"How do I look?"
"I like it." Ellie replied, she had liked the other three outfits I tried on to. I rolled my eyes. "Gramps, what do you think? Be honest."
"You look gorgeous honey."
"Oh Ted don't lie to her! You look my age! You're 23 Leah, and you have killer legs. You're in your prime, put on a hot dress! Its a barbecue!" Count on gran to be honest. I gulped taking in her critique.
"Thanks gran." I went back upstairs, and searched for the most youthful looking dress I could find.
"How about this one?" I asked gran and Ellie who were both sitting on my bed.
"Oh yes. I love it." Ellie smiled.
"Yep! Thats the one. Put your hair up too darling. It will make it look really nice."
"Honey, Tallulah and her family are here." My grandfather shouted up to us.
"Alrighty, let's get going girls."
~
"Leah think about it. Please?"
"Ohmysweetgoodness Gabriel you know how I feel about Loyola! Its dumb. Everybody just expects me to go, my mom, our friends, your mom. YOU! I just-"
"Its not about what they expect of you it's what you want. Don't not go to your dream college just because you want to defy them. Leah go for you, and if you won't go for you go for me." Gabriel begged."I guess you might be right."
"Really!" He exclaimed as he tackled her into a hug and they shared a small kiss.
~
"Hey Leah would you and Ellie begin to put the desserts on the dessert table." My grandma requested. Ellie and I shook our heads and grabbed some pies and began transporting them outside to the barbecue.
"Hey Ellie what time does Cynthia get off of work?"
"She gets out around 3:30, but she probably won't be here until 4:45" Ellie said as she giggled. Cynthia is never on time.
"Leah?" A familiar voice sounded behind me.
"Cami!" I turned around enthusiastically. Cami was my high school friend.
"Oh my goodness Leah! I can't believe you're back! You look gorgeous." It's hard to be flattered to all of the 'your so pretty-ies', when everyone knows that I was depressed and unhealthy when I left. I'm glad to be healthy and better and maybe even pretty but it's just a different feeling.
"Thanks Cami. You look great too. How is everything?" Cami smiled and showed me her hand."I'm getting married!"
"Wow. I'm so happy for you." I said, flashing my teeth. Lie.
"I'm so excited Leah! He's the one! And a soon to be lawyer from New Orleans."
"You really snagged you one Cam."
"Yea. So how long are you staying? We have so much catching up to do!"
"I'm planning to stay all summer."
"Oh thats great! So um how long have you been in town?"
"I just got in this morning."
"Oh,-"
"Gabriel honey its so good too see you." Cami and I both looked over interrupted by my gran's loud voice. There he was. Tall, handsome, defined jaws. Gorgeous, and he was no longer a college student. No longer in the weird between of a man and a teenager. He was definitely a man now, and he had his eyes locked on me. With a wicked twist of emotions that I couldn't read.
"Leah what are-Umm" He breathed.
"Hi Leah." He then huffed out. Eyes still full of an emotion unfamiliar to me.
"Hi Gabriel." All of the emotions that I had tried to suppress came rushing back all at once. Love. Hate. Grief. Regret. And right then I realized that I had never really stopped loving him, and that was something that I simply couldn't handle.
"Sorry will you all excuse me." I said pushing my head down and rushing back into the house. I had always been good at running away from my problems. It just sucks when you have nowhere to run, but your grandma's guest room.
