Being Shot

P h o t o #36 - Giving Thanks

P h o t o #36 - Giving Thanks

"Emma! Hurry up! You won't believe the side dishes we brought with us!"

Kayla's voice twinkled within the dry air of my home, almost startling me to the point of poking myself in the eye with my mascara brush as I applied the final touch to my simple make-up.

Truly, I had to applaud myself. After getting myself up earlier than usual, (which was especially hard after yesterday and the day before, between me getting home late from school and barely having enough time to set up the ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner to feverishly cooking almost all of my waking hours yesterday) I took it upon myself to dive into some make-up and hair tutorials on YouTube. After finally finding one for some soft, natural looking make-up that could be done with the cheap blush and toner from my grandmothers dresser, I was completely ecstatic.

Though I had no luck finding an easy hairstyle, my grandmother was more than happy to help me tame my hair and style it into a bunch of soft curls that fell just above my mid-back, all topped off with two chunks of hair growing at the opposite sides of my head pulled back and elegantly twisted at the back of my head.

Now, as I stared at myself in the mirror, listening to the faint conversations forming between my grandmother and my friends, a wave of shock fell over me. The thin layer of pink blush swept across my cheeks that perfectly hid the roundness of them, the way mascara and a tiny line of eyeliner made my dark eyes pop with wonder, the way my hair lay in eloquent soft curls as it fell down my front, all topped off with a pair of thick tights and my black, just above the knee-length dress with its white peter pan collar and baby buttons to match, all hugging me comfortably.

I tested a smile, and as I realized tiny bubbles of confidence began forming in my stomach, I smiled a little wider. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this way about myself.

Suddenly filled with newly found contentment, I slipped my tight-covered feet into my plain black flats, my toes dancing with elation as I walked across the carpeting and down the stairs.

The lively voices of my peers and grandmother grew louder with each step, until I was finally on the main floor.

'Thank god my grandmother agreed to having so many guests over at the last minute.' I sighed with relief, happy to have such a lively holiday for once. Not that my usual holidays spent with just my grandmother weren't lively enough for me, but her heading up to bed before her late night sitcoms even had a chance of beginning after an afternoon of overeating sometimes had me groaning in boredom.

My eyes landed on our guests first, all garbed in wonderfully designed outfits that made mine pale in comparison. Kayla, wearing a modest dark green dress and low heels to match, had a smile on her face as she explained the brands of her many articles of jewelry to my very interested grandmother all while twirling her silky flat-ironed hair around a manicured finger. The four boys, garbed in various sweaters and dress shirts with specifically tailored khakis and dress pants, all listened politely to the idle chatting of the two women.

"Parker? Jonas? What are you guys doing here?"

My voice traveled across the hall, breaking the conversation happening in front of me. Elliot, who was sporting quite the look of displeasure on his face at the very back of the group and closest to me, swiveled his head first.

I almost gasped once his eyes met mine. He had gotten his hair trimmed, that was the first thing I noticed. Still keeping it a bit on the shaggy side, he now wore it perfectly groomed for the occasion. His dark grey and gold sweater vest brought out the flecks of light brown in his eyes, I almost had to adjust my glasses atop my nose as I stared.