A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! Hope you enjoy! Should be wrapping up in maybe the next five (if I'm lucky) chapters!
Analise to the left and Angel to the right!
•••
Waking up never felt so annoying.
After thirty minutes of resisting getting out of bed, I finally did to find myself on the verge of being late. So, I'd thrown on some clothes, stuffed a piece of toast in my mouth, and jumped into Rhonda before Liam ditched me at the mansion.
We arrived just as the first bell rang and I took off towards English. Mrs. Elrod generally doesn't care, but I don't want to catch her on a bad day and cause her to write me up. I swing by my locker on the way and snatch up my literature book before resuming my sprint through the hallways.
I throw myself into the room right when the late bell rings, but the teacher doesn't seem to notice; she's too busy speaking with a computer tech guy. I slide into the nearest available seat and begin the warm-up on Lord of the Flies. I glance around and see that Ian has been here a while, due to papers and work splattered all over his desk with the book flopped open in his lap. Maybe I should just ask him to wake me up in the mornings. And have him find you sleeping with his brother? Yeah. That's a great plan Analise.
The sound of the door shutting breaks me out of my reverie and I look over to see my hot, and very wet, boyfriend entering the room. Mrs. Elrod doesn't pay any attention to him either as he takes the seat in front of me. "Is it raining?" I slightly giggle, and he glares at me, "No. Not even a drop from the sky. Some crazy chick sprayed me with a hose." I can hear the sarcasm in his voice and roll my eyes.
"You might want to dry off. You're dripping onto the floor." I smile and rub the wet collar of his shirt between my fingers. "Just another thing to do to annoy the janitors," He shrugs, and then turns to do the warm-up as well. He occasionally peeks back to ask me about the book, since he hasn't read a word of it. Surprisingly, I've finished the whole thing. Reading is actually very therapeutic... for me, at least. When Mrs. Elrod finally begins to teach, I take extra notes. Yes, I have a 101 in English, but better safe than sorry, right?
After first period, I move onto Latin II, which is still easy, then onto Calculus aide. I study Physics and art history whilst Coach Watts drones on about secants or something. Then arrives Econ, which is most likely one of the easiest classes I have. Next is Physics, which is graciously interrupted by the resounding lunch bell. I almost run from the room out of glee, thankful to not have to face anymore notes for now.
At lunch, I find Vanessa, Tiffany, and Jenna all pouring over a binder stuffed with pages, swatches, and floor plans. This can only mean one thing-
Prom.
"Planning for prom?" I raise my eyebrows and drop my lunchbox onto the table. All of their blond heads shoot up in surprise at being interrupted. "Yeah. We didn't know if we should wait for you since you don't seem so into it," Tiffany says and I shrug, "Well, I'm definitely going." Vanessa squeals and claps her hands, then spins the book around to face me. "Which theme should we go with? 'Arabian Nights' or 'Enchanted to meet you'?"
My eyes skim over both floor plans before I ask, "What was the theme last year?" "Princesses," Jenna answers and I tap the first option, "Then 'Arabian Nights.' You don't want it to be princess-y every year." "That's exactly what I was thinking! Have you found a dress?" A dress? Of course not. I haven't really had time to focus on buying a dress.
"Nah," I open my water bottle and take a long swig of the crisp liquid. "Me neither! We should all go on Saturday!" Vanessa shrieks. "I'll have to check with Jake first, but I'm sure he'll be cool with it!" Tiffany states "What, does he need to let you off your leash so you can do your business?" I sneer; angry that she allows him to constantly tell her where and when she can come and go.
She seems hurt by my sentiment, and I quickly cover my faux pas with a jolt of laughter, "Kidding!" I chime and the other three slowly join in. Tiffany claps a hand to her chest, face still red from where I'd insulted her, "Oh my gosh, I thought you were being serious!" "I'd never!" I pat her other hand that's resting on the table.
I meet eyes with Jenna, who seems to be the only one that knows I was serious. She shakes her head at me, but her attention is diverted by Vanessa, who points out a picture of a shimmering dress. "I want to wear gold," Vanessa spills, which causes Tiffany to spout, "I'm thinking orange of some sort." "Maybe a purple," Adds Jenna. All look to me for my idea, and I speak the first color that comes to mind, "Red?" Vanessa gasps and fans herself, "That is the perfect color with your skin tone! I'm so glad we're doing this together!" "Me too. I'm just happy for some normalcy. My senior year hasn't exactly been the greatest," I state with a nonchalant wave of my hand.
