The Player and the Played

28. Infatuations And Playing Cupid

"I could?" I asked, kind of shocked.

"Oh, she will," Lana confirmed.

"I know it's kind of late because the Ball is like in a week and I mean, you don't have to go if you don't want to go but i thought that we could go as friends because even I didn't have anyone to go with and-"

"Oh, yeah, no, I'll go with you," I said, trying to hide that twinge of disappointment when he mentioned friends.

"Oh, that's great! Uh, tell me the colour of your dress so that we can...you know...match?"

"Sure," I replied, trying to fight off the grin that threatened to split my face. Gods, he was adorable. Though I doubt this meant anything. He wanted to go as friends and that's fine. It was just a slight infatuation which would cease anyway once we went our separate ways for college.

"Hailey?"

"Yeah?"

"Did  you hear a word I said?"

"Um...yeah?"

"No, you didn't. I asked you to come since we're leaving now. It's getting dark and it's not safe for you," Tyler explained.

"Oh, yeah, right. I'm coming," I said and went with him, a slight unexplainable spring in my step.

***

"I hate monday mornings."

"Hails, it's not a Monday," Tyler said, amused at my predicament.

"It sure as hell feels like one," I replied, excusing myself when we reached school in a pathetic attempt to get to the bathroom and fix my sorry excuse for hair. I had woken up late with a headache and had barely brushed my hair. The result? Me in sweatpants and a random tee shirt which I'd probably never worn before (and with good reason) and slightly frizzy hair which was united.

"If it makes you feel better, you still look good," Tyler called out.

"It really doesn't since you're probably lying but thanks," I called back as my cheeks turned crimson. It actually did make me feel much better.

I glanced at my reflection and took my hair tie (which was on my wrist) and began to tame my annoyingly frizzy hair into a ponytail. Suddenly I noticed a familiar black hair and brown eyed girl enter,

"Sel?" I asked, a little uncertain.

"Hi, Hails."

"Hi. Oh, my God, I so sorry!"

"You have nothing to apologise for," she assured me.

"But we've drifted apart so much and I'm really sorry for getting so caught up in high school shit and forgetting my own best friend," I said, apologising again.

"Seriously, don't apologise. It was mostly my fault. I'd been kind of caught up with Alec. It was only natural for you to drift apart."

"You're still my best friend though, you know that, right?" I asked her.

"Duh, we've been best friends for the past five years or something," she said, laughing a bit. And then, just on time, in the middle of our amazing reunion, the bell rang.

"Damn it, we've got to go," she muttered.

"Hey, Sel?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's go shopping after school for the Ball. Do you have your dress?"

"Nah, I didn't get the time and you know how much I procrastinate."