19. My Inner Self Is A Bitch
I woke up the next morning and sighed, sitting on my bed. I remembered my fight with Jean the previous night and I instantly felt bad. I shouldn't have gone off on her like that. I picked up my phone from my beside table and called her, putting it to my ear.
"Jean?"
"Morgan!" she immediately said. "Oh I'm so glad you called, I was just about to do same."
"Well you know me," I muttered jokingly. "Always taking the high road."
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."
"It's okay," I said. "I should have minded my business."
I heard her let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Now if you won't mind I'd like you to be my date this Saturday."
"To what?"
"The premiere of the new movie I'm in," she answered.
I was lost.
"Huh?"
"Morgan, I told you when I came back to town weeks ago," she said. "You forget everything."
"It was like six weeks ago how am I supposed to remember that?" I joked in defense. "I barely remember what I eat for breakfast on most days."
"Well, can you go?" she asked. "I really want you there just so you know."
I rolled my eyes. "I don't ever disappoint, do I Jean? I will go to your premiere."
"Awesome!" she chirped. "Mom's letting me host an after party at the house too so you can hang around for that too."
"Mom huh?" I muttered. "Will she be there?"
"Morgan," she sighed.
"Fine," I drawled. "I'll hang around."
I only said that because it was here in the house. I could literally just go to my room and sleep if I didn't want to be there.
"You're the best," she said.
"I know."
She chuckled. "Bye Morgan."
"Bye," I replied and hung up.
I sat there for a few seconds and then I thought of Aaron.
I wonder how his date went.
Why do you care Morgan?
I don't.
Sure.
Should I call him? Or should I not call him?
Do what you want.
I don't know what I want.
You want Aaron.
No I don't.
Whatever you say.
I groaned at the internal battle I was having with my sub-conscious and dialed his number anyway, but it went straight to voicemail.
I sighed and fell back onto my bed, because it was Sunday and I could stay in bed the whole day if I wanted to.
And so I did just that.
A few hours later my phone rang though, and I saw it was Aaron calling back. I hesitated, what if he wanted to know the reason why I was calling in the first place?
Then you tell him stupid.
And tell him it was because of Clarissa? That makes me seem pathetic.
Yeah, because you sitting here wondering isn't pathetic at all.
What do I do?
Here's an idea, answer the damn phone!
"Wow, my inner self is a bitch," I said before sitting up and accepting the call.
"Morgan?"
"Hey Aaron," I said.
"How are you?" he asked.
"Good, fine...well," I answered before facepalming myself.
My sub-conscious was right, I'm pathetic.
God why was I so nervous?
I heard him chuckle on his end. "Do anything fun last night?"
"I went to a concert with Shannon," I told him.
"How was it?"
"Fun," I said truthfully. "Guess who made a surprise performance?"
"Cliché guy in a mask?" he chuckled.
I smiled. "Shut up."
A short silence elapsed before I asked my question.
"So, how was your date? I'm sure you had a fun Saturday night too."
Why do I want him to say it was terrible? Like extremely terrible?
Because you're hoping it was extremely terrible.
I'm going to hell aren't I?
OH WELL.
"Huh?" he asked. "No, that was Friday night. And it went well."
Well? Okay Morgan he's going to need to give you a little more to work with here.
"That's...good," I told him.
You are doing this to yourself, just so you know.
"Wait, so what were you up to on Saturday?" I blurted, before realizing it wasn't my business. "Sorry, you don't have to answer that."
He chuckled. "It's okay, I was helping Justin out with some stuff. He's helpless in this life without me."
"I can hear you!" I heard Justin shout.
"I don't give a fuck!" Aaron yelled back.
"Language you asshole!"
"Do you hear yourself when you speak?" Aaron asked him.
I laughed softly.
There was shuffling in the background and then I heard him more clearly. "Hi Morgan."
I smiled. "Hi Justin."
"Excuse my boy's manners," he continued. "I taught him better than that. What do you say you and me-"
"Give me that!" Aaron said.
There was shuffling in the background again and I heard Aaron sigh. "Sorry about him, he's a huge idiot."
"I'm huge alright, but not an idiot!" Justin yelled and I burst into laughter.
"Moving on," Aaron said. "Tell me what you're up to."
I chuckled. "Not much, unless you count lazing around and doing nothing as doing something."
He laughed softly. "Well then Morgan, I'd like to hear all about how you're doing nothing."
I laughed and fell back onto my bed with the stupidest grin on my face.
