Chapter 16
On Friday, I made my way to Jess and Marissa who look startled at my sudden appearance. I grinned at them. “Hey guys!”
“Hey,” they both said.
There was a moment of silence. “What?” I asked.
“Are you going to sit with us today?” Marissa asked quietly and I realised this week I hadn’t been sitting with them. I bit my lip guiltily.
“Sorry guys… but I’ll make it up to you, I promise!” I told them. “Here’s a peace offering for now.” I handed them two tickets.
“Tickets for LA?”Jess asked confused.
“Yep. I am invited to a hotel launch party and I can bring a few friends so…” Jess squealed before jumping up and down and thanking me a billion times.
~~~~~~
Sunday couldn’t have come any sooner. Ali had arranged for my dress, along with hers, Jess’ and Marissa’s but I had no idea what mine looked like because it was supposedly arriving after everyone else’s. We were all huddled in my room after Jess and Marissa took in every detail of it. The twins were supposed to arrive any minute now and the rest of us were doing any last minute packing. Ali had a large suitcase with just our dresses in and another with makeup.
The doorbell rang and we all stumbled down. We didn’t have any luggage besides essentials so we were all good to go. I opened the door to see a grinning Cam standing in the doorway.
“Wow Ninzi, your house is bigger than mine. I’m not even sure if you can call it a house, I mean it’s like a mansion,” Cam gushed as he took a look around. Cole sauntered in after him.
“Okay guys, are we ready?” Ali asked going into PA mode. We all nodded and left the house. My parents were already there for a business trip so we were going to see them at the party.
As we all started to find our seats in the plane, I realised I was going to have to sit next to Cole. Fate can be cruel sometimes. We never said anything to each other as the plane set off. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I was being shaken by someone. I frowned and got more comfortable hoping they would go away. I opened my eyes slowly and looked down to see someone’s hands on my shoulders. I followed it until I reached the face. Cole. I jerked. Oh my god, this is embarrassing. I just slept on Cole Walters! Shit, did I have any drool? I inconspicuously wiped at my mouth; nothing. Sighing a breath of relief, I got up and we all made our way out.
We were booked in one of the 5 star hotels; the twins had one room and the rest of us in another.
There was a ton of makeup on the dressing table along with curlers and straightners and a billion bobby pins. Ali’s dress was black with thick straps made of sheer fabric. The rest of it went down to the floor. Jess and Marissa’s dresses were also black, both strapless and floor length. Jess’ dress was a fishtail cut whereas Marissa’s was sort of pleated from the waist down. And finally, my dress which I had yet to see.
Ali was doing my makeup because she is amazing at it and sticking way too many bobby pins in my hair for my liking. After about an hour, she was done with me. All we had to do was get dressed now.
“Jess! Marissa! You guys look amazing!”
“Thanks,” they both mumbled shyly.
“Damn, Cammy is going to have a coronary when he sees you,” I told Ali looking her up and down.
“Get up woman! We have practically half an hour left and you’re not dressed!”
I put my hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, chill your horses.” I got up and went to the en suite bathroom with the box with my dress in it. Putting it on the countertop, I opened it slowly wondering if Ali was going to make me go according to the dress code.
When I took the lid off, I grinned and slightly jumped. It was a Zuhair Murad dress and it was white. It was strapless, giving a hint of cleavage and hugged my curves. There was delicate gold embroidery going down the dress.
As I came out, I looked up as all three girls gasped. “What?” Was there a tear in the dress? Was it too fitted?
“You look…” Jess started.
“Gorgeous,” Marissa said eyeing my dress.
“I think Cam isn’t the only one who’s going to have a coronary,” Ali said smirking. It took me a while to understand what she was getting at. When I did, I threw the nearest thing which was a pillow, at her. The girls laughed and I scowled.
Just then the door burst open revealing…Chase and his PA. I grinned as I went up to him for a hug. I hadn’t seen him since he left the last time. I turned around to see Jess and Marissa gaping at him. I dragged him over to the girls and introduced them. Jess and Marissa stuttered a response though Marissa was a lot more composed than Jess who looked like she was in a dream.
“You clean up good, Chasey.” He grinned at me.
“We kind of have a problem,” Ali said getting our attention. “I’m Cam’s date, Nina is Chase’s so what about the rest?”
We argued over that for a while.
“How about Shane,” Ali started pointing at Chase’s PA, “Go with Marissa, Nina with Cole, Chase with Jessie and me with Cam?”
“Oh no, no, no!” I exclaimed. “I’m not going with that… that-“ Ali cut me off.
“That piece of hunk?” I scowled at her.
“Actually that’s a good idea,” Chase butted and I looked at him incredulously. I then noticed how he kept stealing glances at Jess. I looked back and forth between the two and sighed. “I’m doing this for you Chasey,” I told him sternly. He looked a little confused at first before catching on to what I was getting at and giving me a hug.
“Thanks,” he whispered in my ear. I nodded at him.
“Where are the twins?”
“They’re meeting us downstairs,” came Ali’s reply.
“Alright, let get this party started.”
AN: short and a bit of a filler but I've been hit by demotivation rather than writer's block... don't forget to vote :D
