BAD OMENS ✬ luke hemmings

5.7 | going to prom

Aria sits on the floor in Sade's bedroom, a small vanity mirror placed against the window sill. Her legs are crossed as she leans forward, holding the skin of the corner of her eye as she attempts to draw a wing with liquid eyeliner.

Music plays loudly from a speaker, and Aria mouths the lyrics, picking up an angled brush to smooth out the makeup. She then scoots back and moves her head from side to side, her hands pushing her fringe and layers back, praying that the wings are even.

Sade sits on her bed. Her eyes closed as her mother brushes eyeshadow across the lids, making jokes with each other about how they both don't know how to do 'fancy' makeup.

Both the girls have yet to change out of their sweats and into their dresses; with two hours until they have to drive to the venue, they have enough time. Besides, getting all dressed up is probably more fun than the event they're dressing up for – the music, the talking, and the prancing around the house in black-tie attire while predicting all the drama that might happen.

Aria and Sade have planned out how today will go. First, Aria is supposed to go to Sade's to get ready; Sade's mom wants pictures of the two of them. Last year, they got ready at Aria's, but the girls figured it was fair to switch the location up. Also, Sade's house is incredibly nice – modern and looks like a show home, which Aria loves – and has a whole pantry filled with snacks.

Second, they will get in Aria's car and drive to Michael's once they're ready, where they meet up with him and Jonah. His mom also wants pictures. Also! Aria's dad wants pictures, too. So they'll all probably walk to her house to appease his silly request. Then, Jonah and Aria will drive to the venue, and hopefully—if the navigation doesn't lead them astray—they will all get there simultaneously.

Third, after prom, they all drive to Calum's, change out of their clothes, set up for the after-party and pre-game before ordering a bunch of pizza.

Aria nearly pokes her eye out, applying mascara, and Sade gets up from the bed to stand in front of her mirror to see if she likes how the eyeshadow looks—she does, and her mom leaves the room full of smiles, closing the door behind her.

"Did I go overboard with my eyeliner?" Aria asks, turning her head for Sade to examine. "I was going for classy, but I think I got messy instead – like Jenny Humphrey." She adds, looking back at herself in the mirror. It's not bad, but maybe a bit too dramatic. Her mother would say she looks like Amy Winehouse, but that's an obvious exaggeration.

"I think it looks good," Sade answers, standing in front of her mirror, trying to put on her mascara and cursing when she pokes her eye with the harsh brush. "I think it looks very you and fits your vibe."

Aria laughs, digging through the little makeup bag she brought for lip gloss. "What's my vibe? The wicked witch of the West—or maybe I should say, east? South-east? Actually, no, it's both," she says to herself.

"Dude, I stabbed myself in the eye. Again!" Sade mutters, rapidly blinking to stop herself from rubbing her eyes. "Oh, dude!" She groans, "I should've put the eyeliner on before the mascara. It's okay, though, right? I mean, it's not the end of the world. Wait, hold on, I'm going to ask my mom to do my eyeliner."

"Okay," Aria says, furrowing her brows as she pours the contents of the small makeup bag onto the wooden floor. She can't find her lip gloss or lip tint. "I'll be here," she adds before Sade disappears from the bedroom, calling out for her mom.

Eventually, she finds the products she's looking for in the small pile of cosmetics, but instead, Aria reaches for her phone to text her mother– give the woman an update on what the girl is doing, where she is, and what the plans are for tonight. Aria knows that her mother won't see the messages yet. The woman is twelve hours ahead, for goodness sake – it's around four-thirty in the morning – Aria can't expect a response for a couple of hours.