Elements

Chapter 25

This was it. The moment I had been dreading. The event that had me shuffling my feet on my way back to my room. And, by extent, Anita.

Hair and makeup.

I know, you'd think I'm overreacting, but I can't stand it. Why spend so much time changing the way you look for one night if everyone was going to see you the way you normally are the next day? The whole thing was... pointless.

But apparently, Anita thought it was vital. When the dreaded moment arrived and I couldn't put it off any longer, Anita pulled me into the bathroom the second I was through the door. The next thing I knew, she had shoved my outfit into my hands and slammed the door in my face, commanding: "Change".

Heaving a sigh, I began to change into the clothes Anita had bought for me. I must have sighed a tad too loud, because it was rewarded with a bang on the door and a sharp, "No dramatics!". I smiled and shook my head as I finished changing.

I looked into the mirror. The whole getup made me look... pasty. I looked more pale than usual, and that was saying something. I was just short of albino!

I opened the door, walked out, and threw the bundle of clothes I had changed out of into my bed. I collapsed onto it moments later. "It's hopeless Anita. No amount of clothes can make me look decent."

"Hey. What did I say about dramatics? This is a beauty parlor, not a theatre!" she said to me, grinning. Leave it to Anita.

"Actually, it's a dorm room..." I trailed off when she shot me a glare.

"Close enough!" she retorted, and shoved me into the bathroom again, this time following me with the dreaded bag of beauty products. Was it just me, or was she going all... drill sergeant on me?

She dropped the bag onto the bathroom counter, walked out, and returned with a three legged stool. Where she got it from, I had no idea. She placed it behind me and pushed down on my soldiers to make me sit on the stool. Then she began the seemingly unending line of products that had previously been dumped on the counter.

"So..." she said as she went to work on my nails. "Any developments in your world recently?"

"As if you haven't lived them?" I replied. She was around me all the time; surely she would know everything going on around me.

"Well what about that day we were gone?"I internally cussed at my face for heating up at her words. "Ooh so there is something. Spill." She ordered upon seeing my blush.

As she worked on my nails and moved to my hair, I recounted the events of the day Ben and I had been alone. Although I emphasized that nothing happened, I could see her going from fashion mode to fangirl mode.

"Aaaahh! It's an elephant! And its engraved! And he was going to say you were beautiful!" She shrieked.

"He was not going to say that!" I protested as she rambled on. I let her go until she finished with my nails, then asked, "are you done?" when she paused for breath.

"Almost" she replied, holding up one finger. Then she yelled, "THE BELLA SHIP IS SAILING!" I swear this girl will be the deaf of me. (A/N: see what I did there?).

"Okay, I'm good!" she said happily. Then she turned to my hair. "Do you want me to cut this so it's even?" she asked, holding up a small pair of scissors.

I considered, then shook my head. "It's unique," I said, "It sets me apart. Plus, I've kinda gotten used to it." I fingered the diagonally cut ends as I spoke. Anita shrugged and moved from combing to flat ironing my hair.

"So... how do you feel about Ben?" Anita asked bluntly. My face heated up again.

"I... I don't know. I'd be a lot more sure if I knew how I felt about him before I left. What if we were splitting up because we had a huge fight? I don't want to have feelings for anyone who I might have something against in the future. Or past. This is hurting my head." I reached up to press my hand to my head, then remembered the hot piece of metal there and decided against it.

"You can't just choose to love someone Ells. It doesn't happen like that" In the mirror I could see her smirk.

"Okay, well, I don't know. I mean, he's nice and all, but, what if he just sees me as a close friend. What if I am to him what you are to me: a best friend?" She unplugged the flat iron and ordered me to close my eyes as she reached for the makeup.

"Ella, I seriously think he sees you as more than a friend. Which is why," she paused as she put more makeup on the brush, "I am going to make you turn heads and drop jaws tonight." I rolled my eyes inside their lids. Like I could turn a head for anything other than my shredded clothes on the bus.

"Just keep an open mind Ella." She continued. "I don't know why, but I've noticed you seem to have something against getting close to people. Don't push him away." She said, drawing near my lashes in what felt like pencil.

I heaved a sigh. I reflected on everything that had happened to me at the Haven. This was the first time I was having normal girl problems, acting like a normal girl. This was totally new to me.

A few minutes later, Anita called me from my thoughts, saying, "Okay Ells, torture time is over. You're done." And she said I needed to tone down the drama?

She stepped aside, giving me a clear view of myself in the mirror. I still looked paler than usual, but now it looked attractive rather than sickly. Navy blue eye liner gave me a cat eyed look, an intelligent look, and pale blue and silver eye shadow made me look unusually elegant. Mascara made my eyelashes longer, but not to the point where they looked fake. Soft, pink lipgloss had been applied to add just the right amount of warmth to the the otherwise winters getup. Lastly, my nails had been painted white with small, pale blue snowflakes on them, and my normally kinked hair had been pressed smooth.

"I look..." I leaned in closer to the mirror, squinting, "female."

Of course, Anita busted up, but I was completely serious. This was the prettiest I'd ever looked, well, for as long as I can remember, and the overall effect made me actually look like a girl.

Eventually, Anita made me exit into the room while she got ready herself. With fifteen minutes to spare, we were ready for the dance, and made out way to the meat locker- sorry, 'gym'.

🌜🌑🌘🌗🌖🌕🌔🌓🌒🌑🌛

Yay! Early update! Im so happy!

I really should be studying for a geometry final, but this sounded more fun. So, oh well.

This chapter is dedicated to Junerose101. She is...El Pollo!

This chapter's random fact is...

Ella's ability to see ghosts is something she is capable of turning on and off- think spiderwick chronicles.

Anyway, thanks for reading! Please comment, vote, share, you know the drill but I say it every time anyway.

Thanks!

Emily