Disclaimer: I don't own Life Unexpected. Nor was I impressed with the awful last episode.
Author's Note: Ok, so I felt a bit resentful after seeing the last episode, where Jones basically ends up with Lux, despite sort of seeing Tasha and Tasha's just ok with it. Nothing was explained, it was all some sort of bizarre fairytale ending except the Prince was supposed to be Ryan and the Princess Cate, even with the past history. (Guess having a baby in high school trumps being mature and actually working hard at your relationship.) Anyway, this was my response, because I do think Lux is sometimes inconsiderate of Tasha, especially asking for all the sacrifices for Eric. These stories aren't going to be weekly things, nor will they be 500 words only from now on. Instead, I'll write them when my muse says so, but I'll still use word of the day, from , because it does improve my vocabulary (hopefully). Anyway, enjoy.
Surprises Unexpected
Décolleté
It's fun, even though it shouldn't be, Tasha thinks. This isn't the stuff she's supposed to be into - fluffy frills and wide-hooped skirts and these weird (but kinda pretty) fans - but she has to do the school play for extra credit, if she wants to go to that college in Kansas. And it's not fun, even though she's alone in the changing room and twirling around to see her skirts flair out. It's not fun except that maybe it is and why should she feel guilty for enjoying this and having a little fun? Just because Lux thinks it's stupid and pointless and Jones thinks it's geeky, Tasha's never had this, not since she was five and her mum wasn't too stoned to get her a dress for birthday.
And she likes it; likes feeling like a privileged, rich girl from down south, likes how her curly hair fits the picture, likes the notion of rapping wrists flirtatiously with her ebony handled fan and leaning close to men with her cleavage tantalisingly on display with her décolleté neck line.
Ok, maybe that last one was just about getting some attention from people that didn't care about her just because she was Lux's best friend. And maybe it was just an excuse to use the new term she learned from reading 'A Tree Grows In Brooklyn' (again, for extra credit). But why shouldn't she enjoy puffy dresses and elaborate hair-do, decorated fans and turn of the century stuff? She missed out on everything when she was little and because her mum still doesn't want her whereas everyone wants Lux, this is her way of getting a little bit of her childhood back, just maybe.
She finally steps out of the changing room and into the halls, ready for the first dress rehearsal and there's silence as she does so. It's this part she hates the most – people laughing, sneering, making her feel like she's still all wrong. The silence ends and instead of laughing, people just carry on talking, now moving with purpose to get into their places for the rehearsal to begin and Tasha breathes out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. Guess it was only Lux that thought it was stupid of Tasha to do this.
"Wow. You look amazing." The guys that says this is tall and super hot, in a preppy kind of way. "Austin," he introduces himself.
"I'm Tasha."
"I know," Austin replies. Before it can sound creepy, he adds that he works with the props and the background. Turns out, this guy that looks like he constantly works out is actually into art. Though he does admit to working out a lot too. He's friendly and he doesn't think it's odd that Tasha's wearing a frilly dress in the school play, so Tasha's decided he's definitely for keeps, just as friends and maybe more, she thinks, as she leans over just a little to give him a peep of her cleavage.