1. One dab for good luck, two for success.

Present day

Morowa.

"Just choose something comfortable." I suggested without looking away from the book in my hands.

"That's the problem!" Val exclaimed throwing her arms up in frustration.

I was in Val's room like any other day and today she's preparing for some date and she's totally paranoid over nothing.

The guy she was going with would probably be going in a plain Tee shirt and denim pants and here she is fussing over the color of the dress she would wear and what type of dress.

In all honesty, I'd prefer being at home and reading this book in peace but I knew that my house was too quiet for comfort and Val's house was the next best place.

I readjusted my sitting position so I was lying flat on my stomach although Manny kept saying this position killed my spiral alignment and all that (Like I would listen).

"Val," I sighed her name out in frustration. "You've been fretting for the past half an hour. Give yourself some credit. You look awesome even if you wore a thrash bag."

"You're only saying that because you're my bestie and that's what besties do." she said before pouting and dropping the Magenta coloured cotton dress in her hand on the bed and going for yet another of the dresses.

"You know, some day, you'll understand when you're going on your first date." Her voice came from inside her mall sized closet which held her numerous shoes, boots, heels, coats and all other accessory.

"Then you'll know that all this trouble I go through is because I want to look good for my man." she finally emerged with a pair of black ankle boots with black puffy fur around the ankle.

"Okay, if you say so." Man? She called him a man? He couldn't even tell his left from his right (no jokes) but I just decided to go with it, watching Val pausing in the process of balancing a heap of clothes in her arms to give me a serious look.

"What?" I asked barely disguising my amusement at how fast she could pull a serious face.

"Don't you dare" she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Dare what?" I asked as she dumped the pile on her bed beside me and started searching through it.

"Don't you dare pull the 'if you say so' card with me on this discussion, you can't sweep everything under that carpet because it won't lead you anywhere in life" she huffed folding her arms.

"You sound like Manny" I replied while avoiding her eyes.

"I do not sound like Manny, you just don't want to accept the truth" she pouted "listen here Morowa Apple Sebastian-"

"My middle name is not Apple" I giggled earning a mock serious expression from Val as she tried containing her laughter but I knew she was failing.

"Whatever, you will find a suitable candidate and date him" she continued "I can't have a single best friend when I finally get married and have children and my-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow your roll there sister, who said anything about marriage?". I asked while feeling my eyes water with the effort I'm putting into not laughing.

"Exactly" she threw her arms up in frustration "you don't want to commit to anything so don't worry, after this date, I'll set you up with a fine young man".

"And the Manny tone is back and stop calling these immature boys men it's weird" I said under my breath before I felt a pillow make impact with my head and this time knocking my glasses to the bed making my vision become a world of blur as I heard Val's laughter.

"Ha ha, very funny Valentina" I used her full name as I finally found them and put them on as Val came into my vision again. Sighing, I focused on the book in my arms.

Ever since Val's gone on her first date with her first successful boyfriend, she's been setting me up random poor individuals I barely knew and it really ticks me off.

She's my best friend, I understand but that doesn't mean I also want to date and dump guys but she doesn't get it so I just go along with it and break the hearts of the numerous guys she set me up with.

"What about this?" She appeared out of the changing board set up in her room.

"It's" I cocked my head to the side "it's gorgeous, please go in this one"

"It is beautiful isn't it?" She twirled in front of the mirror while studying the simple red cotton dress shirt.

"Now for accessories" she said to herself while walking into her closet for the what felt like the thousandth time.

I stopped reading and started tracing circles on one of the cute-sized soft pillows on Val's king sized bed when my phone buzzed with a message. I picked it up and scrolled through my phone after entering my password.

It was a message from Manny.

Gone to get more groceries. Desmond will be waiting for you when you're ready to visit the park.

I typed in a reply telling her I wasn't going to the park anymore and hit the send button.

"Okay I think I'm ready now" Val finally emerged in her full outfit with her accessories and small clutch purse.

"Finally" I looked heavenwards while opening my arms in Thanksgiving making Val throw yet another one of her fluffy pillows at my head.

"Shut up, I didn't take that long." she lied while laughing as her throw barely hit it's target.

She twirled one more time them applied her favorite fragrance behind her ears.

Two dabs for good luck and one dab for success (according to Valentina's guide to success), her words not mine.

I stood up and walked over to her wrapping my arms around her slightly taller frame. She squeezes me back with equal force.

"Be careful okay?" I say in a small voice because I don't really like watching Val's strong heart being crushed by a boy whose mother probably still buys his underwear for (no pun intended). "I don't trust that Chase boy but if it's him you like and he likes you back, go for it, I trust you."

