ANDORRA WAS nervous. It was closing in on 7:00, and Lila was putting the finishing touches on her hair. It was partially woven back into a braided bun, and then the rest was hanging down her back in large, fat curls. She'd never seen her hair curled before, or even knew how to achieve the look, but Lila had been confident with the curling iron. Even the braided bun was above the top, looking elegant in the mirror.
Lila was tying in a crown of tiny white flowers in her hair, intricately weaving it in and out of her curled locks. Andorra was trying to stay still, but she was anxious to see herself. Lila had already applied the makeup, and now she was finishing the hair, and all the was left was putting on the dress.
When Lila leaned back from Andorra, satisfied with her hair, she spun Andorra towards the mirror, letting the girl see her own transformation. And Andorra was taken away immediately at the sight before her. Her already large eyes were showcased by thick, fake lashes. Her lips were full and as red as her dress was. She looked gorgeous, like she was another person.
She resisted the urge to touch her face. "I can't believe this is me..." she trailed off, just staring at herself. She'd only ever gone makeup free, but this was enchanting. Again, she felt like Cinderella, about to be someone new at the ball.
Lila put her hands on Andorra's shoulders. "You've always been beautiful, Andorra. This only enhances what you already have. Now, scoot, because I have to do my makeup."
Andorra scooted towards her closet, pulling out the dress. The time on her alarm clock was now 7:10, and Andorra felt a wave of nerves as she rushed from the bedroom to the bathroom, where she pulled on her dress.
She didn't feel as glamorous as she had in the dressing room, but even still, the dress felt amazing on her body. It was both light and tight, hugging her in all the right places. She spun in the bathroom mirror, watching herself glow under the dingy bathroom lights.
She could hear her mother in the hallway, now. "Andorra! Let me see!"
Andorra shot one last look in the mirror before stepping into the hallway, letting her radiance shine as she stood there for her parents, spinning a little bit and laughing as she did so, feeling immensely silly.
This wasn't her, but she wanted it to be.
Her mother sucked in a gasp, her hand covering her mouth. "Andorra, honey, my god."
Her mother burst into tears right there in the hallway, and Andorra froze for a moment, watching her father wrap an arm around her mother in a comforting gesture. Andorra felt lost for a moment, just watching, wondering what she did.
"You're just so beautiful," her mother cried into her hand. "I've always wanted the best for you, and we were so worried for a while because you never made any friends, and you never wanted to participate at school and this is just such a transformation!"
Andorra went over and hugged her mother tightly, being careful not to push her face into her mother's skin now that she wore so much makeup. She never knew her mother had felt this way.
"Mom, it's okay. I'm having fun."
"I know! It's a good thing! I'm so glad you're having fun, honey. We love you so much!" Her mother hugged her tighter, and her father joined the hug, bringing them together in a tight knot.
Andorra knew her parents loved her, but at the moment, it felt like she'd left her parents out of everything happening in her life at school. She rarely talked to them anymore, rarely involved them, and she hated that she did that to them.
When she pulled away, Lila was standing in her doorway, her makeup already finished. She had her bag on and she rocked back on her heels. "I'm going back to my house to get ready. I'll see you there?"
Andorra just nodded, amazed at how quickly Lila did her makeup and how professional it looked, despite the short amount of time. Lila nodded, smiled at Andorra's parents, then made her way towards the front door of the house.
Andorra's mother was elated. She grabbed her daughter's hands and held them tight, leaning in closer. "Tell me about your date!"
Andorra let out a relaxed laugh, thinking of how to best describe Kyle. She wasn't sure if she should start with his devilish good looks, or perhaps his chipper personality. She settled on starting with an easy place: his humor. "His name is Kyle, and mom, he's so funny. He just always seems to make me laugh, even when I'm in a horrible mood."
Her mother let out a laugh, then eyed her husband with a knowing smile. "Your father was similar. He had the strangest haircut and the biggest ears, but he was the funniest boy in school. He won me over with his humor."
