Can't Compete

twenty two

TICK, TICK, TICK.

Ella watched as the second hand go by on her silver Rolex wristwatch. Currently, she was running last-minute errands with Lily because their debutante ball was tonight.

It was just yesterday did she remember writing her speech and submitting her application. Time went by so fast and it was mind-boggling how so much had changed in such little time.

"Can I see the dress you're wearing?" Lily asked, striking her out of her reverie.

Ella nodded. "I have to pick it up,"

"I picked up mine last week. I hope I still fit into it," she made a 'yikes' look, before picking up a pair of white pumps. "Do you like it?"

"The heel is short,"

Lily placed the back on the shelf, then picked it up again.

Ella forced a laugh. "Get it. You're tall, so a kitten heel won't look bad. Besides, we always buy six heels to pick out later on when we get dressed,"

"Ok," she grinned, calling over a worker to retrieve her size.

Playing with a gold heel placed on display, Ella wondered what she was going to do tonight. She was hurt when Ashton no longer wanted to accompany her for tonight, but she was shattered when she found out he somehow managed to get Hailey to be one of the debuts and be her date.

She wasn't going to deny that being acquainted with the Elites had its benefits, but she always assumed that they weren't accepting any new applicants to be one of them. It had always been just the four, and her now over-thinking somehow was leading her to believe that she was slowly getting replaced by the brunette.

Lily walked back with a fill smile, holding up the three filled shopping bags. Ella was already holding two of her own, and they had only just begun shopping.

Acknowledging Ella's dispirit, Lily nudged her. "Don't worry about Ash and his new toy. You know how he was before you; led girls on for the fun of it."

"I'm not worried," Ella fabricated, straightening her posture.

As they walked out of the store, making their way to Ella's designer's boutique, Lily asked, genuinely curious, "Who are you going to come out with then?"

"No one," she shrugged. "I'm Ella Ashleigh. I don't need a male on my arm to attract attention."

"That's my best friend," Lily cheesed.

She smiled, impersonating her happy facade. Though, not a second later, she recomposed her emotionless stance when Lily looked away from her. Ella wasn't an actress or anything of the sort, hence playing out an emotion for a period of time tired her immensely.

"Ella, ma chérie," the well-known designer came out from the storage doors, opening her arms for a hug.
[translation: my darling]

"Rosalie," Ella greeted back, mimicking Rosalie's actions as they kissed the sides of each other's cheeks. Breaking from the hug, Ella took a step back. "I'm here to pick up my debutante dress,"

"Oui, I was wondering when you would come to collect the dress,"
[translation: yes]

Ella politely smiled. "I was busy," crying with no tears to the news that Ashton's date was now the Kentucky brunette.