// BOOK ONE //
Demi Lovato and I were best friends for years, until her addiction tore us apart. I never knew what happened to make her stop talking to me and it's been years since we've spoken, but I haven't forgotten about her.
And during that ti...
My mind was a jumbled mess, even after my numerous attempts at distraction: The Walking Dead, Instagram, any music that wasn't Demi Lovato, reading.
I kept thinking about what would happen when she was done with her photo shoot. Would she call, text, FaceTime? Or would she just come over?
But the real reason why I was such a mess wasn't because I was worried what Demi would do to talk to me, but what she would want to talk about. She was never one to let topics like crushes go easily. And I wasn't ready to tell her that she was the one I liked.
So, 5.5 episodes of TWD later, Demi texted asking if I wanted to hang out. I said yeah and asked where.
She said she'd pick me up at my place and I panicked, rushing to put my makeup on. Damn it, why hadn't I showered? I braided my hair and it looked decent, and with my freshly made-up face, I was pleased with my appearance. I'd done a dark eye with some gold shimmer on my eyelids and a dark wine-like lipstick.
Lastly, I had to change my clothes. I opted for a lacy white shirt, skinny jeans, and light blue Converse. I tossed my portable charger in a small, cross body bag, and included a small makeup kit for touch-ups.
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After making sure I didn't have lipstick on my teeth, there was a knock on my door. Demi Lovato smiled broadly at me. "You ready to go?" she asked. I was surprised to see that she still had the makeup I'd done, but she was now wearing black pants, and a loose fitting ivory top, with golden sandals.
She led me to her car and I adjusted my bag in my lap while she got in. Her hand rested on the center console while she situated herself in the driver's seat. "I missed you," she told me.
I gave her a small smile, wrapping my hand around her fingers. "I missed you too." I lightly squeezed her fingers before letting go. She seemed stunned, but then smiled and started the car. I could only wonder what she was thinking. If it was any of the terrible things my mind came up with, I'd rather not know.
"So, where are we going?" I asked.
"Well, while I was gone, I realized that it must have been fate that brought us together."
"Fate?"
"Yes!" she cried, gripping the wheel with both hands. "Maia, do you know what tomorrow is?"
I shook my head. Wasn't tomorrow just a regular day?
"Dude, it's Emo Nite!"
She was practically bouncing with excitement. I loved seeing her like this, with her childlike happiness. It was like seeing the old Demi again, before the drugs.
"Wait, wait, if it's tomorrow, what are we doing?" I asked.
"We have to get ready," she replied. Then she glanced at me for a second. "I like your hair. Will you do mine later?"
"S-Sure," I stammered. Ugh, why did I have to act so nervous around her? Yeah, I was in love with her, but she was still my best friend.
"When did you ditch your emo hair, anyway?" she asked. I stared out the window as she pulled into the parking lot of a mall.
"I don't know. I guess it was before I went to school. I didn't think people would take me seriously, you know?"
She bobbed her head. Once she was satisfied with her parking job, she did a little dance and grabbed a purse, similar to mine, from behind her seat.
"We got some shoppin' to do!" she sang, as we headed towards the entrance.
