Can't Afford Mistakes.

Chapter One

Sadie.

I look straight in the mirror while my best friend pins the last piece of an intricate braid in place on the back of my head. I stare directly at the person in the mirror, who I don't recognize anymore. My long, caramel hair is done so one half is flowing down my back like a waterfall, and the other half braided into a spiral shape on the back of my head. My blue eyes stare intensely at the figure before me. My high cheekbones made look sharp with the lightest touch of a make up brush, and my lashes long, and black against my tan skin, and blue eyes. I stare at the green fleck in my right iris, my birthmark, another reminder that I'm not perfect.

"Arabella," I gasp to my best friend who is helping me get ready, "I love it so much!"

"It was no problem sugar," she says, her southern accent present in her voice as she applies a layer of hairspray all over my head.

I stand and turn in the mirror a couple times to examine the outfit she picked out, and insisted on me wearing. The midnight black dress hugs my body like a second layer of skin, clinging to every curve. At the neck it plunges into a deep v with white lace at the borders of the neckline to make it modest, lace up back with a white bow tied at the very top, popping against the back of the dress. It stops just below my butt, making it look like a party dress, but the elegant lace in both the neckline and the perimeter of the bottom of the skirt, make it look very classy.

Arabella walks behind me and clips a single pendant necklace around my neck. I close my hand around the cool, smooth surface of the gold locket from my mom. My last gift from her. Tears well up in my eyes at the touch but I blink them away fiercely.

I shouldn't be thinking about these things. I need to focus on the present.

"Focus, focus, focus," I whisper a loud and in my head.

Don't think about mom.

Don't think about Dad.

Don't think!

Focus, I yell internally at myself.

As a distraction, I walk back and forth, testing my balance in the six inch heels Arabella put me in.

"Ara, are these really necessary?" I whine.

"Beauty hurts sweetheart, and if you want to make a lasting impression you have to pack through the pain," she says holding her chin between her thumb and forefinger, examining every move I make.

"It's missing something. I know it is I just can't quite but my finger on it," she says, forgetting the g's on the end of her words as she motions for me to spin with her finger.

"Ah ha! I know exactly what's missing," Arabella almost yells in excitement, while briskly walking over to her closet.

She scrambles through the closet, dropping hangers, flipping clothes, throwing a mixture of the items behind her, until she emerges with a blue velvet box in her hands.

Arabella walks over to me and out stretches her arms towards me offering me the box. I take it gingerly from her hands and open it slowly.

Two diamond earrings sit there perfectly still, casting a rainbow on the padded base of the box.

"Oh my- they're beautiful, are you sure? I mean they look really expensive, what if i lose them," I ask nervously.

"100% positive," she says with a cheerful smile, "But if you lose one, you're replacing the set. Now we better get going, or you're gonna miss your big chance," she says grabbing her keys.

We make our way down the spiral staircase that leads to the foyer of Arabella's house. I glance behind me as Arabella enters the kitchen & I see her little brother Zach in his high chair, her mom making eggs at the stove, and her dad drinking coffee while reading the newspaper. Its such a normal breakfast scene, such a normal family. Something my heart aches for so much it hurts.

Arabella kisses her little brother goodbye, yells goodbyes to her parents over her shoulder, walks out the door, and out into her driveway. Where her truck is parked, ready for us to leave.

"You nervous," She asks climbing into her truck.

"Extremely," I say breathlessly as she reaches over to pull me up into the passenger seat.

"Kid, I don't wanna make you anymore nervous than you already are, but I pulled a whole lot of strings to make this happen. This is you're last shot. Blow it and its all over. We can't afford any mistakes," Arabella says turning the key in the ignition causing the truck to roar to life.

"I know," I say.

My last shot to make him fall for me.

AHHH! First chapter posted! Please comment if there's mistakes or anything, & please vote & maybe tell some of y'alls friends to read lol 😅. But if you've read this far, you're the best! ¡Te amo mucho!