon as he opens it, tons of Valentine's day cards spill out, pooling around his feet. Every year. "Do you have a bag?" He asks me as he begins picking them up.
I shake my head. He begins tossing them all onto the bottom floor of his locker. And there are lots. "What? Not gonna read them, or are you too famous too," I tease. Ollie laughs rolling his eyes as he begins getting his books.
"No, too many." There's definitely more than 50. "I'll take them home and throw them out there," he says.
"Fuck."
I look over my shoulder to see cards falling from Grey's locker to his feet. Possibly even more than Ollie but it's hard to tell.
"Yo, bring that garbage." He tells one of his friends. Two of them carry it over to him and begin helping him throw out the cards. Unlike Ollie, Greyson doesn't care who's feelings he hurts by throwing the cards out right away.
"Harley! Ollie!"
Immediately hearing that voice makes me want to slam my head into the lockers. "I have to get my stuff," I mumble to Ollie before walking off. I don't look back at Evelyn so it seems like I didn't hear her.
I open my locker, four cards fall. This is the first year I've actually received a card. I bend down to pick them up. "Someone's Miss Popular this year." I stand back up only to see Grey.
"Not as much as the West brothers. You guys must be enjoying the gifts from your hookups, girls you play and future wanna be girlfriends," I mutter as I check the name's on the cards.
I open the first one, a song immediately starts playing and I close it shut. I just know this is Ollie's. I toss it in my locker, on the top shelf before opening another. I notice Grey is leaning against the locker next to mine. "Mr. West, how may I help you?" I ask in a monotone voice.
He shrugs. "My hookup, cancelled for tonight. I-"
"No," I answer already knowing where this conversation is leading. "I will not be your hookup for tonight. In fact, I have plans." No I don't, but he doesn't need to know that.
"No you don't Angel. Every Valentine's day Oliver tells you he's your Valentine and then by the end of the night is fucking another girl while you're alone in your room." And he got every single point right. "Let's have fun tonight, my place."
I shake my head and open the cards. Two of them are from football players on Ollie's team. Weird. I opened the last one, it's from Justin. It reads: turn around. I turn back to be faced with a bouquet of flowers and Justin.
A huge smile grows on my face. "Will you be my Valentine tonight and go out to dinner with me tonight?" He asks formally.
My throat dries up as I become tongue tied. I always wanted to go out with Justin. I've liked him for 3 years now. It's kind of embarrassing how I've never been able to tell him. He's the perfect guy. He's athletic and plays on the soccer team, he's also my co-captain of the debate team, he receives perfect grades. "Yes!" I managed to say. I take the flowers just as the bell rings.
"I have class. I'll see you at lunch or third period. Later Harley." He flashes me a smile with his pearly whites before running off.
I turn back around and my smile drops when I see Grey hasn't left. "Well, I told you I have plans for tonight. Guess we can't hangout," I fake a pout. Greyson rolls his eyes before walking off. I head straight to class where Evelyn is waiting for me.
I run straight to her excitedly to tell her the news. "I have a date tonight!" I exclaim in a whisper as I take a seat right next to her. I drop my bag by my feet.
"With who?" She asks. But she doesn't seem excited at all.
"Justin," I say.
She nods slowly. "Oh, cool," she mumbles.
My excitement drops. "What? Ev, I thought you'd be happy for me. I've been wanting this for a long time now," I tell her. She shrugs, not caring one bit.
"I am. Just don't play him. Justin has a good heart," she says as if I didn't already know.
My face scrunches in confusion. "What are you trying to say?" Why would I play Justin if I've been wanting to go out with him for three years now. That does not make any sense, whatsoever.
"Because of Greyson West, you're always hanging out with him now. He's changed you. You don't leave your friend alone to go hangout with him and get arrested," she says. I shake my head, she's wrong.
"Are you really still on that shit Evelyn. I told you it was a mistake. Can I not make a mistake?" I ask. We all make mistakes, I'm human.
She shakes her head. "You don't make mistakes like that. You don't swear either, wear skinny jeans or let your hair down. I don't like the new you," she mumbles. I roll my eyes, running my fingers through my hair. I keep it down a few times a week, so what? It's not a big deal and I'm starting to get comfortable with it. And what does what I wear have to do with my personality.
"I'm done talking with you."