And I couldn't help but think that maybe...just maybe...Shannon and my inner voice were right.
~~~
Aaron and I spoke for like an hour and a half to my surprise, bouncing from one topic to another. I had the same stupid grin on my face when I hung up. Nothing could ruin my mood.
"Morgan!"
I was wrong.
I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore my mother's calls.
"Morgan!"
I groaned and got out of bed, making my way downstairs.
"Yes?"
She rose her gaze from her phone and straightened her glasses when she saw me. "Why do you look like you just rolled out of bed?"
That's because I did.
"I've um...just been doing homework all day," I lied.
"I see," she said. "Where were you last night?"
"Did you call me down here just to interrogate me?" I asked her.
"I need to know Morgan," she told me. "Knowing you these days you could have been off doing God knows what with God knows who."
I rolled my eyes. "Is this about Aaron? Look mom, he's my friend. Just because he's not Josh Martin doesn't mean he's not worth my time."
She sighed. "I didn't call you to argue with you Morgan."
"Huh, I figured that was the agenda since that's all we do these days," I remarked sarcastically.
"Jean tells me you're going to the premiere," she beamed, ignoring my comment. "Oh, I have the perfect dress! You'll look so beautiful representing me!"
I didn't think it was possible for my mood to become even worse.
She rushed over to the couch and picked up a hanger and unzipped the bag to reveal a dress. "I had it custom made for you a while ago and I've been looking for the perfect opportunity to let you wear it."
"So you made me a dress and I can't decide if and when I want to put it on?" I asked her in confusion.
She rushed over to me and basically threw it into my arms. "Go put it on, I bet it'll look gorgeous!"
It was hideous.
Well maybe I'm exaggerating. The dress in itself wasn't so bad to look at, but on me, it was hideous. You know how you see something in a store and get so excited to try it and then realize it should have probably stayed on the mannequin?
Yeah, this was like that.
I hated the way it fit, the hideous shade of yellow it was everything. And there were ruffles, so many ruffles.
At this point I wasn't even a potato, I was the whole potato sack.
I took a picture of myself in the mirror and texted it to Shannon before making my way out of my room and back to my mother.
"Oh my," she gushed, her eyes gleaming. "It's perfect."
You have got to be kidding me.
"I look like Sponge Bob," I said dryly.
"Oh hush sweetheart," she continued, walking over to me and examining me more closely. "Maybe it needs a few alterations here and there but I'd say it looks fabulous!"
I'd say it looks far from that but okay, to each their own.
"It's settled then," she grinned, clasping her hands together. "You're wearing this on the carpet."
Wait what?
"Carpet?" I questioned. "I never said anything about walking the carpet."
"Well you have to," she told me, looking surprised. "
"Mom, all they're going to do is ask me about Josh," I said.
"Well so you gracefully let them know what you want them to know about your relationship with him," she told me, looking like that was the answer that could solve all the world's problems.
"I don't have a relationship with Josh," I told her, irritated. "And you would know that if your company was the only thing you were concerned about."
It was like she couldn't get mad at me when she was looking at me in the dress, because she seemed to ignore every word of my last sentence.
"You'll look great, you'll see!" she gushed. "In the meantime, you get changed and come with me so we can make sure it fits perfectly."
I hate my life.
As I trudged back upstairs to remove the dress I got a text from Shannon.
Crazy Ass Bitch: Take off that monstrosity right now.
And at least I was able to smile in the midst of my mother's crazy nature.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What?" I exclaimed, after Aaron shared a piece of information with me. "You've never seen a single Harry Potter movie?"
He laughed and shook his head, eating a tiny spoon full of chocolate pudding. "Not a single one."
It was lunchtime, and Shannon was staying back to finish a project in her jewelry class. Aaron and I were sitting on a wall in the parking lot, eating our pudding and talking.
"You're kidding," I said. "Oh wait till Shannon hears this."
"I'm not," he laughed.
"You have to," I told him.
I was a huge Potter head.
"I don't think I could ever bring myself to do that," he chuckled.
"One day Aaron, it's going to be you, me, and all eight movies," I said.
"There's eight of them?" he asked in disbelief.
"Oh my God you're unbelievable," I remarked before putting some pudding in my mouth.
"You're the unbelievable one," he joked. "Who knew Morgan Hall was such a geek?"
"Hey," I laughed.
"Yeah but you're a cute geek," he said casually. "You should see how your eyes light up when you talk about the things you like."
I won't lie, my heart did a little something when he said that.
