Unseen Strings

Chapter 10

Angelina

"Rosieeeee," Laci whined outside my door, "you have to get ready!"

"I am I am!" I cried through the wood.

"And you better look like a 20-year-old!" she retorted.

I rolled my eyes. "I will," I muttered, pulling a maxi dress from my closet.

"No maxi dresses." She shouted. "If I have to come in there and rummage through that damn box again I will!"

I sighed as I put the maxi dress back into the closet. It was black and comfortable, just what I desired at that very moment. I knew Laci would make a big deal if I dared defy her, so instead, I reached into the back of my closet, pulling out the most "club-appropriate" dress I could find. It was one Laci had given me, a hand-me-down deemed too large for her. A bright, almost garish blue, with a bodice that was too tight on my chest and a skirt that flared too short. The neckline plunged dangerously low, making me feel exposed and vulnerable. Just looking at it made my stomach churn.

"Are you ready?" Laci called.

"I-In a second!" I shouted, forcing the blue monstrosity on.

"Come on!" The door flew open just as I got the top to sit on my chest the way I wanted.

"Oh Rosie!" She beamed, "You look great!" She rushed forward and yanked the skirt a bit to smooth it out. "Now let's see about your hair and makeup." She looped her arm around mine and pulled me out of my room.

In a few steps we were in the kitchen, where she sat me at the small bar. She had transformed the counter into a battlefield of beauty products. A chaotic array of hairsprays, curling irons, and brushes littered the surface, interspersed with palettes of eyeshadow in every imaginable color, tubes of lipstick in shades I'd never dare wear, and bottles of foundation promising flawless skin. It looked like she was preparing for a photo shoot, not a night out. Almost as soon as I sat down, she began to brush my hair. Despite the feeling of her ripping knots out of my head, I remained calm, my mind was focused on another, more serious situation. It was painfully aware to me, as Laci yanked and teased my hair, that I could have another encounter with my little problem, which was now a big problem. He cursed my every waking moment. I felt Laci yanking on my hair, and I at once reached up and felt the top of my skull. I felt dutch braids intricately woven down my head. They were tight, and as beautifully done as any hairdresser could have done. Laci hummed as she wrapped tiny rubber bands at the ends of the two braids. She held up a mirror and smiled widely, waiting for me to return her happiness. I gave her a crooked smile back as she put the mirror down and went for the mountain of makeup. I squeezed my eyes shut as she lathered on foundation, blush, eyeliner, eye shadow, and lipstick.

"Open your eyes now!" Laci giggled like a child as I pried my eyes open.

"Oh, wow," I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like a doll.

"Oh I almost forgot!" She rushed off into her room, only to emerge with a shoe box.

She placed the shoe box on the counter, and opened it with a small chuckle. Inside was a pair of bright blue, strappy heels.

"What the fuck are those?" I snapped without thinking.

"Your shoes!" She rolled her eyes, "For tonight!"

"I will fall flat on my ass, Laci," I could feel my heart leaping out of my chest as she pulled out chunky heels with straps on them.

"No you won't!" Laci continued, putting the shoes on the floor in front of me. "Go on, put your feet in."