Under The Skin

C h a p t e r N i n e

© Amber Kalkes 2015

Song: "Butterflies" By Sia

C h a p t e r N i n e >

Poppy hisses sharply as the brush in her hand snags on another knot in her hair. She grabs the chunk of hair and tries to force the bristles through but it just continues pulling at her scalp. Muttering a short prayer for mercy, Poppy pulls as hard as she can and lets out a sharp cry when instead of brushing out the knot she pulls her hair out. Tears build in her eyes as she pulls the brush out of her hair and she stares at it with hateful eyes. What kind of betrayal is this?

A light knock on her bedroom door has Poppy turning towards her door and grimacing. She knows its at least one if not all of her family members outside her door ready for another pep talk before the let down. They want her to be happy and have kept trying to give her hope about finding her mate but she knows even they are losing faith. Good, she thinks, maybe then they'll leave me alone about it once and for all.

"Poppy," A hesitant and muffled voice calls through the door, "Poppy it's Cassidy, are you okay in there?"

Leaning her elbows down on the top of her vanity, Poppy drops her head into her hands before calling out, "I'm fine. Just having some...grooming problems."

"Oh," She says outside the door before quietly asking, "Is it a shaving problem?"

Poppy's head snaps up as she looks at her own reflection in horror. A shaving problem? What does that even mean and why would she ask that while standing in the open like that? Getting out of the chair, Poppy rushes over to the door and opens it. She quickly looks in each direction down the hallway before grabbing Cassidy by the front of her shirt and dragging Cassidy into her room.

"Wow," Cassidy says wide-eyed while looking around the room, "Did a bomb go off in here?"

Poppy lets go of Cassidy's shirt and pushes her hair off her face roughly, "I've been looking for something to wear for tonight. So far, no success."

"You didn't pick something out before?"

"No."

She's not lying either. Poppy has given up the looking for a dress ritual since the second year's disappointment. She didn't need to be spending money on a dress to ruin every year. It just wasn't realistic. Well that and a waste of time. She didn't have anyone to impress and even if her mate was among this years participants, she wasn't going to dress up for him. It was petty but in Poppy's own way it was a punishment to the guy who took his sweet time showing up.

"Why did you yell?"

Poppy frowns at Cassidy in confusion before realization dawns on her. Poppy runs a hand through her hair again and sits back down at her vanity, "I had a knot in my hair. It's a mess."

Cassidy hesitantly walks behind her and into view in the mirror and Poppy notices what she's wearing. She's dressed in her white dress and she looks beautiful. It's classy with a hint of whimsy to it that brings out her more free-spirited side. Cassidy's bright blonde hair is perfectly curled with a few baby's breath flower blooms in her hair. Her makeup is natural and dewy with round silver rhinestones in the corners of her large chocolate colored eyes to bring attention to them. She looks beautiful. She looks like her and Poppy feels even frustrated as she glances at her own reflection. There is just no way she'll be able to pull it together in time.

"Do...Do you want help?"

Poppy raises an unkempt light brown brow at her, "With getting dressed?"