Crossover II Evalius

Chapter 10 The Dance

Chapter 10

The Dance

    On the evening of Homecoming, Vanessa gazed at her own reflection in the mirror as she applied her mascara. She almost did not recognize herself since she never wore much make-up. Wishing her best friend were here now, Vanessa finished off her look with her light pink lip-gloss. Getting ready for this dance would be much more fun if Aria were here with her and they could assist each other with their make-up and hair. Vanessa grimly recalled that it was Kendal who showed her how to put on make-up in the first place. Her stomach twisted at this memory. The fact that she would ever be friends with someone like Kendal made her utterly sick. What Vanessa really could not get her head around was that, at times, Aria actually seemed to miss having Kendal as a friend.

    Vanessa then heard the doorbell ring shortly followed by her mother calling, “Vanessa, your date is here!”

    “I’ll be down in a minute,” Vanessa answered as she examined her reflection one final time. Her deep blue dress shimmered in the light, her light red hair went down just past her breasts in soft curls, the front pulled back in a diamond hair clip, and her glittery eye shadow sparkled as she blinked.

    Once Vanessa determined she appeared as best as she could make herself look, she grabbed her purse, slowly closed her room, and walked nervously down the stairs, her heart pounding. Vanessa honestly did not know what to expect from tonight. She and Walter had been friends since the end of eighth grade, but the two of them had never hung out much without Aria. Vanessa desperately did not want to jeopardize their friendship. Despite the fact that the two of them found themselves in frequent disagreements, Vanessa truly did cherish having Walter as a friend.

      The moment Walter caught a glimpse of Vanessa gracefully walking down the steps he beamed. “Wow, Vanessa. You look amazing!”

    Vanessa returned the smile. “Thanks. So do you! I didn’t know your hair could actually lie flat.”

    They both laughed as Walter took Vanessa’s arm, and they both posed so Mrs. Cooper could take photos of them together. They then proceeded to the black Honda Walter drove to pick her up.

    “Wow, this is nice,” Vanessa commented impressed. “I didn’t know you had a car!”

    Walter grinned, “I wish. Actually, my brother came home from college for the weekend and loaned it to me just for tonight.”

    “That’s nice of him. My brother flips out when I just touch his car.” Vanessa let out a brief sigh. “I hope my parents get me my own car when I turn sixteen.”

    Vanessa would be the last of her friends to turn sixteen. It seemed like most of her classmates celebrated their sweet sixteen in the fall semester while she would have to wait until January.

    They were silent for a few moments before Walter asked, “So do you know if Derek’s still going to the dance even without Aria?”

    Vanessa shrugged. “Probably. I think a lot of people are going solo this year for some reason.”

    “I feel bad for the guy,” Walter went on. “The first dance he and Aria could go to as a couple and she has to leave town. That sucks.”

    “Yeah, it really does,” Vanessa agreed recalling the hour she spent on the phone with Aria trying to talk her out of the ball or at the very least take Derek with her.

    Vanessa had guessed what the two of them were feeling. Both Derek and Aria seemed to be afraid to move their relationship forward, the evidence being Derek hesitating to ask Aria out to the dance and Aria not wanting to take Derek to her ball. Vanessa informed her over and over that the two of them just needed to express what they really felt to each other, but Aria seemed afraid to even do that.