Page 31

My eyes opened really wide and I put my hands on my ears, “……. Shut up!”
Elias laughed and said, “Now you know how I feel. You two gross me out.”
Just to let you know, I’ve got a few more things to add.
Tonight was my first proper date with Kieran Redford. I must say, it’s a bit hard to believe that this is only our first date, given that we’ve been an item for four months now. But he decided to ask me on a first date for our fourth month as an official couple, even if it does sound a bit corny.
“Hey babe,” Kieran said as we walked out of Brooks class together, putting his arm across my shoulder. I caught a few glares from girls who were clearly jealous, especially the ones that had a “thing” with him, if you know what I mean. They were the ones who specifically told me that me and Kieran’s relationship would last only like – oh, three hours? Now, they’re scratching their heads, wondering why we’ve been together for so long. I remember when Jenifer asked me if I’d put a spell on him or something, trying to spread the rumour that I’m a witch. But only if she knew about werewolves.
“What do you want, Kier?” I said, trying to get my binder into my bag.
Kieran decided to trip on my ankle on purpose, catching himself just in time before he fell and embarrassed himself. I looked at him, clearly confused. I blinked a couple of times before his cheeks went a bit red and he smiled. “Am I missing something here?” I started to say.
“You’ve got me falling for you,” he said, trying to pick up the pace. “So, are you going on a date with me?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. You know the type where you just laugh so hard that you can’t say anything until the end? Well, that was me. I couldn’t stop laughing and even started crying with the pain, so I grabbed my stomach.
I stood up straight when Kieran crossed his arms over his chest and pouted, acting hurt. “It’s not funny,” he said. If possible, his cheeks went a deeper shade of red.
“Sorry,” I said, smiling. I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up at him. “Seriously?”
He nodded, but didn’t look at her. I went on my tiptoes and kissed his cheeks. “I’d love to,” I whispered in his ear.
And that was how he asked me out. It was funny how I was able to make him feel shy and vulnerable. It made me feel special. She was the only girl who could make such a big impression on him. I’d be lying if I said he didn’t affect me too.
It was about two hours before my date, and my hair was damp and drying into its natural slight curls. I was a bit freaked out, to be honest. I was really nervous. I’ve been trying to find something to wear tonight. I’ll tell you, it was tricky because he hadn’t told me where or what we’d be doing. I just knew I had to go for something casual.
I was nervous as I searched through my wardrobe. My flat iron beeped, and I got a bit panicky for no reason, probably just because I’m paranoid and it was a sign that Kieran was going to be here any minute. I jumped when I heard someone knock on my door. I was a bit nervous, to be honest.
I shook my head and had another rummage through my closet. “Come in,” I yelled.
“Hey sis,” Tasha said, skipping into my room, her blonde hair whipped into a messy bun. “Elias told me you’ve got your first date with Kieran,” she joked, winking at me. “So, I decided to help, even though your brother doesn’t like Kieran.”
“Cheers,” I sighed, ignoring the last part. “Help is really needed here.”
“What are you supposed to wear?” She said that while rummaging through the other side of my huge closet.
“Casual attire”.
It was pretty quiet, except for the sound of the hangers sliding across the metal pole. I started to panic a bit when I couldn’t find anything to wear. I knew I should have gone shopping. I just thought, with so many clothes in my wardrobe, I’d find something to wear.
“I’ll be right back,” Tasha said, as if she’d had an aha moment. She rushed out of the room, and five minutes later, she returned with a dress that was pretty and casual at the same time. My mouth opened wide and I was lost for words. It was perfect. “I reckon you should wear this,” she said, smiling at me.
I had a good look at the dress – it was plain white and sleeveless. The top wrapped around the neck and had floral cutouts across the black material. The pleated white skirt was probably around mid-thigh length. To finish it off, we attached a black bow to the back.
“Where’d you get this?” I asked, fidgeting with the material.
It was on sale,” she said, holding up the dress. “Oh, I love a bargain.”
“I’m not going to put up with it,” I finally said, shaking my head. I felt a bit embarrassed that I’d even thought about wearing Tasha’s dress for myself, but then I felt a bit self-conscious about that.
“Take it, love,” she said, dead serious. She checked the time. “You’ve got an hour to get ready. I’m not going to argue with you. If you don’t take it, I won’t let you walk out that front door. And later, you’ll just regret it –” She started chatting away.
I laughed, putting my arms around her. “Thank you so much,” I said, jumping up and down as Tasha laughed.
Afterwards, Tasha kindly offered to help me out, applying minimal makeup. She’d only put on eyeliner, powder, mascara and a light pink lipstick, saying I was already beautiful without makeup. She even straightened my hair for me. I made a mental note to do something for her in return for what she’s done for me tonight.
As she picked up a strand of hair and ran the straightener through it, she asked, “So where’s this special guy taking you?”
“I’m not sure,” I said, starting to feel nervous again. I was getting a bit restless after thirty minutes. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and the sweat running down my forehead, even though it was freezing in here.
“Oh, a surprise?” She teased. She rolled her eyes, thinking of something. “I remember my first date with your brother. He took me to frozen yogurt after a movie. He thought it’d be a laugh to try and eat three full large cups of frozen dairy. So, I went for it, actually, and thought it was a good idea to mix things up and try something different on a date. He didn’t know I had a small appetite. I’m sure you noticed that I eat like a bird.” I nodded and smiled. “So, after I’d had my second cup, I started feeling sick in the stomach and then I threw up all over your poor brother. I remember when he took me home that night, my dad thought he’d got me pregnant and I was going through the symptoms. Elias ran as fast as I’ve ever seen him run that night. My dad took out his rifle. Just to scare him, my dad shot the street light.” I started laughing with her. “Honestly, it was the worst date ever. But it was also the best. Even when I threw up on him, ruined his clothes, and after my dad scared him, he wasn’t one of those guys who stopped liking me just because I had a crazy dad or I did something embarrassing in front of him.”
Before I could say anything, she spun my makeup chair around so I was facing my mirror and said, “Well, you’re all finished, love. We’re running out of time.”
My jaw literally dropped. My skin was practically glowing and my hair was straightened to perfection, with a side part going through it. I even touched my face to make sure it was really me.
“Do you like it?” She asked sincerely, folding her arms across her chest.
“I love it!” I shouted, jumping up and down and hugging her again. “Wow, I really can’t thank you enough. Thank you so much!”
“No problem, sis,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Just get ready, already!”
She left the room so I could get the dress on. I put my black boot wedges on and tied the laces. I stood up and did a 360, having a good look at myself in the mirror.
“Done yet?” Tasha called out. “Can I come in?”
“Yes,” I said, out of breath, freaking out at how I looked.
The door opened and Tasha’s jaw dropped. “Wow, Kieran’s going to have a hard time keeping his hands to himself.”
“Tali,” my mum called from downstairs. “Kieran’s here.”
I started to walk around, feeling the butterflies in my stomach. I was nervous and couldn’t think of what to say. To make matters worse, I had my doubts. Should I pretend I was sick? Should I go down? I’d do it, but only if it’s really awkward and I do something embarrassing, like what happened to Tasha.
“Tali,” Tasha said sternly, grabbing my shoulders. “Let’s go. Just be confident.”
I nodded slowly, took a few shaky steps downstairs, and got to work. Kieran was turned towards me and my mum was sat on the couch opposite him, looking at me. She gasped, and her eyes welled up. “Oh, darling, you’re so beautiful.”
Kieran turned around slowly, our eyes meeting. My heart stopped when I saw his eyes shining with happiness as he took in my appearance. He got up from the sofa, his smile still on his face as he continued to look at me with admiration.