**Thank you to @CatrionaRamsay for my awesome book cover**
It was Tuesday morning and I was getting my material out of my supply cupboard at home to start working on my first formal design. I finished my second swimsuit last night; I'm hoping to be done with this dress by tomorrow and my wedding dress by the weekend. I had just over seven weeks to get everything 'officially' finished. Then thankfully two more after that before the show to make sure everything fit as it should and for any last minute tweaks and changes.
Carrying everything I could, I made my way to the front of my house, to wait for Elliot to pick me up. I waited for twenty minutes yesterday for Ash to come get me, thinking he had gone to grab Tina first again but there was no sign of him. In the end Fin took me in, even though he was annoyed that I'd woken him up just to drop me off at college.
Turns out Ash didn't go to pick Tina up or forgot about me; I forgot he had a trip with his college class to some sports centre. I was still mad at him over what had happened over the weekend and I'd still not seen him since he'd come home. I got a late text message off him on Sunday night saying he'd just got home, so was going straight to sleep and he'd see me tomorrow. I didn't even get to see him last night because he got back at midnight from his trip.
I'm still not sure if he has even opened his birthday card off me yet. Although if he had I'd have gotten a phone call about the concert tickets we didn't use and hopefully a thank you for his driving experience.
My mannequin is still at college so I didn't have to carry that this morning; I had enough as it was with my rolls of materials and my bag filled with folders, designs, sketches, my pencil case, and a bunch of multi-coloured sewing cotton. Elliot was parked on my driveway as I locked up my house behind me. I turned to walk towards his car as I see a very familiar car pull up outside.
Ash!
He was smiling at me and waved at me for me to walk over; I don't think he noticed Elliot in the driveway. I shake my head at him as I walk over to Elliot's car and open the back door to slide my material in before getting into the passenger side. Ash was still parked where he was as Elliot reversed out of my driveway and drove off. As we pulled off I could see the look of confused on his face as to why I didn't get in the car with him or even acknowledge him at all.
"How you doing today?" Elliot asked me as we quietly drove to school.
"I'm okay."
"You still not spoken to Ash?"
"Not properly. I'm so angry at him."
"You need to talk to him, find out what happened."
"I don't know if I want to. He should know me, he should know that I'd want to see him on his birthday."
"The only way you'll get your answers is to talk to him." he says as we pull up at the college.
"I know, but I'm too mad to do that just yet." I reply as he turns off the engine.
I get out his car and quickly grab my stuff; I didn't want Ash to catch up with me. Elliot left me as we part ways in the corridor; just as Ash caught up with me.
"Lou...Lou." Ash says pulling me to a stop as I reach my classroom.
"What?" I say turning to glare at him.
"What's wrong? Why are you so mad at me?" he asks dropping his arm.
"Are you serious?" I reply, my face dropping as I say this.
"Yea. I don't understand."
I shift the stuff in my arms and go to tell him why I'm so fucking pissed at him when someone interrupts me.
"Morning baby." Tina says smiling walking up to us.
"Just ask her, you'll get your answer Ash." I say bluntly before walking into class.
I head over to mine and Ayla's station before putting all my stuff down. I unlock my sewing machine and begin to set up for the morning.
I glance up to see Tina and Ash still talking by the door. I can see him pointing in my direction but can't make out what his lips are saying. Times like these I wish I could lip read. I could see that he wasn't happy though from the look on his face. I didn't see him leave as Ayla sat down next to me.
The morning flew by and by the time it was lunch I had measured out and cut the fabric I needed to make my formal dress, which was going to be a bridesmaid dress. Me and Ayla were working in the order of the list we were given; we figured it would be easier that way and then we could work out how much time we had left to work on our surprise outfits. I know we were both planning to shock with what we had designed.
We were walking out of class when I was collared by Ash again.
"Lou, you need to talk to me." he sighs standing in front of me and blocking me from walking away from him.
"I don't need to do anything Ash, now move I'm hungry." I say trying to step around him.
"Ash just leave it yet, talk to her after." Ayla says tugging on my arm but he doesn't budge.
"No I want to clear this now. I don't understand what happened. We were fine on Friday, well not fine, because we weren't like we used to be but we were talking. What happened between then and now?" he asks.
I was currently staring at the wall over my shoulder not looking at him. I was so angry at him but so hurt at the same time.
"Lou, look at me." Ash says tugging my chin up so I could see him.
"Talk to me please." He whispers. This was breaking me; I was trying my damn hardest not to cry right now.
The door opens behind us and I see Ayla out the corner of my eye change before my eyes. Her body language was stiff and cold, her face hard.
"Hey Ash, Lydia, Ayla." Tina says cheerfully. "Lyd I haven't had chance to thank you yet for changing your birthday plans this weekend; I really couldn't cancel what I had booked so thanks for putting yours on hold for us. We had such a great time away; it was great just to spend some real quality time together away from everyone. So thanks again." she says grinning at me.
I feel my body freeze at her words and turn my cold glare at her before looking back at Ash.
"Yea thanks for that Lou." Ash smiles at me and I shake my head at him before literally pushing past him; causing him to fall back slightly as he wasn't expecting me to shove him out the way.
Ayla was quick on my heels as I stormed out of college towards the car park.
"I need to get out of here for lunch, you fancy KFC or McDonalds or something?" I ask as she catches up to me.
"Sure, don't mind. The girls are on their way now, I text them shit was going down when Ash stopped you."
"Thanks."
We sit in her car for a couple of minutes until the girls run out and jump in before we drive off for lunch.
I text Elliot letting him know us girls wouldn't be there at today, that us girls had gone out for food instead.
*~*~*~*
We ended up in Pizza Hut on the all you can eat lunch buffet. We were in heaven. Although once we were done, I felt like the only way I was leaving was if someone was to roll me out. I was so full.
