How To Play the Player (COMPLETED)

The World Around You

I blinked and it was Prom.

It felt as though I shut my eyes for one second and the next time I opened them I was thrust into my mother's old worn computer chair in the middle of her bedroom allowing Brianna to cake my face in makeup.

Three months of passing Liam in the halls with not as much as a nod or a quiet hello exchanged. Three months of sitting on his left in English and watching him doze off in the middle of class, having to shake him before his head slammed into the desk and caught the attention of the teacher. Three months of sitting on the clear other side of the cafeteria without giving him the benefit of the doubt and allowing him to explain his side of things.

Andy, having being caught in the middle, usually sat with us, or more specifically Brianna, but would occasionally ask of my friend to join him at the jock table across the lunch room. Bryan, though he was still very much talking to Shay and trying the whole dating thing, only saw her outside of school. He felt as though it would cause too much tension if he had her sit with us, as she was a good friend of Liam's as well.

There was just something so utterly devastating about the thought of parading around in a stunning dress alone. Bryan ensured me that he'd be by my side all night, but the very thought of getting in between of his blossoming relationship made me sick. He deserved to have the night of his life, especially since the Senior project he'd been working on so intensely for the last six months was to be shown tonight. This was his night. This was Brianna's night. The only reason I had agreed to go was because Bryan had promised he'd sit out Prom altogether if I didn't go.

"You look so beautiful, Reese." My mom whispered, snapping me back into reality as she touched a gentle hand, touch featherlike, as she stared into my eyes. "Oh, honey. I'm about to start crying."

She started fanning herself as she headed for the door, shaking her head. I stood, nearly tripping over my underskirt as I tried to cross the room to the full length mirror Brianna was finishing her own makeup in front of. She looked gorgeous; in a floor length light pink ballgown, it looked as if she'd walked straight out of Disney. She had light pink accents around her eyes and falsies on, but outside of that had decided to keep her makeup minimal. I was happy with the decision, in my opinion she didn't need any at all.

The girl that stood beside her looked nothing like me. The dress hugged every inch of my body, including the lace running down both arms. The slit over the right leg gave a perfect view into my leg, somehow managing to look as perfect and long as Brianna's in the pale blue stilettos Shay had loaned me. But it was my face, the face that only an hour looked as if I'd been hit by a car repeatedly. My blue eyes, having been sunken into my face and rimmed with red from excessive crying, were staring back at me, still as emotionless, but popping with the nude eyeshadow and thick coats of mascara and eyeliner Brianna had made sure to perfect over the last few days leading up to this.

"Bryan!" Brianna's sudden yell sent me tumbling backward. She laughed, grasping my forearm to steady me. "Sorry, I sometimes wonder why the idiot has a phone when he never answers it."

I nodded in agreement, my eyes falling on Bryan as his approaching footsteps sounded through the room. Bri and I turned at once, both smiling when we saw him in leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked so much older that it made my heart ache; I felt as though it was my fault he'd have wrinkles by the time he was thirty. Crossing the room I fixed the white tie and smiled weakly. "You look great, Bry."

"Says you." He rubbed my shoulder comfortingly. "I have no doubt that someone will want to dance with you tonight, don't worry."

Brianna draped my purse over my shoulder with a tight squeeze of my other shoulder before heading for my living room at the end of the hallway.