Page 52 of Girl Like Me

Chloe:I’m so excited, Mac is picking me up.

The group chat for the guys has exploded and I read through what they have been sending. It's all funny banter, the last few are saying that they are here. I also have one from Echo.

Echo:B, how pissed would my girl be if I crashed your formal?

Me:Do you have a ticket?

Echo:I don’t need one

Me:Do I need to warn her of your arrival, you can be alot.

Echo:Plz don’t ruin the surprise.

Me:Okay.

I tuck my phone into a little purse and head out of my room to go downstairs. I pause at the top, taking a deep breath. Carson sees me first, a huge smile on his face and gets everyone's attention.

My guys all smile and my dad has a tear running down his face. Carter is also smiling but my mum looks like she just had another round of botox this morning, possibly because I didn’t wear the dress she had picked out.

Carson has a camera, taking pictures as I walk down the stairs and when I reach the bottom Maximus is waiting. I take him in, the black suit, his black rimmed glasses and his dark brown curls. He is the epitome of the boy next door cliche and he is mine. My heart swells and I hold back the tears in fear of ruining Carson's hard work. He holds out a light pink corsage and I hold up my wrist whilst he slides it on. I look up at him and see he has a pink rose pinned to his suit. Looking around at the others, they all have one pinned to their jackets.

I feel like the luckiest girl alive.

Nausea hits my stomach unexpectedly and my vision blurs, sending me into a memory.

I bounce down the stairs in my new dress to find Milo, we are headed out to a party. I hit the bottom step and I can hear fear in his voice. I tiptoe to the family room and I see Milo with his hands in the air.

“Bristol go back upstairs, this doesn’t concern you.”

I go to turn my head…

Large arms pull me into a bear hug and I’m pulled from my flashback. These keep happening more often, usually random things that are irrelevant. This is as close I have gotten to my brother's death, but I wasn’t holding the gun.

“You look beautiful, princess. Go have fun and be safe,” My dad says with a wink. Did he just make a sex joke?

“I will.”

I guess my family isn’t going to come and watch me walk down the red carpet. The formal theme this year is Hollywood glamour and they pulled out all the stops for it.

We all head outside and I see a limo waiting for us, I look at Rory and he smiles. “You didn’t think we wouldn’t be going in style, did you?”

Rocky runs out the door to the limo as the driver holds the door open. Carter walks out with us but he walks straight to his fancy ass sports car and jumps in, taking off down the driveway.

“We will meet you there for photos,” Carson says as Phillip pulls him away from us and to their car.

Once we’re all in the limo I relax, my guys surround me and they all look edible in their suits.

Rory pops the cork off a bottle of champagne and Levi hands out glasses as they are poured.

“To us,” Mercer says. “And a world of possibilities.”

We all cheers and I decide to ask them about travel.

“How would you guys feel about traveling after graduation? I know we’ve talked about schools and where we might live but after everything that’s happened to me it’s made me realise life is short and I want to see the world, at least once while I’m still young.”

“I would follow you to the ends of the earth,” Rory says, but the others don’t look as convinced.

“I know you all have plans but think about it, even if it’s just a short trip for some of you before Uni starts. I need to feel free.”

---