29 May 2012
Before I knew what I was doing, I realised I'd written way too much for one part, so I've split it into two sections! Enjoy!
I finished the bulk of my packing, knowing I could finish it tomorrow or the day after if need be. I headed along the corridor to the small but surprisingly well equipped kitchen area that all the girls in my year used. There were very few inside, as most of them were outside or packing up. One girl was finishing making a sandwich, and another was stood beside her, chatting about the summer. I smiled warmly at them both, and they said hello. I didn't know them well enough to continue the conversation, so I buried my head in the high up cupboard that belonged to Mollie and I. We kitted it out with the finest food stuffs from around the world, and we refuelled it every week or so, with our parent's offerings. This week, I'd asked for lemons, sugar and strawberries to make my second favourite non-alcoholic summer drink: strawberry lemonade. I lined the top rim of the glass with lemon juice, and sprinkled sugar onto it, creating the perfect glass to pour my pre-made mixture into. I garnished with a quarter of a lemon, and repeated, so I could deliver one to Mollie. The other girl's were in awe of our cupboard and the things we managed to create using our ingredients: that was why our cupboard was so high (as the two tallest girls, we were the only two who could reach it). While their cupboards were stuffed with chocolates, fizzy drinks, bread and the like, ours were full of exotic teas in the winter, fruits that came from tropical islands, and snacks that came from all four corners of the globe. Knowing the food was exclusive made us less inclined to eat it all, which made up the bulk of our special weight loss diet, which also included eating everything with a fork (which is harder than it seems) and eating on white plates (it decreases appetite - we proved that theory in a scientific experiment in the school's competition five years ago). These simple tips ensured that we were looking fabulous all year round! As I walked back to our room, I noticed the door was open. I looked in and saw Mollie and Nate sat on her bed. "What are you two doing?" I asked, somewhere between shock and confusion. "Oh, T, you're back!" Mollie replied. "Yes, I am. Now what are you doing with my boyfriend on your bed?" I asked, putting our drinks on the small coffee table we owned. "Just planning a surprise for you," she said "and don't worry, there was nothing happening between us. Nate was just asking me about my opinion on it and I can tell you that you'll be overwhelmed!" she said, getting up to take her drink. After a few sips, she complimented me on my lemonade, asking if these were the Sicilian lemons her father had sent over. I said that they were, and Nate took this as his opportunity to leave, saying he was starting to get ready for tonight. "Okay sweetie" I said, kissing him just as Mollie looked over, to make sure she hadn't got any ideas about him and her. We both sat on my bed and sipped at our lemonades, just as Mollie offered to do my nails. If I'm perfectly honest, I'd been secretly hoping she would: not only was she the best nail artist I'd ever come across, but she was free and she knew exactly what I liked and disliked, as our tastes were so similar. "Can I surprise you with a design?" she asked. "Sure, as long as my nails are neutral colours. I don't want them to overpower my dress" I replied, eagerly anticipating the result. I chose not to look, as her expert hands shaped and buffed my nails. I could feel that she was squaring them off, but I knew there would be little shaping to be done, as we'd gone for a manicure a week or so ago. I felt her apply the base coat, and I then felt the layer of colour to go on. "Would you mind looking at the colour, just so I know you like it?" she asked. I obliged, and looked at the index finger of my right hand. The colour was a pearlescent shade of cream, almost verging in bronze. It brought out the tan in my arms, and was exactly the shade I had wanted. "That's absolutely perfect!" I said, smiling at her. "Where's it from?" "Well," she began, continuing applying the colour to my nails, "when I went out to collect your necklace from Cartier, as Nate asked me to, I walked past the Chanel boutique on Madison Avenue, and I simply had to pop in. I did, and I perused the clothes racks for a while, before heading over to the beauty section. I was greeted with their new range of nail shades, and I saw this one and thought of you! I thought it would look incredible on your nails for prom and it really does!" she said. "Hang on, go back to the bit about Nate?" I asked. "Oh sure, well, he wanted to spend the afternoon with you, and he didn't want to have to leave you after your exam, so I offered to pick up the necklace, and I put it in his room so it was there when you two got up there" she said, finally looking me in the eye after leaning her head back, admiring her work on my nails. "Leave those to dry under here for about 3 minutes then I'll finish them off" she ordered, going to sit on the couch to finish her lemonade. "Do you and Nate talk a lot nowadays then?" I asked. "Yeah, a fair amount" she replied nonchalantly. Had she not realised I was dating him and was bound to get slightly jealous? "What about?" I asked, placing my hands under the lights that dried the polish. "You mainly" my heart relaxed, and so did all my muscles. So she had noticed my existence in his life. "Oh T, you're going to be so happy with his surprise tonight!" she said, melting down into the sofa.
Love You So: PART THIRTY ONE (Section One) • Opuss № I