hi, guys, I am so sorry I haven't updated in nearly a week! I have just been so busy with school and exams and just life that I haven't had time to write but it's gonna change because I have a week off and I am gonna try to update and write more as I have loads of time and ideas and I hope you are all as excited as I am for the future of this story. please stick around as I am sure things are gonna get a whole lot more interesting ;) x
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"I will have a Mr. whippy with a flake please...actually make that two flakes," I say looking at the ice cream menu on the side of the truck.
"you know what, I will have the same." I turn around and see Shawn smiling down at me. the man in the van who is wearing a bright lime green apron, hands over the ice creams and we take them from him, the gelato is huge and is already starting to melt so we start eating away. I get my purse out of my bag and fiddle through to try to find so change
"no its okay! I will pay" Shawn says handing the guy a 20 dollar note.
"thank you!" I answer back giving him a generous smile
we walked down the pathway again and sit down under a large tree on top of a small hill, we lean against the trunk and look out onto the forest and he keeps on saying how delicious his cone is and we he laughs when I get ice cream on my nose.
"I will get it for you, again!" he holds out his finger and wipes off a large dot of cream on the tip of my nose.
"this place is really nice," I say eating the last bit of my cone
"I sometimes come here and sit under this exact tree and write songs. its the perfect place to clear my head and relax and not have to think about crazy things going on in my life... you know you are the first girl who I have ever shown this tree too!"
"really!? well, I am honoured." I turn to face him and smile.
"hey do you wanna climb up? there is a good view at the top!" he questions
"Nah im good im not so great with heights"
"Oh come on!" he says jumping up and dusting his jeans off "where is your sense of adventure?" I take a deep sigh and pull myself up. shawn lifts me up as my foot and cant reach the first foot whole and I start to climb.
"I can't believe im doing this!" I laugh
"keep going! sit on that branch there and shuffle along I wanna sit next to you." I see the branch he means and I make my way over to it, I shuffle my bum over to make space for Shawn and once we get to the top and we are both sitting down we are both slightly out of breath
"thank you for taking me here! this place is so beautiful!" I say smiling and looking out over the treetops.
The tree stands mute in the summer air. The humidity encases us both and like the boughs above me, I don't move. All I can do is stare out at the sun, sweating and breathing deeply. Every single leaf around me is so tiny and green, and from up here, even the few people around us are more so small. The birds have silenced, I imagine they are high above us, statue-like breathing with open beaks. There is a fragrance here, a distinctive aroma of freshly mown grass and soil. Underneath me, the ground is lumpy with roots that project through the soil and the ground that they twist like snakes.
"its okay, it's my pleasure. but the today isnt ending here...I have something to tell you"
"what is it?"I look at him. his hair and eyes are the colour of dark roasted coffee beans and his skin is a light and golden. Im sitting really close to him, our arms and shoulders are touching and I have never noticed that he has a scar on his cheek which is barely noticeable. He has that shy look on his face but I think that is what makes him look so innocent and friendly.
"im taking you to a concert tonight with a couple of my mates and we are gonna see Fire & Lights"
my mouth drops and I nearly lose my balance on the branch I stare trying to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, totally stunned as the name bounces around inside my skull.
"FIRE & LIGHTS! are you freaking kidding me" I scream quietly. He stared as if I'd just produced a rhinoceros from my pocket. I could just imagine the sparks in his brain, desperately trying to connect the dots and instead just causing a short circuit. He looked like a pop-eyed toy from one of those claw machines at the fun fair. Perfectly funny.
"are you okay? we don't have to go if you don't want to-"
"yess I want to go! I absolutely love fire & lights! they are like my favourite band ever ever!" I go in and give him a hug, he is taken by surprise but he hugs me back and nuzzles his head into my shoulder. I could feel his lips on my bare neck! we pull apart after a moment or two.
"oh wow!? really? mine too. their music is really meaningful and it's that whenever I listen to their songs I just want to jump up and dance and sing, you know what I mean?"
"that's me every time one of their songs come on the radio! I will sing and dance no matter where I am if its im my room or in class or even in public! im a massive fan!"
"well that's good because we gotta head back as the concert is tonight and we also have to go shopping to get clothes and obviously muffins"
"well let's go!" I say sitting up and starting to climb down the trunk of the tall tree. we head back to the bike racks and cycle into town. we lock up on the high street and walk into a mall. we stop a couple times for Shawn to take pictures with fans and we finally get into forever 21.
I look through the racks in search for a nice dress to wear I find a red one and a grey one but they are not for me.
"Hey Ellie, what about this?" I look over my shoulder and look at Shawn who is following close behind me is holding up a black Ribbed Stripe Bodycon Dress. it is really nice but I knew I would never be able to pull it off, I shake my head at him.