I heard her roll her eyes a little."You sound like my mom when she actually decided to act like one," she says while still in my arms, "I'll be careful and if Chase doesn't like me, it's not the end of the world".

"That was what you said the last time but I won't argue with you anymore on this petty thing," I said before allowing my hands to drop to my sides. "Now quickly, hurry up before you give the poor boy the impression that you stood him up." I said while handing her her clutch purse and heavy fur jacket which I'm sure her mother designed.

"Thank you and I'll make sure to update you on details later." Her voice came from the grand staircase as she descended gracefully in her three inch heeled ankle boots, the lights from the glowing crystal-like chandeliers made the sparkles which were at the side of her boots glow.

Sometimes I think this mansion is too big to be called a home but who am I to judge when my house is three times the size of Val's. Sighing, I made my way down the stairs which always seemed like it was made of gold.

After saying a quick goodbye to Val's pet dog muffins, I walked the short distance to my small modern Beetle, using my remote to open it I got in, closed the door and reversed, driving around the massive water fountain in front of the house towards the exit.

After finally making it home I went straight into the kitchen where Desmond my too nice to be serious body guard sat with a bowl of healthy looking Apples munching on one as I watched the Apples while salivating. Those looked good.

"Good evening to you too miss. Sebastian." He said jolting me from my apple heaven.

I finally recovered from my shock as I found enough wit in me to reply.

"Good evening Desmond and you know my name so stop with the formalities." I said taking a seat beside him on a bar stool close to him.

Why we have bar stools in my kitchen was because I thought it would be cool so we got them and I was right, they are totally cool.

"Monica is upstairs doing the laundry and I think she prepared something." He said as he disposed of another Apple while already munching another one.

I wonder how many times he worked out because the rate at which he was eating these apples was impressive to say the least.

I'm probably staring at him eat like a weirdo but if he notices, he doesn't say anything but disposes of another apple.

"Here." He says before dropping the large ceramic bowl which now contained what looked like about six or seven apples in my hands.

"Thanks" I said taking one red juicy looking apple and biting into it while watching Desmond pull out his phone from his tightly fitted jeans, picking the call, and walking away to gain some privacy.

Deciding I could live without the whole bowl of apples, I made my way upstairs and into my room which looked like something out of a fairy tale.

To the right was my California king sized bed, my huge vanity which also held my jewellery and underwear on the lower segments.

To the left were three bean bags, the 52'plasma Tv directly opposite the bed, to the right of the TV was the door to the bathroom and to the left was my giant sized walk in closet which held most of the outfits Manny got for me in hopes that I would ditch my comfortable oversized sweaters and my nice sweat set, tracksuits, rainbow coloured clothes (like that would ever happen).

After walking to the bed, I picked up my school bag which I had dumped there and started my homework.

I wonder how Val's date went and if Chase really liked my best friend.

I put all the books away when I'm done and made my way into my bathroom.

I take off my glasses, making the world around me turn slightly blurry but since I pretty much know my way around my bathroom, I'm comfortable in my apparent blurry world.

After filling the bath with warm water, I stepped in and let the warm water soak into my bones and flesh relaxing them and releasing the tense muscles.

Today was hell in person with Kris, the school's walking STD and apparent Queen, being my lab partner.

She doesn't even do anything while I try explaining the concepts.

"You know what?" She had said thirty minutes into my explanation. "I don't really get what I'm studying for so you do the research and I'll watch while you talk to your heart content since that's what your existence is based on."

It had taken all my will power not to snap at her for her destructive attitude towards school work.

After class, I requested for another lab partner and that's when I met Sky.

Schools bad boy but anyone was better than Kris.

We got along fine but Sky kept looking at me like I was candy or something, making me shift on my seat and having me thank my lucky stars when I finally heard the bell signifying the end of the class.

"We should meet sometime," he finally spoke up when I said goodbye. "How about tomorrow before classes?" He asked while rubbing behind his neck in an attempt to seem innocent but I knew his type all too well.

Get the girl to bed and walk away. I'm not about to become his next fun but I respond while maintaining eye contact.

"Yeah, tomorrow morning it is," I said turning away "Later, Sky." I said over my shoulder as I walked towards the exit feeling his gaze on my back.

I turned and my suspicion was confirmed. Sky was looking at my rear end without making an attempt to hide this fact after he saw me looking at him.

He just grinned like the idiot that he was and winked at me making me scoff and walk faster so I could escape the mess that was my lab partner.

When I felt the water getting cold I finally took a shower, stepped out of the shower and towel dried my body and hair.

With my hair dried to my satisfaction but still slightly wet, I make my way to my bed.

My head hadn't even made contact with my pillow when I felt myself slipping into my subconscious.