The Boys Of Echo Beach

In Silent Screams, In Wildest Dreams

It was the night of the pageant and whilst everyone else was getting ready, Georgia was sat in front of her little dressing table in the small space behind the main stage simply just staring at herself in the mirror. She didn't know how she was going to do this. She was nervous beyond belief and worst of all, she still hadn't picked a partner. It had been a couple days since the disaster that was the dinner in the garden when Connor and Will fought for her attention and since then, Georgia had been doing her best to avoid them despite their efforts. It was because she hated them or never wanted to see them again, it was actually because she still liked both of them but couldn't face dealing with that fact. So instead, she carried on taking in her reflection rather than making herself stage ready.

If Georgia had known this was where everything would lead, she never would have started in the first place. Two guys fighting over her, a ruined friendship, no partner, and nerves completely destroying her insides the closer it got to show time. All the other girls either had chosen partners or people they were in relationships with beforehand, most of them having come behind stage at least once or twice. As time carried on ticking, Georgia weighed her options. She loved Jen and would happily do anything for her if it didn't include this sort of thing again. She could just stay sat her, she could pull the fire alarm, she could pretend to need an ambulance, she could even just straight up run for the nearest door and never looked back. Free as a bird and unburdened by all the pressure. Only when Georgia heard Joey's voice did she snap out of whatever trance she'd been in for however long it had been, blinking quickly and swallowing.

"So most of us have arrived and that's a shit ton of people out there" said Joey as he walked over and took a seat next to her. "I hope you're ready for this."

"You're not helping" replied Georgia, trying to breathe despite the rather tight outfit.

"What's wrong?" Asked Joey sympathetically.

"It would be quicker to name everything that wasn't wrong" answered Georgia, sighing.

"What's the main thing that's wrong then?" Said Joey, thinking and rephrasing.

"I couldn't decide between Connor and Will" replied Georgia, looking at him. "I'm so underprepared for this. Who in their right mind would wait this long to pick a partner?"

"I mean, if we're being honest you've never been in your right mind" said Joey, smirking.

"This isn't funny" replied Georgia, trying not to laugh. "I should have just picked one of them and then just dealt with the consequences."

"Settling for less or something you don't deserve is never the answer and you certainly don't deserve this negative attention. Don't get me wrong, I love them both but their need to beat the other one has clouded their vision of what's actually important here... you" said Joey, reaching over and picking up some makeup before beginning to carefully apply it to Georgia's face. "Now try and forget about them for the time being and focus on yourself. This event is for your coming out into society or whatever old fashioned patriarchal shit they try and label this as. This is your time, not theirs."

"You're so wise" replied Georgia, smiling and feeling a little better.

"I'm insulted you're only now just realising that" said Joey, smiling as well. "I'm wise as fuck."

"Hey, how are you doing?" Said Hope, walking past and stopping suddenly when she saw Georgia. "I was meaning to speak to you at some point but I've been so busy trying to get ready."

"Don't worry about it, I've been doing the same" replied Georgia, happy to see her. "And I'm not doing as well as I'd hoped I would be."

"Let me guess, Connor and Will?" Questioned Hope, raising an eyebrow and seeing both Georgia and Joey nod. "I swear, those boys are so messy and far too much trouble than they're worth."