Everyone But Us

Thirteen // Angel

Angel (Harlow's sister)

Harlow was going to her very first party! Maybe it wasn't her first party, but it was her first for a very very very long time. I didn't think she would be going if it weren't for Sophia persuading her. She'd rather sit on the couch and read her books. I'd never met a seventeen year old like her.

It was almost eight o'clock and I was getting picked up at half past, thanks to Sophia organizing for me to go to Lucy's house for the night. I think Sophia was picking up Harlow at nine and then going into town. I was excited; both for my night and for my sister's. I just hoped she would have a good time.

And because I was such a great little sister, I decided to offer my help with getting her ready. I skipped down the stairs and knocked on her bedroom door until she opened. She was in her sweat pants with her hair in a bird's nest, the warm glow of the lamp lighting the otherwise dark room behind her. I gasped a little.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready? You're leaving in an hour and Sophia is going to get here and oh, wait. You're not going like that are you? I know you don't want to go but you should at lea-"

"Angel." My sister cut me off, but not in a nasty way. She was just stopping me from rambling unnecessarily, as she had put it.

"I know, sorry!"

"It's okay," she laughed, kind of side hugging me and then guiding me into her room. That is another reason I liked my big sister so much. Most of my friends' siblings don't hardly talk to them, let alone let them into their rooms. I swear Harlow's room felt like my own with the amount of time I spent in there.

I beamed at her as I sat on her perfectly made bed, the book she was reading on the covers. I carefully picked it up and looked at the black front cover. It was literally black. No title, no author, no nothing. I held it up to her.

"What?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes, pinching the book out of my hands and setting it on her desk. "Have you ever heard the saying 'don't judge a book by it's cover'?"

"Only about a million times." Duh! I still didn't get what that had to do with the black cover. It was so plain that- "Oh. Right. Got it."

"Anyway. What time are you headed off?"

"In half an hour," I said, and then reasked my first question. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" I was careful not to ramble this time.

She sighed, crossing her legs on her desk chair, flipping her hair. "Yeah, I should. I really don't want to though. Actually. I don't know how to."

"Yeah. Mum kind of skipped out on teaching us how to do all that girly stuff, huh?"

Harlow frowned at this. "Yeah. I guess she did."

"Well I'm here now and I can teach you! I learnt from Louisa because she goes to heaps of parties and taught me. I can help, I promise!"

"I bet you can," she said as if she was thinking about it. I was bouncing up and down in anticipation of her answer. I really wanted to help. She was the super smart sister who knew how to do everything, knew how to take care of us when Mum and Dad weren't here. It felt kind of good to know how to do something she couldn't.

Then she nodded and I squealed. "Yay! Omg, okay. First we'll start with your makeup because you can do your hair yourself and put your dress on yourself when I leave. I'll go get what's left of Mum's makeup and mine and whatever you have, okay?"

I bounced down the hall without waiting for her answer. I knew she'd probably just nod, more to fulfill my excitement than her need for assistance. I ran to the room that had been empty for months and pushed away any bad feelings about my parents. I grabbed Mum's makeup and dashed to my room, getting mine and going to Harlow and my bathroom.

"We'll do it in here. There's the best light!" I called out, starting to lay out all the necessary make up on the bench. Foundation, concealer, blush, mascara, eyeshadow, lipstick. Check!

Harlow caught one look at the makeup and shook her head. "Nope. I'm going to look like a hooker. Sorry, I mean, a panda. Yes. I'm going to look like a panda."

I rolled my eyes. She still thought of me like I was eight. She never cursed or said bad words in front of me.

"No you won't. I promise I'm really good and if you don't like it you can take it right off." Plus, it wasn't like she couldn't wear makeup to a party.

"Okay." She sounded resigned, sitting down on the step ladder we kept in here. Then I got to work.

I finished the minimalist makeup within ten minutes and Harlow approved with a real big smile. She said it was the "perfect amount" and that it "looked good". It made me smile. I'd done something right.

"Can I do your hair too?" I really wanted to. When she nodded - still smiling - I jumped up and down. "Yay! Curls or straight?"

"Can you do in between?" Harlow didn't seem sure, but at least she was offering up some suggestions. This meant she was kind of interested in this. It gave me hope that she could become a girly girl in the future.

"Wavy?" I asked, twirling her thick hair between my fingers until it sat in a loose, wave.

"Perfect."

It took me fifteen minutes and a hell of a lot of adjustments to get it right. By that time it was 8:20pm and I had to be out the door in ten.

"What dress are you going to wear?" We were back in Harlow's room as she flicked through her bare closet. There were like, four dresses in there.

"I don't know..." She looked down to her hands, thinking about something obviously. She seemed kind of nervous, but more than usual.

"Well. What type of party is it?"

She shrugged. "All I know is that it's a pool party but there's also a bonfire. That's all Soph told me."

A pool party? Bonfire? What kind of mix was that?

She must have been able to read my expression. "Yeah. Tell me about it."

"Jeez. Alright. How about you wear that one?" I pointed to her prettiest dress. It was one of those fit and flare ones that I loved with a halterneck. Plus, it was black. She could easily match it with any jacket and a pair of nice heels.

She scrunched up her face. "It's a bit short..."

"Pshh no it's not. Just put it on. Please?"

She wasn't convinced but did it anyway. And it looked fantastic.

"Stop tugging at it," I told her, then there was a knock on the door. "It looks great and now I've gotta go. Keep the dress on, wear some heels actually no, your connies because it's a bonfire, and have fun."

"Thanks for the help, Angel," she beamed, probably the biggest smile I'd seen on her face since our parents left the last time. "I really appreciate it. I'd be in a mess without you."

"I know," I laughed. She pulled me into a quick hug and then I picked up my duffel bag and ran to the door.

"Love you sis!" I called out behind me.

"You too!"