"And my charm!" Andorra's father cut in, smiling at his wife with nothing but adoration in his eyes. "She was quite the catch. All the boys wanted her, but she chose me! Ol' big ears."
Andorra's mother swatted him, but she was laughing too, the love clear in her eyes. Andorra wanted that so badly - to be married to someone who could make you laugh, even years down the road.
"And, he's cute mom. Like, the cutest." Andorra figured she should mention his looks, because after all, that was such a girl thing to do. And, as predicted, her mother squealed and hugged her daughter tightly.
"I'm so glad you've finally found someone!"
Her father cleared his throat. "And that someone will be here in about 20 minutes. So let's get downstairs and make sure you're all good to go. Are you hungry? Do you need something before you go?"
Andorra pulled away from her mother and picked up the bottom of her dress, smiling knowingly at her father. He knew she had the appetite of a bird, but he was always asking if she wanted more food.
"I'm fine, dad. But, I would like to go see if my makeup is still good after all this hugging."
She turned to go back in the bathroom, her gaze falling upon herself in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were so wide, and now surrounded by large, thick eyelashes that demanded attention. As did her lips. She was glad to see that nothing had changed, and nothing was out of place.
She gathered the bottom of her dress and swept back into the hallway, then down the stairs. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest she was beginning to wonder if she was going to be sick. She was nervous and worried, and most of all, she was wondering if Kyle was going to like what he saw.
She hated feeling so self conscious, but felt that she had no choice when it came to Kyle. He was popular, well liked, and his personality was kind and generous. He cared about her, when no one else did, and he always stood up for her. Always took the time to make sure she was alright.
He was a catch, but there was that nagging thought in the back of her mind that told her he wasn't enough. There wasn't enough of a spark, not enough desire, not enough of a pull. She didn't feel like she was flying when she was with him. She didn't feel her happiest next to him, and she didn't feel like she was falling in love with him.
She wanted to, so badly, but there was something that was stopping her from feeling too deeply about him. Something that was holding her back like there was a wall in between them. It was frustrating, but she figured things like this, like falling in love, took time. It was a slow process. It didn't happen all at once. Or so she thought.
Right at 7:40, Kyle was knocking on the door. Of course, Andorra's dad decided he would answer the door and try to integrate Kyle, but of course, the blonde was delightful as always. He was pleasant and charming and everything that Andorra knew a boyfriend should be.
When he saw her, it was like time had stopped. His eyes had grown wide, his lips had parted in surprise, and there was something else, something dark in his gaze that made her stomach clench in nerves.
She was sure her cheeks were as red as her dress when she met his gaze, and she struggled for a moment to even breathe. He was looking at her with a look that hard to decipher, a look that told her she was the only girl on the planet at that very moment.
"Andorra... you look stunning." She heard a hint of disbelief in his voice, like he wasn't sure she was actually standing in front of him.
She smiled at him as she approached, her movements confident in her living room. "So do you. Are you excited? I'm not so sure I am."
Kyle let out a laugh at her apprehension, because of course she was worried about the dance. Andorra was worried about everything that involved being social. He watched as she looked over her shoulder at her parents, her smile wide and reassuring.
She caught sight then of her aunt Ruth and Paul, and her mood suddenly plummeted. Of course, she knew they had been there all along, but seeing them reminded her of how much they hated her. She pushed that thought away, and turned back to Kyle.
His gaze was behind her, though, and his face was pinched in a strange way, like he'd eaten something rotten. She opened her mouth to ask, but it was then that she realized who he was looking at. Paul and aunt Ruth... why would he be looking at them like that? As far as she was concerned, Kyle had never met them.
