All I see ✔️

CHAPTER 24

Alexis

"This makes me look like the human version of a pom-pom," I twirl around and flap my arms to my side to prove my point to Ellie.

"No..." Ellie looks at me sketchily, "Just like Elle Woods, except Blonde-ier and taller."

"What the hell is blonde-ier? She's as blonde as it goes."

"Nah," Ellie sticks, "You're meaner and blonde-ier."

"I think, you mean major bad bitch energy," I flip my hair over my shoulder and look at her haughtily which sends her doubling over in laughter.

I tug at a loose thread from the top and chew the inside of my cheeks. My top isn't necessarily trashy or clownish, it just makes me look like a pink cotton ball, and I am not sure that when you want to meet you fake boyfriend's mother, you want her to think, 'Oh shit, my son's dating a cotton'; yeah that's a major no-no.

My top is baby pink – induce gag motion- and I hate baby pink. All the souls of my dead grandmothers couldn't make me wear baby pink – no offense to the souls of my dead grandmothers, please don't kill me at night when I am going to the washroom. At least that's what I thought until Ellie forced this outfit on me which looks like something the love child of Regina George and Cher Horowitz would wear.

But that isn't even the worst part. It has pink fur on the neckline. Pink fur and glitter spaghetti straps, paired with obviously a pink, faux leather skirt. Because of course, if you aren't looking like a candy or CW's cliché mean girl, how will you ever survive in the world?

"Remind me why I bought this again," I glare at her, "And why are you forcing me to wear it, most importantly?"

"Because," she wheezes from the laughter, "You look hot in it and it's a warning bell for the bitchy attitude you have."

"I am not bitchy."

"You are."

"That's called being sassy, Eleanor. Learn!"

Ellie rolls her eyes and continues, "And for why you bought it? Remember when I was heartbroken over Logan because I thought he was cheating and distant and to make me feel better, you convinced me that we should go to this new bar, and then ended up forgetting about me and my heartbreak and getting completely trashed and almost shoplifted this dress from a mall because you said 'I am doing them a favor by wearing their clothes because I am so hot' and I had to steal money from your purse to pay for it while you dozed off in my backseat? Yeah, it's from then."

Not one of my proudest moments, but I did apologize for it and so I remind her.

"And then I begged for your forgiveness with a deadly hangover and played the cameraman for your BBC internship audition tape even though I hate being the cameraman and I'd rather always be in the spotlight? And then I bought you pizza every day for a week and helped you with Logan, sober."

Ellie snorts, "By help, you mean threatening to stab him in the neck if he refused to talk to me, right?"

"To each his own El," I say slowly, "And it did scare him enough to talk to you."

I wiggle out of my skirt and put on dark skinny jeans, with a flannel shirt on top. Yes I changed in front of Ellie, yes she has seen my stuff and yes I have seen hers. No, we are not ashamed. This is what being roommates is like.

"Oh trust me he is still scarred," Ellie's voice is drowned out by the ringing doorbell, "I'll get it."

I hear wafts of voice from the living room as I put on my mascara and then go over my lipsticks. Suddenly, I remember what Aaron said to me last time, 'Red when you want to play a heartbreaker'

Guess, I will be a heartbreaker today and if Aaron wants to play games with me, I can play with him too.

"You look like a Texan Mom."

My hand freezes mid-air at Aaron's voice and Ellie is on the floor. Logan walks in behind him, clearly hearing what he said because his eyes are watering.

"You're so perfect for each other," Ellie says between spurts of laughter, "No one roasts Lex as Aaron does."

Aaron's cheeks go red at her words and he scratches the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. He doesn't even look at me once. Interesting.

"Shut up, Richie," I give him a saccharine smile, "this is what I am wearing."

"No you're not, where's your closet?"

I raise my eyebrows at him as he finds his own way to my closet and starts rummaging through my clothes.

"Choose one," Aaron picked out a plain white turtleneck and a black playsuit with butterflies on it. I really need to buy mature clothes.

"I'll wear the turtleneck," I snatch the hanger from his hand, "And get out of my room, all of you. You're giving me trust issues."

"Even me?" Aaron gives me puppy eyes and his brighter-than-the-sun smile which has my heart doing flip flops inside my chest.

"Get out, cringelord!" I throw the empty hanger at him, but I don't miss the way his body moves.

His tall frame and broad shoulders seem to take up the entire door. His arms are muscled and stretched against the fabric of his white shirt. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and he looks almost edible in his black trousers; his arms are veiny and toned, and I can see the glint of a watch on his wrist. He looks like the personification of your average teenager's 'hot boys' Pinterest board.

I press my lips and change into the turtle neck, not sure if Red lipstick is what I want to wear anymore.

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"Why are you dressed up?"

I walk out of the room to find Ellie has ditched her pajama shorts and is wearing frayed denim shorts with a tank top, her hair tied up in a classic scarf.

"We are going to the carnival," Logan says.

"I want to go to the carnival too!" I whine.

"You and Aaron will be dropping us there on your way and then picking us up," Ellie tugs at the end of her scarf.

"Richiieeee!" I go over to Aaron and cling at his arm, "I want to go to the carnival too."

"We have to go to the venue selection."

"We can go after that?" I suggest, "Please? Pretty please?"

Aaron sighs, "There really is no winning with you, is there?"

I look up at him expectantly and he obliges, "Fine, we'll leave the venue early and catch up with Ellie and Logan."

"You're the best!" I jump at him from the side and he expertly wraps an arm around me to stop both of us from toppling over. He is warm and smells heavenly as he rolls his eyes playfully at me.

"Yay, Go Aaron!" Logan snorts before he dumps a handful of M&M's in his mouth. Multi-colored ones.

I shriek and snatch the packet from Logan's hands, enticing some shouts of protest.

"Ellie!" I yell, "Your boyfriend is hoarding up my food!"

"Brat," Logan grunts.

"You should know-"

My chiding is put to a halt when Aaron snatches up the packet from my hands and empties half of it in his mouth at once.

"Hoarding up my food," Aaron mimics my voice and my rage is drowned out by Logan and Ellie's laughter.

Aaron laughs with his mouth filled with Multi-coloured M&M's and I can't stop it anymore. Laughter bubbles up in my throat. I look at Aaron's smiling face and I don't think I hate him anymore.

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I really want them to kiss smh, but that'll have to wait. Sorry.