Lauren Davies and the Glydan Pipe

The Yule Ball

Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Please feel free to leave your comments down below. Things are starting to heat up ;)

"I look stupid."

Lauren sat on a closed toilet lid, staring at the tiny mirror in her bathroom. Tess stood next to her, squished in the crack between the shower and the sink. In her hand were several bobby pins, and she narrowed her eyes in concentration as she worked to pin up the loose strands of Lauren's hair.

"Why would you say that?" Tess laughed, voice muffled by the pin clenched between her teeth.

"I don't know." She shrugged.

"Probably because this is the first time you've brushed your hair in two weeks."

Lauren scowled. "I brush my hair everyday. It just gets messy."

She crossed her arms in defiance. The Yule Ball had seemed so exciting two weeks ago. Now that it was here, she felt very underwhelmed and angry with herself for blowing things with Oliver. She hadn't heard anything about who he was going with, or if he was even going at all.

"Fred told me he didn't ask anyone else," Tess said gently, reading her mind.

"I don't care," Lauren lied. "It doesn't even matter. We're going to have a great time anyway." She picked at her fingernails, ignoring the fresh coat of clear polish Claire had painted on them earlier.

"Yeah!" Tess encouraged, ignoring her mood. "Chin up. I promise he'd much rather be going with you than doing whatever he's doing."

Lauren took a deep breath and nodded. Tess was right. There was no use in feeling sorry for herself. She was going to have a good time no matter what.

"I'm done!" Tess exclaimed excitedly. Lauren turned to look in the mirror.

She certainly looked neater and more put together than normal. Tess had pinned her brushed hair into a half-up style, and Lauren was startled it could look so sleek. She reached up instinctively to touch it, but Tess quickly slapped her hand away.

"You can't ruin it before we even get there!" she protested.

Tess was feeling incredibly giddy and Lauren couldn't blame her. In fact, Tess's excitement was so contagious, Lauren felt her stomach flip in anticipation. She stood from the toilet seat and stared into the mirror with Tess by her side. They both made a face and laughed in unison.

"Come on. Let's go get our shoes." Lauren pushed open the bathroom door and they spilled out into the bedroom.

"Wow, Davies, don't you look put together," Isla said in genuine shock.

"Why, thank you." Lauren attempted a clumsy curtsey, which made Isla and Tess giggle.

"Where's Angelina?" Tess asked.

"She already left." Isla fumbled with the straps on her high heels. "I'm about to head out too. I'll see you down there!"

"Bye!" Tess and Lauren chorused.

They walked over to their beds and grabbed their shoes. Lauren had opted for a pair of sparkly silver sandals that matched her ice blue dress. Heels were highly unnecessary for her as she towered over most people anyway. Tess, however, was pleased that the red pair of heels she'd chosen gave her a few extra inches. Her black dress was covered in mystical-looking red roses, and the straps fell loosely on her shoulders.

"We look hot." Lauren finished securing her shoe and twirled the skirt of her dress so it billowed gracefully.

"Yes, we do," Tess agreed. "Are you ready to go?"