Just Keep Breathing

“Elle! The door is for you.” My father called up the stairs.

I sighed and jumped off my bed and headed down the stairs. I pulled the front door open and nearly screamed.

“Hello Elle, you look like you’re about to fall over.” It was Anna.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as I lunged forward to hug her. She squeezed me back and then walked into my house as I shut the door.

“It’s good to see you,” I said, “Been a while.”

“It has.” She agreed. “And you need to tell me everything since we talked last, if you even have stories.”

“I do, actually.” I said. She was the one person I could tell about the Oli situation without sounding stupid.

She smiled at me, “What kind of stories?”

I started walking up the stairs with her following, I turned my head and looked at her with a smirk on my face. “The best kind; boy stories.”

She grinned at me and practically pushed me up the stairs and into my room. We collapsed on my bed and instantly started talking about small things like her college and whatnot.

There was a lot more to Anna than just being my friend. She was like the sister I never had. She was one of those pretty girls that was fun to be with and knew all the right things to do in situations, but she never came off as super slutty or prude. She was also the only person who never tried to change me in anyway other than my wardrobe.

“So when are you going to tell me about this boy?” She asked and wiggled her eyebrows at me. I smiled and shrugged. She kept talking, “Oh c’mon! I tell you everything, your turn.”

“Well he’s an asshole.” I said.

Anna gave me this odd look, “I thought this was a I have a boy story. Not a rant about someone you hate.”

I gave a small smile, “What if it’s both?”

“Oh, do continue then.” She laid back on my bed and stared at me, waiting for me to spill about everything.

So I did. I ranted and raved about him being a jerk and a player. And then I ranted and raved about how he gave me butterflies and made me nervous. And then I ranted a bit more about how stupid this whole thing was.

While I talked she just laid there and smiled at me, this all-knowing smirk plastered on her face. I paused my talking and eyed her, wishing I could read her thoughts. She was most likely formulating plans for me inside her head.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked her. I crossed my legs Indian stile and stared. “Tell me.”

“I’m thinking you want him. You want him bad. And I’m going to stop you from making excuses, and you’re going to get him.” She said, her voice devious.

&&

“So how long are you in town?” I asked Anna who was digging through my closet and dresser.

“Just for the weekend.” She replied as she opened a dresser drawer and picked through it. “But stop trying to distract me, here try this on.”

She threw me some shirt that I had never wore, she probably bought it for me a while back. I held it up and studied it; it was a total boob shirt. “Anna, I’m not wearing something this revealing.”

“Shut up and put it on, let me see if it looks good on you.” She gave me that stare so I did as she said and looked in the mirror.

“Holy shit,” She said looking at me, “You should really accent your boobs more often. You’ve got a good pair. Let me find you some pants.”

“My mom is going to kill me if she sees me in just this, let me wear a jacket over it.” I complained. She sighed and nodded, throwing me my bomber jacket along with a pair of tight, dark skinny jeans.

I changed right in front of her and gaped at myself in the mirror. I looked so different, and not to be conceited, but I looked pretty hot.

“Damn.” Anna said and smiled. “I’m so good at this make over thing.”

I laughed and turned in a circle for her. She smiled and winked at me.

“So tonight at the party, there is no way he’s going to be able to hook up with another girl, especially not when you’re looking this hot.” She said and changed into some of my clothes.

"And if he does?" I asked skeptically.

She smirked at me, “He won’t, and if he does, you pull them apart and kiss him.”

“I’m not going to kiss him at all, especially not if he was just making out with someone else.” I said and grimaced.

“Like hell you’re not going to kiss him, you know you want to. Now let’s go.” She pushed me out of my room.

We went downstairs and no one was here yet except for my brother. He looked up as I walked down the last few steps.

“Shit Elle, what got into you?” He asked then stopped and looked past me as Anna came down the stairs also, “Okay, that explains a lot.”

“Hey James.” Anna said. They had a fling once and basically every time she was in town they hooked up. I thought it was kind of weird, but I didn’t really pay much attention to it. My brother smiled at her and I knew it wouldn’t be long after the party started until they disappeared.

People started showing up in small groups. By seven at least 25 people were here. I heard the doorbell ring over the music and I headed to the door and swung it open.

“Hey Isabel.” Oli greeted, he seemed bitter, probably still from the other night. Then he paused and looked me up and down with his mouth slightly open.

“Hi Oli.” I let him and Curtis in. He was still staring at me as I blushed and looked down and started to walk away.

Anna hurried over to my side and looked towards the door and back at me. “Is that him?”

I nodded, my face starting to burn against my will. Anna smiled and began to talk again, “You didn’t tell me he had an accent. That’s hot. I’m not going to walk you through this Miss Shy, got get him.”

I looked up at her and bit my lip as a wave of shyness swept through me. Her dressing me up seemed like a very bad idea now. She nodded at me with encouragement and turned me around and pushed me in his direction.

I had no real time to protest before I was right behind Oli and he was turning around.