"Oh, Ana!" Jenna rubs my arm soothingly, as do the other girls. "It's fine, really. I'm just glad to have made some friends. I can't always just rely on Liam." "We're glad you're our friend! 'The Preps' just wouldn't be the same without you!" "Right, because I'm the D.U.F.F. of the group," I spout jokingly and Vanessa slaps my hand, "No you're not! You're gorgeous!" "Thanks," I smile at her and then pull the thick binder of prom planning towards myself. "Now, let's see what we have here?"
•••
"Hmm, I don't know, Jen. What about the blue one? Did you like that one better?" Vanessa questions as she rotates around full length mirrors plastered in front of her. Jenna scoffs and adjusts the straps of her own purple dress, "The gold looks gorgeous on you, Nessa." "How do I look?" Tiffany pops out of the dressing room in an orange mermaid dress that spills luxuriously onto the hardwood flooring. "Oh my gosh! I love it!" Vanessa spews happily. "Found anything yet, Ana?" Jenna calls to me as I shuffle through the clothes racks. "Not really."
I'm depressed. As soon as we walked into the store, the other three spotted their 'dream dresses,' whilst I've found zilch. "How much is our budget for dresses, again?" Vanessa asks as she smoothes out the shimmering skirt of her dress. I snatch up the Prom binder seated on a nearby chair and flip to the Finance section. I skim down to Dresses and call out the price to her, "Twenty-hundred."
"So five-hundred each," Jenna remarks. "Thanks for that mental math," Tiffany murmurs under her breath as she tries to get the dress to cling to her just right. Jenna sends her a glare but turns around to face me once again. "Mine is four-hundred." "Five-hundred here." "And three-hundred here." "Zero here-for now," I add. "So that leaves around eight-hundred left. So, Ana, if your dress is super expensive, the budget will catch your fall." "If I can find one," I murmur, drop the binder on the chair, and then stalk back out into the store.
I mosey into the more expensive section, knowing that Cher will cover it if I go over-budget. I start to finger through the different designs and find absolutely nothing red. I sigh, decide that it's hopeless, then spin around towards the back of the store. Bam. There it is. It's like a light from heaven is shining down and illuminating it. The red dress on display has a semi-plunged, sweetheart neckline and a subtle mermaid tail with waves of fabric hanging from it.
It's made from what seems to be a silk, and looks as if it would cling perfectly to my body. After realizing that I've been standing there with my mouth open, I call out to a worker, "How much is this one?" I point, still in awe, at the wondrous sight before me. "Six-hundred. You interested?" I nod in response. "I'll put it into one of the dressing rooms for you." I patiently wait for her to gather the dress and then follow her to a nearby changing room.
It takes me a while to even get over the appearance of the dress before I even attempt to try it on. I reach out and graze it with my fingertips, expecting to be burned by its beauty. When I'm not scalded, I hurriedly pull off my clothes and squeeze myself into the form-fitting, silky fabric. I flip my hair from the ponytail it was thrown into and spread out the curls onto my shoulders. With a final exhale, I exit the small cubicle to face the 360 mirror waiting for me outside. The saleswoman is still there, awaiting my arrival, and gapes when she sees me. "If you don't mind me saying, you look absolutely stunning!"
I blush at her comment and allow my eyes to trail to the lit mirrors, where I see myself gasp and clasp my hands to my mouth. I look... gorgeous. "Thanks," I mutter, still in shock that a garment could make me look so good. "It's one of a kind. That's the only one we have in stock. Since the price was too high, we lowered it down a couple hundred in hopes that someone would buy it for Prom... Would you like me to ring you up now?" "One moment," I answer, step out of the 360 mirror, and then make my way across the store to where my friends are. I softly clasp the semi-tight skirt to keep it from slipping under my feet.
"...So I was all like, are you going to ask me to prom or not? And he was all like, 'You misunderstand. I no like girls,' and blah, blah, blah. It looks like I'm going to be going to Prom with Aston, which isn't too bad, I guess. He's cute and pretty compliant with my wishes..." Vanessa's voice trails off as I enter into the section they're sitting. All eyes are on me, all expressions of awe and wonder as they regard me. "Oh. My. God." "I'm so jealous!" "You look beautiful, Ana!" "Thank you!" I twirl around and flip my hair behind my shoulder. "How much?" "Only six!" Vanessa squeals and claps her hands, "That means we'll have leftover money for other expenses! Good work girls! Ana, you go get changed. The rest of us will be at the register!"
