Status: In Progress.

Cheating Across the Pond

Seeing Red

“What? You mean I actually got it!” I practically screamed, I wanted to do dance and hug my professor, then it struck that would be totally inappropriate.

“Now, I understand that you have family in Manchester that you could stay with but the program will be providing you with a flat. Remember, that the internship is a paying one and that there is rent due at the end of the month, although the rent will be significantly cheaper. If you fail to pay rent at the end of the month, you will be kicked out of the apartment. The program, also, will provide transportation to and from the airport but you will need to either rely on the public transportation or buy a car. Your plane ticket and other necessary documents will arrive through the mail.”

I merely nodded still giddy with not only the prospect of working with one of the greatest soccer teams in the world but seeing my uncle and his wife, whom I haven’t met yet, is prize within itself. I didn’t even realize that I was still standing in the same spot for nearly five minutes with a big, stupid smile on my face till Professor Clark quipped “I know you’re excited and all about your internship but, with all do respect, get out of my room! I have another class coming in soon.”

I felt my cheeks get hot, as I blushed a shade of scarlet, and I hurried out of the room where I was greeted with the face of my best friend since I was 4, Sara McPherson. Let me tell you a little bit about Sara, she’s perfect. Imagine the queen bee of your high school, the one with perfectly wavy red hair and the eyes green as jade, and you’ve just pictured Sara. “Geeze took you long enough, what did Clark want to talk to you about?” Sara asked quizzically.

“I’ll tell you at lunch, lets go to that Italian place in the mall, I’m craving some pasta,” I replied as I tried to conceal my glee.

At the restaurant I couldn’t help but grin with merely the thought of going to England. I must have been in a daze because Sara had to wave her hand in my face to snap me out of my reverie. “Okay, you’ve got to tell me, what has got you all smiley and dazed? Oh my god, don’t tell me that you and your stiff of a fiancé eloped!”

“No! No! It is way too soon! Well you know how Clark asked to talk with me after class?”

Sara nodded, her face blank, unsure of what was coming.

“Well, I got it! Sara! I got the internship with Man U! I’m going to Manchester next week!” I couldn’t help but yell excitedly.

Sara’s eyes got about as wide as mine when she exclaimed, “No way! See, I told you I knew you’d get it. Now going to England means you need rain clothes and blazers and trench coats and striped, preppy stuff, which means we have to go shopping!”

“Anything to go shopping, right Sara?” I couldn’t help but say.

Sara simply nodded as I laughed and nodded in agreement as the waiter came and set our food down.

After we ate lunch which I paid for insisting that it may be the last time I treat her for lunch in a while, Sara and I went shopping for the clothing I will be needing in England, which included boots, scarves, and plenty of coats, including a khaki trench coat by Sara’s insistence. “Ooh, look at that dress!” I heard Sara exclaim as we walked through the mall. I whipped my head around to see Sara pointing at this red mini-dress in the window of store. “You should try it on! You would look so good in that,” Sara exclaimed.

“What? No way! It is so not me, you can pull that off Sara,” I retorted

“Red,” she said pointing at the dress, “Red,” she repeated as she pointed at her hair, “It just doesn’t work. Now you on the other hand would look great in it. You can take it England.”

“And where would I where would I wear a dress like that? To work?” I retorted.

“Come on, Alyssa, live a little, you can wear it to club, a night out, on a date with some English soccer player,”

Before I could even respond, Sara pulled me into the store and I waited with her while they found the dress in my size. I looked at myself in the mirror and I knew it wasn’t me, at all. It was all wrong. The dress was skin tight and the neckline plunged to below my bra and the skirt barely skimmed my thighs. The color was a bright red that I would never wear; I always wore neutral and pastel colors like powder blue and black, colors that didn’t stick out. “Come on out I want to see it!” Sara practically commanded. It seemed the minute I walked out of that dressing room, the saleswoman and Sara just kept hurling compliments. I turned to the side and I could see the lines of underwear through the fabric.

“You know, that looks really good, Stephen will just love it on you!” Sara gushed, “By the way, have you told Stephen yet?”

Stephen. What would he think of me going England for a year? Stephen has said that he could be moved to the Manchester branch of his company. I can’t believe I haven’t even thought about him…
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Not too good, I know but tell me what I can do to improve. As always, comments and messages are much loved