Loving Me ✔️

Chapter 19

... I think I've seen this film before, I didn't like the ending.

You're not my home land anymore ...

That is my ringtone which wakes me up from my slumber. My phone tells me its 10 am in morning and Violet is the one calling me. (We had shared numbers during the trip.)

"Hey" I mumble a greeting in as coherent tone as I can.

"Oops. Did I wake you up?" Violet asks sheepishly

"Yeah, I am not much of a morning person. Anyways say" I tell her

"So it's date night for me and Ryan, which means I need a new outfit and a definite spa day after the trekking trip. So I was wondering would you like to join me and Hope" Violet gushes over her date tonight.

Spa day? With Violet and Hope? I wasn't much into beauty pampering and wasn't planning to start anytime soon.

"Hmm... I don't know..."

"Common don't say no. I don't want to go alone and Hope will get company too while I get my hair and facial done" she says trying to convince me before I could deny, although nothing could convince me...

"I'll be treating you too lunch too" she further adds.

Food! Oh yes! That will definitely get me up and ready!

"Okay cool. I am in" I quickly reply. I hear Violet chuckle softly.

"Great! I'll pick you up in an hours' time. That okay with you?' she asks

"I could directly meet you there" I say not wanting to be dependent on anyone, even if the offer of being driven did sound tempting.

"We will be going to same place. It's better if we take one car. It will be green also be more fun" she says and manages to persuade me; Save the environment, Go Green!

"Cool text me your address and I'll let you know when we are 5 minutes away" she adds before we bid goodbye.

I stand up, freshen up in the bathroom and do my usual morning routine. After that I come out of the bathroom in my bathrobe to stare at my open cupboard.

I am going on a spa day with the head cheerleader, what should I wear? What would be more appropriate? Would jeans be fine or it has to be something fancy? Would I have to wear heels?

STOP! I say to myself before I start hyperventilating.

"Why I am thinking so much about clothes!" I exclaim out loud.

Maybe because that was the reason why your previous friends left you. My subconscious taunts back.

"No. I shouldn't care so much about what others will think. I never have and shouldn't start now. If they have a problem with it then so be it" I decide talking to myself.

I put on my plain black jeans with a white top which had a frilly lace running diagonally from right shoulder to left waist. Next I tie my hair in a high ponytail and stuff my pockets with little cash, card and house keys so that my hands remain free. For footwear I decide on sneakers as comfort came above all. By the time I was ready, I realized I had a good 15 minutes to squeeze in a light breakfast.

While eating the cereal my thoughts start to wander around. This would be the first time I would be hanging out with Violet and Hope after the trip. Would we be able to get along in the regular life too or was the trek a one off situation? Time would only tell that.

The ping of my phone stirs me away from my thoughts and back to real life. I look at my phone and find a new message.

Violet – Hope you are ready. We are 5 minutes away.

I quickly wash my cereal bowl and put it to dry on the kitchen top. I check once again to make sure I have all my things and switch off all lights and other electric appliances (wouldn't want any accidents happening). Once I am happy with all my checks, I step out, lock the front door and wait in the lawn for Violet to arrive.

It doesn't take more than a minute and I see her familiar Mercedes.

"Hey Tyra" Violet greets me from the driver's seat. I see Hope wave at me too from the passenger's seat. I walk towards the car and seat in the back. Soon we are on the way to our destination which happens to be the Central Shopping Mall.

"So what's the occasion for the date night?" I ask once we were moving.

"Well they have this rule to go for minimum one date per month. And since they couldn't do much in last few weeks of school because of exams, Ryan planned this immediately after we return from trek" Hope replies. I see Violet nod in affirmation.

"That's very sweet" I say not that I had much experience in dating life but obviously Violet and Ryan knew what they were doing since they were going strong and doing really well.

"So what's the agenda for today" I ask

"Well I want to get my hair done and maybe a facial to get some glow on" Violet days first

"We can get foot massages done while she gets her beauty session done. The masseuses are really good" Hope chirps in.

"Oh we are not getting the same thing?" I ask in puzzlement. Whenever Varicella and Pansy would want a spa day they would insist on getting the same things done together. It was one of the many reasons why I refrained from going with them or hated spa days.

"You can if you want to, but it's not necessary. I mean why should you get something done if I want to? Violet replies puzzled at my question

"True" I agree with her.

We soon arrive at the mall and go directly to the Spa outlet located on in ground floor level. Even though we are getting different thing done, Violet managed to get us all in same space and we gossip and talk throughout the time at the spa. Hope was very much right about the masseuse hands being magic, my legs felt like I had never actually felt them before, almost like brand new.

After that we went for a late lunch at a Mexican Restaurant at the mall itself. Violet wanted to have Chinese but Hope said no hinting that maybe she might have it on her date tonight, which meant she was definitely going to.

When Hope when to the washroom to freshen up, I finally gathered courage to ask Violet a question that had been bugging me since morning,

"Don't mind me asking but don't you feel like your relationship doesn't have any privacy. I mean everyone in the group knows everything about you two." I ask hoping that my question doesn't offend her.

"Honestly it did in the beginning a little bit, but then they became my friends too. If anything happens, I know they have got out back. Usually a person ends up having to choose between friends and love, but that isn't the case here. They support us no matter what" Violet says with a sweet smile

"Also we share but not overshare" she further adds while I nod in understanding.

Super Seven may seem like a regular tightly knit group, but what's holding them together isn't popularity but strong bonds of friendship that has grown and matured over the years.

And I guess only time would tell whether I would or would not fit within them.

x   -   x   -   x   -   x   -   x   -   x   -   x   -   x   -   x   -   x

Author's Note - The lyrics at the starting are from Taylor Swift's song 'Exile'. You can listen it on the video by clicking at the banner at start of chapter. Definitely a must listen song.