Perfect Disaster-Charles Leclerc

seven

"Are you ready?"

It will have been an hour since we are at the hotel and Max has made it in time to arrive, wash and dress, and we are still in a total panic. There will be at least 5 clothes on the bed and no choice made. My head is exploding, the fear of Max not liking me is so high, in the end l've never been anyone's first choice, l've always been the pretty girl, but never pretty. The nice girl, never funny. The lovable girl, but never loved. Max knocks again, I bring a hand to my forehead and walk toward the door in my basketball shorts and a loose sweater over it

"EI"

I exclaim, perhaps in too loud a voice. I don't fully open the door, Laura is in the bathroom doing her makeup and the room is a mess

"you look beautiful, I can swear, but not ready"

she looks at me from head to toe, at least what she can see. My darts fall still damp on her shoulders and leave a small halo on her faded pink T-shirt

"will you let me in? I'll help you choose"

she understands the situation on the fly and I hesitate to open the door completely until she gives me a smile and waves her head to come in

"Lau there's Max!"

I yell to her so she can hear him from the bathroom

"you swear?!"

She teases me. I walk over to the bed and exclaim a voila so as to distract him as I put my hands in front of my face

"I wouldn't come"

he raises a hand as if to say 'no way'

"what's the matter with these clothes? They'll all look good on you"

I roll my eyes and he notices by laughing

"I'll wear that black skirt and that lilac top"

I exclaim without thinking, I don't want to wear a dress, i don't want to feel crushed any more than I will be

"EXCELLENT CHOICE!"

I hear Laura screaming from the bathroom only to hear a strange noise and her at the door soon after with a few beats less

"the one with the slit but with ruffles?"

I nod showing it to him, he gives me a thumbs up and I look at max "come on go change" I point to his chair and he takes it almost snorting

"I would have gone out, it wasn't more comfortable?"

"if you want to stay here, stay. otherwise go ahead and leave" I finish saying as I enter the bathroom.

I change, check myself in the mirror compulsively,

"Am I okay?"

Laura rolls her eyes, it's the thirtieth time she's told me that, I look at my white converse and return my gaze to the mirror, Laura sprays perfume on me, I look at her badly. It's a strange feeling, I'm afraid to come out and see a disgusted face from Max, you can see the swollen belly, definitely, I can't look past myself. I keep telling myself that if I don't fit him, he will look for someone else. I lean my hand on the door and push finally taking another breath. Max stands up and looks at me, head to toe, I'm dressed plain, not too flashy, I hate being the center of attention, it doesn't suit me. I look at his expression

"you look beautiful"

he says finally, I look at him as if to ask him if he was sure and he walks up to me smiling and hugs me, finally, for the first time since qualifying.