I smile as I watch them go, look at myself one last time, then pad back over to the changing room I'd came from. I sit down on a chaise lounge outside of the door and decide to call Liam. The phone rings twice before he picks up, "Hello?" "Hey," I pipe in. "What's up?" "Well, I'm just sitting in this beautiful dress, thinking about you, and prom, and the future." "What about this future?"
"You know. Prom, graduation, college, marriage." "Marriage? Who said I want to marry you?" He teasingly replies. "I just did," I state a matter-of-factly. He chuckles, then continues, "Send me pictures?" "Nope. Surprise," I monotone and he groans, "But I want to see it now." "Too bad." "I'll change your mind," He speaks with sexual innuendo.
"Likely story. I need to get back to my friends before they think I've been kidnapped...again." "It's sad that it's always an 'again.'" I sigh, "Yeah, it is." "I love you." "I love you too, LiLi." He growls slightly before I hang up on him and almost start to change-almost. A voice stops me, however, "You do look beautiful."
I spin around to see Angel standing there, adorning a purple ombré prom dress with her hair styled up into a tight French braid. "Thank you," I look her up and down for a moment and my voice grows quieter, "As do you." I begin to simply shut the door in her face, but she stops me, again, "I know you don't like me very much, Analise." "What makes you think that?" I question with my back turned so she won't see the scowl on my face.
"And I know why," She completely ignores my previous question. "It's because you think I'm a threat to your relationship." I swallow the hard lump that has formed in my throat and then face her once more. I force a tight smile onto my face and come up with an excuse, "I have to get changed. I can give you a tour of school on Monday, if you'd like-" "You have every right to be threatened. I do love Liam."
My heart drops as she says this. No. No. No. No. "But, I'm not one of those girls who break up relationships just because they feel a small thing for someone." "Love isn't a small thing," I murmur and her eyes meet mine, the sincerity of her words coming out through her gaze.
"No, it's not. Anyways, my point is that you shouldn't be too afraid. I would never push out someone else's happiness for my own. That's one thing I learned while at Wilder's-to always be kind, because you never know what someone is going through." "So what? You'll just swoop in when we're done? Like a vulture?" I cannot stop the cascade of words that tumble from my mouth.
"Pardon me that was rude." "It's quite alright, Analise. I understand. If Liam wants to get together after you two break up, then I'll comply. However, if he doesn't then that's okay too." "How are you so sure we'll break up?" "I'm not. It's simply hypothetical." "We won't," I quickly add. "We already have everything planned."
"So did we," She interjects and a dreamy gaze overcomes her face. "We were going to live in a two-story house on a hill with three kids: two boys and one girl. The boys would be named Evan and Brooks and the girl would be Alissa. The boys would have my eyes and Alissa would have his, and we'd be the happiest family ever." It seems that I've gone mute through her whole speech. They planned a family together? "So you see, Ana. Plans can change. Things happen and don't go according to what we originally thought up." She turns and walks away, leaving me standing, befuddled and stricken, in the changing room with the door wide open.
What just happened?
"Ana! You aren't even changed yet! We still have to hit the Jeweler's for accessories!" Vanessa whines after popping out of nowhere. "Uh-yeah-sorry. One second," I shut the door and robotically change back into my lazy jeans and sweatshirt. I twirl my hair back in to a ponytail and gather the silky fabric in my hands. I exit towards the register, hand over the dress, and charge it to my card while the assistant wraps it up in plastic. She smiles at me as she hands over the neatly packaged and safe garment, "Have a nice day."
•••
Sitting for too long always leaves an odd feeling. Your limbs fall asleep, butt becomes numb, and you end up tilting your head different ways, trying to get comfortable. Sometimes, you sit for pleasure but end up deciding that it isn't too pleasurable after all. Other times, you sit to think, which also may become discomforting after too long. Or, you sit to wait for someone, which leaves you in anticipation and awkwardness as you await and await their arrival. That's what I'm doing. Sitting and waiting on Liam to get home.
