Strings | s.m (✔️)

Chapter Two

"Aaliyah, how many times do I have to tell you-" I start, but the thirteen year old girl smiles and finishes the rule.

"No holding your phone until your nails are dry." She groans and sets my phone on the table, although she isn't bothered by me. She has the ghost of a smile and is much too excited to be sad for even the slightest second.

"I honestly don't know why you're so excited, it's just dinner." I say, giving her a skeptical look.

"What do you mean, 'just a dinner'? He never comes over!" She had a point. I hadn't seen her brother in a long time, ever since he toured with some Disney star.

Wait, that was a different guy.

"Whatever." I decide to drop the subject, but instead, Aaliyah moves to a different topic, still inside of the subject.

"So, are you going to dress up for Shawn?"

I almost snort. But snorting is un-ladylike, and I'm not about any of that.

"Only in your dreams." I dress up all the time, because as the saying goes, "dress to impress". But I didn't plan on doing anything special for that guy.

Honestly, now that I think about it, maybe it would be better to dress my best. Well, better. After all, Jane says making people that ditched you regret everything is definitely a thing.

And what Jane says, goes.

I'm not a mindless follower, yet Jane is always right. Always.

"We'll wait and see, Bella. We'll wait and see." Aaliyah's words pull me out of my thoughts and I roll my eyes.

"Are your nails dry yet?" I ask her, trying to get her to talk about something else. Shawn was the last thing I wanted to have a conversation with.

Thankfully, Aaliyah takes the bait. "Yassssss." She says, then grabs my phone. Typical. I don't know what she's doing until she starts reading out loud.

"OHMIGOD, he is sooooo cute!" She says in a high pitched voice. She then changes into a deeper and more whiny voice, continuing. "Get a grip.' But look at this pic of him!! You can't say he isn't effing hot." Before she reads the next text, I jump onto her and pull my phone out of her hand. Those were the texts me and Claire were sending each other about a week ago. What was she doing on my messages?! I feel a rush of embarrassment as I shake my head.

"I'm changing my passcode."

"Nooooooooo." Her response is quick, and I smile. We both knew even if I changed it, she would be the first one to know what it really was. When does an thirteen year old know a seventeen year old girl's passcode first?

When I find out, I'll tell you.

"Aaliyah! Your mother wants you to come home and get ready!" My mom yells out, and Aaliyah quickly gets up, checking the time. 5:00. They were coming at 7:00. But according to Aaliyah, they were picking Shawn up at six or something. Lots of catching up time for them.

Aaliyah walks downstairs, as I follow her to the door. She then hugs me, and before leaving, gives me one simple sentence.

"See you tonight!"

Yeah, you and the guy that ditched me for fame.

The writing gets better and yes there is character development