The Skylar Experiment : The "X" in Apex

Chapter Twenty-Four - Homecoming

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Emma sat me down and unraveled her makeup collection on Jen's desk. She moved fast, enthusiastically.

"I love doing makeup on your face," she shared while powdering my cheeks with blush.

"It's because she's the one that needs it the most," Sam joked.

Emma tsked while holding my chin. "Don't laugh. It makes you move."

I tried to stay put while the other girls worked on themselves. Jen put on her playlist and took out snacks. Downstairs, Spartacus barked a couple of times, and I heard the parents chattering.

I wondered what Adam was doing. Suddenly, I felt jittery at the thought of finally going to Homecoming before we could even have a date.

I'd been so preoccupied that I never gave it much introspection. How would it go? What would we talk about? Our conversations were never forced before. And oh—I didn't know how to dance. My parents taught me so many things and yet not this.

I was so confident earlier.

"Riles, whatever it is you're thinking about, stop it. You're ruining my work," Emma chided, grabbing the lipstick to reapply.

"How am I supposed to behave at Homecoming?"

Sam's eyebrow arched as she considered me. "What's that supposed to mean? Act like a fucking terror."

I laughed again.

Emma shot her a glare. "You're going to make her look like a ruined Barbie doll!"

Jen sat on her bed, waving a curling iron around her head. "Are you worried about your date with my brother, by any chance?" Her smile looked wicked.

"I like him, but we don't know each other so well."

She gave me the driest look I've ever seen on a person. "You mean, after hours of nonstop texting until three in the morning and having chemistry together—literally and figuratively, you don't know each other at least a little to have an idea where this is going?"

I hummed. "You got me there."

"Relax," she told me optimistically. "You're going to be fine. My brother appreciates you. You two would go really well together."

Emma moved onto my hair, listening to every word. She began braiding a quarter which was surprisingly soothing after this afternoon. Nothing was uttered when she wiped off the concealer and saw the mark, but I knew by the look on her face that it'll come up soon.

"I've heard rumors about Luc," Sam interjected while plucking at her brow. " It's all over the blog chat."

Annoyance drew a wince on my features, exasperating the poor girl. I was getting quite tired of this school being invested in my personal life. Hell would break loose if they found out about the botched dinner.

"I hope you three know at least the truth. Luc has the emotional spectrum of a metal teaspoon and you can all have him."

Whatever hit him that night, it had passed since, and he didn't treat me differently when we were alone in the car. Sometimes, I wanted to push him off a cliff. He'd probably survive that, though. Emma and I exchanged a stare.

"Well, that's one way to put it."

Finally, the dreaded time had come to try on the dress. Emma handed it over almost ceremoniously, with heartfelt caution, and instructed me to go to the bathroom. Sam and Jen had no problem changing in front of us, but I excused myself as being very shy, when in fact I didn't want to expose my scar.

Speaking of the scar, there was a note over the plastic cover-up.

There's a golden bracelet thick enough for you to place over the sensitive area and it'll look fancy. Don't ever say I don't think about the details! :)

I put the note down gently, creating an unticked box in my head for hugging her.

Eyes closed, I put on the dress and the heels, fumbling along the way, and blindly moved to the door. The soft, light fabric of the skirt ruffled around my legs. She didn't want me to peek as long as I didn't stand in front of the mirror in Jen's room. The moment Emma guided me to it, a silence fell in the room.

"Aaaand... open!"

I did and let out a squeak. The dress was perfect.

The hem was elegantly cut at my ankles to avoid any tripping. I didn't recall those extra billows and swirls in the skirt, but I just loved them.

Emma sewed lace on top of the neckline and it squeezed my bust and waist tighter. She'd taken my measurements beforehand.

My hair, due to the braids and the heat of the iron, rolled in waves. The dress and the strappy heels did all the dazzling on their own, the rest only complimented it.

"Verdict?" Emma chirped, unable to contain herself, with Jen and Sam grinning from ear to ear in the background. "What do you think?"

"I hope you become a stylist for red carpets."

The person in the reflection was too well done to be me. It wasn't an excess of anything. Emma's skills were mind-blowing.

"You're welcome!"

I pulled her in for a crushing hug, wrapping my arms around her narrow shoulders. "Thank you, I mean it. I have no words to describe how impressed I am."

She laughed, then slapped at my arms. "Cool, cool. But you need to let me go before you ruin both of our makeup. I'll scream if I have to start over."

I let her be. Sam took care of Emma's hair, rapidly twisting it into a fancy updo. Makeup flawless as always, all she had to do was slip into her flowy, light pink dress and she was set for the night. I called my dad to show him the result and he wouldn't disconnect until I passed him the artist.

He praised her until her cheeks matched her dress. He then greeted each girl and told us to have fun.

Jen's parents called us down when the boys were ready and waiting. It was time, and my heart and mind began overreacting again.

I kept my worn leather jacket around my arm under the pressure of Emma's knowing stare. I went down the stairs last, after the girls found their date and I checked my oh-shit clutch. My gaze found Adam's.

His suit fit him tightly, his broad shoulders stretching the pads. He'd freshened up his haircut. I was glad he didn't put any gel. The way it naturally sat brought out the softness of his features that I liked.

I nearly stumbled over the last staircase due to the intensity of his stare, and suddenly he felt for his chest pocket, blinking a few times.

He gave a sheepish smirk while his friends coughed loudly. He pulled out one of those little flowers and closed the distance between us. Thank God, because I didn't think I could have done the rest by myself.

He kindly took my hand and wrapped it around my wrist.

"Riley, wow... You're so beautiful. Not that you're not beautiful every day, because you are, but..."

He didn't finish, but an unknown, girly part of me surfaced.

"You also look great." I beamed. "And thank you. It's Emma's work, as always."

He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "This new model seems to make a lot of difference to me."

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