Cinderella in Reverse

Twenty Three - The Past and the Present

I spent months after that first date studying my very hardest in school. Vienna, Tori and I all experienced the highs and lows of life together, and thankfully we still managed to stay friends.

It was almost the end of winter, and most people chose to go home for Christmas break. I chose to come back on campus for the New Year's Eve party. That's not to say I didn't go back to Watermont Beach to see dad and the Callahan's, because I did.

Yup, I spent Christmas with my dad, and the bane of my existence's family.

The good part though? Finn wasn't there.

"What do you mean, Finn wasn't there?!" Tori shrieked.

I shrugged. "What can I say? He bailed out on Christmas altogether - staying in his apartment doing lame schoolwork or something."

Vienna's face fell. "Poor Theo! Oh, I wonder if Finn even considered his little brother's feelings!"

I laughed humourlessly. "Ha! As if! Finn doesn't consider anyone's feelings, Vi."

We continued to recount our Christmases, showing each other our thoughtful presents and exchanging presents of our own.

Time flew by eventually and the three of us had to get ready for the New Year's Eve party.

"What are you wearing tonight, Soph?" Tori asked, rifling through my closet. I honestly had no idea - the majority of my wardrobe on campus consisted of thrift store lint-encrusted knit sweaters, bargain bin ragged-sweatpants and holed socks.

When I moved in, I refused to bring the clothes that Ashley had bought me in fear of losing such priceless articles of clothing. Besides, who wears high fashion when you've got bags under your eyes and you only woke up ten minutes before the lecture started.

Honestly, my wardrobe was pretty boring, and I was starting to regret not bringing at least some of the clothes from home.

"You've gotta find something," she said. "Something that will make Finn want to go, 'Damn, I want to BONE her.'"

I swatted her arm, my cheeks flushed. "Vi, NO!"

She let out a low chuckle. "Whatever."

Tori smirked evilly and said, "I dare you to call him up and ask him if he likes girls with short, tight dresses or not."

I waved my arms in front of me. "That is out of the question, guys. You can't make me do that. I've done enough embarrassing things in my lifetime."

The cousins turned to each other and grinned.

~~~

"Hello?" Finn croaked into the speaker of my phone.

"Hey...Finn..." I said nervously. "It's uh...Sophia."

"What's wrong?" He said with concern.

"Oh nothing, I just-" I replied, before being cut off. "HEY! He hung up on me!"

Rude!

"He's such a jerk." Tori said, shaking her head. Vienna then dialled Elliot, in an attempt to try to reach Finn.

"Hey babe," she sang. "Is Finn around?"

After a few moments, and guffaws of uncontrollable laughter, Vienna corresponded back to us.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He knew it!" Vienna squealed. "He told me to tell you that if you really wanted to know, you should've just asked directly!"