"Are you sure you're one of the girls? You seem like a spy to me. Are you spy, Arabella?" My name rolled of his tongue perfectly and I stood completely still as he took another step closer to me.
"You know, it's my job to eliminate spies."
"Eliminat...
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~ nine hours before the competition
I had just finished having my shower, when a knock rapped on my door. My hair was dripping wet, and I left it to air dry. I cling to the flimsy towel wrapped around my body tighter and debated opening the door.
I thought it was Flo, who had come back after retrieving what I needed for tonight, but then he spoke.
It was him. Hardin.
I would recognise that beautiful voice anywhere. My hand itched to open the door but I quickly decided against it.
How could I face him? I was a coward. That was true and although every part of my body, including my heart, was begging me to open it, I just couldn't.
So, I ignored him and hoped he would walk away, but he didn't. Instead, he stayed.
The sound of him sliding down the door and pressing his hand against the oak, was like music to my ears. He stayed, and somehow I felt relief.
Relief, that he hadn't given up on me. Not just yet.
I slid down too, using the door to prop up my back. I pressed my hand against the door, where I hoped his was, and let silent tears flood down my cheeks as he spoke.
His speech was heart-breaking. The fact that he cared enough about me to share that story was enough to motivate me to work harder and attend the presentation tonight.
I let him leave without a word and the final part of his speech was what broke me.
'I'll be there baby, you'll never be alone in this world because no matter what happens, you'll always have me. As a friend, or something more.'
And I believed him. Of course I did. It was exactly what I needed to hear, that whatever happened, I would still have him.
Flo came back about ten minutes later. I didn't tell what happened, in fear of possibly breaking down again and I needed very minute I could spare for my presentation.
I wrote it in two hours, finished the whole thing in another four and then practiced until we realised that there was only thirty minutes left until show time.
I rushed over to my vanity and began gathering all the make-up we would need, whilst Flo heated up the curlers. She began styling my hair into bouncy curls and then slid in two gold hair clips at the back.
My eyes were dark and encircled by a thick layer of eyeliner with a wing at the side. Gold and black eyeshadow was expertly painted onto my eyelids and my lips were coloured nude.
The dress was the real show stopper. It was gold. The whole thing shimmering under the light and it had a low v-neck with cuts at the side, exposing the side of my cleavage. The dress trailed along the floor, glittering as it did, and the whole thing was held together by thin spaghetti straps.