After picking out something from Flourish Jewelers to go with my dress, we went to eat, and then all came back to the neighborhood. Jenna offered to let me spend the night, but I kindly refused, saying I had to catch up on homework, or something. Truthfully, I didn't want to tell them about my confrontation. It was somewhat of a private moment, in my opinion. A private moment you're going to yell at Liam for. I grip my head in my hands and slowly massage my temples, feeling the migraine coming on already.
Liam was supposed to be home an hour ago. He works at a marina close-by, and his hours generally go from seven to four. It's five-thirty now and he still isn't here. I tick my head to the side, trying to relieve the cramp beginning, when the front door flies open. In steps Liam, his hair gloriously tousled and a jacket loosely hanging over his uniform. "Where've you been?" He jumps as I ask him, clearly oblivious to the fact that I'd been sitting there, creepily watching him.
"Had to work an hour later. How long have you been sitting there?" "An hour." "Oh. Sorry, babe. I couldn't get my phone out-" "I was thinking. What would you want to name our kids? What about a house?" He scrunches his eyebrows, ready to speak, when I interrupt him, "I'm thinking three kids: a girl and two boys. Maybe, Evan and Brooks, and Alissa." His eyes widen in realization and he tries to stop me, "Ana-" "What about a house? Hm? I'm thinking a two-story on a hill. Oh, and the boys will have my eyes while Alissa has yours. Sound good?"
His facial expression has turned from frantic to expressionless and his mouth has pressed into a thin line. "You spoke to Angel, I see." "Yes. She bombarded me in a dress shop." "What'd she say?" I pause for a moment, for dramatic effect, and then begin, "Well, she told me I should be threatened because she still loves you but oh no she's not a breaker-upper. She's a vulture. Who'da thought, right? Oh and she says that plans can change and basically that we're going to break up in the near future." He presses his fingertips into his eyes and I patiently wait for his reply. When I don't receive one, I prod him, "Well?"
"I don't know what you want me to say, Ana." My anger flares and causes my eye to twitch, "I don't know. Something along the lines of 'Oh sweetie don't worry that will never happen. We're going to have two kids named Samuel and Aiden and live in that townhouse you've always dreamed of.'"
I stare at him expectantly, but he just seems bored. "Are you done? I'm tired from work. We'll talk about this later." He turns around and I quickly whip off my shoe and throw it at him. It hits his upper back and bounces off the muscle there. He sighs and turns back, "What?" "I want to talk now."
"Well I don't." "Too bad!" I shout at him, which gages no reaction whatsoever. "I need a smoke," He mutters, before leaving out the back door to stand by the pool. I scoff and follow him, totally not done with this conversation. He lights a cigarette and begins to puff away, and agitated look on his face.
"Liam, you can't just walk away from me-" "Go to our room." He commands. When I merely cross my arms over my chest and glare at him, he yells, "Now!" I jump at the harshness in his voice and my body works by itself. My legs carry me back through the house, up the terrifying steps, and into Liam's room. The scent of smoke is vaguely masked by his Tom Hardy cologne and a full ashtray resides by his bed. When did he smoke these?
Random garments are strewn around the room, some Liam's, some mine, making the floor almost nonexistent. Suddenly, I realize what I've done. I obeyed him. Like a dog.This is a total repeat of Devon. If it is, then I need to high-tail it right out of here and back to Amherst. I refuse to be put into another relationship like that. I won't do it. I won't. Right when I reach for my phone, however, Liam enters the room, the only evidence of a cigarette being the subtle smoky air about him.
I glance up at him from where I'm seated on the bed and he runs his hand down the side of my face. His skin burns fiercely into mine and I have to try my hardest not to sink into him. He pulls away before I can, and begins to strip as he approaches the bathroom.
He doesn't close the door, like an invitation of some kind, but I ignore it-as always. I hear the shower start up and the door to it close as he steps into it. At first, I'm curious to go in there-to see him in all his glory-but I decide against it and stay put on the bed.
I flop back onto the covers and spot his cigarette pack and lighter sitting close-by. He's been smoking a lot lately. I wonder what the appeal is. I hurriedly snatch up the box and lighter, pull out one of the cancer sticks, and observe it for a moment. Then, I light up.
•••
A/N Hope You guys liked! Vote, comment, whatevs.
xoxo, IC Judah