I Don't Deserve Love: Alternate Ending

Chapter 14: Boys, Boys, Boys!

"Okay, one more time before I leave?" I asked Auntie, looking at the list in my hand. Auntie yawned and stretched.

"Opal, it is 7:15. You don't have to be at school until 8:00, why are you leaving so early?"

"I promised one of my basketball boys I'd look over his homework before class starts," I said. Auntie perked up right away,

"Is it Dajan?" she asked excitedly and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes and no. Dajan is going to be there, but it's Brandon that needs my help. Are you ready?" Auntie propped her chin in one hand and waved her hand, signaling me to go on.

"The girls and I will arrive right after school and you'll have the fruit and veggie trays that we made last night out. We'll have a snack and just talk about the day. Then we'll either put in a movie or play a game if Kim brings one that all the girls want to play. After that we'll, uh, do our nails?" I asked hesitantly, looking up at Auntie.

"Honestly, Opal, you would think that this was your first sleepover! Painting your nails is a must at sleepovers," Auntie insisted emphatically and I smiled uneasily.

"Uh yah, right, just... wanted to make sure. Well, after that we'll have our pajama 'contest' and bring all of the pillows into the living room. Once we're all changed we'll put in the pizzas and bring out the ice cream. We'll definitely watch a movie then, right?"

"Yes, I think watching a movie while eating dinner is a great idea," Auntie said with a smile.

"And you really don't mind if we eat in the living room?" I asked nervously.

The first time I had spilled something in Mother's living room I had been sentenced to my room for three days with nothing but bread and water to eat. It seemed like a foreign concept to eat anywhere but the kitchen or dining room.

"If something spills I'll just hire a cleaning service. Don't stress about it!" Auntie reassured me and I smiled, looking back at my list.

"Okay, so after the movie, we'll see what the girls want to do. We could either just talk some more, play a game, or watch another movie if they want. And I'm supposed to expect a random pillow fight to break out at some point after the movie and pizza, right?"

Auntie shook her head and made a tutting sound. "It's so sad that I had to tell you that. Those prep school girls must have been real snobs to never have a pillow fight."

I folded up the list carefully and stuck it in my jeans pocket. Auntie was under the impression that I had lots of friends in my old private school and I saw no reason to tell her otherwise.

"Well, I better go now, Auntie. Thank you for all the help. Do I look okay?" I asked nervously. Auntie had insisted that I wear a pale pink one-shoulder shirt that showed the thick strap of my purple undershirt. I had paired it with jean capris and purple flats with my hair pulled up into a messy bun.

"You look great, Opal. I knew you'd be able to pull off the one-shoulder look! I'll have to design a dress for you sometime with a one-shoulder," Auntie said wistfully and I tried to smile.

Wearing clothes that showed this much skin still made me nervous. I would find myself tugging on my jeans or covering my shoulder as if there were still bruises for me to cover up.

Mentally chiding myself for not letting the old habits die, I kissed Auntie's cheek before leaving the apartment. I walked quickly, enjoying the crisp morning air while making my way to the library. When I arrived I was surprised to see nobody was there. Pulling out my cell phone, I realized I had missed a text from Dajan.

Brandon slept in. I'm heading to the gym. I'll see you at lunch.

I chuckled slightly; Dajan's texts were very to the point. I wondered if Brandon was even awake yet. Brandon had done this to us three times before and Dajan always went to shoot hoops. I went with him once and he had tried to teach me how to shoot, but I was horrible, so I didn't think I'd be doing that again anytime soon.