After months of therapy, Garrett Delko is still struggling to cope with his brother's suicide. The only time he finds peace is on the pitching mound and with a mysterious girl he's been obsessed with since the first week of college. One night, he se...
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The night of B-Bash arrived, and Arianne didn't know whether to throw up or hide under the covers and pretend her date—no, thing—never existed. She knew what she didn't want, however, and that was to hear another high pitched squeal. The two girls down the hall who'd also been invited to B-Bash hadn't stopped squealing and giggling all afternoon. Arianne couldn't give them too much crap because they'd invited Arianne to get ready with them. It was a sweet gesture, but her nerves couldn't handle them, and the incessant talk of who had dibs on Jordan who wasn't either of their dates.
Her fingers strayed over the floor length, rose-nude dress she'd found at a thrift store. It wasn't precisely a twenties flapper dress, but it was as close to the Great Gatsby style as she could find. The satin and tulle hugged her body until the bottom where the tulle flared out slightly giving her a mermaid effect. The real showstopper was the silver gems. They were designed in a beautiful starburst pattern starting on the bodice and working it's way out. It reminded her of a firework caught in the exact moment it flared to life.
She borrowed Morgan's nude high heels and a dormmate's long gold beaded necklace which she tied into a knot at the end, hitting her a few inched above her belly button. Not wanting to compete with the dress, she kept her makeup simple with a few coats of mascara, blush, and some lipgloss. She'd been planning on keeping her hair down, but when Morgan saw her, she forced Arianne into a chair. Sweeping her hair up, Morgan twisted and pinned all the while Arianne fretted over her decision to go to B-Bash.
Morgan laid a hand on Arianne's bouncing knee. "What's got you so nervous? You've been talking to this guy non-stop for weeks."
"This feels different." Like she was walking into the lion's den without a loaded gun.
Morgan loosened the hair around Arianne's face, letting it swoop down in a retro look. "Well, yeah. This is a proper date with a dress and everything."
"It's not a date. It's a...a...thing."
"Well, this thing sure sounds like a date. He's even picking you up from your room. The girls down the hall got a text telling them to be at the main parking lot at nine."
Giddiness tickled her nose like champagne bubbles, but she reminded herself, "Garrett's old school. He does stuff like that."
"Stop thinking so much. Enjoy tonight. You got an invite to one of the most coveted parties on campus." Morgan pushed the final bobby pin into Arianne's hair and doused her with hairspray. Stepping back, she admired her work. "Perfection." She winked. "And I'm not talking just about the hair."
There was a knock on the door. "Arianne! Come have a shot with us!"
Morgan opened the door as Arianne looked in the mirror. Morgan was right. The hairstyle was perfection. It added a bit of flair pulling the outfit together.
"You look gorgeous!" Dee, one of the girls, squealed as she rushed over.
"Here." Marisol, the other girl, handed a shot glass to Arianne and Morgan. They clinked. "Cheers, ladies!"