"Kyle?" She asked, her voice tentative. She put a hand on his arm, her touch light but a reminder of her presence. When Kyle looked back at her, his smile was more forced, but he didn't mention anything about her aunt or Paul. Instead, he grabbed her hand and pulled her from her own house, out into the freezing cold. Andorra's bare arms were screaming in shock at the cold, and she immediately wanted to turn back around for a coat.
There was no time. Kyle was already at his car, opening the passenger side door for her. She cast one last look at her house before she got into the car, not seeing any faces in the window, which shocked her. She imagined that at least her mother would have been looking.
Kyle started the car and smiled at her again. "Thank you for letting me be your date, Andorra. You look absolutely radiant."
He was saying that as if he hadn't had the reaction to her aunt in her own house. Andorra wanted to press him for answers, wanted to open him up and find out all of his secrets, but she held her tongue.
Instead, she ducked her head and let the smile come naturally, like it always did when he complimented her.
* * *
Please play the song above right here!! It goes with this part of the story <3
* * *
When they arrived at the dance, she felt like she was going to be sick to her stomach from how nervous she was. This wasn't her - she didn't dress up, she didn't wear makeup, and she certainly didn't go to dances with attractive boys.
When Kyle opened her door, she felt for a moment like she was living someone else's life, because weeks ago, she had been perfectly content living her life the way she always had; alone and independent. But now, as she pressed her hand in Kyle's, she realized everything she'd been missing. She wondered if people would have noticed her if she'd dressed like this at her old school. She wondered if she would have gone to a dance with a cute boy, like she was doing now.
But, the past didn't matter. What mattered was the way Kyle was leading her into the school, the way he squeezed her hand reassuringly when she passed in their tickets, and the way he looked into her eyes, asking her if she was ready.
She was.
She gathered the bottom of her dress, pushing away the nerves, and Kyle opened the gym doors, letting the light from the hallway flood into the darkened room, the music pouring from the gymnasium. Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer was playing as she took a step in, and everyone turned to look at her. Everyone in the gym, everyone who had either ignored or bullied her, turned to watch.
Her skin was glowing like it had been in the store, a brilliant hue that made people blink once, then twice, then three times to make sure it was real. If her hair was real, or if it was golden thread pulled back into the lavish braided bun. If she was real, as she stood there, her skin glowing and her dress flowing around her like it had a life of its own.
She smiled tentatively at Kyle, and took a step inside the gym, letting the doors slowly close behind her. But, she barely noticed as her eyes immediately met Noah's, right as the song belted out
Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift you open hand
Strike up the band, and make the fireflies dance silvermoon's sparkling
So kiss me
And in that moment, Andorra swore her heart stopped beating. Even though she was there with Kyle beside her, even though Noah had been with Shaniah earlier that morning when the girl had been bullying her, and even though Noah had never been nice to her, she found herself lost in his eyes. Those ever-changing blue eyes, which were now closer to white as they looked at her.
She didn't know what to say, or what to do, but Kyle fixed that problem. He stood in front of her, breaking her gaze from Noah, and held out his hand. A nervous smile played on his lips as he offered her his hand, hoping she'd dance with him.
She gripped his hand tightly, her own smile nervous as she allowed him to pull her into the dance floor, the music carrying them into a soft sway. He bent down to her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine. "You, Andorra, are the most gorgeous girl in this room. I am honored to be your date this evening." She didn't know it then, didn't know what was to happen that very evening, but at that very moment she was convinced this was the best night of her life. If only she hadn't been so naive.
* * *
THE SEQUEL IS ALMOST HERE!
Go check it out on my page and leave a vote on the prologue! I'll be picking a random voter to dedicate my first chapter to!
GOLDEN will be released January 1, 2021
See you soon ;)
I'm updating early because Frostbitten Past is finally on the charts!!
It's #900 something, but STILL, it finally made it on the charts! Which is pretty hard to do with fantasy books on this site, since there are so many!
I hope you're all enjoying the book so far! I know I am. Next chapter, things are about to take a turn for the worse... hope you're prepared!
Love you all, XOXO