Start Loving Me

CHAPTER TWO:DECISION AND DRESSES

Ariel stepped onto the bus, feeling a little nervous. She had never been very good at small talk, and the thought of making conversation with a bunch of strangers made her feel uneasy. But she took a deep breath and forced herself to smile at the people she passed.

As she took a seat, she noticed several people glancing her way. Some of them smiled back, while others just stared, their expressions unreadable. But she couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious, wondering if there was something wrong with her appearance.

Getting to the mall,she was greeted by the staffs that passed by,nodding to their greetings she headed for the last floor where she met Ana and Ama talking about their favorite show.

Ama was dressed as a tomboy,while Ana wore a plain top and cargo pants,they noticed Ariel and walked up to her,they hugged before Ariel spoke up "Let's get something to eat, I'm starving"

"Okay" Ana and Ama responded

They head to the inbuilt coffee shop on that floor. As they headed to the counter, she could feel the stares of people piercing her skin,she tried ignoring the feeling of being watched.

"I'll have a a black coffee and two pancakes with cream and syrup" Ariel said to the barista,who nodded and began, while her friends ordered theirs,they returned to their table carrying a plate with pancakes and coffee on each hand.

Eating,Ariel decides to ask what color of dress they were going to pick out, Ana says blue while Ama says she would go for black. "What color are you going for?"  Ama asked
"Black" Ariel responded
"Do you have a date?" This time it was Ana who asked.

She told them about Bryce asking her to be his date and how she plans to text him her response today. Just as they were about to ask what her response would be,they heard a masculine voice asking "Can I have a seat" they turned to see Bryce's handsome face smiling down at them. Ariel looked at Bryce with a hint of nervousness in her eyes, she couldn't help but admire him, he's dark skinned, has deep green eyes and black short curly hair that fell on his face.
The girls asked him to have a seat while Ariel said nothing.

She offered to go get him a coffee and pancake but before he could turn her down, Ama and Ana already shared a glance and said they'll go get something for him not waiting for a go ahead they left wanting the two to have a conversation.

The two stared at each other for a while, Bryce looked like he was about to say something, but then he seemed to think better of it. One could see the tension in his face, as if he was trying to decide whether or not to speak up. Ariel decided to save him the trouble.
"Bryce, I've made my decision," she said, her voice steady and clear.
Bryce's eyes widened, and he leaned forward in his seat. "What is it?" he asked, his voice full of anticipation.

With a soft sigh, she said, "I'm so sorry, but I can't go to prom with you. I know it's disappointing, and I'm really sorry."
Bryce's face fell, and he nodded slowly. "I understand. I'll be okay." He looked down at the coffee table, his expression serious.
Ama and Ana returned to the table, and they looked at the two, noticing the tension in the air. "Is everything okay?" Ama asked, her voice full of concern.
"Everything's fine," Ariel said quickly, plastering on a smile.

As Bryce got up, he mumbled, "Thanks for the coffee," before grabbing the cup and walking away, heading towards the men's section of the store.
Ama and Ana looked at Ariel, their expressions full of curiosity. But they didn't ask about what happened, instead choosing to focus on the task at hand.
"Let's try on some dresses!" Ama said excitedly, her eyes sparkling.
Ana nodded, and the three headed towards the dressing room.
As Ariel looked through the racks of dresses, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.