Page 19 of Perfect

As I heaved open the front door to search for Dad, I welcomed the feel of the sunshine on my face and moved forward onto the stone steps. My eyes took their time to adjust and I inhaled the air which was surprisingly dung-free today or maybe I was just getting used to it, as Connor had said.

A rustle at my feet caught my attention and I looked down to see a girl crouched on the floor. She was fiddling with the laces on her trainers.

“Er, hello?” I prompted and her head shot up, startled. She had curling brown pixie-like hair and eyes the colour of milk chocolate; they widened as she saw me. Scrambling awkwardly to her feet, she uncurled what was actually a very long body. I shuffled back a step. She reminded me of the Disney character Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

I raised my eyebrows in silent question and she looked me up and down.

“Can I help you?” I prompted her in a friendly enough way, considering her semi-rude assessment. Of course, I was used to that type of treatment from members of my sex, but I still found it annoying.

After staring me down for a few beats, she eventually found her voice. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure you’d be here. Anna thought you’d left with Mike. Harlow, isn’t it?”

I nodded. “That’s me,” taking in the unfeminine baggy jeans and the voluminous hoodie she wore. She certainly didn’t conform to the masses in respect of fashion.

“I’m Ella.” Her accent wasn’t easy to read but sounded vaguely familiar.

“OK. Sorry, do you work here?” My question could have been taken as impolite but I said it in a super nice way.

She dealt me one of those smiles that are a bit too wide to be genuine.

“No, I don’t work here but my brother does. Well, sort of, when the need arises. He’s training to be a vet. You met him yesterday, Tom?”

It took a moment to digest her words as they erupted from her lips like gunfire. If she had written the words down, there wouldn’t have been any full stops there that’s for sure.

I quickly returned the favour and looked her up and down. So,thiswas the sister that Tom had mentioned. First impressions; she didn’t seem as welcoming as her brother, but I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me. First introductions with similar-aged girls were never a straightforward operation for me.

“Yes, of course, Tom. He isn’t here though,” I pointed out, glancing around the yard.

“Yes, I know.” There was an awkward pause. “The guys were banging on about you in the pub last night and I just thought I’d pop by and check you out in person.”

Great. So, I was the talk of the pub. I suddenly felt like one of those lab rats.

“Oh—OK,” I stuttered. It was a strange situation. She’d come to ‘check me out’ but she didn’t look very happy about it.

She scrutinised my face silently for a moment longer before shaking her head and exhaling noisily. “Fuck, sorry, I’m shit at introductions. I’ll start again—Hi, I’m Ella.” Her hand shot out in a gesture of greeting. “Nice to meet you.”

I forced a smile and took her hand. “Harlow.” The whole situation screamed awkward, but I went with it, even though I felt slightly uneasy.

She held my hand a little longer than was necessary. “Sorry,” she cut in as my eyes creased, quickly withdrawing her fingers. “I’m not usually so weird but, you surprised me.”

I pursed my lips in realisation. I had almosttroddenon the girl after all. “Sorry I didn’t see you down there,” I replied, motioning to the ground with a flick of my palm.

She shot me what I would now take as a genuine smile and it lit up her face, cancelling out that tetchy first impression. She was pretty in a tomboyish type of way.

She ran a hand through her short crown of hair. “No, I don’t mean that. I mean, shocked because of how you look. My brother gets a hard-on over anything with tits. We all thought what he said was—well— you know—a bit over the top?”

I pursed my lips. “OK, so your brother got it right, is that a good or bad thing?” I quizzed her, uncertainty thrumming within me.

“I suppose it depends on who you are. Good for the boys, shit for us girls I suppose,” she snorted.

I grimaced as I deciphered her code. So, I was the competition, here we go again.

She strummed a fist across her nose before clarifying. “You’re so pretty. You really do look like Barbie.”

The Barbie doll comment again,really? An awkward silence loomed before I quickly cut in, “Thanks—I guess.” I tried to be gracious with my response but it was difficult, I was so tired of everything being about my looks all the time. After the situation with Samantha, it started to annoy me more. Beauty was not the be-all and end-all FFS!

I combed my fingers through my damp ponytail, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“The guys are looking forward to meeting you,” she announced with a grin, her teeth were slightly crooked but not in a mega-bad way.

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