Ugly
sequel
to Gorgeous
ONE
Will's POV
I hopped out of the car and
surveyed my surroundings. Well, it was just as I'd
imagined it: nothing special, just and old shack on the
side of a country road. I frowned. I was spending my summer
here without my Dad or Sam.
This was going to be torcher.
I walked up the front steps and knocked on the broken
screen door, ready to see an old woman in an apron with
graying hair and a warm smiled, but instead, a girl around
my age in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts that could've
been mistaken for underwear came to the door.
She was the anti-Sam.
She was smoking, which Sam and I vowed never to do. She had
her hair in two uneven ponytails that frayed out and turned
darker as they reached the tips.
Her eyes were cold and uninviting, her lips were bright
red, her clothes were skin-tight, and she had dark make-up
running down her cheeks from the sweat on her forehead.
"You must be Will," she said, glaring at me. I
nodded. She didn't open the door for me. Instead, she
disappeard into the tiny house. I stood there for a second,
unsure of what I should do next. I decided to go in, so I
gently opened the screen door and stepped inside, instantly
hit with the smell of cigarette smoke, which I was used to,
and sweat, which I wasn't used to.
I set down my suitcase.
"I'd give you the grand tour, but, there isn't
much to tour." She said, walking out the back door. I
followed her.
Out in the backyard, a perfect little swingset and
miniature set of patio furniture sat on an old wooden deck,
propped up against a picket fence that was probably once a
crisp white, but was currently a gross brown....
"What's this?" I asked, pointing to it.
"It's Fiona's play area." The girl said
simply.
"Fiona?" I asked.
"They didn't tell you anything, did they?"
She asked, turning to look at me.
"No, they didn't," I admitted, smiling
weakly.
"Well, Fiona's Gretchen's daughter, my
sister." The girl said.
"Oh, so you're Natalie." I concluded,
re-examining her face. She didn't look like a Natalie.
She was bone-skinny and free spirited. She was a
Lucy.
Runaway
Bride
3
Alyssa's POV
Eli and I
'borrowed' a boat over at the docks. It was crazy to
think that I'd be free of Terrance that
quickly.
Eli frowned in the direction of his
truck.
"You'll see it again, one
day." I said. I smiled at him.
He didn't smile back.
"If all goes well, I won't."
Eli said. He tilted his head to the side, untying the boat from
the dock.
This was a bad idea and we both knew it,
but, for some reason I wanted to almost die, and I wasn't
quite done being in love with Eli.
"You'll see your truck again.
We'll be back." I decide.
"Don't you get it, Alyssa? We
can't come back. We get on this boat, there's no
turning back. I'll die, or worse, and you'll marry
Terrance and stay the beautiful princess. That's the end of
us." Eli says. He looks at me, pain in his
eyes.
"We'll be fine, Eli. And we will be
back, I promise." I tell him.
He shakes his head.
I wanted to cry. This was not how fairytales
were supposed to go.
But, that was the problem with finding your
happily ever after.
There are skeptics named
Eli.
Eli's POV
I wanted
to tell Alyssa to go home, put her back on the shore and tell
her to give the prince a big hug for me.
Best case scenario, we never see anyone we love again and we
live in America.
"Eli, do you not want to run away with me?" Alyssa
asked.
This was an unfair question.
"Of course I want to be with you." I say.
"That wasn't the question." Alyssa said. She
turned and ran.
That was the problem with falling in love with the prince's
girlfriend.
She always seems to like him a bit better than you, no matter
how often she tells you she
doesn't.
Runaway
Bride
2
Alyssa's POV
Eli, after
parking the truck in the woods, took out his knife and sliced
my wedding dress. I didn't want to save it anyway, so I
tossed the bottom of the dress out of the window and opened the
door. Eli reached into the backseat of his truck and came up
with some hiking boots and a sweatshirt. Both smelled just like
him, which made me smile.
I put on his sweatshirt and took off my heels. No way I could
run away in heels. I slid the hiking boots on and got out of
the truck.
My wedding dress came down to just above my knees now.
I took my hair out of its ugly traditional up-do and shook
it.
My blonde hair fell around my face in waved and I reached for
Eli's hand. If I was going to run away, It might as well
have been with the guy I fell in love with.
Eli and I ran up the hill and looked out over the rest of the
town. The city was in chaos. We couldn't go back
there.
