The Switch

Sarah-The Masquerade

“Dina…what are we going to do?” I demanded, hyperventilating.

“You need to relax, Miss Nightingale” she declared.

“My Halloween costume is missing. How did this even happen?”

“I sent it to the dry-cleaners yesterday after you spilt the ice-cream on it, miss. It’s not missing” she smiled slightly.

“So where is it?”

“They haven’t delivered it back yet” she nodded.

“And the ball is in an hour!”

I knew I was freaking out

“Dina, I love you, you know I do, but please call them up again!”

She sighed dramatically, walked over to me, sat me down in the chair and smiled.

“We’ll do your hair until it’s here” she patted my shoulder “There’s no need to get agitated. They said fifteen minutes”

“They said so fifteen minutes ago!” I pointed a finger at the clock.

There was a knock on my door.

“See?” Dina pointed out “They’re punctual”

Dina walked over, opened the door, and

Thanked the dry-cleaner delivery man with a dollar five bill.

“You. Are. A. Life saver!” I squealed.

“Yes, yes, I know” she giggled “Now steady. We need you to win that crown”

I beamed at myself in the mirror. I felt like the luckiest girl alive at that moment…you know, with Diana by my side. Anything was possible.

“I heard you will be dancing with Luke” She asked, brushing the tangles out of my hair.

“Yeah” I nodded, hiding the coming on blush just as soon as I remembered the kiss “We’re dancing as friends”

“Hmm” Dina nodded “Do you know what he’s dressed up as?”

“Can you tell me?” I turned excited.

Dina smiled to herself, and straightened my head, then continued brushing silently.

“Oh, come on!” I groaned “why?”

“Because I heard the costume compliments him well.” She made eye contact with me through the mirror, and I could see a wink in her eyes.

That was Dina’s way of saying ‘he looks hot in it’

“Wait” I closed my eyes “heard? From whom?”

“Word goes around” she shrugged “The house-keepers know a lot. Sometimes, they go too deep into details”

I looked at her reflection in the mirror as it turned from a straight face, slowly into a disgusted one, and she shrugged again “it’s horrifying”

I had to bite in the upcoming fit of laughter.

As if it wasn’t already creepy enough that house-keeper gossip revolved around young, hot teenage males.

She held out my tresses, thinking of what she could do.

“I’m thinking…” she began.

I grinned “Whatever you think is good, turns out to be awesome”

“You’re too kind” she smiled “Now let’s make you ravishing”

Her hands flew at an amazing pace, like she was weaving the burgundy strands of my hair. My grin widened in excitement.