We didn't talk about what happened with Ash, I was too mad to think about that right now. I was more interested in the boy Georgia was getting off with on the weekend.
"So are you texting or anything?" Lois asks as we get back in the car.
"Yea, he taking me out on Friday on a date." She grins as we all let out a girly squeal.
"What was his name again?" Ayla asks as we all laugh.
"Luke." She says grinning at her through the mirror. "Anyway, enough about me. What was going on with you and Fin?"
I catch Ayla flash her eyes at me before turning back to look at the road. "What are you on about?"
"Oh please. You had to be blind not to notice how much that boy was watching you on Saturday night. He's well into you." Lois says. "Sorry Lyd."
"It's fine." I say laughing at her. "I think he was walking about in a puddle of his own drool all night."
"No he wasn't" she says blushing.
"Oh he was." I say nudging her. "In all seriousness though Ay, if you like him don't think you can't do anything about it because he's my brother."
"I-I don't know. I mean Fin is lovely but I've never thought of him like that." She admits.
"Well I definitely think he's looked at you that way. So just think about it, I think you's would be cute together." Georgia says as we pull up at college.
*~*~*~*
Once lunch was over, Ayla and I got stuck back into our designs. My bridesmaid dress was going to be a bit different from the 'norm', as it's going to be white. It was a slightly flowy dress that stopped at the knee. It pulled up onto one shoulder and had a small slit from near the shoulder to the centre of the bust, just giving a little hint of what was underneath. To make my design stand out I was wrapping a bright coloured sash around the waist of the dress, then having the bridesmaid wear a matching pair of shoes in that colour. For the fashion show I was going with cobalt blue.
In my designs I'd drawn out six bridesmaid's, each with the same dress on but each with a different coloured sash with matching heels; so the judges would be able to see the full outcome of my idea even though I could only make one of the dresses.
Although after a conversation with Ayla, she encouraged me to try two colours. I would put two colours back to back on the sash, and my model would walk down the runway with it blue, wearing her blue heels. Then when she reached the end of the runway, she'd take off her shoes. I'd have my sister sat nearby to switch and pass her the second pair as the model flipped over her sash to the matching colour and walk back up in what could be a different outfit.
I loved that idea.
"So what should the second colour be?" I ask looking over at her.
"Pink...duh." She says laughing and I roll my eyes at her.
"I'll have to see if they have any material here, not sure what I have at home."
I manage to find some material in the colour I could use so my sash was now going to be one side cobalt blue and the other fuchsia pink. Measuring out how much I needed for each sash I cut them before sewing them together. Once that was done I could spend the rest of the afternoon finishing off my dress. This was my happy place; I was in my element when I got to make my designs come to life before my eyes and at my fingertips.
The bell rang for the end of the day and I collected everything together along with Ayla. We both had our arms full as we made our way to the car park, struggling not to drop anything and potential break or ruin something.
Elliot had practice tonight for his play so I was getting a lift off Ash. As much as I didn't want to talk to him, we needed to talk. I wanted an explanation about what the hell happened.
As I reach his car, his engine is running and he's about to pull away. I open his door to stop him from driving off.
"What the hell are you playing at Lydia?" Tina shouts at me, leaning across Ash.
"Erm, getting a lift off my best friend. What the fuck does it look like?"
"Where's your own boyfriend? Ask him to drop you off." she says moving back into her seat but holding onto Ash's hand.
"Like that's any of your business." I say turning towards my best friend. "Weren't you going to wait for me?"
"I didn't know you were getting a lift with me today. I came to get you this morning and you went with Elliot."
"Fine. I'll just go with Elliot, you get back to doing whatever the hell you're doing Ash." I snap.
"Lou, I didn't mean it like that." He shouts as I walk back towards the front of the school.
Thankfully I bump into Marcus who offers me a lift home.
"What's going on with you and Ash lately?" he asks and I shrug.
"I told him how much I dislike his girlfriend and how much of a bitch she is and he didn't like that. So I said that's fine and we're taking a time out from our friendship right now."
"I think dislike is pretty tame for how you feel about Tina."
"Okay, well then I told him I hated her." I say chuckling.
"Better. So how long have you and Ash been best friends for?"
"All our lives basically."
"And he's taking his new girlfriends word over yours?" he says and I nod.
"He doesn't see it like that though."
"Wow. The girl must be seriously good in the sack if she has this much of a hold over him."
"Thanks for the imagery there Marcus." I sigh sadly shaking my head.
"Sorry. Well I don't think you should let her come in and ruin what you two have, I mean we've all seen how she acts around him. She's crazy and really possessive over Ash, it's weird."
"I know. But I'm done trying to tell him different now. He needs to learn it on his own."
He pulls up outside mine and helps me with my mannequin.
"Thanks for the lift Marcus, I really appreciate it."
"Not a problem, Elliot would have had my balls if I didn't help his girl out." He laughs getting back into his car.
As I grab my stuff to walk to my front door, I spot Ash parking his car.
"Just leave me the hell alone Ash." I sigh as I make it to my front door.
"No, I'm not taking no for an answer now. We're talking and I'm finding out why you've gone from being my best friend to a cold stranger in four days."
"Like you don't already know why." I reply walking into the house. "Now just leave me alone."
"No." he says more forcefully this time. I look at him over my shoulder and see that he means it. His eyes are blazing and his jaw is hard. He's angry with me.
He's got no fucking right to be angry with me.
*~*~*~*~*
Ut Oh...looks like shit is about to hit the fan!
Not much going on here, sort of a filler part but i feel it was needed. Next part will be jam packed with our favourite D.....
DRAMA! ;) haha...well maybe not our favourite D!
Let me know what you think guys & please vote!
Thanks for reading...x