Original or Derivative (fanfiction): Derivative

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Prompt: Dialogue Flex: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” she laughed

We’ve had this same fight every week for 5 years. We do not deter from it. It’s our “thing.” We have known each other since we were in the womb; our mothers being best friends. We were born two weeks apart. She is my best friend, the sister I never had. We have always agreed on everything. Except for this. We have never fought. Except for this. We were undivided. Except for this.

“Bell-ah.” Ugh I hated when she did that.

“Just once listen to me. Please. I am your best friend. I love you. I would not steer you wrong.”

“Alice, let me ask you a question. In five years have I ever backed down? That’s 52 weeks a year, 260 times, have I ever relented?”

“Well, no. But I will not give up!”

“And I will continue to wear it.”

“Bella. Honey. Sweetie,” uh-oh here it comes, “you will not catch any guy’s eyes, let alone Edward’s wearing that monstrosity.”

“Alice. Honey. Sweetie. My grandmother made this for me. You remember my Grammy? We used to have sleep overs at her house. She taught us how to build a fort when we were five. She rented us ‘R’ rated movies when we were eleven. She showed us how to become blood sisters when we were twelve.”

“I am aware of all this Bella. It doesn’t mean that wearing that is a good idea. Grammy meant as much to me as she did to you. And trust me she would put your teenage happiness above respecting her from the grave.”

So here’s the crux of our relationship. My Grammy, whom I loved as if she were my own mother, had made plenty of clothes, jewelry and other knick-knacks throughout my life. But this necklace she made me for my 12th birthday. It was the last birthday I had with her. I felt the need to wear it about once a week just to be close to her. It wasn’t the prettiest necklace I owned, in truth it probably was the ugliest necklace I owned. But she made it for me, with her arthritic hands, and cataract ridden eyes. I treasured it above everything else she ever gave me.

Watch how I can manipulate my best friend.

“Alice, this was the last gift she ever made me. Remember my birthday? She was so proud and wanted me to open her present last? The look of pride on her face that she made me that because my mom refused to buy me one?”

“Yeah I remember. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” she laughed.

When we were twelve, charm necklaces were the rage. Yes, I said rage. My mother refused to buy me one. I never knew why, I just knew she was ruining my life. I spent weeks crying to my Grammy about it. Then on my birthday, when I opened my present from her it was a charm necklace that she had made. I don’t know how but she managed to find small chain linked metal and spray painted it neon pink. Then she must have taken some Monopoly game pieces and fashioned them to the necklace. It really was hideous. But she was so happy to give me something I wanted I vowed to her I would always wear it. And I did.

So for five years, 52 weeks a year, 260 times total, my best friend and I would fight this out. I always insisted it was an ice breaker, she insisted it was a deal breaker. It was our ritual, our way of remembering Grammy. And we wouldn’t change it for anything.