Chapter 5: Bit Busy
Violetsaregrace (15:14) Alopops! What are you up to?
Alosexgod (15:21) cleaning out cow muck. Taking a 5 min snoozer
Violetsaregrace (15:22) oh… so you're busy then?
Alosexgod (15:25) Yh, bit busy. What's up, gracey?
Violetsaregrace (15:26) Was just going to see if you wanted to hang out.
Alosexgod (15:28) Well I'm going to meet Rich after his DATEEE
Violetsaregrace (15:28) What? Why didn't he invite me?
Alosexgod (15:30) Dunno, just come along.
Violetsaregrace (15:31) No, no, it's fine. I'm going to be a bit busy now anyway. I'll just talk to you both tomorrow or see you Monday. XXXX
Alosexgod (15:33) uhhh alright then. Ttyl
Okay, so saying I was a bit busy to Alo? That is of course a total lie, because I am actually extremely busy. In fact I am leaving my house right this second and attending my first shopping trip with people my age. Well, no, I'm still standing in front of my mirror, wondering whether what I'm currently wearing is the best thing to wear. The most important thing we should be talking about here though is that I am not worrying about how well Rich is currently getting on on his date or… well, anything else.
Yes, okay, this playsuit is super adorable and Mini did say she liked my clothing choices, so I shouldn't be stressing as much as I currently am!
Right, now what bag would go with – Why didn't he invite me to the post-date evaluation session though? Is this related to the kiss? Because on a second inspection that kiss was not really anything to me at all. It was a simple act of a friend helping out another friend. There are so many literary references to that exact uhm transaction taking place between two friends… None that I can think of right now, well none with completely platonic outcomes.
There are some though!
Yaysers, on to the bag. I am so almost ready to leave and I bet my parents say something about how I look. I always use my Mum's compliments as a general idea of how good I look on a day to day basis. She, along with the obvious Audrey Hepburn, is my general fashion icon.
I perform a game of eeny minie mo on which shoes to pick before coming to a conclusion to pick my blue shoes with the little dog on them. They're too cute for me to just resist!
I pick up my phone to put inside my bag, about to send a text to Rich with no idea what I would actually include in this text. What would I say? How's your date going? Are my tips helping? Why didn't you invite me along with Alo for later on? Can I come later? I want to –
Gosh, look at me obsessing over this! I shove my phone in my bag, turning to look once more into my mirror.
"Grace Violet Blood," I say with a stony, determined expression on my face. "Under no circumstances today will you be contacting a certain Richard Hardbeck. If he doesn't appreciate your – completely platonic and helpful – advice and tips then you should not be the one chasing after him. Never mind that he's your best friend and there shouldn't be any question over whether or not you can attend a hangout with your best friends…. You have no idea where that sentence is going, do you Gracey?"
I sigh, wanting to laugh at myself for getting into an argument with my reflection (I am so silly), but can't bring myself to even smile right now. Why is this making me so sad? I've missed so many hang outs recently that Rich probably thought it best not to even ask me this time and I can't even attend it anyway as I'll be out with Mini and Liv! Goodness, I keep forgetting all the logical arguments. I feel slightly better now.
I wonder if Rich and his Metal Princess are still in the pub or are taking a nice, romantic stroll through the park. It's quite nice weather for it today and -
"Who were you just talking to?" I jump at the sound of my Mum's voice and turn to the door where I see her standing. I am able to smile once more as I have someone there and I would hate my Mum to think I was sad when I have no reason to be.
"Oh, nobody! I was just practicing some lines for a drama project." I say, rather convincingly I might add. She smiles, taking a step closer to me.
"You look beautiful, my princess," I exhale, genuinely happy to get my Mum's approval.
"Thank you, Mum," I say, as she takes my hands in hers as she looks me up and down.
"So you're really not meeting up with Aloysius and Richard?" She asks, obviously still confused after my revelation that I was meeting up with girls today. I shake my head and she smiles. "Your Father is extremely happy about it. He says one of the girls… Mini, is extremely conscientious about her extracurricular activities."
And of course Daddy Blood has done all his research on the two girls I might be becoming friends with. I'm starting to realize he is completely obsessed with the idea of 'extracurricular activities'. If I hear him say it one more time I might scream.
"Well, I'm glad he's happy about it." I say, rather distantly as I begin to fetch my things and head out.
"Maybe now you'll spend more time with them than the boys. Grow up to be a proper little princess?" She asks, tucking my hair behind my ears. I scrunch up my face as I am not facing in her direction anyway.
"I hope not," I state, unable to bear the image of not being close to Rich and Alo anymore.
"You don't want to be a proper princess?" My Mum's parenting usually involves me as a comparison to princesses. It might have worked when I was younger, but now I can't really see myself as the princess in all these stories. Rich being the cynic he is, told me all the opposite things to that. "Boys are only ever in Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella to kiss the girl at the end, not to really be friends with them. I love both of them as dearly as you but it's about what's best for you."
