Shot In The Dark [Book 1]

2.9 - The Brit Awards

"We need to hurry up." Jeff rushes around the house and I groan.

"Jeff can you please shut up for like twelve seconds? It might solve climate change, poverty, and world hunger." I look at him and he shakes his head.

"That's not possible, Margo."

"We won't know if you don't at least try. Now shut your mouth and go bully someone." I shove him away from me and he leaves the room, allowing me to be alone with Noelle.

"Are you ready for the award show?" Noelle asks quietly as she does my makeup.

We've been preparing for tonight all week and I don't know if I'm nervous or if I have food poisoning.

"I'm nervous." I shrug as I close my eyes, allowing her to finish the eye look.

"You're never nervous for The Brit Awards, are you sure it's because of the show or the person that's going to be escorting you?" She asks quietly as I look down at the bracelet that Ashton got me.

"I don't know. I don't think I'm nervous because of him, because I shouldn't be, but I could be. I just don't want anything to be weird between us after what you mentioned last week." I shake my head and she sighs, grabbing a different palette.

"If it helps, he's nervous too." She whispers, a smile evident in her voice.

"Really?"

"Oh most definitely. He was pacing around the house this morning like a tweaker outside seven-eleven." She reassures me and it causes me to laugh.

"Hey, I need to know which colour tie I need to wear tonight." Koleton runs up behind me as my eyes are held shut.

"Red." Noelle and I answer at the same time.

"Red is Margo's signature colour." Noelle adds and I hear Koleton leave the room hurriedly. "See, he's definitely nervous."

"How could you tell from that simple question?" I furrow my eyebrows as she tilts my head upwards with her pinky.

"Because, both of those ties had the tags on them. He really went out and bought brand new ties to wear tonight."

———

The entire night has been filled with aimless small talk. We're finally headed back to my house and I couldn't be happier to get out of this dress.

Thanks to Koleton though, the night hasn't been all that bad. Him being here had made it bearable.

"Did you have a good night? You seemed to be upset at the award show." Koleton asks and it drags my attention from the street lights outside the window to him.

"I'm sorry?" I check to make sure I heard him clearly and he shifts in his seat so he's facing me.

"You just seem to be in another place tonight. I'm making sure you're not planning to murder me or something." He tries to lighten the mood and I smile slightly at his concern.

"No, not yet. I've got to spare you a little while longer." I feed into his narrative before becoming serious again. "On a real note, I'm just tired after talking to all of these people that expect so much from me. You're lucky you had your hand on my thigh because I would've-"

"My hand was on your thigh?" He quickly asks as a look of shock and confusion wash over his face. "Like, the whole night?"

"Yeah..? I didn't expect it at first, but it helped stop me from wandering off mentally." I nod, confused as to why he seems so shocked.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to- I really just- I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again." He hurriedly apologizes and I feel as if I did something wrong.