Holding Up Our Hearts

Chapter Three

"Hey Liz, are you still coming tonight?"

I close my locker door to face Blaze, my boyfriend of two months, whose parents I was going to meet today.

Blaze and I had been in the same elementary -and middle school, so I'd talked to his parents several times. But today I was going to meet them formally, as his girlfriend. I was nervous, to say the least.

"Of course I am. Wouldn't miss it for anything"

His lips tugged into a wide smile - one of the first things that attracted me towards him - he had the most pure and innocent smile I had ever seen.

"Is 7 good?"

"Yup, works for me"

He smiled yet again, "Okay, cool. And uh mm.." he trailed off.

"What?"

"Don't... you know... wear something... um... too uh... revealing?" he said unsurely.

I let out a small chuckle. "Blaze, how long have you known me?" Me in skimpy clothing? The day that happens, pigs would be flying"

He flashed a goofy grin at me before pecking me on the lips. His mouth moved sideways near my ear. "That's why I love you" he whispered, before hurrying off down the hall to his last period of the day.

♢ ♢ ♢

I walk through the front door to the smell of something baking that seems to be perpetually coming from the kitchen of our house.

"Hey honey, I'm in here!" Mom calls out.

I laugh, "Of course you are."

My mom love anything and everything to do with baking. She wasn't particularly good at it, if I do say so myself, but after dad passed away it's the only thing that keeps her busy, apart from work. It's the only thing that remained the same before and after his death; when our world flipped upside down. I guess baking is a the little strand of  before that she has left.

She's a corporate lawyer, so she travels on the weekly. I cherish the moments when she's at home, when I can be with her.

I walk into the kitchen to see her brown hair all over the place and her apron smothered with what I assume is flour and chocolate.

"How was school, Ellie?" she asked.

My mind flashed back to today morning when he called me that. Ellie had been one of my nicknames since I was little and no doubt, he referred to me as that.

"Oh, just the usual." I replied. "What storm are you cooking up?"

"I tried this new recipe where you mix in Oreo cookie pieces with the brownie batter but then when I put it in the oven. . ." She trailed off. "Well, it got burnt. So I uh. . . threw them out" She gives me a sheepish look. "But then I made fresh ones!"

I laughed. "I love you, mom" I said before turning around and walking up the stairs to my room.

"Aren't you going to eat some, honey?" She calls out from the kitchen"

"Nope, I'm saving myself for dinner tonight."

"Oh that's right, you're meeting Blaze's parents tonight. Have fun, and tell me how it goes! And I mean everything!" she seemed to be more excited for this than I was.

"I will mom, see you in a few."

When I walk into my room I have a flashback of what happened this morning, and more importantly who lives next to me. I hurry over to my window and shut the glass, the blinds, the curtains - everything.

I would not like a repeat of today.

I head over to my closet to pick out my clothes for today. Tanya always plans out an entire week worth of outfits because she likes to
be "prepared". I pick my outfits ten freaking minutes before I leave to go somewhere.

Most of my clothes were pretty similar; all simplistic, none of them brightly coloured. Although I did have some pretty dressy outfits that I knew would be handy for special events.

I decided on a gray ribbed halter neck top with high waisted deep blue jeans, with which I'd pair my cream coloured suede sneakers. Perfect.

I swatched on some mascara on my eyelashes and applied a nude brown lip tint. I always went easy on the makeup because I didn't think I needed it. Every time I put more than mascara, blush or a neutral coloured lipstick, I looked like I was ready to join a circus. My features were so bold and out there; yet another thing I disliked about my appearance.

I take a look at myself in the mirror, my anxiety kicking in. I take a deep breath. Let's do this

  ♢ ♢ ♢ 

Author's Note

This is kind of a filler chapter,  I'm easing back into writing so sorry about that :)

Elaine's outfit is in the external link so make sure you check that out. I've also added a cast to this book and if you have any suggestions then please let me know.

Also, ideas for what the title could be?  

Thanks for reading!
xoxo
lexi