Laurine's P.O.V
I sling potential outfits on Ciara's bed and she smiles at me. Her forced enthusiasm is making me feel uneasy. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe it's not fair for me to ask her to come and watch Dean.
"Babe if this is too hard for you..." She holds her finger over her mouth and shushes me playfully.
"It'll be fun Lau. Get ready."
She jumps up and drags a brush through her straightened hair before 'going over it' for the billionth time.
"What do I wear?" I sigh.
Ciara turns and examines all the clothes I've left out.
"Ooooh. So who are we trying to impress?" She grins.
I roll my eyes. "I was just about to ask you the same thing! Your hair looks fine."
She bites her lip.
"Dean has girls falling at his feet now Lau. I just want to seem worthy of having had him."
Ah. I knew it was bugging her.
"Do you miss him?" I ask flopping down beside her.
And I see her compose herself.
"Nope. I'm over him."
She stands up, pulling a cute pair of ripped jeans and a t shirt from the pile.
"You mind if I wear these?" She asks.
I have to admit I'm shocked she's going so casual, considering the effort she put into her hair and make up.
"Playing it cool?" I giggle. She nods.
I snatch a skater skirt and cute button up shirt from the pile and throw them on.
I fix my hair and make up and wait for Ciara. The excitement is bubbling up inside of me.
Ciara throws on a pair of wedges while I opt for flats.
Can't look too try hard if she's going casual.
She grabs her purse and smiles at me squealing a bit. But I know that's for my benefit.
She's gone quiet and fidgety and I know she feels sick.
I take out my phone and grin at her. "Selfie"
When we get to the hotel there's a few girls there who must've been here ages.
"We can just sit down and wait if you want?" I suggest.
Ciara sighs and grins at me.
"I know you're dying to get front row. Cmon we'll queue with them."
We sit down against the wall and start chatting.
Suddenly the chatter dies down and all the girls stop talking.
There's a hurried, frantic whisper as we strain to see what's going on.
"I'm sorry guys I'm not allowed stay here." But the voice stops anyway and the girls start taking selfies.
He emerges from the small crowd grinning as a security guard follows him.
Oh. Oh my. Ciara looks at me and I squeeze her arm.
That's Dayl. Oh my. That is Dayl Cronin.
He stoops down and smiles at us.
"You look really familiar." He stares at Ciara, clearly trying to place her.
That's impossible. He couldn't know. He hadn't even met Dean when they were together.
"Wait. You're not that girl from the picture?"
Ciara looks startled.
I'm just in awe.
I stare at his perfect face and try to register what he's saying.
The security guard nudges him to hurry up as all the other girls stare.
"What picture?" Ciara stammers.
"The one Dean had." Ciara looks like she might cry.
"Ehm?"
"He had a picture, see when we first met he never mentioned this mystery girl. But when we went to his house there were pictures of him with... You? A few of them. But he doesn't like to talk about it. Ever. His mam had the pictures up but he made her take them all down after that. Except one. The picture that's still in his room back home to this day. The girl... You? You're wearing his cap and snuggling in to him and he's just grinning, beaming." He stops and takes a breath and both myself and Ciara stare at him, mouths wide open.
"The night we met." Ciara's eyes have started to fill with tears but she composes herself and gets up. She pulls me with her and we hug Dayl and take pictures and everything is okay. But Ciara is in shock.
"Love your outfit babe!" Dayl smiles at me as he's leaving.
"Lovely to finally meet you mystery girl."
