Our Promises

10.

"Why are you so dressed up?" Haz asked as he stole my bag of crisps and sat on my bed as I got ready for a day out with Tom.
I shrugged, "No reason."
"Yes there is! Tell me." He sat up.
"Haz there's nothing to be said!"
"Yes there is!" He paused to think.
He gasped, "Did you guys fuck?"
"WHAT! No! Jeez! I'm 16!" I exclaimed.
"You can get married but you can't fuck someone?"
I rolled my eyes. "We didn't fuck Haz."
"So you...made out?" I froze.
"YOU GUYS MADE OUT?!!!" He whisper shouted.
"Shhh Haz please! I don't want anyone finding out! It was just a one time thing! It was a mistake." I said.
"Finally! Wait...no! You're supposed to fall in live and grow old together!" Haz threw the bag of crisps on my bed.
"Hey! And what do you mean?"
"You like Tom. He likes you! 2 plus 2 equalssss." He looked at me to finish the sentence.
"Tom likes me?"
"YES! He's liked you since the day he met you!" Harrison said in a doy way.
"I didn't know!"
"Yes you did! And you like him too! So just fucking admit that you-"
"That she what." Tom laughs and comes into my room.
"Wow why is there crisps everywhere?" He chuckled.
"No reason. Let's just go." I said and grabbed my bag and wrapped my arm around Toms and we left the house as swiftly as possible.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"Nothing. Look, about the other day. I don't want to speak of it ever again okay? Can you promise me to never say anything to anyone? Even Haz?" I asked and held my pinky finger out desperately. His eyes were disappointed and a bit hurt but, he'd do anything for me.
"Of course. Whatever you need." He said and shook my pinkie.

It had been a week and a half since I saw Tom that day. We hadn't text or called or seen each other since and it felt so weird. But I was going to see him today at Vanessa's birthday party which was definitely going to be awkward. I put on a silk white blouse and a black midi pencil skirt and black stiletto. Nothing too flashy, just...smart casual. I did my makeup to work for the first time. Obviously to look nice for Vanessa's birthday. Nothing special, just a soft look with light eyeliner and false lashes...and some lip-gloss. Again, to look nice in all the pictures we were going to take. I left my hair down, it was in my natural tight curls but it sat perfectly. I sprayed my signature perfume (Daisy by Marc Jacobs) and I looked in the mirror. I had already undone one button on the blouse...it's a one off! I unbuttoned the second button, which, in the wind flashed some of the white lacey bra I was wearing. Again for...Vanessa? I grabbed my bag and headed off to work. I got in and did the usual, got my coffee, did checkups and then I grabbed the present I got for Vanessa from the staff base and brought it to her room.
"Come in!" She sang. I walked in.
"Happy birthday to youuuuu! Happy birthday to youuuuu! Happy birthday dear Vanessaaaa! Happy birthday tooooo youuuuuuu!" I sang an octave higher than usual.
"Wow...I can't wait for karaoke." I said and handed Vanessa her gift.
"That was the best performance I've ever seen and thank you!" She said and sat down on her bed and started opening the gift.
"You didn't!" She gasped. I nodded.
"You got me the fucking dress you wore to that awards thing?" She squealed and pulled out the dress. I went to a fancy doctor awards ceremony with my ex months ago and I wore a beautiful blush dress that hugged my figure perfectly and it was strapless and it was the nicest dress I had ever worn and Vanessa couldn't stop going on about it.
"I got it in your size. Now that's what you can where to a hospital karaoke party." I laughed. "Thank you so much B." She said and hugged me.
"Love you. You deserve it. Now go and try it on!" I said. She leaped out of bed and went into the bathroom.
"So, what's the deal with your fancy outfit and makeup?" She asked.
"Nothing! I thought it was a special occasion." I lied.
"You're so lying! It's because Tom's coming isn't it."
"What! No!"
"Yes it is. You haven't seen him in over a week or talked to him."
"That doesn't mean anything."
"Why did you even stop?"
"Because...we just did." I lied again. Wow if God's counting all of my lies then I'm definitely not going to heaven.
"Fine. We might have kissed." I said. She opened the door and she was just in her bra and pants and the dress was half on.
"No way!" She exclaimed.
"But you can't say anything." I said.
"I promise. Now, zip me up." She said and I got up and zipped the dress up. She turned around. "You look better than I did but I'm not even mad." I teared up.
"Don't cry! You'll ruin your makeup!" V laughed.
"You're just so beautiful! You're so grown up!" I smiled.
"The only reason I got here was because of you Blair. As a doctor and a friend." She said.
"I love you." I said and we hugged again.
"Now let's go and do some karaoke!" I wiggled. "Yey!" She grabbed her oxygen tube and wheeled the supply behind her. We got to the common area that was all decorated.
"Miss Vanessa is here!" I presented. Everyone gasped and chattered about her dress and she went off and talked to her friends.
"Hey Blair." I turned around. Tom.
"Hi." I smiled.
"It feels like forever since we talked." He awkwardly laughed and scuffed the floor.
"Can we talk?" I asked.
"Yeah." He said. I grabbed his hand and took him to the nearest empty room.
"What happened last week, I don't want to do that again." I said.
"Okay, that's fair." He said and nodded.
"Not because I don't find you physically attractive or think you're a shit person," We both laughed at that.
"I don't want to do that because I love you and I don't want to ruin one of the best friendships in my life." I said softly.
"I agree. I mean, at the time it felt right and I didn't want to stop kissing you." I blushed, thinking back to when he grabbed my ass...yeesh.
"But now I've thought about it, I just want to move on and forget it ever happened." He said. I nodded.
"Okay. Well, I think we have some karaoke-ing to do Mr Holland." I smiled and we walked back to the common room.
"As the birthday girl, I'm nominating Doctor Nolan to be the first to sing. Now a lot of you may not know this, but she's actually a good singer but she doesn't ever sing in front of anyone." Vanessa said into the microphone. "Big fat lie." I chuckled and went up onto the small stage.
"But because I'm not a normal, boring 17 year old. We're playing karaoke roulette. The person before you gets to pick your song! So, Blair, I want you to sing...Man! I feel like a woman! by Shania Twain." She held back her laughter. "Vanessa!" I moaned and blushed, realising that I'd have to sing this in front of a bunch of teenagers who probably don't know who Shania Twain even is. The music started and everyone started clapping to the beat. I couldn't stop nervous laughing.
"I'm going out tonight, I'm feeling all right, I'm gonna let it all hang ooout!" I started barely because I was laughing too much.
"The best thing about being a woman, is the prerogative to have a little fun and! Oh, oh, oh! Go totally crazy, forget I'm a lady! Men's shirts, short skirts, oh, oh, oh!" I sang and people joined in.
"She's actually not bad. After how many years of friendship and I never knew she could sing." Tom said to Vanessa. Vanessa didn't say anything. She just looked at the way that Tom looked at me and knew that he definitely was lying about his feelings.