Green Eyed Beauty

Chapter 18

The familiar autumn chill swirled around Jade's bedroom as the sunrise began to stream in through her curtains. The smell of biscuits and eggs slipped underneath the bedroom door and reached the drowsy brunette's nostrils. Jade was sprawled across her bed underneath the covers, hair awry and her gaze zoned out on her open closet door. She was aware she needed to get up soon for school and make sure she met Gilbert in time to walk together. At the thought of Gilbert, Jade's stomach flipped.

She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at the foot of her bed, where the curly-haired boy had been sitting not even 24 hours ago. Pretend to be my date. He had asked.

Jade frowned. When she had imagined the boy asking her to the dance, she didn't imagine him using circumstances of a silly lie to ask her. Yet she had agreed to put on a show. It's only for this week. She reasoned.

She turned and was met with her reflection in the vanity mirror. Her hair was sticking up at all angles and her face showed the exhaustion she felt. But what if I don't want to pretend to like him for just a week?

Groaning, Jade finally peeled back the covers and winced when her bare feet hit the cold hardwood of her room. Thanks to the scenario she was now a part of, Jade had struggled to sleep. At first, she was elated, then her excitement morphed into reasoning which in turn became confusion. Her head swirled with questions as she trudged to her closet and pulled out a lavender day dress to change into.

Why did he blurt her name? Why did they have to pretend to go to the dance together?

Jade slipped out of her nightgown and into the dress, eyeing the boxes that were unopened and sitting in the corner of her room. Her mother was a highly neurotic personality and insisted on starting to gather the things Jade would need for university months before she was set to graduate.

University. The idea of moving out of Avonlea excited yet saddened her. She had been here for such a short amount of time and she had grown to love the little town and the people in it. Jade moved to grab the brush on her vanity when she saw a movement behind her in the mirror.

"Good morning, mother." She sighed. Jade began to pull the brush through the ends of her hair as she watched her mother enter the room, pick her pillows off the floor, and began to do the bed. She had changed into a corduroy skirt and a cream-colored blouse, hair pulled up as elegantly as usual.

"Good morning." She replied. "Breakfast is downstairs and don't forget your brothers are coming home for dinner tonight."

Jade rolled her eyes as she braided her hair. "Let me guess, father won't be coming home for dinner again because he's too busy at the clinic again."

"Jade." Her mother's warning tone made the brunette roll her eyes again. The older woman made her way over to Jade's closet and began to shift through the dresses. "Remind me to purchase a corset for you to try next time we visit Charlottetown."

She wrinkled her nose. "And why would I ever remind you to purchase such a horrid item?"

Her mother turned, hand on hip and eyebrow raised. Oh great, another lecture about becoming a woman. Jade mentally groaned.

"Because whether you like it or not, you've grown and must start to get used to wearing this horrid item." Her mother turned back to her closet. "After all, you must look presentable for all future suitors." She added as an afterthought.

This made Jade choke on air. "Pardon?"

"Oh, don't even begin with this foolishness." Her mother quipped. "I'm no fool, Jade. I'm a married woman and have been around long enough to know when my daughter is infatuated with a boy."