The Role Switch | ✓

24. not a choice

[ALISHA'S POINT OF VIEW]

                ALISHA PREFERRED order in everything.

Whether it was in the way she dressed up, or color coded her wardrobe or arranged her textbooks according to their size- precision was her thing. It filled her with a sense of pride, however weird one might call her for that.

But, feelings never followed an order.

Neither did they see the person.

The heart did a little umph and, your feelings are a mess.

With these thoughts running in her mind, she absentmindedly ran a hand through the sides of her dress, standing at the entrance of the party hall. The sound of loud music pumping within the walls filled her ears, the urge to shake a leg getting stronger and stronger. Students were dressed up, rocking to songs, and the teachers had already left from what she could see. The hard work of planning and had finally paid off.

God, she loved her high school for throwing a party.

She wanted to go inside, but, Piper had been adamant when she instructed Alisha to not go inside without talking to Piper who still hadn't arrived.

Alisha couldn't have been more thankful to have Piper as a friend. After losing her mother, life was no less than a roller coaster ride. To top that, the start of high school seemed like a catastrophe waiting to happen.

Like a selectively permeable membrane, she chose only some people to be her friends. And, to have Piper was having a sister in disguise. At times, Alisha had her moments of doubts with Piper. Piper acted differently, and her unpredictable nature both terrified and amused Alisha. Like today, when Piper had called her to wait, Alisha got an inkling that something was about to happen.

Each passing minute, Alisha could feel the hard thumping of her heart, but she calmed herself and took deep breaths. Nothing would deter her today. She believed in being frank with feelings, regardless of the other person's perspective. It sounded rude, but that's how Alisha's brain worked.

Own how you feel. Leave the rest up to faith.

The prospect of confessing about her feeling to Stephen didn't terrify her. Rather, her nerves were tingling with an unknown sensation. Perhaps, the so called butterfly effect. Or whatever. Nervous? Sure. But not terrified.

If Alisha hadn't been so harsh with her judgment, Stephen might have been a little more friendly towards her. She mused. Sure, they were times when he acted weird and stumbled upon his words, but now instead of being frustrated found it adorable.

The scenario of the scene had run in her mind a good many times. *Will it go well? Or bad? Will he be happy to listen? Or show pity? Or would she freak and faint?*

Without any expectations, she would confess, and that's it. One might argue, but Alisha didn't love Stephen. She liked Stephen. The prospect of the relationship excited her. If, Stephen reciprocated her feelings.

If being the key word.

"Alisha, hey," Piper said, waving her hand at Alisha. A little out of breath, she laughed. "I knew the dress I chose would look good on you."

"Perks of having a fashionista friend. You know you look stunning too."

And, Piper did look stunning. The burgundy color Miu Miu dress flared at her knees, matched up with smoky eye makeup and matte lipstick, along with her natural raven curly hair and dark skin tone worked wonders on her. If there was anyone with a good fashion sense, it was Piper.

"Should we go inside?" Alisha asked, already taking steps, but Piper caught her by her arm.

"I have to tell you something."

Alisha raised an eyebrow but said nothing. With the way a frown made its way on Piper's face, her stance said nothing but nervous. Alisha waited for a beat, then sighed. "Piper, what do you want to say?"

"You like Stephen," Piper stated.

With a slight nod, Alisha agreed. "I do, but, I don't love him if that makes sense. I am just going to tell him about my feelings. The whole crap about owning your feelings? I want to do that."

"I, uhmm," Piper stumbled upon her words. "You can't tell him anything."

"Piper," Alisha shook her head slightly, closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Is there something I should know?"

"Gah this is tough," Piper huffed out, pushing her hair away from her face. She fisted her hands at her sides, then deciding against it, put her head in her hands.

"Let me guess, you like Stephen?" Alisha asked, waiting for the answer.

Piper always got funny when it came to Stephen. She either got defensive or blushed profusely and sometimes acted like she didn't know him at all. The fact that Piper had hidden Stephen being her neighbor didn't escape her memory.

Alisha had outright asked Piper in the past if she harbored feelings for Stephen.

Piper hadn't answered but, Alisha could see right through the look in her eyes, and the happiness on her face whenever Stephen was around.

Alisha already knew the answer.

"I like him," Piper said, gulping, her face devoid of any color.

Alisha couldn't blame her. Stephen was a great guy. He was kind, never downright rude (unless you were rude to him) and cared about people. In a short span of time, knowing a person was not easy but whatever she had learned about Stephen in the past two months was enough for her heart to skip a beat.

But, she would be a liar if she said Piper's confession didn't hurt.

It hurt. A little bit.

"Scratch that, I love him," Piper said with a fierce determination on her face. "Yeah, I love him more than anything."

Okay, it hurt a lot.

With a defensive voice, Alisha started to talk. "I don't get it. I have always asked you if you liked Stephen-"

"Lies. All lies. Everything is a lie. God, this is a disaster. A stupid dare, a simple dare." Piper started pacing as if gearing herself for a huge moment. Her mumbles were becoming loud, but Alisha couldn't understand a word.

"Piper, now you are scaring me."

Piper came forward and grabbed Alisha by her shoulders. "Listen, Stephen, and I-"

Before Piper could complete her sentence, they heard a commotion and a loud cheer.

"Ignore that-" Piper stopped talking, a terrified look on her face when they heard Stephen's voice on the microphone.

"What is happening?" Alisha asked Piper, confused and puzzled. If anything, Piper looked angrier now, and if Alisha wasn't wrong, more terrified.

"A confession party," Piper answered, and before Alisha could question her further, they both ran inside.

***

BOO! I am back, tada! My exams are over, which weren't that good if I am being honest. So, let's not talk about them.

I have mixed feelings about this chapter, so your views will be valuable at this point. If I go according to my mindset, only three chapters are left! I am already working on next chapter so expect it fast. Also, apologies for the mistakes, if present. Not that it matters, but I was listening to Panic! At the Disco while writing this so yeah i love the songs. Any fans out there? ENJOY, vote and comment. Have a great day ahead!