ONE

| chapter song: praise and worship - naira marley ft lumi |

ONE

I was spellbound by the magnificent display beyond me. Fighting my tingling fingers from escaping from behind my back started to become borderline impossible as I kept ogling at the display. It was a struggle for me and it was a struggle for my hands to keep put.

"Ori honey! I think I found your dress - no wait! I have found our dress." I swiped my head to the direction my mother was speaking from, and found her standing at the entrance of the, fairly new, Guiveron Dress Shop.

My mother looked nothing like me. She was standing tall at nearly six feet whereas I barely hit the five foot five point. Joanne, my mother, had light blonde hair, nearly platinum that was always held up by a tight bun or a smart chiffon. She never failed to leave the house without a dozen of products plastered on her face, enhancing her already beautiful face. With royal cheekbones and bright green eyes, Joanne was a model rather than a mother.

Just before she ducked inside the shop, she sent me a warning look, as if to say 'get your ass in this shop right now'. I knew better than to defiant.

"I won't be a minute!" I shouted back, pushing my hands through various pockets, pretending to search for my phone or something alike. As soon as she was out of sight, I made a sharp body turn and pushed through the door that was right behind me.

The bells above my head churned and I smiled softy at Palmer who was grinning back at me from behind the counter. "Orianna lovely, how are you doing this fine Saturday morning?"

I skipped towards the counter, leaning over it to see what Palmer was doing. Palmer was a lovely lady who treated me as her own daughter. She was short, shorter than me and her silvery hair was always done in a impressive braid. She was also a good talker and listener. Her shoulder ready to be leaned on whenever you needed it. And she was also the owner of my favourite bakery shop in the whole wide world, Palmer's Passion.

Now that is a terrific geographical assumption to make but I have yet to come across someone who could work magic in the kitchen like Palmer could.

"Dress shopping with the young model of mine." I sarcastically pointed out, motioning my head towards the dress shop across the road. From afar, it was hard to make out who was in the shop but Palmer knew who I was referring to instantly.

Palmer chuckled at my blunt comment before walking back into her storage room. I felt eager to follow her, and that's exactly what I did.

"Do you want-?" Palmer was cut off when I shoved a chocolate chip muffin in my face. Palmer let out a second chuckle, shaking her head slowly before walking back out of the storage room. "Want to take some on the go?"

I stopped mid bite and my forehead creased at Palmer. I wish could take some since every time I'd come here I'd sneak the four cupcakes up to my room and watch a episode of Game of Thrones whilst stuffing my face in with delicious delight. But I knew that couldn't happen today. My mother was outside and she would instantly spot the bag in my hand and demand to know what it was.

And if she found out it was cupcakes, she would go ballistic on my ass.

"Not today." I mournfully muttered past my full mouth. Crumps of cake flew past my mouth and for once, I laughed at my own unlady-like behaviour. Palmer didn't mind. She just brushed the crumps off her counter before answering.

"You can always hide it in your bag." She offered and my face instantly lightened up.

Palmer laughed at my expression before she reached to her side for a small cupcake box. I watched as Palmer hand-picked four delicious looking cupcakes and placed it carefully in the box. She wrapped it around with paper and then put in it the bag for me."Here you go lovely. Enjoy."

I reached inside my purse and grabbed a tenner. I dropped it down on the counter, grabbed the bag of cupcakes - which I quickly pushed inside my bag - and ran out the door.

"Keep the change!" I shouted, throwing a wink over my shoulder to a scowling Palmer who had her hands on her hips. I knew Palmer would never accept my money and I found the only way money would enter in that till is if I'd left Palmer with no choice but to put the money away.

"No more cupcakes for you!" Palmer shouted back. I threw my head back with a joyful laugh before closing the door behind me. The uncommon heat of England summer hit my face instantly and I put my shades on to stop the sun from hurting my eyes.

A minute later, I was inside the Guiveron Dress Shop where my mother was trying on a few dresses. "Do you like this one?" She asked, turning her upper torso so she could glance at her exposed back.

The dress screamed everything my mother portrayed. Classy and bold. It was a light cream colour and ended just above her knees. It had a low back with a sequined halter neck. Small crystal like beads were scattered all over the hem of the dress and it looked stunning.

"Stunning." I said just before she threw another dress my way. This one I did not like at all. It was a dark navy dress that looked like something Palmer's grandmother would wear. I scrunched my eyes at it before throwing it back on the pile of dresses on the French chair.

