The Rest Is History | ✓

36 | the party

Saturday arrived quite quickly.

Since at Bloomwood, students could go out during the weekend, we didn't have to take any special permission to leave the premises and attend the Woods' party. We just had to inform Mr Burns, the secretary of our Headmaster.

Archer had also gone ahead and invited Katie and Angie to his mum's party. His family knew them through me so it wasn't a big deal.

Needless to say, both Angie and Kate were too excited for their own good.

"Viv, we need to dress you in the best way possible! You have to look ravishing tonight, so that Archer can't take his eyes off you!"

I looked at them. "I don't understand, I thought we were attending a birthday party, not a Debutante Ball."

They rolled their eyes. "Oh, come on, don't you want him to look at you all evening?"

"No. We've looked at each other enough over the past few days and frankly it's given me nothing but conflict."

They both knew about my situation regarding Archer and our resurfacing feelings. They knew and they were all for us getting back together, but it wasn't so easy.

"Viv," Katie spoke, "I'm being serious now. You really should think about giving him a second chance. Yes, he made a terrible mistake. Yes he hurt you, but he's human! And so are we all. There's no guarantee that you two won't hurt each other in future, but if you don't give him a second chance, you'll always live with regret, with that lingering question of what if. What if you'd given him a chance, what if you'd been happy together a second time, what if it'd all worked out. You'll never know if you don't try. And he's made a mistake, but he's suffered for it too. Now if you give him a second chance and he messes up again, then you shouldn't give him a third one. But everyone deserves that one second chance, you know."

I mulled over what she said. I wouldn't admit it now, but she was right. And she knew me well enough to understand that I knew it too.

I didn't know what would happen with us. But as of now, all I knew was I couldn't think any more about this.

Angie thankfully saved the day. "As much as I agree with Katie, we're getting late for the party. It starts in three more hours and we're not even close to getting ready yet!"

We were all at my house, getting prepped together. Our family stylist had agreed to dress us all up, and she brought out the eveningwear we were supposed to don.

Kate was going to wear a baby blue chiffon dress, Angie was going with a salmon pink halter neck dress, and I was wearing a black jumpsuit.

We quickly slipped on our outfits and went to another room to get our hair and makeup done.

After two hours, we were all ready and so were my parents, who were accompanying us to the party.

"Wow, girls, you look gorgeous!" Mum exclaimed as Dad smiled at us. "Now come on, the car is waiting."

We all hopped into the car and sped off towards the Ritz.

°

The banquet hall looked beautiful, with lilies and peach pink roses adorning the walls and tables, and soft candlelight glowing through the chandeliers.

Mrs Woods looked genuinely happy and it showed on her face. Earlier, when I'd gone to visit her at the hospital, she'd been very weak and hadn't looked well. But now, wearing a pink dress and surrounded by friends and family, she looked so much better, any sign of fatigue and injury long gone.