Last Hope

Chapter 1 (edited)

Claire's POV:

"Come on Claire please just this once, you never go clubbing with me and it gets fucking boring!!!" Skyler whined like a kid trying to get me to go to this new club that just opened last week.

Now I'm not a 'partying and Clubbing' kind of a person but my best friend here, Skyler, my god there isn't one club in this city she hasn't been to. Unlike me, she loves to go out and party like the social butterfly she is.

"Language Sky and you know it's not my cup of tea, don't make me go!" I pout at her, hoping she'll leave me alone. But to my despair, she pulls my book off my lap and shuts it putting it away on my table.

"Enough with these books Claire, I'm not taking no for an answer tonight, you know it's Jay's best friend's birthday and I want you to meet Jay," she says looking at me with a look of pity in her eyes.

Great, she's playing cupid now. Jay is her cousin, he's 23 and is a lawyer. Sky has been trying to hook me up with him for the past 2 months but I've been dodging it pretty well I'm not too sure about tonight.

"Sky-"

Before I could complete my sentence she drags me off the bed.

"Nah-uh honey bee, you are going with me tonight and that's an order" she stands tall acting all tough as I chuckle at her stubbornness, guess one time won't hurt, right?

I sigh and shake my head in defeat.

"Fine I'll go, but we're coming back before 12" I state leaving no room for argument to which she claps her hands happily.

"Great that's no issue, enough time for you and Jay to get to know each other a bit," she said excitedly making me sigh.

"Sky I don't need you to play cupid for me" I speak looking at her a bit upset because I honestly don't want her to think that I so badly need a man in my life, I don't, not after him.

She soothingly rubs my arm "I'm not playing cupid honey bee I just want you to let someone in, you push away every guy who shows interest in you" she says sadly.

I know she worries for me a lot but trusting a man doesn't come easy for me, not after everything he put me through.

The only person I trust is Skyler. I've known her since we were in middle school, and we stuck together ever since, just the two of us.

"Fine we'll go and meet that cousin of yours, but just for tonight" I state as she rolls her eyes at me and chuckles.

"I'm happy with that and also I will pick your dress," she says as she walks out of my room. Wait for what?

"No way I'm letting you pick my dress!!" I shout behind her.

"I didn't hear you!!" She shouts back and I sigh sitting back on my bed. Just tonight Claire, you deserve to have fun.

Running my fingers through my hair I let my mind wander off. Reminding me of how my life has changed, from worse to somewhat normal. And it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for Sky.

She let me stay with her, in the apartment her parents bought her for college. Since I couldn't afford the college fee yet, I just work at a cafe not far from here.

I've been an orphan since I was 6, I grew up there, my parents abandoned me leaving me there to face this cruel world all on my own, I worked hard, studied day and night and got good grades and got into a good school through scholarship.

My train of thought came to a halt as Skyler walks in holding a bunch of dresses in her arms.

"Do I really need to doll up?" I ask with a bit of hope but she crushed it as she threw me one of her famous 'shut up' glares.