Created By

tece26

Rate this Story

Embed

1. Mike arrived half an hour later just as Kylie was getting out of the shower. He was in a bad mood and it was clearly obvious that nothing she would do that night would make him happy. She rushed through the routine of getting ready, toweling dry her hair and putting on her makeup. Then she chose the red dress that Mike had said he loved, and went downstairs to meet him.
   
2. He was sitting on the couch flipping through the sports channels when she came into the room. He looked up at her and smiled. “I love that dress babe.”
   
3. Kylie smiled and went over to him. “That’s why I wore it.” She kissed him on the cheek thinking she would do anything to make this night go by smooth and keep him happy.
   
4. “Good, it almost makes up for the fact you are late. I hate waiting, and to make it worse I had to wait and see that disgusting mess in your kitchen.”
   
5. Kylie sighed and let go of him to pick up her purse and cell phone. “I was downstairs and lost track of time.”
   
6. “In your darkroom again?” Mike asked.
   
7. “Yeah, and you know I lose myself there.”
   
8. “When are you going to show me your stuff? You have been down there so much lately I hardly see you.”
   
9. Kylie grimaced when she turned away to get her shoes. She had shown Mike her stuff once before, when they had just started dating. He had been nicer to her then but his words had still hurt. This is what you spent all that time doing? I would have thought you would have more or at least gotten this print right by now. Since then she hadn’t shown him anything. Always making excuses about her work and why she didn’t show him. Not that he asked often. But it was the one thing she did that still made her feel good, free and her. The one thing she was good at.
   
10. “It’s not important; I wouldn’t waste your time on my pictures.” She turned to him again. “Should we go?”
    The party wasn’t far away, so even though they were late, a fact Mike continued to bring up, it was only by about fifteen minutes. Who shows up on time to a party? Kylie thought, but it was one of Mike’s pet peeves and she knew not to bring this up. She stood quietly next to him and listened to him complaining whenever he had the chance.
    
11. Finally Kylie saw Amber come in looking like she stepped off the cover of a magazine. If she had not been Kylies best friend and one of the sweetest, most caring people in the world, Kylie thought no one would have held it against her to hate her based on that fact alone. No one should have those looks for real, it wasn’t fair. But she was her friend and her personality was as sweet as her looks.
    
12. “Kie!” Amber hugged her and handed her a package wrapped in red foil paper. “Here is part one. Merry late Christmas!”
    
13. “You didn’t have to do this you know.” Kylie said with a smile then added, “but I’m glad you did!”
    Amber laughed and started pulling her away from Mike and his group of buddies. “So how is it going today? What got him in such a bad mood?” Amber looked over at Mike and her brother Sam who were friends, looked disgusted and turned back to Kylie. “He gives me the creeps you know? Why do you put up with him? I wouldn’t.”
    
14. “You don’t have to Amber, you and Alex are perfect together. He’s just had a rough day and I’m not helping. He’s not normally like this.”
    
15. “Don’t you dare tell me this is your fault.” She said it in a quiet tone, but it was edged with anger. “You deserve better than this. When he called looking for you earlier he was so, so…” She threw her hands into the air. “Kylie, I love you girl. But you have to trust me he is no good. And no matter what you think or how many times you deny it you don’t deserve this.”
    
16. “Really Amber, it’s just been a rough day, for me too. I started the day at the Stevens’ place and it didn’t go well.” She hugged the present to herself. “So let’s talk about it later okay, after we have had a good night’s sleep, and just enjoy ourselves tonight?”
    
17. “Only if you promise we can talk later. You didn’t look to happy when I walked in.”
    
18. “I do, to be honest he is getting on my last nerve to but I don’t want to make a scene and he knows that. That’s why he is picking on me here.” Kylie smiled at her friend. “So can I open this now?”
    
19. “Yes! I just want to say first I didn’t do this myself so if you don’t like it or it doesn’t work out its okay, I just don’t want you to hate me but we believe in you and you weren’t doing anything for yourself. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was you needed for this so don’t be afraid to tell me if this doesn’t work.” Amber stopped her tirade long enough for a breath before she continued. “I took some stuff from your room and your mom helped because she said you weren’t doing anything.”
    
20. Kylie laughed, “Calm down Amber before you give it away! I am sure I will love it.” She turned the gift over and peeled the paper back at the folded seems. Inside she found a beautiful black leather portfolio filled with copies of the best works Kylie had done in the last couple of years. She was stunned as she flipped through the pages highlighting her work. One the right hand side of each page was a photograph and on the opposite left hand side was a description of the work. A title, a date, and various awards received.
    
21. “Oh wow!” Kylie took a deep breath. “I, I don’t even know what to say Amber!” Her eyes started to water. “This is so beautiful! I am touched. You did this?”
    
22. “Yes and your mother helped. She would sneak in and take some prints I needed or find out information about them.” She was smiling as she watched Kylie wipe her eyes.
    “I was wondering why my mother had such a sudden interest in all my older work.” Kylie said laughing.
    
23. “Now for part two. Your mom took something else too, and this is why the present is late, we had to wait for this.” Amber pulled an envelope out of her bag and handed it to Kylie.
    
24. “What’s this?” She took it the envelope and looked at it. A gasp came out of her mouth before she could stop it and she looked back up to Amber. “It’s a letter.”
    
25. “Well I know that. Open it! I have been dying to know what it says!” Amber exclaimed.
    
26. “But Amber, this is from the Art school in New York that I told you about.”
    
27. “Yeah Kie, I can read. Open it!”
    
28. “But why would they be writing me?” Kylie looked down at the portfolio and at the letter and put the pieces together. “No! Amber you didn’t! Did you? What did you do?”
    
29. “Your mom found the application you wrote out in the trash. Kie, you have to have confidence in yourself. This is obviously something you want. Why not apply? All they can say is no, and they won’t do that. Everyone knows your work is amazing!”
    
30. “Wow, I just can’t get over the…”
    
31. “What’s going on over here?” Mike interrupted