She sighs. "Now you're ending a conversa-"
"For fuck sakes Evelyn, shut the hell up!" Everyone turns around in their seats to look at me. The quiet girl blows up at her friend! Amazing headline. And I notice Greyson standing by the door, late to class as always even if he gets to school on time.
Mr. Jefferson clears his throat. "Miss Prince, maybe you'd like to take a walk?" He suggests. He's right, I need to cool off.
"Yes, thank you Mr. Jefferson." I stand up and walk out of the classroom with my head down trying to avoid the stares.
"Quite a show."
I don't need to turn around to see who it is. "Greyson, leave me alone. I need a break." My breathing becomes heavier as I think about what I just did. I blew up at my best friend. I shouldn't have done that.
I never do that.
I stop walking and turn around. Grey is only a foot and a half away from me. I reach for the hair tie on my wrist and tie my hair up into a ponytail. Grey only seems to roll his eyes at my actions. "She's not your friend. You don't have to listen to her bullshit," he says. He's wrong, Evelyn just wants what is best for me.
I walk past him, heading back to the classroom. "Angel, where are you going?" I stop and whip around facing Greyson.
"Stop calling me Angel! I'm going to apologize to Eveyln and hopefully make it up to her by buying her lunch." Even if I only brought enough lunch money for myself.
I turn back around and walk back to class.
❤︎
Evelyn accepted my apology after I bought her lunch with all my lunch money. Ollie had a football meeting so I didn't get a chance to ask him for a bit of his lunch. He always shares it with me even when I have lunch. We share with each other.
But I went hungry for lunch because Evelyn doesn't share. She shares with Ollie but her excuse has always been 'you won't like it' and thinking she knows me best, I accepted it. But how would she know if she didn't let me try it. I've come to a realization that stuff like this happens to me all the time. And I accept it, too afraid to speak up for myself and stuck with the mindset that everyone knows me best. But they don't, know one does. The truth is...
I don't even know myself best.
As soon as I got home I made myself a huge sandwich. I sat at my desk for the next few hours completing assignments and homework. Even studying knowing I don't have a test any time soon. But my brain is accustomed to this type of after school routine. Even if it is Friday night.
But I have to get ready for my date tonight. I decided on a pastel pink t-shirt dress. Justin never told me whether I should dress fancy or casual. I throw a white cardigan over top and place on my nikes. Yes, running shoes and a dress. I only own one pair of shoes so it's either this, socks or barefoot.
And I'm not sure how Justin would feel if his date came without shoes.
He told me 8 o'clock during lunch. It's 7:50 and I'm waiting for him right now. I sit down on my couch waiting wondering what he's going to do or where we are going to go. Are we going to go to one of his favourite restaurants? Is it fancy? Is it expensive? Is he going to walk me to the door and kiss me goodnight?
I've never been on a date, but I've seen this kind of stuff in movies or read about it in books.
Ten minutes later the doorbell rings. I open the door to see Justin standing in front of me, a box of chocolates in his hands. "For my Valentine," he says, holding them out to me. I silently thank him and place them down.
He holds his hand out for me and I let him walk me towards the car. He seems almost too good to be true.
❤︎
"And he was too good to be true. Ollie, he was everything until he opened his mouth. Once it opened, it didn't close. Sure during school it's fine when we have few conversations about our weekends or the school work. But alone he just went on and on and on about himself," I groan loudly as I shove my face into my pillow.
The date was horrible. I hated every minute of it. Scratch that, the food was good, he was good until he talked. He talked the whole date about himself. His whole life story from birth. He was born a week late, 6 days to be exact at Trent Centre Hospital on the 12th floor in room 1287. There is no reason why I should know that, but Justin loves to talk about him. Seriously, I could write a ten page essay about him. No. A whole book about him.
Ollie's laugh projects through the speaker of my phone. I watch as he shakes his head on the screen through our video call. "Sorry H, I told you dating isn't as cracked up as it appears to be. You should just do what I do." He moves the camera to the side and I see a girl asleep in the bed next to him.
I scrunch up my face and he laughs. He's just like his brother. "I'm good. I'm going to go to sleep now," I think out loud. I'm pretty tired.
"Works for me. Going for round 4." He raises his eyebrows up and down.
"Did not need to know that. Bye Olive," I tease. He rolls his eyes at the little nickname and laughs lightly.
"Goodnight Harley."
I hang up and flop down against my bed.
My first date sucked!