Reflections of Healing

chapter five: preparation for the party

As soon as I got home from school, I grabbed my phone and called Ash. She answered on the third ring, sounding out of breath.

"Hey, Maggie. What's up?" she asked.

"I was thinking of going to the mall to look for a dress for the party next month. Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure, that sounds like fun. Let me just catch my breath and I'll be right over."

I changed into more comfortable clothes and waited for Ash to arrive. When she got to my house, we chatted for a bit before heading out to the mall. We walked around the stores, trying on different dresses and taking selfies. Ash was always the center of attention with her bubbly personality and striking beauty.

As we were browsing through a rack of clothes, I spotted a girl across the store. She was wearing a black crop top and black cargo pants, she wore round glasses and her hair was short and curly. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"What do you think of that outfit?" I asked Ash, pointing discreetly in the girl's direction.

Ash looked over and nodded. "It's cute. Do you want to go talk to her?"

"No, it's okay. Let's just keep looking for a dress."

But I couldn't shake off the image of the girl in the crop top. As we left the store, I turned around for one last glance and saw her looking back at me with a smile.

I tried not to think about her too much, knowing that I had other things to worry about, like finding a date for the party.

As i was scrolling through my phone, i suddenly remembered my friend ethan, he is a handsome guy, tall and has a charming face. I opened Instagram and noticed a message from him, i opened the message  where he asked me if I wanted to go to the party with him, and I hesitated for a moment before agreeing. I didn't know him well, but I figured it would be better than going alone.

Little did I know that my decision to say yes to Ethan would lead me down a path of toxicity and heartbreak.