They'd take me back to Terrance the second they saw me.
That's the downside to finding your happily ever
after.
The townspeople always side with the prince.
Eli's POV
Alyssa groaned at the sight of the town.
I ran my fingers through my hair and thought for a moment.
"We could go to Lucida." I suggested.
"We had a party there once, don't you remember?
They'll think you're kidnapping me." Alyssa said.
I frowned. She was right. I'd waited on her and Terrance in
that very garden.
"Then let's go to America." I said.
"America?" Alyssa asked. She seemed skeptical.
"Do you know how far away America is? No one will know
you." I said.
"Do you know how far America is? We'll need a
boat."
That was the problem with falling in love with the prince's
girlfriend.
You always seem to need a boat.
Runaway
Bride
1
Alyssa's POV
I walked over
to the edge of the grass and threw the flowers at the river. I
held the hem of my dress in my hands and smiled. I was
free.
I turned around to face Eli before walking away. I heard him
follow me, but I didn't bother to look at him.
I was free, but somehow, I felt empty.
"Alyssa, this isn't a good idea." He said. I
smiled. This was all wrong. I made a mistake! Me, Ms.
Perfection!
"I know! Isn't it great? Go start your car." I
told him. He shook his head, telling me he wouldn't.
"Eli..." I warned. He stood, unfazed, his eyes
staring into me, reading me like a book.
I flinched as he raised his hand to my face and wiped the tear
I didn't know was there away with his thumb.
I loved him, but before I got the chance to say that, I heard
the gunshots.
That's the downside to finding your happily ever
after.
They always seem to have guns.
Eli's POV
I
smiled and grabbed Alyssa's hand and we ran for my pickup
truck.
I wiped the grease from my forehead and puched the
engine.
"C'mon..." I told the engine. It finally turned
over and started, roaring to life like the growl of an animal.
Alyssa jumped at the sound, gathering her wedding gown in her
lap.
"You're leaving Terrance for me?" I asked.
"Yes." Alyssa said. She smiled as I slammed on the
gas.
"You sure about this?" I asked.
"Positive." Alyssa assured me.
What kind of girl chooses a greasy farm boy over a prince? She
had to be crazy.
But, then again, crazy is just my type.
Alyssa screamed and put her hands over her ears as the gunshots
blasted behind us, one after another.
That was the problem with falling in love with the prince's
girlfriend.
His guards always had guns.
Gorgeous
CHAPTER
31
Will's
POV
Lucy texted me, saying
goodbye. I ran to her house, ready to talk her out of
whatever stupid thing she wanted to do.
She wasn't in her room, but a single piece of paper was
on an otherwise empty desk at the far side of the room,
near the window.
I didn't want to touch it. I couldn't.
I sat down, right there on Lucy's floor. I
didn't move.
"I'm so sorry, Lucy. I just want you to know
something. You're amazing. You're gorgeous." I
whispered. Somehow, I knew she'd like that. I knew
she'd like hearing me say that.
I vaguely remember there being people around me, moving
things, crying trying to get me to eat. I refused to speak
to anyone except Sam, who came in and apologized over and
over for something she didn't even do, kissing me,
telling me that she needed me just as much as I needed her,
and finally sitting with me in silence, feeding me
food.
Dad came and sat with me for a while. I wore my baseball
cap and he wore his and we sat together whenever Sam had to
be away.
I did all my homework right there on the floor, and not
once did I say a word.
I remember when they dragged me away from my
spot.
I had to go talk to a therapist, go on pills, eat certain
foods, anything people thought would help.
I knew in a week or two, I could possibly go back to my
normal life, but for right now, I needed some time to
think about Lucy.
Lucy, I love you.
THE END
Gorgeous
CHAPTER
30
Lucy's
POV
I placed my suicide note on my
desk and picked up my bag.
Will was the only thing I had left to live for.
Sam and Will hated me, along with the rest of the
world.
I had to leave. I had to die.
I pulled up to the toll bridge and locked the keys inside
the car. Mom and Dad had my spare keys, it would be
fine.
I hung my purse on the rearview mirror and took off my
flats.
I pulled off my sweater and put my hair into a
ponytail.
I texted Will my goodbye and put my phone on the
ground.
I stood on the railing of the toll bridge, ready to jump.
It was now or never.
I chose now.
I jumped.