Fall ❥ George Shelley |Discontinued|

7

CHAPTER SEVEN

I let out a sigh as Alice sets down a curl, finishing my hair. "You look beautiful," she says to me. I look down at my hands, faking a presentable smile on my face.

I look up and look at her in the mirror. "Thank you. I believe you look beautiful as well." I just can't make myself believe what she says: I just don't believe that I am beautiful. At least I don't believe it after everything that has happened.

"Thank You," she says. I can tell that her smile is quite genuine and not at all forced like mine is. I can tell she is happy. I can tell she believes, she finds, herself beautiful. She exhilarates confidence that I lack. "Ryan is a very lucky lad."

I smirk, the most that I can manage at the tone of his name. I lightly say under my breath, "I guess." I turn around in the chair, facing her now.

"What?" she says, knowing I am about to say something. Well, more ask something, that is.

"Who are you going with? They have been talking about this dance since last year so it's going to be epic, but you haven't even told me about your date or if you even have one. It would seem a bit weird going to a Valentine's Dance all by yourself," I explain.

She smiles lightly. "I don't really care about dates. Sure, I've been asked by a couple of guys, but they don't seem that important. I just wanted to go alone and show those people that you can go alone, beautiful, and still have a killer night!" Her confidence makes me laugh. I've always admired how she's always confident in what she does, no matter what. I really wish I could be like that. "Plus, I've been too busy to worry about dates."

"You will definitely make boys cry. You just look absolutely stunning!" I compliment.

"Thank you my little cupcake," she says whilst pinching my cheeks. I can't help but scrunch my nose up; I always do that when someone touches my nose or my cheeks like that. "And plus, I might just go to the dance with George instead."

"That's nice. Wait... he doesn't have a date or anything? I would've expected him to ask someone out with how cheeky he naturally is," I say.

"No," she starts. "He told me that the only person he wanted to ask out is already taken so he doesn't want to take anyone else." Whilst she is doing this she takes her time to pick a perfect handbag to go with the colour of her dress:purple.

"Really? Then how come he has never told me about this mystery lady?"

"I dunno. Maybe it's never come up in conversation?" she suggests.

"But that doesn't explain it. We tell each other basically everything; the three of us."

"I know," she says, picking up a maroon clutch and throwing it to me. It matches the colour of mymaroon dress.

"You would tell me who he fancies, right?" I ask for a little reassurance.

She looks at me seriously, "I think it would be better for him to tell you instead, so that way I won't have to go behind his back or anything."

"That seems like a good plan," I say. "But why don't you think he would tell me in the first place? Do you think he's lost trust in me or something?"

"I don't think so. I can trust you more than anyone, sometimes even more than George. Why wouldn't he trust you?" she asks, a little suspicious.

I think about that one little scene in the corridor by my locker when he discovered the bruise on my cheek. I believe that memory will forever be etched into the back of my brain as it was a time I had to lie to one of my closest friend ever. It pained me dearly and I just wouldn't want a repeat, with him nor with Alice.