Page 6 of Anywhere with You
CHAPTER 5
Allison
Hailey and I sleep in our first morning in the dorm, which is new for me. I’m usually up at the break of dawn with Gran, making sure she has her meds and breakfast. We shower and decide to grab a bagel at Starbucks on our way to the mall. Last night as I lay in bed, I decided I was going to embrace college life. Like Gran had said, I need to pave my way. I know she’s thinking about when she’s no longer here with me. Her health is failing, and just the thought of losing her brings tears to my eyes. I’m going to make Gran proud of me, starting today. I’m going to re-vamp my wardrobe, act and dress my age. Money isn’t an issue for me. My parents were older and well established in their careers when they had me. They had planned well for their futures and mine. I received a trust on my eighteenth birthday last September. I have more than enough money to never have to work. I could easily live on my monthly allowance from the interest alone. I could, but I don’t want to. I’m excited to be going to college and experiencing life like kids my age.
“Okay, so tonight is country night at The Warehouse, we need to embrace that,” Hailey says as we walk into the mall. Apparently, The Warehouse has themes they rotate through to keep a broad range of customers coming through their doors.
“Sounds good to me, I’m actually thinking I need to upgrade my wardrobe. I didn’t ever go out back home. I was always taking care of Gran or worrying about school. I think I’m past due for a makeover.”
Hailey’s eyes sparkle. “EEEK! I’m so excited! Let’s work on tonight’s wardrobe first, so we know we’re covered, and then go from there.”
I laugh at her excitement. “Let’s do this thing,” I say, looping my arm through hers as we make our way in to the Gap. This is where I find the perfect blue jean skirt for tonight. I also purchase jeans, tank tops, sweaters, and shorts.
We spend the entire day at the mall, making multiple trips to my car to unload our loot. We go to Victoria’s Secret last and spend way too much money on sexy underwear and bras I never would have thought I’d be wearing. Hailey assures me these items are essential, even if no one ever sees them. “They help make you feel sexy,” she tells me. I’m still unsure, but I trust her judgment, besides this is all new to me. What do I know? All my underwear came from Walmart. I also purchase all new makeup, get my hair cut, so does Hailey. We both get a manicure and a pedicure. I feel like I’ve been overhauled, but I’m excited, I cannot remember the last time I had this much fun.
It takes us three trips to carry everything up to our dorm room.Yes, we went overboard. We dump all of our purchases out on our beds. I ended up with four pairs of jeans, fifteen shirts or tanks, four sweaters, two pair of shorts, a skirt, a pair of ballet flats, two pair of flip-flops, a pair of Puma tennis shoes, and a pair of cowboy boots. Hailey had insisted that we needed them to complete our outfits for tonight. Add in the sexy new bras, panties, haircut, and the mani-pedi, and I’m a new woman. Hailey bought almost as much as I did, as I said before, the girl loves her clothes. I asked what her parentswere going to say when they saw her credit card bill. She shrugged as if it was no big deal.
“Okay, so I know you originally bought the skirt for tonight, but seeing all this laid out I’m really liking the white shorts,” Hailey says as we put our purchases away.
I shrug. “I’m new to all of this. I’m so out of my element. You pick out what you think is best and that’s what I’ll wear. I trust you.” I find myself meaning what I say. Over the summer I’d talked to Hailey a lot on the phone and via the web, and I know she’s a good person, she wouldn’t steer me wrong.
This makes Hailey very happy. Clapping, she says, “Yeah, okay, so I say you wear the white shorts, the purple and white tanks layered, and the cowboy boots.” You can hear the excitement in her voice.
“Are you sure? Those shorts are really short.” Hailey had talked me into getting them. She said showing so much leg would drive the guys crazy. I caved and bought them. I know I’m decent looking. I had several offers in school, just no desire. I had Gran to think of and my grades, I wanted to make my parents proud. Now it’s time to start living for me, and figuring out who I am. I can still make them proud, but I need to find me in the process.
“Yes, trust me. Now hit the shower, we only have two hours, and we both have to shower and do our makeup.” We both had our hair cut and styled, so that was done. Mine was cut into long layers. She styled it by braiding my bangs down the side of my head and pulling all of it in a low side ponytail. It actually looks really good. My thick ponytail hangs down over the front of my shoulder, which exposes the braid on the opposite side. I express my worry it makes me look too young; I still liked it, but I wasn’t sure it was fit for a club setting. Hailey assures me that with my outfit it’s sexy.I guess we’ll see.
After we both shower and get dressed, Hailey sets me down on the toilet seat, so she can work her magic on my makeup. “I’m telling you right now, you’re going to have every male in The Warehousefalling at your feet tonight. You look hot,” she states as she hands me a mirror to view her masterpiece.
I reluctantly take the mirror from her, and I’m struck speechless. Hailey didn’t go overboard, she went with subtle light purple eye shadow, mascara, and a light pink lip gloss.Holy shit!I stand up and wrap her in a hug. “Thank you,” I manage to utter.
“Hey, none of that, or you’ll smear my masterpiece. You’re beautiful, Allie.”
I pull back from her. “I feel beautiful,” I whisper.
“It’s the undies.” She winks at me. “You are beautiful! This is a bonus for me, because I can assure you I won’t be buying any drinks tonight with you by my side. Now come on, or we’re going to be late. I need to go meet my male counterpart, so hop to it, missy,” she scolds me.
We arrive at The Warehouse right at eight o’clock. Ace sent me a text telling me he and his roommate, Mac, were already there. They’d gotten us a booth near the back. Hailey and I make our way toward the back of the club while Florida Georgia Line sings about getting their shine on. Hailey and I are already swaying to the music as we walk.
“Hey, there’s my brother. Let’s stop and say hi. Do you see Ace anywhere?” Hailey asks me.
I look up and stop dead in my tracks. Liam is sitting in a booth, looking good enough to eat, and beside him…is Ace.What the hell?They’re deep in conversation, so they don’t see us until we step up beside them.
Ace, who’s sitting on the outside of the booth, sees me and immediately he stands up and wraps his arms around me, giving me a big hug. “You look amazing,” he whispers to me. As he pulls away I can see the questions in Hailey’s eyes.
“You know Dash?” she questions me.
“Dash? This is Ace, um well, Aiden, my best friend I was telling you about,” I tell her. Aiden releases his hold on me and sits back down beside what appears to be an angry Liam. Hailey motions forme to scoot into the booth, so I do. This left me sitting directly in front of Liam and Hales in front of Aiden.
“So, let me get this straight, Aiden here, also known to us as Dash, is your Ace?” Hailey’s trying to untangle the connection.
Aiden laughs.
“Yes, Ace is the name I call him. It’s his initials, Aiden Cole Emerson. I’ve called him that since I first met him,” I explain. “To me he’s Ace, sometimes Aiden, and to you, well, he’s obviously Dash.”
My thoughts drift to the day that I first met Aiden:
Sitting on Gran’s back porch swing, I scrunch my eyes, trying to keep my tears from falling. Today was the day I had to say my final goodbye to Mommy and Daddy. I’ve been trying to be really strong and show I can handle it, I don’t like for Gran to see me cry. It makes her sad.
