“No; Not doing it!” Mark declared.
I let a chuckle leave my lips as I approached him, “Who would have thought you of all people would be scared.”
“I’m not scared,” He denied, shaking his head, “It’s just so emasculating.”
“I agree!” Luke put his hand up.
I turned my head to him and then back to Mark. “You two have both worn dresses before and you can’t do this?”
“Really?” Abbie, Angie and Dana asked simultaneously, clearly holding back their laughter.
“That was one time!” Mark exclaimed while Luke just blushed. I had to withhold an ‘aww’ at Luke’s face and instead I rolled my eyes at Mark. Will he ever get over it? If I’m completely honest he actually looked cute like that.
Wait… what did I just say? I have to go home and wash my mouth out.
Setting my thoughts aside I instead said, “Well get over yourself because we’re all doing this together.”
“I think it will be fun!” Tyler claimed.
“Nothing about putting on tights is ‘fun.’” Mark said.
“Someone has to entertain the kids,” I argued.
“Then let someone else do it.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, I do.”
“We’re doing this and it’s final.”
“GUYS!” Josh exclaimed.
It was only then that I realised how close Mark and I had gotten during that argument. I coughed awkwardly and looked away, slyly taking a step back without the others noticing, I think Mark may have though by the look he gave me.
I might be crazy but he looked a bit… rejected?
HAHA, no way; the devil can’t have feelings.
I sighed, “Look, all you have to do is put on a fancy shirt and tights for one day and it’s over.”
Suddenly as if a thought had just hit him, he grinned. I NEVER like when someone gets that face, especially Mark.
“I’m surprised you’re being such a good sport about this,” He said.
I looked at him suspiciously, “Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked.
“Don’t say it Mark,” Chelsea said through gritted teeth.
“Say what!?” I exclaimed, “Can someone please explain?”
“Mel,” Sophia spoke softly, moving closer to place a hand on my shoulder before whispering something in my ear causing my eyes to widen.
I shook my head and then looked up at a grinning Mark, “Nope, not happening. Not now, not ever.”
“But you used to do it all the time when you were younger,” Mark argued condescendingly which in turn caused me to glare at him.
“That was then and this is now,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Come on, you’re a girl, aren’t you? Isn’t this what you guys do?” He asked.
I rolled my eyes, “Firstly, that was sexist on many levels and secondly… it’s a dress.”
“Is that meant to mean something? It’s just a dress, girls wear them all the time, I have to wear tights.”
“Can we trade?” I suggested, looking around at the whole group for approval but having my spirts dashed when they shook their heads.
I don’t get it. It was amusing when Mark was cowering like a baby but now I have to wear a dress?
I should explain. The sheet of paper said that our group was in charge of entertaining the children who come to the event, therefore we have to dress up as the Disney princess and princes in the boy’s case.
“I call Aladdin!” Josh suddenly exclaimed.
“Damn it,” Luke cursed.
“What’s so great about that dude?” Sara asked.
“He doesn’t wear tights, just puffy pants.” Josh replied.
“I’m Jasmine!” I shouted at the same time as Kenna.
We looked at each other and glared. I didn’t dislike Kenna or anything but we were alike in the fact that we hate wearing dresses. Jasmine is the only princess who wears pants.
“I vote Kenna,” Mark put his hand in the air, “All in favour?”
Everyone’s hands shot straight up, even my betraying friends Chelsea and Sophia.
“Guys?” I whined.
Chelsea shrugged, “She looks more like Jasmin.”
I had to admit she was right. Kenna had the same long black hair and tan skin as Jasmine.
“Who am I meant to be?” I asked.
“Funny you should ask; as you’ve all been complaining, I’ve made a list of the princesses and who I think would best suit each,” Jade stated. She was different to the stereotype but she considered herself a nerd, however she was really pretty and extremely smart.
I gestured for her to continue and so she did, “Melissa you look like Belle because of your hair. Sophia your like Cinderella.” The funny part is that is true in more ways than she knows.
“Chelsea is the only red head so she could be Anna and Sara looks like her but with blonde hair so she can be Elsa.”
“We’ve already established that Kenna is Jasmine.”
This statement caused me to send another glare her way to which she just shrugged in response.
“Tyler is Rapunzel-“
“Why aren’t I Cinderella?” Tyler sounded offended.
I rolled my eyes, “I doubt you’ve ever seen a broom in your life.”
“Why would I have to do that?” She asked.
“Have you ever even seen Cinderella?” Dana asked.
She looked around at all of us and tried to look innocent, “No?”
“And there is why,” I said as sarcastically as possible, earning me a glare.
“Enough bickering ladies, let the poor woman speak,” Mark interrupted before Tyler could retort.
Jade nodded at him, “Thank you. Now, where was I; Oh! So, Abbie has that whole Snow White aura about her and then Dana could be Tiana because she has the darkest skin.”
“Isn’t that racist?” Dana asked.
Abbie shook her head, “She didn’t say anything bad about you and just pointed out a fact, that isn’t racism.”
“Whatever,” Dana mumbled in response.
“Moving on,” Jade said, louder than necessary, “I could be Pocahontas and that leaves Annie as Aurora (Sleeping Beauty).”
“What about us?” Luke asked, motioning to himself and Mark
Jade thought this over for a moment before she explained, “Luke is blonde so let’s make you Kristoff and Mark… You get to be Adam.”
“NO!” Mark and I denied in unison.
“If I’m Belle, he cannot be Adam.” I pointed to the annoying boy who was standing beside me.
