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nine

chapter nine: Happy Halloween, dumbass.

***

October 31, 1953

Eloise stared at herself in the mirror, her dress twirling slightly each time she moved. She adjusted her glasses - having no need for them but, having them made her feel better. Eloise had already gotten contacts but, having her glasses on, with the thick cat eye frames, made her feel like herself and Eloise hadn't been feeling like herself lately. She'd been feeling like a whole new person and it wasn't a good feeling to her. She missed wearing dresses like this everyday and the socks with the lace, ruffly ends.

She missed being who she liked to be instead of who she was right now.

But, she didn't really even know why she was doing this.

Everybody assumed it was for Matthew. Of course they would! She'd liked the boy since the sixth grade, it'd only make sense! But, it didn't connect in Eloise's head. Because a girl should be able to dress nice or change who they are without it being for a boy.

But, nobody believed or understood that.

Eloise's hands let go of the top layer of her dress, letting it fall on top of the others. She let out a sigh, walking back to her bed.

Throwing herself back, she hit it, slightly bouncing once. Eloise didn't even know what she was. Her Halloween costume wasn't even an actual costume. She'd just grabbed a random dress from her closet and threw it on. She'd pulled on her socks, not having put on shoes yet, and curled her hair, having put in the rollers this morning, and topped it all off with a matching ribbon that reached the end of her hair.

Now the curls were falling, somewhat returning to her natural waves, the ribbon getting looser and looser around her tied up brunette hair. Her makeup was most likely smudged, her lipstick probably the only thing that wasn't somewhere it's not supposed to be. She couldn't get herself to get up but, they were going to leave in less than 20 minutes.

Eloise finally got herself to get up after 10 minutes of lying around, thinking. She walked over to the mirror, even her lipstick smudged, the exact opposite of how she thought it was going to be. Everything was a mess - even after she changed her style.

But, maybe it wasn't a Halloween costume she was wearing.

Maybe today she was really being herself, unlike other days where she was always hiding behind a mask and a costume. And all for what?

***

"Oh look, there's Matthew's mom!" Eloise's mother said excitedly, walking over to where she was standing.

"And there's Sadie!" Their cousin said from beside Eloise. She and her brother ran over to where Sadie was standing, leaving Eloise alone with James.

"I wish I could say-"

"Oh look there's-"

"Seriously?!" Eloise shouted, slightly annoyed and shocked. Everybody was finding somebody. And Eloise?

Nothing.

"I'm sorry but, my friend's over there and he's without his girlfriend for once cause she's out of town for the weekend. You don't think I'm going to take advantage of that?" James asked.