Ｈｅｌｌｆｉｒｅ • h.h

ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ｏｎｅ

They were star crossed lovers, like Romeo and Juliet, different sides. Kisses in secret and stealing moments together when the pair could, then when they came face to face in battle, they would have to act like they didn't know each other. Pretend that they didn't know each other's weakness, where they liked to be kissed, or as if they didn't have dreams they shared.

Evie pulled my white leather-bound notebook out of hands. I looked up at her, raising my eyebrow. She towered over where I lay on my bed. Her bright blue hair over one shoulder and her eyes were like ones of a mother telling off their child. I felt the heat on my neck as the flames flickered through my hair.

"Have you been listening to a word I've said or were you just writing?" She asked crossing her arms over with my book in her hands.

"Sorry, E. I had a flow. I need to finish my novel one day." I apologised. Evie passed me back my notebook. "What were you saying?"

"I was talking about Mal's dress for cotillion and how you said you would help me?"

"Yeah, of course." I smiled at her sitting up. I took the piece of ribbon off my wrist and tied back my icy blue hair. I put my notebook on my pillow alongside my pen and stood. "I'm all yours."

"Perfect." She leaned down and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Well Mal is late, I'm going to try and find her. Can you get everything out for me? I won't be long?" When it came to fashion Evie was always on a mission, it was important than school most of the time.

I watched as Evie grabbed her purse and rushed out the room, light as feather on her heels. I began to set up in our bright dorm room, which was filled with more colour than Wonderland.

I grabbed the work in progress from the rack, laying it down on Evie's bed and dug around the mess of a workstation for her measure tapes. When I had found the required equipment, I was tempted to carry on writing, but I knew if Evie caught me in daydream land again, she would lose it. I chuckled to myself. If he was here, he wouldn't let anyone disturb my writing. He'd growl at anyone who tried to.

Ten minutes Evie had come back dragging a reluctant Mal behind her. The look behind her eyes was dull. She was tired and I was the only one who could see it or wanted to see it. Our bond like no other, we locked eyes and nodded at each other subtly, sending a message. Our close kept secret to our hearts tying us together.

Mal was poked and prodded by countless needles and wrapped in Evie's tape measure. I helped, passing her what she needed and holding what needed to be in place. Evie tugged on the corset hard and Mal flinched.

"Okay, Evie I cannot breathe." Mal complained, taking shallow breaths.

"So, you can breathe afterwards."

"I seriously doubt that." She mumbled brushing her white hair behind her ear. I reached out for her hand as Evie fluffed her skirt. "There will be at least twenty more events following it and I can't even remember what a single one of them are." While I tried to console Mal, Evie was off in her fashion world giving out a kiss of perfection to her creation.

"Impeccable." Evie mumbled.

"All you need to do is remember one at time and right now, its cotillion first, so focus on that." I told her. Mal stared off into a corner of our dorm room.

"Guys, do you ever think about what we would be doing if we were back on the isle?" Mal asked.

"You know I do." I locked eyes with Mal. Mal gave me a small smile that was heavy with past guilt

The loud sound of our television brought the three of us out of conversation as it showed more clips of Mal accompanying King Ben. We helped Mal off the platform and she threw herself down onto Evie's bed as the segment of the visit to Aladdin and Jasmine began. Mal disastrous moment of spilling curry down her Evie4Hearts original.