Something Great

56. Ministry of Sound

The dressing room is cluttered with makeup pots, brushes and smudged tissues. There's the sound of hair dryers on full blast, and the frantic whisk of hangers as the girls hurry to choose an outfit for the Ministry of Sound Party.

Maddi scrambles through her cupboard, trying to decide on an outfit. She was jolted awake by the cold water when she rolled off her float in her sleep, and she feels even more groggy than she did before her nap. Funny how that works.

"Ugh," she groans, throwing a dress on the floor.

"Can't decide?" Priya laughs from her vanity where she's applying a dark eyeshadow.

"No," she huffs. "What does one even wear to a Ministry of Sound party? Like, do I go for this?" She holds up a rainbow sequined romper.

Priya's eyebrows shoot up. "Actually," she smiles. "That's perfect. Probably what I would have chosen for you."

Maddi looks at the romper in her hands. "But I've already worn this..."

"What do you have that you haven't worn yet?" Lottie calls out from the other side of the vanity.

"Hm," she hums as she goes through her many dresses. She finds one towards the back that she hasn't worn yet and a smile spreads across her face. "Fuck. I forgot about this one." She holds it up and Lottie and Priya both beam at her with approval.

"If you don't wear that I will!" Priya cheers.

Lottie shakes her head with a smile, "Even I want to wear it and I don't wear pink."

Maddi quickly slips the dress on, uncaring of getting naked in front of her friends. She ties the long pink string around her neck to hold it up, and gets Priya to tie the back string that goes across her mid back. The sequin pink halter dress falls just past her bum, and the back is loose and hangs down just above her ass.

"You better be careful in that, Cheeky," Lottie warns with a smile. "One tug on those dainty little strings will send that dress to the floor."

Maddi smirks. "That's kind of the allure of it though, isn't it?"

She laughs. "That's very true."

"You're looking snatched as hell in that outfit, Berry!" Priya coos. "Such a hottie," she winks.

"Thanks, Peach!"

She sits down at her vanity, going through her various eyeshadow pallets to select the perfect shade to compliment her eyes.

Priya groans next to her. "Has anybody seen my moisturizer?"

Lottie grimaces. "I'm so sorry, babes. I borrowed it earlier."

She frowns. "You didn't ask?"

"You weren't here. You were chatting to Noah."

An ominous silence falls. Hope frowns in the mirror, angrily dabbing her cheekbone with a creamy highlight colour. She doesn't look surprised, and she doesn't respond.

Maddi anxiously glances around while trying to get her pallet open.

"It was just a chat, babes," Priya states. "Where's my moisturizer now?"

Lottie sighs. "Not sure, to be honest! I'm sorry."

Lottie doesn't look sorry at all. She smiles at herself in the mirror as she applies her eyeliner. There's a pause as Priya fumes, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Hope, can I use your moisturizer?" She asks.

Hope furiously blends her contour, ignoring Priya.

"Maddi?" Priya turns her sad gaze to her friend. "Do you have any I can borrow for tonight?" She looks to be on the verge of tears.