"You don't fancy that one?" My mother questioned loudly, still admiring herself by the standing mirror. I shook my head at her before walking over to the clothing rack with dresses on. It was my father's company anniversary tomorrow and she still hadn't found her dress. I tried to convince my mother she could wear the numerous of untouched dresses in her closet but she was having none of it.

"I like this one." I pointed out, pulling a long baby blue dress of the rack. It had a diamond pattern scattering down from the top part and a slit down the front. I fell in love with it under one second.

My mother sauntered over to me, her face scrunched up like she just had a taste of lemon. She... didn't like it. "Honey, you don't want to embarrass your father with that dress." She shook her head and began looking over the dress racks.

"Mum, it's this one or nothing." I firmly told her. I didn't want to go to this company anniversary. My father didn't care if I was present or not. So if I didn't want to go, but was getting forced regardless then I could at least choose the dress?

My mother stopped looking for a dress and slowly turned around to face her only daughter. Who just gave cheek back. My mother looked back at the dress in my hand before letting out a loud sigh. "Fine then," she breathed out.

I let out a breath, my heart hammering loudly in my chest because I just gave Joanne Shea cheek back and I owned it.

_

_

_

I dropped face-first into my made bed, dropping down the shopping bags by the side. I let out a scream into my silk coated pillows. My mother drained me. Five hours of straight shopping with no break was a killer. And I was wearing high platform shoes as well. My feet were nagging at me, cursing me to no end with their chipmunk voices. I sat up and started to massage my sore toe, wishing I hadn't gone with my mother at all.

"I'm sorry little toe." I said out loud. I let out a deep sigh, letting myself out since I could be my complete self between these four walls.

My room was all things me. Soft violet painted walls, large canvas stuck on the left side wall with my desk, a wall of collage of all the things I loved and adored, the door to my walk-in closet on the other side. My mother despised my room and she made sure to tell me that every day of the week. My father didn't care which, when it came to my room, didn't bother me at all.

My mobile phone started ringing from my bag and I quickly jumped off the bed to get to it. Once I was fishing through it, I spotted the box of cupcakes.

"Cupcakes, oh gosh, how did I forget?" I screeched, completely forgetting about my phone ringing and indulged myself with a blueberry cupcake.

My phone started ringing again when I took the last bite of the cupcake. Making sure my mouth was empty, I answered my best friend's call.

"Hey Versa," I greeted, pushing myself off the floor. I picked up the box of cupcakes with one hand whilst the other pressed the phone to my ear.

"Omigod Ori, you won't believe who asked me out to the party later!" Versa screeched in my ear loudly. I let out a small laugh at my best friend's excitement. I knew who exactly asked her out since I was the one to get the boy to ask her.

"Let me take a wild guess and say... Thomas?"

"Yes!"

"You do know I told him to ask you right?" I drew out, sitting cross-legged on my bed.

"I know you did and as the only best friend you have - and the realest friend you may add - I believe it was your duty to do this. So, no I'm not going to thank you. I'm going to shower you with kisses and endless hugs and cupcakes to repay you."

Another wild laugh escaped from my mouth. I adored Versa to bits and what she said was true. She was my only best friend and the realest friend. All the others I surrounded myself with were all fake and backstabbers. But it was my crew. My socially written clique that were always around me, even if I told them to go away.

Versa was my polar opposite. She was the geek of the school, the one with the funny looking specs and the odd dress sense. But I loved her regardless.

"Cupcakes will do." I said over the phone, eyeing the three I had left. Darn it, I didn't want them to finish just yet!

"You and your cupcakes! I pray to the stars everyday you gain weight but curse it all around for your high metabolism."

I let out another laugh, clutching my stomach tightly.

"I need to get ready now - six hours is not enough!" I glanced at the clock on my wall and saw it was only past three in the afternoon. The party started around nine. She had six hours to get ready. Oh Versa.

"I'll leave you to it. But can you give me a ring around eight-ish so I can get ready?"

"Oohoh, Orianna Shea just needs one hour to get ready. Oooh, she has this all figured out." I smiled at my best friend's exaggeration before telling her I was a quick dresser. Which I was. Fifteen minutes it would take for me to get ready, including a shower.

"Is Brandon picking you up?"

I replied back with a "yep," popping the 'p' over the phone. Brandon was my boyfriend ever since college started. And now that the end of two years was coming, I had a nagging feeling that all the sparks I once shared with my boyfriend was fading. He was the best boyfriend anyone could ever ask for, and not once had he pressured me into doing something with him. But tonight, I felt like giving him all of me.

