Selection

Chapter 4

"Wakeeee uppp," someone said.

"Five more minutes, mom," I murmured. Then I heard laughing.

As I sat up abruptly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, the sight of Natalie, Melody, Kennedy, and four random girls all laughing at me made me realize I had overslept in an embarrassing fashion.

"Um... this is awkward," I muttered sheepishly, trying to regain some semblance of composure.

Natalie giggled, trying to stifle her laughter. "You were snoring like a bear," she teased.

"Thanks for the wake-up call," I said dryly, glancing at my friends who were still chuckling.

"No problem, Pickles," Melody said, still grinning.

I sighed, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Alright, alright. What's on the agenda for today?" I asked, trying to shift the focus away from my unintentional extended nap.

"The maids are going to do our hair, makeup, and outfits for breakfast," Natalie said.

"Sounds good," I replied, swinging my legs off the bed and standing up.

I turned to the unfamiliar girls. "What are your names?" I asked.

"I'm Elizabeth, and I'm Melody's maid," the dirty-blond one said.

"I'm Stella, and I'm Kennedy's maid," the blond one said.

"I'm Danielle, and I'm Natalie's maid," the brunette one said.

"And I'm Autumn, and I'm your maid, Elliana," the redhead said.

"Hi, I'm Melody," Melody said as Elizabeth grabbed her hand and guided her to the makeup area.

"I'm Kennedy," Kennedy said as Stella escorted her to the hair area.

"Natalie is my name," Natalie said, and Danielle held her hand and led her toward the bathroom.

"I'm Elliana, and we're going to be best friends," I said, and Autumn chuckled. She grabbed my hand and led me to a walk-in closet.

Autumn and I started sifting through racks of dresses, trying to find the perfect one. There were so many beautiful options, but none seemed quite right. Autumn pulled out a lovely blue dress, but it just didn't feel like me. I tried on a pink one next, but it was too frilly.

We kept searching, Autumn occasionally holding up a dress to gauge my reaction. Just as I was starting to feel a bit discouraged, Autumn pulled out a stunning green dress. It had intricate lace detailing and a flattering cut.

"This one," I said, my eyes lighting up.

Autumn smiled. "I had a feeling this would be the one."

I slipped into the dress, and it fit perfectly. The green color complemented my complexion, and I felt a surge of confidence.

"Wow," I said, admiring myself in the mirror.

"You look amazing," Autumn said, her smile widening. "Now, let's get your hair done."

We moved over to the hair station, where Autumn expertly styled my hair. She decided to let my wavy  hair down, then she did braid queen. After she did two little braids. Then put white little flowers. 

As she worked, I glanced over at my friends. Melody was having her hair down, Kennedy was getting her makeup, and Natalie was already dressed and chatting animatedly with Danielle.

When she finished my hair, I looked in the mirror one last time. I felt beautiful and ready to face whatever the day had in store.

"Next, makeup," Autumn said, pulling me to the makeup area.