Ruthless knight

Sawyer

“Remind me again why we’re here?” Dylan grumbles as we walk into the store. 

“Because Bianca asked if I would go shopping with her and I’m not going alone.” 

It would be the equivalent of facing a firing squad. 

“You know she hates me, right?” 

Yup. It’s another reason I invited her. 

As difficult as Bianca can be, I also consider her my friend. I’m hoping forcing my best friend and my new friend to hang out will end this feud between them for good. 

Then we can all hang out. 

“Just give her a chance, Dylan. She’s not so bad once you get to know her. Promi—”

“Hold up, I don’t recall ever inviting the murdering thot my brother’s fucking to join us.” Bianca interjects. 

On second thought, maybe this was a bad idea. 

Too late to turn back now. 

I draw in several deep breaths before I address the elephant in the room. “What happened to Liam wasn’t her fault, Bianca. Deep down you know it’s true.” 

She tosses the shirt she was appraising on a table. “I don’t want her here.” 

Dylan throws her hands up. “Fine by me.” 

She starts to leave, but I grab her arm. “Not so fast.” My gaze ping-pongs between them. “I know you two have your issues with each other, but you also have something very important in common.” 

“Please,” Bianca exclaims. “I have nothing in common with her.” 

“You both love Jace,” I remind her. “And it’s really not fair that the two most important women in his life are constantly bickering with each other.”

“It’s not my fault—” Dylan starts to say, but I shush her. 

“I know.”

“It’s not my fault either,” Bianca argues.

I give her a look. The fighting is definitely her fault. 

“Whatever. I’ll never forgive her for what she did.” Her features soften the tiniest bit. “But she can stay…I guess.” 

It’s not much, but it’s something. 

Dylan starts to protest but I whisper, “Take the olive branch.” I squeeze her hand. “For Jace.” 

She looks up at the ceiling and huffs. “Fine.” 

Bianca fingers a row of clothes on hangers. “What size are you, Church girl? I’ve already picked out a few things, but I want to make sure they’ll fit.” 

I look at Dylan because Bianca can’t possibly be talking to me. 

My eyes swivel around the trendy boutique. A single outfit here costs what I make in a week. “I thought we were shopping for you.”

“Do you really think I’d ever ask you to help me shop for clothes?” Clutching her chest, she snorts. “Oh, God. You did. That’s cute.” 

“Yup,” Dylan mutters behind me. “The girl is a real peach.” 

“Sorry, but this isn’t—I wasn’t pla

“Figured as much.” Bianca flashes me her credit card. “That’s why I brought this.” 

She’s out of her mind. “I’m not letting you pay for my clothes.” 

She makes an irritated noise in her throat. “Look, I really don’t do well with the whole back and forth thing. So, let’s skip the argument altogether and you do what I say.” She shoves a short white dress in my direction. “Go try this on.” 

Not only does the dress look too small for me, it’s not my style…at all. 

“No.” 

She purses her lips. “We’re friends, right?” 

I eye her warily. “Yeah.” 

“Well, as your friend, I refuse to let you keep walking around looking like some kind of Amish homeless person.” Disgust fills her features. “It was adorable at first, but now not so much.” 

“Gee thanks.” 

“I’m not trying to insult you. I’m just being honest. Prom is five weeks away, and I promise you you’re going to feel worse than dog shit when Cole is crowned prom king, and Casey is crowned his queen. Again.” She goes back to rifling through racks of clothes. “Besides, I really need a new positive project to focus my energy on. Giving you a makeover is perfect.” 

I can’t let her do this. “No—”

“My birthday is in June,” she says, cutting me off. “Consider this your super early birthday gift to me.” 

“She doesn’t need a makeover,” Dylan says. “She looks great the way she is.” 

Bianca makes a face. “Says the girl who lives in ratty jeans and concert t-shirts. No wonder you two get along so well. Stevie Wonder can pick out better clothes than you idiots.” 

Dylan and I exchange an exasperated glance. 

“Fine,” Bianca snaps. “Don’t let me help you. But don’t come crying to me when Cole goes back to Casey after prom.” 

Nerves bunch my stomach. I don’t think for one second Cole will leave me for Casey…but I hate the tiny part of my stupid brain that still feels like he might leave me for someone better.

And by better? I mean prettier and ski

“One outfit,” I grit. 

Bianca’s lips twist. “Three. Plus, a prom dress, a haircut, and a dye job.” She pulls her phone out of her purse. “Do you know your lens prescription offhand? I’m go

She can’t be serious. “One outfit, no prom dress, and a trim.” 

There. Compromise. 

“No.” She folds her arms across her chest. “Two outfits. A prom dress that I will let you have marginal input on. A trim with some long layers for dimension, and a few face framing caramel highlights. Oh, and a trip to Sephora. That’s as low as I’m willing to go.” 

I don’t think Bianca understands how bartering works.  

Or maybe she does, because somehow, I find myself agreeing. 

 

“I told you it wouldn’t fit,” I gripe as I pull the skin-tight red fabric over my hips. 

Whoever made this must have given no fucks if the person wearing it would be able to breathe. 

Bianca marches over to me. “You’re kidding, right? That’s exactly the way it’s supposed to fit.” 

I look at the tag. “This says it’s a size six. I am not a size six.” 

It seems like just yesterday a size fourteen was feeling too snug on me. 

Bianca smiles as she turns me toward the mirror. “You are now.” 

She takes the ponytail out of my hair and runs her fingers through my dark locks. “Dude, not to go all lesbo on you, but you’re hot.” 

Holy shit. 

“Wow, I look…different.”

It’s as if I walked into one of those fun-house mirror things at a carnival. 

The one that lets you see what you’d look like if you were thi

Only this isn’t fake. 

She laughs. “That’s kind of the point, silly.” 

I look at Dylan. “What do you think?” 

She shuffles her feet. “Honestly?” 

“Of course.” 

I expect nothing less from her. 

“You don’t look like you. To be frank, you kind of look like you belong on the cheerleading squad.” She huffs. “This is so dumb, Sawyer. You don’t need a makeover. You’ve always been beautiful.” 

For a fat girl. 

On one hand, I understand what Dylan’s saying. A big reason we clicked instantly was because of our mutual disdain for girls like Casey.