"Ella! Girls!" My mother shouts, disrupting Paula, Maggie, and I's sleep. "Homecoming today! Time to get up and get ready!"
I groan and flip over in my bed. Paula and Maggie took the floor, even though I offered to let them have the bed.
Yawning, I sit up with my eyes still closed. When I open them it takes a moment to adjust to the bright light but I see Paula and Maggie grabbing stuff from their bags.
"What, what are you doing?" I mumble sleepily, standing up and stretching my arms above my head.
"Crap, Ella, you look like shit in the morning," Maggie gasps, Paula giggling at my appearance.
I walk to them, which happens to be in front of my dresser, and catch a glance of myself in the mirror. My hair is frizzy and sticking up everywhere, dark circles are prominent beneath my arms, my lips dry and cracked.
"Damn, I do look like shit," I say. "I'm gonna go shower, you two can grab breakfast downstairs and I'll join you after."
"'Kay," Paula says, heading out of my bedroom, Maggie trailing close behind.
I grab a clean towel from the closet in the hallway and walk to the bathroom. I allow the water to warm up before I strip and hop in.
I use my favorite shampoo and conditioner which smells amazing, a scent I know Ashton adores. My body wash soothes and makes my skin feel soft like a baby's.
As I step out, I wrap the towel around my body and dry it off. Next, I dry my hair as best as I can with the towel. I change into a fresh pair of pajamas and go downstairs to join my friends.
With pancakes that my mother prepared sitting in front of them, Paula and Maggie are eating quickly, gobbling up the fluffy, light pancakes. They're talking, too, about Chase.
"He's a dick," I say, walking in. I slide two large pancakes on a paper plate and drizzle a small amount of syrup over top. I sit down across from them, continuing, "don't waste your words on him."
"He did cheat, though. I was right," Maggie says, frowning slightly. "He was just so nice, I thought maybe he would've been the one, I guess. I'm naive, foolish," Maggie rambles.
"It's not always a happy ending," I tell Maggie, trying to comfort her. I realize I'm doing a horrible job as she glances up at me with an angry expression. God, it seems like we've been fighting more lately, and I hate it more than anything.
"And you think Ashton and yourself will be perfect in the end?" Maggie sneers, shaking her head slowly. "It's Ashton Irwin, sweetie. He's probably never going to go to college, and he'll probably be living in that damn trailer park the rest of his sad life."
"Maggie," I murmur, narrowing my eyebrows. I see Paula from the corner of my eye watching us like a scared puppy. "Don't fucking speak of him that way."
"I can speak of him however I fucking want to."
"Shut up!" Paula interrupts our argument. "Seriously, you guys are bitching so much recently, I'm really sick of it."
"Sorry," Maggie mumbles, casting her gaze down at her half-eaten pancakes. "I was rude, I'm sorry."
"It's fine," I sigh. Looking around the room briefly, seeing that the kitchen door is shut and my mother isn't around, I let them in on last night.
"I cashed in my V-card!" I say quickly, and I watch as their eyes widen and their jaws drop.
"You, you had sex with Ashton?" Paula gasps.
"Holy shit," Maggie breathes, "that's serious."
"Yeah," I mumble, running a hand through my damp hair.
"You, like, aren't regretting it, are you?" Paula asks, shuffling in her seat.
"No, no, definitely not. It was nice," I answer honestly. "It really hurt at first, but it got easier and better after a while."
"Damn," Maggie says. "I always wondered what it was like, now I know."
"I think I might love him," I admit. "But I don't know."
"Are you guys together, like a couple?" Paula leans in, resting her head on a propped elbow, her face twisted with curiosity.
"No, we aren't. I wish we were, though."
"Now I'm really sorry about what I said earlier," Maggie apologizes. "I don't know what Ashton will be like later in life, but if you love him then I'm with you all the way."
"Me too," Paula says.
"Thanks, girls. Why don't we go get ready now, it's already one o'clock," I reply, my eye catching the time on the microwave. "I guess we slept in a little late."
"Let's go then." Maggie leads the way, Paula and I following her upstairs.
