**🔴EXPLICIT LANGUAGE (DESCRIBED SEXUAL CONTENT)🔴**
Odette Bateman's life seems stable and peaceful alongside her "brothers," Damon and Stefan Salvatore, until the sudden appearance of Elijah Mikaelson shatters everything. The enigmatic stranger re...
It was the night of the ball, and I was feeling a bit anxious. The main reasons were as follows: First, I was terrible at dancing; Second, I wasn't suited for wearing elegant clothes; and Third, there would be a killer on the loose for the entire evening, particularly targeting Elena. She was the one at the greatest risk among us.
I stood in front of the mirror, unable to stop staring at myself. It was incredible how uncomfortable I felt in that dress. For the record, I have no issues with my body—I'm not one of those girls who constantly criticize themselves. But this dress managed to intimidate even me. I don't know. I was more of a sporty outfit kind of person, someone who preferred jeans paired with a top or a short tank top and sneakers. Long, elegant dresses were just not my style.
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The heels were quite high, but (strangely) I found no difficulty in wearing them; on the contrary, they felt... comfortable? It's rather strange to admit.
"Darling, you look beautiful," Elena said as she entered my room.
"Please, save your words... It's a waste of breath," I replied, not bothering to look at her as I was too busy adjusting my dress, smoothing out every wrinkle.
"Odette," she smiled, coming closer, "you look stunning, and I'm not just saying that because I'm your best friend... I genuinely mean it."
"Yeah, yeah, everyone says that," I thought to myself, and indeed, I was right...
"Could you help me with my hair, please? I don't like it loose with this dress. I tried curling it, hoping it would make a difference, but it's only gotten worse."
I had always missed having a maternal female figure; I grew up with two brothers, and let's face it, I was anything but feminine.
She chuckled to herself and had me sit in front of my vanity. Elena had always been good with hairstyles, and I must admit that the messy high bun she styled for me looked really great. It suited me perfectly. I was the mess, not the perfection. Perfection is boring; it's better to be different, to be yourself, and not worry about not being enough. Being yourself and showing it is the most beautiful thing you can do, and if others don't like it, too bad! I need to find myself beautiful and attractive in the mirror.
"By the way, you look stunning too," I said once I stopped thinking about myself and my appearance issues. "Sorry. I know I should have told you earlier, but I was too..."
I couldn't finish the sentence before she cut me off.
"Too caught up in your own thoughts, yes, I already know, Odette. You know, I've known you forever, and I think you should stop apologizing for the things I already know about you. You're excused from the start."
I hugged her and laughed.
"So, who is this mysterious guy who's taking you to the ball?" she asked.