I smiled inwardly at our perfect relationship, blissful feelings fluttering in my stomach.

"You two are so cute and he actually cares about you," Versa mused and I could practically see her pushing the rim of her glasses up her nose. She probably had books all over her bed as well. Or a website open on how to do cute hairstyles.

"Hey, Versa, are you looking at cute hairstyles by any chance?" I asked and waited for her reply. When nothing came, I burst out laughing once again.

"How does this fat rat know this shit?" I heard her whisper from the other end.

I hung up still laughing.

-

-

-

You know that heavenly moment you have with your pillow and your sleep. When you have your mouth open but you can't close it because you're just that into your sleep?

Yes, that moment.

So you'd understand the wrath that boiled inside of me when I felt something hard land on my upper body and something wet licking my face.

I threw my hand out, connecting it with my mother dog's lightly - who I truly despised due to personal reasons. Pug, her favourite Chihuahua flew off my bed, landing on the floor with a small whimper. Served him all right.

"Pug!" My mother exclaimed in shock and worry, I opened one eye and saw her reached down to care for her devil of a dog.

"The violence from you Ori is getting out of hand. I just wanted to say that your phone has been going off for the past ten minutes."

I closed my eyes again, faintly trying to figure out who'd be calling me.

"Gotcha." I told her, hoping she'd leave me alone. I waited for the sound of my door slamming before throwing the covers off me. I was still dressed in the clothes from this morning, when I went shopping with my mother.

I picked up my phone to see numerous of miss calls from Versa and Bianca, another person on my friend's list.

I rang Versa back first. On the second ring, her voice answered. "Ori, this is so messed up." The seriousness in her voice had me fully alarmed.

"What is it?" I asked slowly.

"It's.. I don't... I fucking hate these people.. Ori," her voice kept breaking and I instantly knew she was crying. My over-protective instinct kicked it and I shot up straight, worried all together.

"I'll be there in five minutes, Versa, just give me five." I hung straight away, my mind coated with fear and worry for my best friend. I heard background music so she was at the party with Thomas. He was hardly a great guy but I hoped he had some resemblance to his twin brother Brandon. Goodness gracious! Why did I hook him up with her?

With all the worry bombarding me in my head, I managed to throw on a tight jersey black dress, threw over a crop top and ran out the door, sandals in my hand.

I got to Bianca's boyfriend's house within ten minutes, since the party was being held there. It wasn't even nine yet and it was already packed. Groups of rowdy teenagers were standing outside, crowding the front garden. I quickly put my car in park and literally jumped out of it, my eyes already scanning for Versa.

I spotted Versa standing to the side, clutching her phone close to her chest, her eyes wide and staring at the wild crowd in front of her. I ran to her side, looking over her small frame to see if she was okay.

"Not me-him!" Versa pointed, sticking out her index finger and pointing at a well beaten Thomas. I gasped when the one beating Thomas to the pulp raised his fist and smashed it into his stomach. A few boys skidded around the fight, attempting to stop them but they kept stepping back.

"Do something!" Someone screamed in the crowd and I glanced at a sobbing Versa. She looked scared and her fingers were trembling. I cursed at Thomas and whoever was beating the shit out of him.

"I'm going to call the police if you guys don't break up!" Someone else yelled as a warning and then five bulky boys stepped out the crowd. They all nodded to each other quickly and grabbed the one beating Thomas. Thomas quickly scattered away from the fight on his backside, his breathing erratic and wild. His nose was bleeding and his lip was oozing a bloody cut. His shirt had a tear right in the middle and he looked thoroughly beaten.

Versa made a move to go to Thomas but stopped when a group of girls rushed to his side. "Oh." She looked beat and I reached for her hand but stopped mid-air. I don't know what made me look but I glanced up and caught my breath immediately.

My eyes fell on a pair of familiar cobalt eyes that belonged to the guy being held back by the five bulky boys, and it irked me how my whole body quivered under his gaze.

My knees buckled from under me and it took everything inside me to stay standing upright. Nothing would have prepared me for this moment.

It was quiet all of a sudden as everyone realised who exactly was being held back. I felt the tension descend on us all but it was my own heart rapidly beating that filled my head.

"He's back." I whispered, choking around the two dreaded words.

----

Some of you must be wondering why I'm posting this all over again. It's really simple, I just want to make some changes so the flow of this story becomes better. Plus, I've been confusing a few characters (I shouldn't be working on so many stories at once).

There will be some changes, different things happening etc etc

But still, I hope you enjoy reading Link Dane :)

Laters!

-n