There, we lay out our dresses on the bed, and we all do our make-up. Paula goes for something more fierce, something that grabs attention, while Maggie and I stay with a simpler look.
While the other two try new hairstyles, I blow dry my damp hair until it's smooth and soft. I search up new hairstyles and fail at my first two attempts for extravagant ones, and I choose to stick with my hair down. I curl it lightly, just enough to give it a beach wave, and then sneak off to the bathroom to change into something, something for Ashton.
I strip and grab the bra and panties I purchased at Victoria's Secret from under the sink, where they've been hiding for a few days.
As I stare at my complexion in the mirror, I notice how much more my breasts are lifted. Thank god for push up bras, yes?
Once I'm satisfied, I change back into my pajamas and retreat to the bedroom. Paula and Maggie have their hair done, looking beautiful as always.
I go into the closet to slip on my dress, managing to zip it up part way but I have to leave the closet to get assistance from Maggie or Paula.
"I need help zipping," I say. Maggie is changed into her dress, Paula in hers. With a helpful smile, Paula goes behind me and begins to zip up my dress, her cold knuckle grazing my skin, sending goosebumps down my spine.
"Victoria's Secret, huh, Ella?" Paula snickers when she's done. Darn, she must've seen the tag.
"It makes me more confident," I reply with ease, a smile plastered on my face.
"Sure, sure. Say, are you meeting Ashton there or is he picking you up? We will need a ride, too, y'know," Paula says, gesturing to her and Maggie.
"I'll call him quick," I tell them. I walk to the corner of the bedroom and while Paula and Maggie fuss over their appearances in the mirror, I dial Ashton's number and hit the green button.
It rings three times before it picks up. "Hello?" A deep voice booms through the phone.
"Hey, are you picking me up, or are you meeting me there?" I ask quietly.
"I could pick you up, that is, if you fancy rolling in to prom on a motorcycle," he chuckles.
"Oh, right," I giggle. "I guess that means you'll be wearing a tuxedo when you drive there? That'll be a sight to see."
"Well, if you're lucky, maybe you'll get to see me without my tuxedo tonight," he flirts, his voice raspy and full of humor.
"Imagine me without my dress," I reply quickly, and then hang up.
"You realize we heard that, right?" Maggie laughs with Paula.
"Oh well," I say, beginning to laugh with them.
We slip into our heels, except for Paula, who claims heels give her blisters and she can't wear them. I don't blame her. She wears sparkly black flats instead.
"Girls, are you ready? It's six o'clock." My mother knocks on the door and peers in.
"Man, we took a while," I comment, and then say, "yeah, mom, can you drive us?"
"Of course, when will I need to pick you guys up?" She asks, and Paula, Maggie, and I head down the stairs with her. I'm terrified that I'll trip in my dress, even if it isn't that long, but still.
Luckily we make it out to my mother's van without any mishaps. "There's an after-party, and we can probably get a ride home from a friend."
"Oh, okay." My mother smiles at the three of us, and as we drive she starts to lay down the rules.
"No drinking," she says. I groan and roll my eyes, embarrassed that she'd do this in front of my friends.
"No sex," she continues, and Maggie elbows me in my waist. "Just have fun, but don't do anything stupid that'll jeopardize your guys' futures."
"Yeah, mom," I huff as we pull up to the school. "We won't."
Then all three of us climb out of the van, and I wave goodbye to my mother before she pulls away.
Butterflies explode in my stomach as we enter the school gymnasium, I hear the music playing and when I glance around, students are dancing, drinking punch, and laughing.
"There's Chase," Maggie says, frowning and nodding to across the school.
Sure enough, Chase is there, talking it up with the football team. "Just ignore him," Paula says. "I'm gonna go get punch, join me?"
"Sure," Maggie says more cheerfully, and I shake my head, anxious to see Ashton instead. The two girls trail off and I lean against the wall, waiting patiently.
"Well, Ashton. Your princess awaits," I hear Luke chuckle behind me.
I spin around, coming face to face with Calum, Michael, Luke, and the boy I've been waiting for, Ash.
-
A/N
Hiii I'm sorry this chapter isn't quite as long as the recent chapters but it's still kinda long.
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