Bound

Chapter 12: Standing Up

Emily

"So, why couldn't Blake bring your things back to you again?" Sienna asks, pulling the plastic-covered dress from its perfectly hung position in the back of her Escalade.
"I don't know, he said he was busy," I answer.
"I don't know, sounds sketchy," she sings.
"He probably just wanted an excuse to see me tomorrow," I try to gloat. When Sienna doesn't respond, I add, "Or maybe he was meeting someone, like a family member or a friend, or maybe his bike broke down and he was embarrassed." I find myself making excuses for him and I don't even know why. "I don't know," I conclude.
"Probably nothing to worry about." She gives me a reassuring smile as we enter my apartment.
Walking into my bathroom, I announce, "Okay, makeup, hair, then dress. We have two hours."
"Work your magic!" Sienna beams. She plops herself on the edge of my bed and folds her hands over a crossed knee.
"Color choices?" I ask and present two eyeshadow pallets in front of her.
She points at the neutral pallet and answers, "This one. Something classy but deep and smokey with a touch of gold shimmer to match the dress."
"Good choice," I agree.
"I'm trusting you with my life," she remarks and closes her eyes for me to begin.
I'd say that's a bit exaggerative if the people she's trying to impress weren't actually that vain.
"No pressure," I sigh and start her transformation.
    
     "I wish I could do it like this every day," Sienna says, leaning into the bathroom mirror.
"It's not like you need it, but it looks great when you do it yourself, too. I may be the makeup guru, but my hair is a lost cause. I'd trade any day." I laugh and hand her my curling iron. "This one's all you," I add.
She places her hand over her heart and, with fake sympathy in her eyes, drags out the word, "Same."
I laugh at her mocking impression of the preppy girls we went to school with. Even though she could have fit in with them, she never wanted to. I think she actually despised them.
"So how was your first date with Mister try hard?" Sienna giggles.
"Mister who?" I squeak.
"You know, Mister 'I'll leave my number then stalk you if you don't call me, then woo you with my bicycle', how was he?" She blinks.
"Bicycle?!" I object, then laugh with embarrassment under the surface. "He was great, thank you."
"How great was he?" she pries and takes a strip of hair around the hot iron.
"He took me to the beach," I start, leaning my shoulder on the doorframe of my bathroom and wrapping my hands around each other at my waist.
She interrupts immediately, "The beach on a first date? See! Try hard!"
"Okay, okay. I see what you're saying," I admit, "but he'd never get anywhere with me if he weren't trying so hard." I shrug at my honest words.
It almost feels like he knew that about me. I've never met such an intuitive man. I blush inwardly.
"You did say if he didn't get back in touch with you, it wasn't fate...and fate works in mysterious ways," she informs me, exuding intelligence.
"I thought that's what they say about God," I remark. We both chuckle.
"Right. You might be right. So have your prayers been answered?"
"I'm not sure just yet.," I tell her.
Sienna cocks her head, waiting for my explanation.
"Well, his personality is very..." I pause to find the right word, "strong," I finish, still not quite sure that was the right word to use.
"So, he's intimidating," Sienna says simply with a an affirmative nod.
"Kind of," I admit.
"Maybe you just need to be more confident, you know he's into you!"
"Yeah, I just don't know why."
"Exactly! You should know why," she advises. I can't help but think that's the same advice my mom would give me if she were here. But it's not easy to just be confident, especially if you can't back it up.
"It's just that he's so put together. He seems to know who he is and what he wants. I hardly know if I like what I'm wearing every day," I explain.
"Well, there's no reason to look down on yourself on his behalf when clearly he doesn't think that way," she assures me.
     Now, I'm certain that's something my mom would say. I wish she were here for times like this. I wonder if I'd be less insecure had she not left me so soon.
"You're a good friend." I give Sienna a half smile.
"You know I just tell it like it is," she declares and drops the last curled section of hair.
Sienna looks at her watch. "Now get out, I gotta get dressed!" She shoves me out of my own bathroom.
"Times ticking!" I tease on the other side of the door.