"Did Victor Blue invite you to his party this weekend?"
Dee was surprised to say the least when I told her in afternoon registration about my encounter with Victor. She stared at me with wide hazel eyes.
"Yep!" I declared as her mouth turned up into a smug smile.
"What?" I pressed her for an answer, irritated at her facial expression.
Dee put a hand on her hip and raised her eyebrows.
"You do know what this means, right?" She searched my face for some sign of recognition, but I was totally lost. What was she going on about?
I shrugged, genuinely clueless. Dee sighed dramatically, throwing her hands in the air.
"Never mind!" She looked back at me as if I was completely hopeless. "I wonder how you've survived this long being as dense as you are..."
I glared at her and she gave me a look to say that she was only telling the truth, and the truth hurt.
There was a second of silence as I looked down at the floor. I had been reluctant to tell Victor, but parties were not really my scene. The very idea of one was terrifying.
"You've never been to a party before." Dee read my mind and I nodded, looking back at her.
She came closer to me, putting her hands firmly on my shoulders.
"We are going to this party Emma, and we are going to have fun!" She ordered me with a fierce expression. "Now don't you worry, we shall all help you out." Dee added, as she observed the anxious look I was trying my best to cover.
Dee slung her arm around my shoulder and pulled me to her.
"It will be a night to remember!" She made a rainbow arch with her hands and I laughed. Dee always knew how to cheer me up.
***
The end of the day came faster than I expected, and Dee was dragging me clothes shopping for the party. Apparently, we needed to buy a special outfit for this party and my jeans and sweater were, in Dee's words, 'granny clothes.' I protested, telling her Victor said I could wear whatever I wanted. Dee scoffed, stating that he was just saying that to be polite. I gave in to her "logic," allowing her to guide me through the stages of preparing for a party.
We arrived at the mall to see it was as busy as ever, people snaking around us from all directions.
"How the heck are we going to find anything in this chaos?" I asked Dee, my tone one of the utmost panic.
Dee laughed at my worry and dragged me by the arm through the sea of humans. If I wasn't claustrophobic prior to this, I sure as hell was now.
"Come on. We will find you something," Dee had reassured me.
It was now 2 fast food chains, 6 shoe shops and 36 clothes' shops later and I was absolutely exhausted. Dee and I were sitting outside a milkshake shop, drooling at the milkshakes that people inside were drinking. But alas, we had spent all our money on clothes, shoes and food, so we were well and truly broke.
"We didn't find a dress for me." I reminded Dee, whose head jolted to the side.
She had a knowing grin on her face. I was immediately concerned.
"Oh, but we already have..." Dee explained, rubbing her hands together like an evil villain, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
I backed away a little as she threw her head back to fake cackle. Sometimes she could be very Heidi-like.
"What do you mean?"
Dee lifted her index finger and thumb up and pressing them together, slid them across her lips as if she were zipping them up.
I rolled my eyes at her mimicry.
"Fine, can we go home now?" I urged her, standing up and grabbing hold of the million bags we had managed to gain on this "short" shopping trip.
***
"TA DAH!" A very excited Heidi had added the finishing touches to my makeup-caked face and I looked up at my reflection in the mirror before me.
My hair was braided and tied back neatly and firmly. Some curls had been left out to frame my face that was dusted with a few strokes of foundation. My eyes were a smoky indigo and outlined with thick black eyeliner that flicked off my eyelid as a wing. Mascara coated my lashes sparsely, so they look defined, not clumped. Lastly, a dash of maroon lipstick had been applied to my lips.
"Thank you!" I told Heidi as I stood up and embraced the smaller girl, who looked proud of her work.
Turns out Dee had been talking about the dress we bought a millennium ago when shopping with Steve and Jeremy for the first time. I had been reluctant to wear it due to its revealing nature but after some convincing by the whole group, I caved. They repeatedly claimed that "Victor would like it."
Speaking of the whole group, I had invited them all to come with me to the party. Steve agreed to as Dee was coming, and Jeremy did because Lottie was. Heidi just tagged along because she loved giving makeovers and getting dressed. We had all gathered at Heidi's mansion of a house to get ready for the party, which was in half an hour.
Dee entered the room and gasped when she saw Heidi and me.
Dee looked pretty good herself, with her chestnut hair curled slightly so it looked vibrant and fair. Her makeup was minimal and neat and fitted perfectly with her short red strapless dress.
"You look great." I complimented her as she gave me a warm smile.
"Yas you look amazing, Whitey!" Heidi cried out ecstatically, jumping up and down and embracing Dee.
Dee just patted Heidi's back awkwardly and pulled away in relief.
"Hey, we're ready."
Steve's voice came from the door and we all faced him.
Steve's gaze fell on Dee and his green eyes darkened, growing in size.
"I-I..." he muttered incoherently.
Heidi cackled evilly, pushing Dee towards Steve.
"Here Stevie. She is all yours!" Heidi explained to Steve with a smirk. Steve went red and Dee shrugged, trying to be calm but her face had gone pink.
"Let's go Emmie!" Heidi instructed, walking up to me and looping her slender arm through my own.