I’m reaching the door when I look behind, biting the inside of my cheek, and waiting for him to look at me.
“Thanks.” I say, when he finally does, and he nods.
“Oh-” I come back to the table to grab my phone to play music in the shower, and as soon as I reach it, I open it for a quick scroll in which my feed refreshes and a Dustin selfie appears with his puppy.
“Is that Dustin-”
“No…” My tone isn’t convincing, and I purse my lips so hard trying not to smile.
“I could swear I saw-” I giggle and then cover my mouth. The wheels of my feet rotate and make me move towards the door, with Jake shouting behind me. “I knew it! And hedoesdo photoshoots with puppies! You sellout!”
I laugh, walking into the house and closing the door behind me, biting my lip.
Oh my god,this is going to crush me when he ditches me for Amanda.
* * *
“Maddie! Are you listening to me?”
My aunt snaps her fingers in front of my face.
“What?” I ask, shaking my head.
She grabs a long, dark red dress and waves it in my face.
“What do you think?”
I usually don’t wear dresses because I’m more practical and don’t like the feeling of my inner thighs being all easy breezy, but that’s why I love long, princess-like dresses; I just never have theoccasion to wear them. And this one… This one is straight out of my dreams. Waist down, it’s voluminous and it reaches just above my feet, and it’s soft and shiny and so so beautiful. It’s a cherry red, and it couldn’t be more perfect. It’s simple; therefore, it’s me.
“You like it?”
“It’s gorgeous.” I let out a sigh, escaping my mouth.
“Right? It’s a Queen Anne medium puff-sleeved cherry dress.” My aunt describes perfectly, a smile brewing on her lips. “Alright then.” My aunt gets up and gets out of the room, reminding me to hurry up. Tonight we are just going to have a normal dinner, so I put on my normal clothes. An AC/DC black t-shirt and some white shorts. My hair is wet, but light waves are already starting to form. I don’t completely hate my wavy hair, I just… Like it better straight.
Everyone is already downstairs, so I leave my room. The front gate bell rings, and I run downstairs, almost tripping over on the last step. I open the door to the garden, and outside are our visitors. I was planning on running and hugging Linda, but her baby wouldn’t let me, so I ran to Patrick instead.
“I’m so excited!” I blurt out.
I stop hugging him, and when I turn around, to Jake, he has his arms spread out.
“I’m sorry, who are you marrying to deserve a hug?” I question, mocking, hands on my hips.
“You.” He grins, and my stomach twists so hard I think I’m about to falter.This is terrifying.
“Yeah, right.” I chuckle, nervous laughter taking control of me, and I move on. “Thanks for helping with the garden, though.” I punch his arm like I just said,Buddy, and I want tokill myself.
He ignores it altogether and places an arm around my shoulders, making my body have a reaction, before my mind caneven say anything. The feeling you get when you’re thirsty, and you have that one fresh gulp of water and feel it going down your body and spreading through it, giving you life? That’s what he does for me.
God, Madelaine, you keep forgetting that he likes Amanda, not you.
I’m his friend… At most, nothing else.
I get out of his arm and make my way to the table. Everyone’s sitting down, and I do the same. I decide to stay between Blake and Allison. The first doesn’t seem very satisfied with me, and I roll my eyes at his crush on Allison. Jake sits right in front of me.
It takes everything in me not to visibly let out the biggest disappointed sigh in my life, the hope that this could really happen slipping away into the air as I do so.
I’ve read all the books and seen every movie, and still,I never learn.
