the girl named winter

| 06 |

s i x
d a y s
b e f o r e

"You're supposed to be happy."

I sigh and look at Veronica at the mirror's reflection. "I'm not."

"At least, try to be."

I sigh deeper.

"Come on, Winter," she whines. She places a strand of my hair behind my my ear. "It's dance night. This only happens once a year. Everybody's wearing gowns and tuxedos. Foods are lined and ready to be eaten. The music's -"

"Veronica, please." I close my eyes. I grip the edge of the sink tightly. "Just... leave me alone."

She makes a disapproving sound.

I give her a small smile. "Have fun. I don't want to ruin your night."

She grumps and crosses her arms over her chest. "If you're not going out of this comfort room, then I'm doing the same."

"Frank is -"

"Is probably flirting with another girl right now."

My face softens at her troubled face.

"I realized that you were right, Winter."

"I know I always am." I grin for the first time. "But at what point exactly?"

"That a guy like him isn't compatible with a girl like me."

I swallow.

"I'm so stupid to even think he cared when really, he just needed a dance."

"So my Facebook-messaging theory was right after all," I murmur.

A tear escapes her eye and she swipes it, damaging her mascara.

I giggle softly, taking a tissue from her make-up kit. "Let me get your make-up fixed for you."

"This became a night of heartaches instead of a night of hope in romance."

We both laugh as our broken hearts continue to crack.

We atr both hopeless romantics.

It's nice to know I'm not the only one.

Before going outside, we hugged each other.

She's my anchor and I'm hers, and together we will get through this dangerous ocean.

••••••••••••••••••••

The night's wild and even if we're wearing tuxedos and gowns, we still dance like animals along with the blasting music and wild lights.

Veronica and I jump to Skrillex's loud remix as we grin and pump our hands in the air.

For a moment, I let the music wash away the pain as I dance to the loud beat and as I dance with unfamiliar bodies, wounding my hands around random strangers' neck.

When I was sated and I couldn't take it anymore, I sit at our table where I start devouring my meal.

I'm in Cloud Nine as a chewed on a steak when a red-headed goddess stand by me.

"Hey."

I look up and choke on the steak in my mouth. "Tiffany."