My Best Friend

(4) Theatre Troubles

Chapter 4

It had been 2 weeks and I'd been on a few more dates with Kate since the first one, and they'd all went really well. We had gone to the cinema, ice skating, and I'd even been to her apartment once. But tonight, we were going to the theatre, and afterwards she would be coming back to my apartment, which made me so worried. I would call it off, but I didn't want to seem rude, and I really liked her.

"Don't be scared Grace, you don't have to commit to anything you're not ready to." Sam says, as we sit on the sofa just after breakfast, watching the news.

"I'm not ready for this. I'm really not. I don't know what to do." I tell him, repeatedly shaking my head.

"And that's okay. You're not even 23, there is no rush for this what so ever." Sam tells me, "Please don't give in to pressure."

"I'm not going to, but Kate's probably slept with 20 or more girls by now, and she probably lost her virginity at like... 17 or something crazy like that." I worry, looking down at the carpet.

My best friend grabs my face and makes me look at him, "Listen to me Gracie, if you don't want to do this, and you're not ready, call her and let her know."

I stare into his brown eyes as his soft hands are on both of my cheeks. He drops his hands and sighs.

"I could take the couch, she could have my room." I say, and Sam smiles.

"That's a good idea, now that's not too bad is it?" He asks and I grin.

"I guess not. Thank you Sam." I say, then reach over and hug him tightly, and he hugs back.

Hours later, I'm standing in front of my mirror in my bedroom, wearing my new co-ordinate outfit. It's white with a black and grey marble effect streaming down the middle of the short sleeved top and a pencil skirt. Sam has convinced me to wear black ankle boots with a slight heel on them, which I agree to, even though heels are my worst enemy.

I proceed to do my makeup, using full foundation and concealer then applying an almost white shade of eyeshadow to my eyes, blending it into the crease as well. Then, I take my liquid eyeliner and do a butterfly wing effect on both eyes, but making sure that the flick isn't too large. Afterwards, I apply my mascara until my lashes are at maximum length and volume.

I drape a black shawl over my shoulders and I am ready to go.

"You look... amazing." Sam says, as I stand in the living room for what Sam likes to call 'final inspection', as a little joke we do this every time before we go out somewhere important, even if we're both going out together.

"Why thank you," I say, smiling and turning in a circle.

"Wait!" He shouts, then runs off into the kitchen and I hear rummaging happening.

"What are you doing?" I shout after him, but he doesn't answer me, instead I hear something else drop and crash about.

He comes back holding something I haven't seen in years.

"Oh my gosh," is all I can say.

In his hands, he holds a box with a hair piece that he gave me when we went to prom together many years ago. It is a combination of white and black flowers with silver and gold ribbons around it. At the time I wasn't out as gay and Sam decided that he would rather go with his best friend than with a date.

"You deserve to wear something in your hair tonight that will show how beautiful you really are," Sam tells me, opening the clear box.

"Sam... You kept this?" I ask, and he nods slowly.