My heart swelled. That hit home for me, feeling an overwhelming feeling of happiness that my new friend wasn't about to let me just leave without even offering to join me. Such a minimal act of kindness.
She led us off, walking towards the stairs we came in from. The ladies room had a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling, it was clean kept with big mirrors and a small basket with gum packs and hair ties. I faced myself in the mirror, looking about my appearance. Nothing had changed, other than my hair being down and my face having grown slightly shiny. I dabbed a paper towel over, ridding the shine before tussling my hair slightly. Haylu was reapplying clear lip gloss.
"You're not hot in that?" she blurted out, popping her lips and shoving her gloss back in her pocket, after offering me some before hand.
"A little, but it's fine," I smiled. "In the name of fashion!"
I looked at myself longer, and something in me just couldn't peel my eyes off the reflection. I'd never looked at myself in the mirror and thought 'wow' but for some reason, I just felt so pretty. The angel on my shoulder kept calling vanity, it echoing in my head, but the little devil just smirked and urged on.
"Ugh, you're so gorgeous!"
I snapped back, the figurines disappearing. I blushed. "Coming from you!"
"Look at you! You're not even wearing makeup and you look like a supermodel!"
I shook my head.
"No really, I wish I didn't have to wear all this to not even look half as good as you!"
"You're crazy!"
"Not as crazy as Link is about you!" she jeered. I went hot. She winked. "I'm kidding, but he is really fond of you."
I turned and looked at her. "Really?"
She dropped her hands to her sides. "You've never noticed the way he looks at you?"
"Yeah but, I don't know, we're just friends," I said, the first time I'd ever acknowledged that as a fact.
"Of course," she nodded smiling. "I didn't mean to make you feel weird or anything. He just spoke so highly of you."
I felt flushed. It had really been only a short period of time that he and I had been properly acquainted. Hearing this made my heart soar.
"I think you're good for him," she added, smiling sweetly. "As a friend, of course. He needs someone like you in his life."
I frowned, but she had already closed the conversation by grabbing my hand and skipping us out of the restroom. Once through the doors, Haylu gasped.
"This is my favorite song!" he cried. "We have to dance!"
I wasn't short to say no. She practically dragged me down the stairs and into the middle of the floor. When I could finally hear the music playing, a deep beat pounded slowly in my chest, the volume having raised by the sheer number of people that had arrived since we first got here.
Haylu was already swaying slowly to the beat of the slow drum beat. I felt the want to move rise from my body. The chorus hit and I couldn't stop myself from throwing my hands up and slowly lowering, knees bending and feet pivoting me as my hands slid down my neck and sides. I'd never moved like this. I'd never shown off like this. I'd never been like this before tonight.
I could see Lincoln's eyes burning from the middle of the dance floor. I kept our gaze, never stopping my movements. He sat unmoving, glass in hand. He looked so calm, and everything in me was turning and tightening as he stared on.
