Page 27 of The Prospect

Never.

“Please?” I peer over at her from the driver's side, watching as the faint beams of sunlight dance along the apples of her cheeks and illuminate the light brown—hazelspeckles in her eyes.

Why have I never noticed that before?

I shake myself out of it.

“I’m not having you work anymore than you already do. You’re busy enough as it is with school and I make good money, so please, it’s my treat, love. I insist.”

She sighs. “Do you ever take no for an answer?” There’s the faintest smile on her face as she tilts her head.

“No.” The response almost feels comedic. “Not when it comes to you, Hazel. I refuse.”

We hold each other’s stares, and for a moment, it’s a settling feeling; a comfort almost. Hazel is the epitome of home. Not only does she remind me of it, but everytime we’re together, no matter where we are, I feel it.

Home is a person.

Home is Hazel.

Hazel’s the first to break the exchange as she swallows deeply and rests her head back against the seat. “Where are we going?” She peers out the window before staring back at me. “The campus is the opposite way.”

“We’re not going to the campus,” I tell her.

“What? Why not?” she asks.

“Because…” I turn onto another street, one I know that she’ll recognize. “We’re going back to my place. You said you needed my opinion, did you not?”

“No…” I know she knows exactly what I’m insinuating to as we pull up in front of my flat. “Not happening, Green. No way!”

“Oh, yes, it’s happening, and yes way.” I step out of the car, reach for her bags and open up her passenger side door. “C’mon, Haze, I wanna see exactly what you got.”

“Hazel Jane Collins.”I cover my mouth, trying my best not to burst into a playful laughter as Hazel steps out of my closet in another one of her outfit choices. “What were you thinking when you bought that dress?”

“I thought it was cute!” she protests, hands on either hip as she stands in the epitome of what I’m calling a “cupcake in a skirt.” It’s got the puffiest sleeves I’ve ever seen, not to mention it’s also bright blue.

“Haze, I hate to say it, but…you look like a damn tea-cup in my mum’s cupboard,” I can’t help but laugh as I lie down on my bed, arms perched up behind my head as I smirk.

“A teacup? Are you serious?” She frowns, stomping her dainty feet against the rug on my floor. “I really thought this one was going to be the one, Green!”

“I’m sorry, Haze,” I try to let her down gently, “but you said you wanted my honest opinion, so here it is. Look on the bright side, that one is not a total write off.”

“No?” She peers back down at it again before meeting my eyes. “You don’t think so?”

“Nope, as a matter of fact, that’ll be the perfect dress to wear when you get invited to Buckingham for an afternoon tea. You’ll fit right…in…” I burst into laughter once more as she rolls her eyes and storms back toward my closet.

“Piss off, Green!” She flashes me the middle finger.

We’re over halfway through this impromptu fashion show and so far, everything Hazel has selected either reminds me of chinaware, desserts or something that is completely swallowing her whole.

She’s not bought a single thing that matches her style. She’s trying to reinvent the wheel here when nothing was wrong with it to begin with.

I’m only teasing the way I am because I know she knows I’m joking. Hazel looks beautiful in everything that she’s worn so far, but the thing about clothes is you have to wear them, they can’t wear you.

That’s where we’re stuck right now.

“Don’t be mad.” I catch her before she’s about to step inside. “Surely you’ve got other options to show me, right?”

She sighs. “Only one more dress, and this one you better like because frankly, if you don’t, I have nothing else!”

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