To be a God

Chapter II

The communal bathrooms were just as clean and kept as the rest of the campus. Charlotte showed Marla the showers that had the best water pressure, even though that was still a mere trickle. Still, the cool water felt nice on Marla's warm skin. Once done with her shower she walked to the grimy mirror over the sink, the corners filled with mildew. She examined the effect the day took on her face, a bright shade of pink covered her cheeks and crawled over the bridge of her nose, and what were faded freckles were now a deep brown, standing out on what would be pale skin. Marla's curls too we're wet, sticking to her forehead and neck.

Making her way back to her shared cabin, Marla felt insecure. The sky had started to turn to a sherbet sunset and groups of her classmates were dressed and walking toward the water. While she was wrapped in a fluffy pink robe and shower shoes, dangling her caddy at her side by her fingertips. Once back inside the safety of her cabin, Charlotte was sitting at her desk touching up her makeup, and turned to look at Marla," Hey!" She said," feel better?" Marla simply nodded in response and set her things down. "What do you plan on wearing?" She asked, standing from her seat and walking over to her own wardrobe, pulling it open.

"I'm not sure, what should I wear?" Replied Marla.

"Well, whatever you want really, but I can help you out if you want! We look to be about the same size." That was mostly true, both girls were slim but Charlotte did not have the slim, muscular frame that Marla had. Hers was rounded at the hips but still began pulling out many colorful dresses, tops, and skirts. All frilly and beautiful.

"I think that's a little out of my comfort zone," Marla said, slightly embarrassed, and opened her own wardrobe, mostly filled with muted earthy colors.

"Oh, that's fine. I'm sure we can figure something out." She walked up to Marla's wardrobe and stared into it, both hands on her hips, thinking, "Okay, I have an idea." 

Charlotte dressed Marla like a hurricane. Making her try on three different tops with three different pants. Finally landing on a pair of long flowing pants that were soft and light it felt like air on Marla's legs. Along with a tank top and jewelry from Charlotte's collection. As a final touch, Marla shook her hair, letting her curls land randomly.

"Okay, perfect, let's go." She grabbed Marla by the wrist and led her outside, following the music that was faintly playing in the distance and towards the orange light of the bonfire.

After a short walk along the water's edge, the groups of cabins halted, the music grew louder and the fire grew brighter. An open field lay before the two girls, party-goers crowded in groups around the large fire, kegs and lawn chairs dispersed throughout. While the music from a distance was incoherent, up close Marla noticed how each group with a stereo was playing something different, whether from a station or from a track. Charlotte had let go of Marla's hand long ago, and feelings of anxiety had begun to fill her body, she wished she had remembered to grab her pack of cigarettes to quell those thoughts of turning and running.

The two girls approached a small group of four people, one girl, and three boys. A cooler rested beside a lawn chair one of the boys was sitting in, legs stretched out, the one girl sitting in his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck and a beer in his hand. Charlotte went for the cooler, fishing out two drinks, and throwing one can Marla's way. "You drink, right?"

She has never drunk beer or any alcohol before. She was 20 years old and sheltered, but this was her moment to cement herself in this group. They all stared at her expectantly, so she looked at the cold can in her hands, cracked it open, and took a long gulping drink. The beer went down hard, it tasted like urine and burned a little at the pit of her stomach, but the group cheered around her. Coming back up, Charlotte slung her arm around her shoulders and began introductions. "That's Luke and Faith," pointing to the couple in the lawn chair, "Faith is like, my best friend. You'll love her," she moved on to a brunette boy who was tall and broad," this is Kenny" and finally she landed on an ever taller, but lanky boy," and this is my brother Adam! We're twins if you can't tell." Adam was obviously her brother, he had the same big smile and cat-like eyes. In the firelight behind him, his hair looked more ginger, as did Charlotte's. He's beautiful, she thought. She thought that Charlotte was beautiful, with her long hair and cheery attitude. But Adam was a different kind of beautiful. He was like a Greek statue.