“Why am I a beast? My face should be on show, not behind a mask. This face is too handsome to be locked up,” He bragged.
I put my hand in the air and waited for them to look at me, “On the contrary, he should be Adam, that’s the only way we can protect those poor kids from…” I paused for effect and pointed at his face, “This.”
“Hey!” He squawked in protest
Luke sent me a pointed look and I shrugged, “I didn’t say anything that wasn’t a hundred percent true.”
“Whatever; It’s decided. Mark, you’re Adam,” Jade dismissed.
He sent a glare my way, “Are you happy?”
I smirked, “Very, as long as you aren’t.”
“Well what if I said I was?” He asked, turning his whole body to face me as he put his hands on his hips.
“I’d say,” I cleared my thought for effect, “Liar, Liar, pants on fire.”
He huffed and turned away from me and so I mimicked his action until I heard laughter from beside us and turned to see it was coming from my supposed friends.
“What’s so funny?” I wondered.
“You guys are hilarious together, especially your sorry excuses for fights,” Sophia explained.
“Just kiss already to release the sexual tension. It’s killing me,” Luke said.
I scoffed, “The day I kiss Mark is the day you kiss Sophia.”
He shrugged and suddenly pecked Sophia on the lips, surprising not only her but me too.
Only when he opened his eyes did he seem to realise what he had done. “Crap, Soph. I wasn’t thinking.”
She put a hand up to stop him with a smile on her face, “It’s ok Luke, I know why you did it.”
“You do?” Luke and I exclaimed simultaneously.
She couldn’t possibly know. When I brought up Luke kissing Sophia it was because I didn’t think he’d have the balls to do it.
No one else in the group knows but when we were younger Luke told Ash and I about how he had been in love with Sophia. At the time we believed it was just puppy love but as he is slowly coming back into our lives, I can see he still feels that way about her, either if the others can’t.
Sophia nodded in response to us, “You wanted to prove that if you could kiss me, they could kiss each other.”
I let out a sigh of relief knowing that I wasn’t the reason their friendship ended but on the contrary, Luke’s body went rigid as he forced out a barely audible, “Yeah.”
She looked at him oddly for a second before turning to us. “He held up his end of the deal, now let’s see some smacking.”
“There is to be no ‘smacking’” I mocked her words.
“Hey! I got Luke cooties for this!”
I cracked a small smile at our old names for it. When we were younger, Sophia and I believed that Ash and Luke gave us cooties because they were boys and so we named them after our friends, creating the ever-lasting Luke cooties.
“Aww… are you scared of a little kiss?” Mark teased, puckering his lips.
I rolled my eyes, “I am NOT getting Mark cooties.”
“I don’t have cooties!” He protested.
“Probably just herpes,” I muttered under my breath but I’m sure he heard based on the glare I received.
“Just kiss!” Chelsea exclaimed.
Josh butted in when I was starting to consider it. It’s not as if they’ll let this go till I do. “Mark and Mel don’t have sexual tension and they definitely don’t need to kiss.”
“Thank you! Finally a logical human being.”
“Is someone jeawous?” Mark asked with a fake baby voice.
He shook his head vigorously and looked at me, “No,” He then turned back to Mark and repeated, “No, I just believe that she shouldn’t have to do something she doesn’t want to.”
Mark rolled his eyes, “But everyone wants a piece of this.”
I nodded as if I agreed with him and he looked shocked at first before covering it up with a smug grin at Josh.
“You can’t be serious,” Josh said.
“I am,” I claimed before looking back at Mark, “I want a piece of him stuck to the end of a sword that someone has stabbed through him.”
The smug smile dropped off Mark’s face and if you ask me, he paled slightly.
“Me, dead?” He asked.
“Why wouldn’t I wish death upon you?” I challenged, looking him straight in the eye. Little did the others know but I had a good reason for this.
“Hold up!” Sophia butted in, “Don’t you think death is taking it a bit too far.”
“Maybe…” I mumbled.
I guess wishing death on someone is a bit harsh no matter what the reason. I guess I’ll just stick to hating his guts.
“Ok Students, the bell is due to go in about five minutes and now you have discussed your arrangements, we are willing to give you an early mark,” The principal announce out of no where.
They didn’t have to tell us twice; within a second, the students were racing out of the hall, shortly followed by the teachers leaving just Luke, Sophia, Chelsea, Josh and I but after I looked around, I noticed Mark standing in the same spot as before with wide eyes.
“You know?” Is all he managed before he shut up again.
I nodded, “Why else would I hate you?”
“B-but , you couldn’t. It’s impossible.”
“Nothing’s impossible,” I repeated the words he once said to me a long time ago when we could actually stand each other.
The pieces seemed to come together in his mind as his face turned white. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“That’s odd, no smug remark?” Luke wondered.
I shrugged, “I guess he just realised there’s no point fighting anymore.”
A/N: dun, dun, dun
Haha, Hey!
Long time no chapter. I’m really sorry guys but my sixteenth birthday was a couple of days ago so I have spent weeks studying to pass my learners test as well as my yearly’s at school. I go on vacation in about two-three weeks so I hopefully write more then. I have also been working on a new book but I'm not going to post anything until it's completed and Leave a Note is too.
Are you wondering what happened between Mark and Melissa? If you think you have a clue, leave a comment so when I tell you, you can say ‘I told you so!’
Anyway, thanks everyone for reading and sticking with my horrible schedule.
- Bella