away a tear. “I don’t care much for wedding gowns, so I’m not the right girl to ask. But look at your face, you seem so ‘appy.”
“I guess that’s a yes.” Mum turns toward me. “Amy?”
I say what I know she wants to hear. “It’s lovely, Mum. Very striking.” She holds my gaze for a second too long and then collapses on the sofa beside me and puts her head on my shoulder.
“But I can’t do it. I can’t spend all our money on a dress. It isn’t right.” She takes one more look in the mirror and gives an enormous sigh. “No,” she says to her reflection. “I just can’t do it.”
“Are you sure, Sylvie?” Clover says. “There are plenty of other dresses here, less elaborate ones.”
Mum sighs. “My mind’s made up. I love this dress, but I simply can’t justify it. And I didn’t like any of the other dresses very much. Sorry for wasting everyone’s time.”
“If you love the dress so much, maybe one of your bridesmaids could talk you around,” Cassandra says, looking at Clover pointedly.
But Clover’s having none of it.
“No, when Sylvie makes her mind up, that’s that. Sorry, Cassandra. I guess my sis won’t be a Butterfly Bride after all.”
I don’t think Cassandra is very happy. She’s glaring at Clover and me as if the whole thing is our fault.
“Let me ‘elp you take the dress off, Sylvie,” Monique says, leading Mum toward the changing room by the elbow. “And then we will go for dinner, yes? I want to ‘ear all your news.”
“Thank goodness for that, Beanie,” Clover says to me as we wait for Mum outside the shop. Cassandra was scowling at us both so much that we decided it was best not to stay in the white palace a minute longer. “That ‘Celtic Princess’ thing was hideous.”
I laugh. “I know. But what are we going to do now? Mum still doesn’t have a wedding dress.”
“We’ll think of something, Beanie, never fear. The perfect dress is out there waiting for her, you’ll see.”
Just over a week later, on Friday night, I get a text out of the blue: WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME, AMY?
Seth!
How dare he! Ignoring him? My head races with confused thoughts. Hang on, he broke up with me, not the other way around. He has no right to accuse me of ignoring him. I’m just keeping out of his way. Seeing him and talking to him hurts too much. Plus, I have no idea where I stand. Does he even want to be friends? I still have no clue. This is the first time since we broke up that he’s said anything to me other than hi. What did he expect me to do?
After a few minutes, I start to have another thought. Does Seth want to get back together? Is that it? Mills said he’d change his mind, but I hadn’t dared hope for such a thing. But maybe . . . maybe . . .
I grab my mobile and press in his name, my heart racing.
“Amy?” He sounds relieved. “Are you talking to me again?”
I practically dissolve into tears on the spot. Seth and I haven’t spoken on the phone since we split up, and it almost breaks my heart to hear his voice again, all soft and anxious.
“What are you talking about?” I say. “You broke up with me, Seth. And OK, yes, I’ve been avoiding you a bit.” I take a deep breath. “It’s hard. Seeing you. In school, I mean. I can’t — ” I break off before I start to cry. “I’m sorry.”
“I understand. It’s hard for me too. But please don’t shut me out, Amy. I know I’ve hurt you, but I miss talking to you so much. Can’t we be friends or something? Please?”
I give a strangled laugh. Friends? So he
does
want to be friends. But why is he asking this right now? I don’t understand and I don’t know what to say, so I say nothing.
“OK, maybe not friends,” he adds quickly, “but can we at least speak to each other?”
I really miss our chats too. It’s like part of me isn’t there anymore. So even though everything in my being screams,
Say no. This is a very, very bad idea
, I sigh, then say, “I guess.” I
“I guess that’s a yes.” Mum turns toward me. “Amy?”
I say what I know she wants to hear. “It’s lovely, Mum. Very striking.” She holds my gaze for a second too long and then collapses on the sofa beside me and puts her head on my shoulder.
“But I can’t do it. I can’t spend all our money on a dress. It isn’t right.” She takes one more look in the mirror and gives an enormous sigh. “No,” she says to her reflection. “I just can’t do it.”
“Are you sure, Sylvie?” Clover says. “There are plenty of other dresses here, less elaborate ones.”
Mum sighs. “My mind’s made up. I love this dress, but I simply can’t justify it. And I didn’t like any of the other dresses very much. Sorry for wasting everyone’s time.”
“If you love the dress so much, maybe one of your bridesmaids could talk you around,” Cassandra says, looking at Clover pointedly.
But Clover’s having none of it.
“No, when Sylvie makes her mind up, that’s that. Sorry, Cassandra. I guess my sis won’t be a Butterfly Bride after all.”
I don’t think Cassandra is very happy. She’s glaring at Clover and me as if the whole thing is our fault.
“Let me ‘elp you take the dress off, Sylvie,” Monique says, leading Mum toward the changing room by the elbow. “And then we will go for dinner, yes? I want to ‘ear all your news.”
“Thank goodness for that, Beanie,” Clover says to me as we wait for Mum outside the shop. Cassandra was scowling at us both so much that we decided it was best not to stay in the white palace a minute longer. “That ‘Celtic Princess’ thing was hideous.”
I laugh. “I know. But what are we going to do now? Mum still doesn’t have a wedding dress.”
“We’ll think of something, Beanie, never fear. The perfect dress is out there waiting for her, you’ll see.”
Just over a week later, on Friday night, I get a text out of the blue: WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME, AMY?
Seth!
How dare he! Ignoring him? My head races with confused thoughts. Hang on, he broke up with me, not the other way around. He has no right to accuse me of ignoring him. I’m just keeping out of his way. Seeing him and talking to him hurts too much. Plus, I have no idea where I stand. Does he even want to be friends? I still have no clue. This is the first time since we broke up that he’s said anything to me other than hi. What did he expect me to do?
After a few minutes, I start to have another thought. Does Seth want to get back together? Is that it? Mills said he’d change his mind, but I hadn’t dared hope for such a thing. But maybe . . . maybe . . .
I grab my mobile and press in his name, my heart racing.
“Amy?” He sounds relieved. “Are you talking to me again?”
I practically dissolve into tears on the spot. Seth and I haven’t spoken on the phone since we split up, and it almost breaks my heart to hear his voice again, all soft and anxious.
“What are you talking about?” I say. “You broke up with me, Seth. And OK, yes, I’ve been avoiding you a bit.” I take a deep breath. “It’s hard. Seeing you. In school, I mean. I can’t — ” I break off before I start to cry. “I’m sorry.”
“I understand. It’s hard for me too. But please don’t shut me out, Amy. I know I’ve hurt you, but I miss talking to you so much. Can’t we be friends or something? Please?”
I give a strangled laugh. Friends? So he
does
want to be friends. But why is he asking this right now? I don’t understand and I don’t know what to say, so I say nothing.
“OK, maybe not friends,” he adds quickly, “but can we at least speak to each other?”
I really miss our chats too. It’s like part of me isn’t there anymore. So even though everything in my being screams,
Say no. This is a very, very bad idea
, I sigh, then say, “I guess.” I
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