PKU (English)

19.

"For heavens sake, Nita! Now hold still!"

Penny had good things to say. Her face hasn't exactly been processed with all sorts of highly obscure instruments.

After the girls found out that Sandy invited her to the graduation party, Penny and Meg decided to do the same torture program on her that they had previously put on Jessie.

Admittedly, Jessie looked extremely pretty in her pale-yellow knee length dress. Silver bangles glittered on her wrists and her feet were clad in equally pale-yellow ballet flats. Penny had braided her hair in an elaborate bun and Meg had given her face extra powder to cover any strawberry seizures.

Nita's hair was too short for an elaborate hairstyle, so to her great relief, the girls decided to leave it loose. Nonetheless, Penny had combed her for at least half an hour and together she and Meg had dressed Nita in a dark blue dress which they had found in the depths of Jessie's suitcase.

"We'd better do without lilac!" Penny had said. "Firstly, the shade clashes with your hair, secondly, purple is Sandy's favourite colour, and you don't want him to get overwhelmed the first time."

It was all Greek to Nita. She couldn't understand how a colour should clash her, why Sandy's favourite colour was purple, of all things, and why she should overwhelm him when she needed him to sneak away with her at the first opportunity. Of course, the girls couldn't have guessed the latter.

After what felt like an eternity, Penny and Meg finally let go of her face and handed her Jessie's hand mirror. Nita was actually amazed at what the two had done to her: all the spots had disappeared from her face, her lips were shiny smooth, and her eyes looked much bigger, darker and more mysterious than usual.

But nothing could top the moment when Leon suddenly stood in the door. Not only had he come to pick up Jessie, no, he'd even brought her a flower that Penny worked into Jessie's bun on the spot. Nita couldn't shut her mouth in shock. Apparently, it was extremely important to Leon that nobody found out about the razor.

A moment later, when Sandy came to pick her up, Nita stuffed one of the mason jars, which she had finished eating, into her black shoulder bag. Jessie would have liked to lend Nita her silver one, but Nita had politely declined, knowing that she wanted to remain camouflaged in the forest. Additionally, she wore her aqua blue bear paw around her neck, which Penny said perfectly complemented the colour of her eyes, whatever that should mean. Sandy was indeed dressed in purple, but didn't wear any jewellery today, probably so as not to attract attention in the forest later.

A strong fire was already blazing when they arrived. The lanterns illuminated the many pretty garlands and a cake buffet had been set up next to the fireplace. Nita even discovered a chocolate fountain. But what she saw next made her jaw drop a second time.

At least five couples dance around the fire! Yes, FIVE!!! And one of them was Jessie and Leon!!!

To be clear, Nita had had her twin brother by the cheek for eleven years and until now she had no idea he could dance! That he even knew what dancing means!!! Stunned, she stared at the two as they twisted to the music emanating from a Bluetooth box that was cranked up.

"What do you think? Shall we too dance a little before we go?" Sandy asked her.

Nita just nodded without taking her eyes off her brother and her friend.