Trouble Times Two

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Friday

All five of us girls make our way downstairs and Jess showers in the bathroom. We wait for before getting ready.

She sits next to me and hugs me for a while. I hug her back. This was the most beautiful day, truly.

"You really are one of the greatest friends a girl could ask for." Jess gets started on her hair, her eyes gleaming from happiness. Every time her eyes land back on me, they get tearier.

I put heat protectant in my hair and start straightening it.

We all talk and listen to music. I never knew chatting with a group of my girl friends would be so cathartic. I never knew it possible for me to get here. To be sat here right now, getting ready with my best friends on the day of prom.

Ten-year-old me would be so happy. So pleased to even have one friend again, let alone four. To know that I would make it to prom. To know that I made it to this point, and had so many milestones ahead of me.

I try not to cry, and just about manage it. I do have to wipe my eyes in the bathroom every now and then.

They're happy tears though, and that's what matters to me.

We've all been sitting around getting ready when I see Lola's eyes on me, and a big cheesy grin.

"Soooooo... Gigi, did he ask?" I giggle when she asks me.

"Thanks for the five minute warning. Yeah he did."

"Did who ask what?" I face palm at my silliness when Jess asks her question.

"Did you forget to tell her?" Lola says.

"To be honest, I haven't told anyone. We were about to go to bed and he just asked. Donovan asked me to be his girlfriend." I get back to straightening my hair but Courtney, Elsie and Jess stare at me in utter disbelief. "I said yes of course. I ran the scenario through my head multiple times. Since he stopped drinking, there's not a situation I'd have said no. His whole demeanour has changed, he's kind and he's happier. He has a real desire to make others smile and he doesn't run away from his emotions. In fairness to him, he's always talked about them regardless about what state he was in. Drunk or sober. It's me who struggles with that."

"He also adores you. I've known him long enough to know when he's got it bad and trust me, he's got it bad for you." Lol la smiles at me and she seems so proud. "I remember you now, he had it bad for you back then as well. He was absolutely devastated when you left. He never told me but I'm pretty sure he thought you were dead."

Lola knew Donovan really, really well. She is an amazing best friend, and I was so lucky to be her friend too.

"Everyone's all grown up." Elsie says as she bursts into tears. "Super hormonal right now don't mind me."

"It's okay Els. We understand." We all hug her until she calms down, then continue to get ready in a comfortable quietness, the music barely cutting through.

We all help each other here and there. It's really fun. This was the girlhood I deserved. The girlhood I earned.

I do my makeup, then get into my dress. It's a deep royal blue, one that I'd taken ages to pick.

The shop assistant told me it complimented my skin tone. I chose it because it was my dad's favourite colour, and the silhouette was the same as my mom's wedding dress.

Even though I was still mad at my parents, I still honoured them in everything I do.

I make sure I look okay before covering the deeply personal tattoos, leaving the rest out. I was proud to have tattoos. I was proud to have scars. They were marks and memories of the girl I was once, and the woman I was on my way to becoming.