"are you crazy? you would look really hot in this! go and try it on for me please" he puckers out his bottom lip and gives me puppy eyes
"fine but it's not gonna look that good" I sigh. I take I from him and head into a changing room. I remove my clothes and slip on the dress. It fits but I don't like how it clings to my curves. its good length, just above my knees and had three quarter length sleeves and was great and all but it makes me feel so self-conscious.
"Ellie are you changed yet? I wanna see you in your dress!" Shawn says on the other side of the curtain. I turn around and take a deep breath and walk out Shawn is sitting in an armchair with his phone in his hand. he looks up and sees me and he holds a long gaze.
His eyes are as immobile as the rest of his face, as my body in the dress he chose is impossible to absorb any faster. he is frozen for maybe three whole seconds before the corners of his mouth resumed their usual softness and his eyes quit staring. he stands up and puts his hands in his jean pockets, every part of his face in a brilliant smile.
"Wow! ellie! you look really really good! more so even! you have to wear that dress" Shawn says flabbergasted. I can feel the temperature of my cheeks rising
"I don't know Shawn, it's not very me, and its also quite expensive," I say looking down at the dress try to stop our eye contact
"I will buy it for you and anything you need to go with it! its really beautiful and I am not gonna let you away with this one"
"thank you, Shawn, but I can wear-"
"no ellie I insist!" he walks over and puts his hand on my shoulder. I look into his eyes and I can see that he honestly cares and that's really sweet.
"thank you" I answer back. I pair the dress with a black choker and some ankle boots. we walk to the counter and Shawn kindly pays for it. we got to couple more shops and then we head back the bikes. thankfully I chose the bike with the basket on the front so I chuck mine and shawns shopping bags in the fronts and we cycle back to the house not forgetting on the way to make a quick stop off at a bakery and pick up some muffins for Aaliyah.
when we get home I go upstairs and get in the shower. I wash my hair and body and also shave my legs as they will be on show tonight. I get out and begin to towel dry my hair. I blowdry and add curls with my straighteners to the very ends of my hair and put on a smokey brown eye and a pink lip on my face for makeup. I slip on the dress and zip up my shoes and then I hear a knock on my door. shawn come in in a white button-down shirt and ripped jeans and he looks all good to go
" ready to go?" he says sweetly
"yep just give me a minute," I say turning to grab my purse. I chuck in a few necessities into my bag and head out the room shutting the door behind me. as I walk downstairs Shawn is standing there with Madeleine and two guys one was Charlie and one was a guy who I have never met before. shawn sees me and smiles at my dress
" ellie this is Liam. he goes to our school. liam this is ellie my step-sister, she is staying here for the summer. alright, let's go, people! move it out, I bagsy driving the land rover!"
I hug Maddy and we walk out the house and get in the car. charlie and Shawn are in the front and in the back, I am in the middle of Liam and Madeleine. its awkward at first as me and Liam haven't even exchanged one word yet but I just scroll through my Instagram until I got a notification text from Maddy even though she is sitting right next to me.]
maddy: LIAM IS CHECKING YOU OUT GIRLLL!
ellie: seriously?
I look over to her and raise my eyebrows, Maddy is just giggling under her own breath I then look over to Liam and he is looking directly at me which makes me kind of jump. he smiles at me
"hey!"
"heya," I smile back. I face forward not wanting to say anything more in the awkward silence. shawn is looking at me and Liam through his mirror with a slightly confused look on his face.
"el would you like to have the aux chord?"
"Um yeah sure" I take it from his hand and plug my iPhone in and start playing Ed Sheeran.
we arrive at the gig and when we manage to get through the waiting queue and get into the building Music fills the air without effort, the sound rushing in and around every person in the room. Some react to the beat, others continue in chatter, but always it speaks to them in some manner as pretty much everyone is dancing. A lively tempo is playing and I recognise the song playing its one by the band we are going to see, I guess the concert has already begun.
madeleine grabs my arm and pulls me to the front of the audience and we start to dance and sing along to the band. I can tell that tonight is going to be one to remember as I am already filming the singers on stage knowing that I was gonna send them to Freya later and how she was gonna flip when she finds out that I am at a fire & lights concert. ( but little do I know that it's all gonna get a little crazy and someone is gonna get hurt and not for the right reasons and little do I know my whole life is gonna be turned upside down)
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That is probably one of the worst ways to end a chapter because I couldn't think of anyway else to finish the chapter without it being even longer than it already is (if any of you have a better idea on how to this chapter message me because I really hate it :( ). thank you so much for reading and please remember to vote on your favourite chapters and also remember to stick around as the next chapter is gonna be a little crazy! ;)