°Sweet Dreams° (1)✔️

8. War Berry.

The wind escaped my chest as I was slammed against the floor again.

Nova stood above me with displeased eyes. We'd been training for an hour and a half now with no breaks.

"Get up faster if you get knocked down. Don't let him think that you're tired," she spat.

To her surprise, I slid my leg into her ankles which caused her to crash roughly onto her back. I held Nova down by straddling her stomach and firmly holding her hands to her sides.

"You didn't see that coming-"

She sneakily slipped out of my hold, grabbed my neck, and flipped me harshly on my back. My breath again escaped me.

"You talk too much."

We laid with our heads next to each other trying to catch our breath. Our heavy breathing mixed with the apple scents of Nova's candle made my speedy heart slow down just a bit.

"Kiana Washington is Vincent's closest friend alongside Henry."

"I'll talk to her. You need to stay by Vincent's side all night."

She looked at me with curiosity.

"What are you wearing?"

I gave her a blank expression.

"That's the last thing on my mind-"

"It should be the first. Come with me."

With a rub to my forehead, I trudged behind the brunette.

A pair of jeans were thrown in my face along with a yellow cloth which appeared to me as a overly stretched headband.

She pointed a finger to her bathroom instructing me to get dressed. I quickly showered the dry sweat down the drain and I was soon changed into the loose blue jeans which I appreciated and the yellow stretched headband turned out to be a tube top.

A breeze ran across my bare arms and stomach which cause me to bring my arms around myself. The only coverage the tube top gave me was to my breasts.

Nova bustled through the door with her makeup bag and my hair products. I noticed she was already in her outfit for tonight that was made up of skinny high-waisted black jeans and a white lace bustier. Her top reminded me of the corsets the women would wear in the 1800s.

"Sit on the toilet."

Without argument, I followed her instructions and she immediately took the shoelace out of my hair which prompted a frown on my face. Nova fluffed out my tightly coiled hair and I cringed when I felt it fall to my back.

The last problem I wanted to deal with was the humidity at the party causing my hair to shrink or making it sick to my skin. The thought has worms crawling in my skin.

She parted my hair down the middle with a sharp comb and proceeded to stretch out my curls with a blow dryer. After she moved on to filling my brows and skimming her brush along my eyelids along with putting something on my lips.

When she shoved me into the mirror I was in awe. The girl that was staring at me was...pretty? I'd never seen her chocolate eyes so vibrant with the help of gold eyeshadow. My lips were the shade of mulberries and tasted as such.

My dark hair was a huge, fluffy cloud around my face and shoulders and I couldn't help but admire it. I would always beg Mom to put my hair into two buns giving me the resemblance of Minnie Mouse.

Nova putting her purse over her shoulder made me realize that she was leaving so soon. It had to be only a little past 6 and the party started at 8.

She noticed my confusion and passed me the lipstick that she painted on my lips.

"I have a last minute appointment with Grant. There's a chance that I'm going to Italy with you."

I felt a tinge of relief that I wasn't going to Italy alone. At least with Nova in close distance I won't be entirely by myself in a foreign country.

"That's only if you get an invite," she smirk and was out the front door in seconds.

My mouth twisted in irritation. I have to get that invitation. I have to be able to fight for the people I love without showing mercy.

Giving myself one more look in the mirror, I reapplied the mulberry to my lips, slipped on some sneakers, grabbed my skateboard, and I was ready to taste blood mixed with the sweetness of my lipstick.