Beneathe the Surface

Happy New Year

December 31

"It's almost eight o'clock Hal, what are we doing tonight?" Cassie asks. Were sitting in my room with the music on jumping on my bed, yes were mature. And yes ever since that day in the bathroom we've been pretty inseparable.

"I don't know. I'm not really in the going out mood." I flop down onto my bed and lay back so that I'm hanging upside down. She plops down next to me doing the same.

"It's New Years Eve Hal, you'd have to be crazy not to be in the going out mood. Gosh sometimes I wonder if your really seventeen or if your a middle aged bitter woman who got lucky enough to be dumped into a hot girls body." I roll my eyes at her while she just laughs her ass off. " Seriously thou, there's a party tonight and we could-"

"No thanks. You know how I feel about parties."

"Please! It starts at nine. We can go until twelve, I just want to go for a little. I don't want to go home." She looks over at me pleading almost. Her hair falling over her face because we're upside down.

"You never go home. Your always here why would tonight be any different if we don't go?" She sighs and sits up. I eventually do the same when the silence becomes to uncomfortable. "Cass." She looks at me with watery eyes and I get concerned. "Come on, tell me what's up. We've been friends for a while now." I say reassuringly. She looks away and then blinks the tears back. Then she's smiling and bouncing again the tears so fleeting I'm not even sure I saw them.

"Please, let's go to the party." I'm a little thrown off by her smile, but I stupidly say yeah. "Yay! It's kind of formal, but that's only because it's a tradition to bring in the new year looking good." She grins at me. "You have dresses right? Please tell me you have dresses, I would hate to have to go all the way back to Brooklyn." I role my eyes.

"To many." She squeal and smiles while running over to my closet.

In the end after way to much consideration and every five minutes muttering about how it was like a designer fairy had sprinkled style dust all over my closet Cassie chooses a white sequined dress.
A sleeveless turtle neck dress covered in sequins with a deep key hole cut out in back. Fitted elastic waistline and three button closure at the back of the neck. She chooses black ankle boots and puts her curly hair into a messy, but cute ponytail. Little make up, but she looks amazing.

She forces me into a dress that I've never worn before. A spaghetti strap dress featuring a rosette appliqué, rounded neckline, adjustable straps and a zipper and hook-eye closure in the back. It's red, to red and she pushes a pair of black peep toe pumps towards me smiling goofily. She pulls my hair back into a neat, tight ponytail and blushes my face, lines my eyes and makes my lashes longer. Lastly adding red lipstick on my already cherry lips. It wasn't too bright thou, it didn't look like I was even wearing it. When I looked in the mirror I couldn't believe what or who I saw. I'd never looked so much like her, I'd always tried so hard not to.

"You look amazing." I turn a little startled to July. "Just like her, it's amazing." I frown not liking the comparison even more out loud. She looks e over once more before holding up a finger for me to wait, a few minutes later she returns with a necklace. A diamond white holly flower hangs from the chain. So small, but not so small that you couldn't see it. "Your mother bought this when you were about thirteen, for your birthday. She never gave it to you....never mind that thou. Here" She puts it around my neck and I wanted to cry, but I didn't. I didn't even have to blink back tears this time. "Have fun." She kisses my cheek and gives Cassie a small smile before leaving.

"It's pretty." Cassie mutters.

"Ready?" I ask her turning around with a forced smile.

"Umm...yeah." She says trying to play along with my forced enthusiasm. She grabs her brown leather jacket and hands me my black one.