"If I was a princess, like a proper, Disney princess," I start slowly, trying to not show how annoyed I am with my Mum right this instant. It takes me a lot to get angry, but it seems like I'm already in an irritable mood today and I'm not exactly sure why. Well, apart from Rich being so… Rich-like and failing to invite me to the post-date hangout. "Well, then I would get rid of all my titles if it meant I could simply be friends with Rich and Alo."
I pull my small bag over my shoulder and try to work out what my Mum's facial expression exactly means. Maybe just confused? Maybe also annoyed? Sad? Happy? Why does my Mum have such an unreadable face?!
"Well, Mum, I better be going now. Greatness is not lateness!" I say, using a term my Dad has always used with me since before I can remember. I stand up on my tip toes to peck her cheek. She remains almost frozen as I walk to my door. Out of worry, I guess, I turn back to see if my Mum is still standing there, but now she's at my desk, gently touching the cover of my Grimm fairytales book. I shake my head; it's now time for full-on girly adventures!
I feel like a lot more girl code is going on in this conversation than in our first conversation if that's even possible!
We have not even mentioned One Direction once today, so I feel like my researching of their songs has not helped me out at all. There has been a lot of talk about clothes brands and hair products which I have no real experience in. My Mum usually just buys me a lot of these things and I don't even bother to see the brand attached to it.
They are now discussing a group of boys that apparently are in our college and how on a scale of 1-10 they would rate on 'how orgasm inducing' they are. I'm not really sure what we're talking about, but I'm nodding as if I do.
"But Mark looks like he knows what to do with both his and my digits." What?
"Yeah, but does this mean you can't control the space between your legs from drooling all over the place when he walks in the room?"
Mini posed this question which leads to Liv snorting with laughter. They are both giggling now and, worried that I will be forgotten if I don't do the same, I begin to laugh too.
"Finished with your milkshake, Gracey?" Mini asks and Liv raises her eyebrows to look back at me with my 'Strawberry Surprise' milkshake. Mini had given me a severely disapproving look as I ordered it from the café. She then began to calculate the calories within it whilst Liv laughed and told me not to worry about it. Mini likes to count calories, Liv likes burgers.
"Uhm… yes?" I still have a little left, but I'm not really thirsty anymore.
"Perfect-o! We can go do a little lingerie shop then." Ooh, lingerie! I would want something classic and floral and generally very pretty – wait, lingerie shopping? My Mum still buys me all my bras and knickers from M&S! What will my parents think if I turn up with all this cute lingerie? Ugh, my Dad will probably attempt to give me the birds and bees talk… again!
Both Mini and Liv link arms with me so that I'm in the middle of them both and I feel like I'm in one of those really girly movies where they have a shopping montage. Of course I've never seen this with my boys because the only movies I can convince them into watching are Harry -
"Oh God, Gracey, that mingy guy from college is over there. I suggest you don't look now unless you want to get Herpes in your eyes."
I have no idea what that sentence even means, but I know who I want her to be talking about and so before I even turn around I can feel this fluttering feeling as if there are butterflies living inside my body and they're all waving at someone with their wings so I feel like I'm flying. It would be so nice to see someone I actually know and someone who says things that I actually understand. Not that I've disliked spending time with Mini and Liv, but just that they don't come close to Rich. Or Alo.
I bite my lip, staring up at Mini who is now pulling me further away from where Rich must be and closer to the lingerie store. I flick my head to look behind me, where Mini has been looking since a few seconds before she brought up Rich being in the same location.
And then all of a sudden I feel the fluttering stop. I am staring at Rich and perhaps his new girlfriend. And I can't blame it on loneliness and wanting a boyfriend of my own anymore, because I'm staring right at Rich and he's holding hands with another girl. Talking with another girl. I'm so used to being the only girl that he can even stomach a conversation with. Now he's laughing with someone who isn't me. I'm going to lose him as a friend, aren't I? I'm not going to be the most important girl in his life anymore. Franky was different because we both were just friends with Rich, but now… I can't share my friendship with his Metal Princess, because yes, that's his Princess. He's the Prince Charming to her Snow White and I doubt Prince Charming had any female friends.
Rich notices me then and he looks very bewildered at seeing me here. We stare at each other for what feels like eternity, but he soon breaks the stare to look back at his girl. I feel Mini and Liv both pull on me some more and I turn back around, pretending that I don't currently feel like I'm on fire.
"Uhh… what was all that about?" Liv eventually asks and Mini seems to be still looking behind us.
"You don't like that Valhalla weirdo or something, do you?" She asks, whilst heinously laughing at the thought. I desperately glance between both girls, shaking my head wildly.
"No, no, no… He's just… He's my best friend, okay?" I say, finally taking a deep breath. "Him and the ginger guy I sit with at lunch – they're both my best friends."
Mini looks distraught over this and Liv seems to be slightly smiling. Mini sighs as we enter the lingerie store.
"Well, I suppose it's better than you being in love with the poor sod."
A/N: Okay so I've had my own boy drama the past 2 weeks so that's why there's been a HUGE delay but I have a lot of days off this next week so I should be faster with the updates :')
Also this is totally a lame filler chapter so I'm sorry it sucks. Next chapter should be a little more exciting as we'll have Rich/Grace interaction once more! Thank you for all the reviews thus far and hope you continue to enjoy it!