Wonderland

❅H16❅ Breathe Me

Chapter Sixteen

Heather's POV

Breathe Me

 

"Are you free tonight?" Brayden asked, when he bumped into me in the hallway. I had just exited the bathroom and was about to go back to my room. Before I could answer him, Brayden grabbed my hand and started pulling me to my room. "Of course you are. Go change into something nice."

"Whoa, there, Coleman. What the heck are you talking about?" I said, confusingly.

"You're going to accompany me to my sister's boring ballet performance at seven."

"Without my consent?"

"I know you're going to say yes. Please, Heather?"

"Shouldn't this be something you bring Berkeley to?"

"I have a date with her tomorrow. Today, let it be just us two."

"Um..." We were now in front of my room. I opened the door and went over to my desk. "I have a lot of homework to do, Brayden...and review for the midterm."

"I promise I'll help you all of tonight when we get back if you come with me. I'll even buy you lunch tomorrow."

"That's not necessary. I just think—"

"I'll bring my Surface and we can do homework on the bus over."

"That desperate, Brayden? You must really hate ballet."

"You have no idea."

"What point would it make if I went? I'm boring."

"You're not boring! I just need someone to be bored with. Please, Heather?" Brayden clasped his hands together and made a pouty face at me.

"Brayden, stop," I groaned, slapping a hand over my forehead. "It's not going to work. I have to put school before everything else."

"What about your best friend?" Brayden argued.

Ugh, he had me. I think he could tell, too, because he smirked.

"Fine," I said.

"I knew it. I'll see you in thirty minutes. My brother'll be waiting for us in the lobby."

"Brother?" My eyes widened in shock. I thought it would only be the two of us.

"It's a family kind of thing, but don't worry about it. My family's cool. Esmond won't bite."

I've only ever heard about Esmond a few times from Brayden, but I've never actually met him.

"I know, but...isn't this supposed to be a private family kind of get-together?"

Brayden waved off my insecurity. "No. There's going to be hundreds of other people there, too, watching. You're coming with me, Heather, whether you like it or not." With a smile shot my way, Brayden left the room.

I let out a groan and trudged my way over to my closet. I barely had anything nice in my closet. I wasn't one for dresses. In fact, I only had one dress in my closet. It was floral-patterned and white, hanging a few inches above my knees, and I loved the sleeves. Kathy brought it for me last year when she saw me eyeing it during a family trip to the mall. I was touched that day when she gave it to me. My dad had never done anything like it before, and I almost cried at her kindness. I wasn't very close to Kathy. I guess I was closed off from my family in general.

I haven't worn the dress more than twice. I always thought my body shape was unflattering. I didn't have that flat of a stomach as most girls my age do, and my legs seemed twice as big as all the other girls. I was a size five in pants, and my friends from high school were size twos or threes—or at least looked to be it. My legs were too lanky and my hair sucks. It's always sucked. I hate my hair color, and I hate how it frizzes at times, and I hate how I can't do anything about it. If I were rich, I'd probably undergo plastic surgery. Fix my nose and dye my hair, get some fat out of my stomach and legs, and shape my eyebrows.