"I talk a lot don't I?" I laughed, hiding my face with my palm in embarrassment. "Sorry."
He chuckled and pulled my hand off my face like he did the other day, his green eyes glistening under the sun. "Hey, I never said that was a bad thing."
I smiled nervously.
"Morgan," a voice sneered.
I looked away from Aaron and saw Paige walking towards us with a smile I was happy to wipe off.
"What do you want?" I asked her.
"Just stepped out of school for lunch," she answered 'sweetly'. "And I thought I knew all the people we hung out with."
I looked at her looking at Aaron and I had to fight the urge to beat her ass again.
"Uh, you're friends with Morgan?" Aaron asked her, looking a bit surprised.
"Paige," she said, stretching her hand out for a handshake which he was too polite to not refuse.
"Aaron."
Her eyes widened for a second when she realized it was the guy she had told me not to talk to weeks ago.
And then her lips broke out into a smirk. "I might have heard the name floating around the halls. Usual gossip, nothing to worry your head over. And might I just say, I'm liking what I see. Do you want to have lunch together sometime? Platonically speaking of course. "
I will drag her to hell.
This was typical of her. She had to have the best guys for herself, even of one of her friends liked them.
Not that I liked Aaron.
"Um, Paige you seem...nice, but I already have lunch with Morgan here if not my other friend," he said before leaning forward a bit. "And so far I'm liking what I see too."
Let's just say I'm glad he wasn't looking at me at that moment because I probably looked like I was about to burst with nervousness and laughter at the same time.
Paige scowled at his rejection and then changed her expression into a fake smile. "Of course, I'll leave you two then."
"Thank you," he simply said.
"We'll uh...talk later Morgan," she said before click-clacking her way out of our presence.
"Oh God," I laughed, not really believing that just happened.
"I'm guessing you two aren't as close as she makes you out to be?" Aaron asked.
I chuckled. "Let's just say if I had one spell in my pocket, I'd use the Cruciatus on her."
"I have no idea what that means," he said.
I patted his shoulder. "I know. Sad, but I know."
He laughed softly. "So I am free this Saturday if you're looking for a reason to get out of your house."
I groaned when I remembered my promise to Jean. "I can't, I promised my sister I'd go with her to the premiere of the new movie she's in."
"Don't you hate those things?" he laughed.
I shrugged. "Yeah but it's my sister, I'd basically do anything for her. Plus I guess I have to slowly accept that this is my life."
"Well good luck with that then," he chuckled.
I nodded, and then laughed.
"What?"
"Nothing big," I chuckled. "It's just...I'm trying to be genuinely excited about it but it's almost impossible when I think about the terrible dress my mother's making me go in."
"How terrible?"
"On a scale of one to ten, a solid nine and a half," I laughed.
"So don't wear it," he shrugged.
"I don't have a choice," I chuckled. "Maybe I could just tie it to the back of your motorcycle and let you drag it around the city. At least then it would be ruined and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it and then I'd be happy. But that would be a miracle."
"So the only way to avoid wearing the dress is if it was miraculously destroyed?" he asked.
I nodded. "Precisely."
"No Morgan, I mean the only way to avoid wearing the dress is if it was miraculously destroyed," he repeated, saying it as more of a statement this time around.
He wore a smirk on his face and my eyes widened when I got what he was hinting at.
"No," I laughed. "Are you telling me to-"
Then a bell rang.
"Hey, I didn't tell you anything, but however you choose to understand my statement is entirely up to you," he chuckled innocently as he hopped off the wall. "I've got to get to class."
"Who knew you were this sneaky?" I said.
"Once again, however you interpret it is up to you. I'll see you later."
He winked, and I had to prevent myself from falling off the wall as he left.
A/N
Next chapter is the premiere, and as you can guess there's bound to be DRAMAAA. I'm excited for that, how bout you? ;)
Um...excuse me.
Author: *looks around* who is that?
It's Morgan's sub-conscious.
Author: How the hell did you get here? Where are you?
Sub-C: Calm your tits. I'm invisible remember? I just have one request before you continue with the story.
Author: Um...this is weird but okay.
Could you not make Morgan so slow? I mean, I'm in her brain so I know she's a smart girl. So why the hell are you making me spell out the fact that she likes the guy?! It's exhausting getting people to realize things.
Author: Oh I uh...I'm sorry?
Sub-C: *sighs* Just make my work easier please.
Author: Well you see-
Sub-C: Just make it happen. I gotta go. *poof*
Author: Rude.
Anyway, stay tuned and keep being awesome!
- amani