Free Broken by J.B. McGee Page B

entering the pageant, but Gabby was still too insecure about her figure to muster up the courage to compete. It was more than that, though. Lindsey’s parents were rich. She could do or have whatever she wanted. Gabby was essentially an orphan. Her mother had left her father when she was five years old. Her mother had passed away the year before of breast cancer. Money was especially tight for her and she knew that not only she did not feel great about her body, but she also worried about how she would ever be able to compete with the elaborate evening gowns the other rich girls would be wearing. The bottom line was that even if Gabby had no issues with her body, she just couldn’t afford to be in the pageant. There was no way she would admit that to Lindsey. Lindsey would ask her parents to pay for everything and then Gabby would just feel like she was a cause, something needing to be saved. She was low middle class, but she didn’t want to be treated like she was living in poverty, she definitely didn’t want pity.
    Lindsey had pleaded, “Gabby, it will be so much fun. Who cares if either of us wins or loses? Let’s just do it together. We’ll get to go shopping for new dresses. We’ll get makeovers. It will be so much fun. Please?” Lindsey drew out the last word as a plea while giggling as she nudged Gabby. Gabby was trying her best not to smile, but she couldn’t help but smirk and laugh at Lindsey acting like a kid in a candy store trying to persuade her to enter some stupid high school popularity contest. Gabby rolled her eyes and let her body give into Lindsey’s nudge. Twirling her hair through her fingers, she looked out the window as Lindsey drove to pick up John and Ian for their double date.
    “Nope, sorry. I love you, Linds. I give in to you a lot, but not this time. I have absolutely no desire to be humiliated in front of the entire school and then some. I’m happy to come cheer you on, but I’m gonna pass on this one.” Lindsey frowned, “I don’t know why you think so little of yourself Gabby. You’re beautiful. You didn’t think Ian would care about a girl like you, but look at you. You’re the girlfriend of one of the most popular guy in the school. You’re not just beautiful, but you have the heart...the insides to go with it. You’re the whole package. It makes me sad to see you so down on yourself all the time.”
    “Nice. Trying to guilt trip me into entering the pageant? It’s a new Lindsey low!” Gabby giggled.
    “Well, a girl has to give it her all,” Lindsey snapped with a wry smile and they changed the subject to how in love they were with their boyfriends.

    Ian knocked on the door snapping Lindsey out of her flashback and she quickly grabbed her cell phone, purse, cardigan, and slipped into her shoes. She took one more look in the mirror and fixed her already perfect straightened hair and opened the door with a smile.
    “Well, hello there beautiful!” Ian smirked as he looked her up and down and wrapped his arms around her waist, “You. Look. Incredible,” he said pulling her into a kiss.
    “Oh, stop.” Gabby blushed as she pulled away and looked down.
    “Well, it’s just the truth, Gabs. If you were in this pageant, no other girl would stand a chance,” he bragged.
    “Not true, but thank you. Let’s go.” She closed the front door and started walking toward his SUV.
    Ian opened the door for her as she carefully climbed into her seat, “So, my parents are out of town this weekend. They left me at the house all alone. I promised I would check in with my grandparents every four hours and there is a chance they could pop up at any time, but I had plans for us. How long can you be out tonight,” Ian probed glancing a smug smile over at Gabby as he put the car into gear, looked into the rearview mirror, and pulled into the street out of his parallel parking spot. “My curfew is the same as it’s been all year, Ian. 11:30 p.m.”
    “Okay, good enough for