Friday night, Lyla went to the mall to shop for a new top. She would have loved her friend's shopping expertise, but Darcy was too busy working her sources to procure alcohol for the party. Lyla tried on a few selections and finally settled on a pink sweater. It was a subdued shade of pink, but pink, nonetheless.
"Pink?" she whispered as she checked herself in the dressing room mirror. "You never wear pink."
Well, maybe I should. Plus, it's on sale.
When she emerged from the dressing room, a young woman with dark piercing eyes jogged up to her. "I think you forgot this." She held Lyla's gray and white striped top. "It was on the dressing room floor."
Lyla's expression dropped. "That's not mine." Her pulse rate accelerated.
An ugly grin spread across the young woman's face. "You sure... Kitten?" When she chuckled, her dark eyes rolled back into her head.
Lyla bolted out of the dressing area, carrying the pink sweater to the counter.
"You okay?" the salesgirl asked.
"Fine." Her voice cracked. Her hands trembled as she dug out her wallet from her bag. She looked over her shoulder for the creepy sales girl who was nowhere in sight.
Lyla remembered Keenan enlisting people to do his bidding, usually through threats and intimidation. Was he now recruiting allies from beyond the grave? Or was the disturbing woman yet another product of her runaway imagination?
........
Saturday, after dinner, she cleared the plates and silverware from the table.
"I'm gonna jump in the shower," she said to her dad. "Darcy's party is tonight."
"You need a ride?"
"That would be so awesome."
She showered with the expensive shampoo and conditioner she got for her birthday. She reserved it for special occasions, which had been few and far between. The shampoo created softer, more gentle lather than her everyday shampoo and it smelled like lilacs.
She tilted her head back under the showerhead and rinsed the conditioner from her hair. When she opened her eyes, the room was dark.
"Dad?" Lyla called. She raised her volume. "Dad?"
No reply. The bathroom light turned on.
"You didn't know I was in here?"
After the shower, she took more time than usual with her hair and makeup. Typically, she didn't wear much makeup, but tonight she wanted to look pretty.
She put on her new sweater and immediately felt awkward. "Nah." She gave a dismissive wave at herself in the mirror.
She had a difficult time choosing an outfit. She tried on a crop top, but almost immediately decided against it. Was the green top too low-cut? Was the white top too see-through? She didn't want to look slutty.
She reverted to her original pink sweater plan. Sure it was pink, but...
She studied herself in the mirror, pleasantly surprised by her appearance. The pink sweater looked good with her skinny black jeans. Compared to Carissa, she looked like a mop, but it was a dramatic improvement for plain, old Lyla. She fastened a simple, silver necklace around her neck, and she was ready to party.
A tapping at the door drew her eyes. Ryan leaned in. "Don't you look pretty?"
Lyla blushed.
"You ready to go?" he asked.
"Give me just a minute. And thanks a lot for leaving me in the dark."
"What?"
"In the bathroom."
Ryan shrugged and exited.