Opposites Attract

Homecoming Preparations

As I sat in last period, listening to Mr Medula rattle on and on, I couldn't help the frustrated clicking of my pen or the jiggling of my knee. Tonight was homecoming night and I needed to get ready!

Warren smirked from next to me, watching me grow steadily more impatient, and put his hand over mine when I started drumming your fingers on the desk.

I looked over at him and scowled at his ruining of my annoyed demonstration until-

"And class, as tonight is the big night, for all the ladies clearly wanting to get home to get ready (I'm looking at you Miss Lent, Miss Grayson, and Miss Stronghold)," he added distastefully, "I'll let you go now and sacrifice the last three minutes of crucial teaching time."

There was a scraping of chairs as everyone stood up and got their things together, filing out of the classroom at record speed as girls left right and centre stampeded towards their lockers. I hung back, knowing that the bus was only ever going to leave when the inevitably slower guys got on it as well, and walked out with Warren.

"I'm sensing you're kind of excited," he mused.

"Wow, are you sure you don't have another power?" I asked, "Acute sense of emotions, perhaps?"

He rolled his eyes; "So what's the plan?"

"Layla and Magenta are getting ready at my house, so we'll get the bus home, run upstairs, turn on some music, get ready, take pictures and then get the bus back! You?"

"Bus, tux, bus."

"Magical," I joked, "Anyway, see you later, Hothead," I said, reaching up and giving him a quick peck on the cheek before running off down the corridor.

Half an hour later, Magenta, Layla and I were sat in my room, make up, nail varnishes, shoes and hair styling equipment strewn pretty much everywhere, as the songs from our 'Homecoming Preparation Mixtape' sang around the room. Layla was sat on my bed, drumming her fingers together as she waited for the curlers to heat up; Magenta was sat on the floor, tongue poked out in concentration as she painted her toe nails, and I was sat at my dresser in the middle of my makeup.

"Is Will definitely not coming then?" Layla asked.

I looked at her sympathetically through the mirror at my dressing table, "No. I've tried, Mum's tried, Dad's tried... on numerous occasions. He's adamant he's not going. I'll try again before we leave though," I promised.

I knew it was hard for her; she was trying to maintain this image of her being done with Will altogether, but both she and I knew that wasn't true. She wanted him to go and so did I, but he was nearly as stubborn as me so if he didn't want to, there was no changing it any time soon.

"We'll still have a good night though, Layla," Magenta said, still squinting at her toes, "We're still doing the group plan though, right?"

"Yeah," Layla answered, "Rosie's going with Warren but she's going with us as well, right Rose?"

"Right."

"I still can't believe you're the one Peace was taking to homecoming," Magenta chuckled.

I smiled, knowing what an unlikely pairing it seemed, but I couldn't let this opportunity pass by; "I thought you were going as Zach as part of the bigger group, Magenta."

She stopped painting her toes and slowly looked up at me, eyebrow raised and an unamused expression on her face as Layla giggled.

"I'm not going with Glowstick," she said through gritted teeth.

"My mistake," I shrugged with a smirk, before turning back to my makeup; "Layla, can you leave those curlers on for me when you're done, please?"

About an hour later, mainly due to the fact Magenta had to repaint her toes and Layla took AGES to curl her hair, we were finally ready to put on dresses. Magenta lifted her black lacy one out of her bag as Layla and I oooohed, and Layla fluffed her green one out on the bed as Magenta and I aaaahed. When I pulled my dress out of the wardrobe, there was silence. 

I turned around, confused and worried they didn't like it, to find the two staring at it in awe.

"It's beautiful," Layla gasped.

"It looks just like-" Magenta started.

"The water," I finished for her.

Mum had helped me pick the blue ombre number when I'd come back from a shopping trip with Layla a couple of weeks ago complaining the mall had 'literally nothing'.

The girls smiled at me and picked up their shoes.

"I'll take the bathroom," Magenta said.

"I'll take the guest room," Layla added.

"I'll... stay here," I offered.

With a laugh, the girls headed off to their respective changing rooms and left me in mine. I gently pulled the dress from the hanger and changed into it, being tremendously careful when I stepped into the chiffon. I stepped into my blue heels and buckled the straps, before standing up and smoothing the dress out. Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn't help the beam that broke onto my face. I looked and felt beautiful. But there was just one finishing touch...

I wandered over to my jewellery box and opened it, taking out the silver necklace I'd bought with the money I'd had left over from the dress. I clipped the chain around my neck and smiled softly at the small flame pendant as I looked at it in the mirror.

"You ready, Rosie?" Layla knocked on the door.

"Yeah," I called, turning as Layla and Magenta walked back in.

"Oh wow," Magenta said, grin on her face as she saw me in the dress.

"Ditto," Layla laughed.

"Thanks guys, but 'oh wow'? Have you seen the two of you? You guys look amazing!" I gushed.

"Girls, are you ready for pictures?" Mum called up the stairs.

Mum finished taking the last picture of the three of us, before checking to see if Dad had finally stopped filling up at the sight of his 'beautiful little girl all grown up'. He gave her a stiff nod, and she kindly asked Layla if she'd take a picture of the three of us. When about two dozen had been taken, different poses, different angles, different arrangements, the lot, Mum grabbed a yearbook off the dining table and asked if I'd come down to the sanctum with her. I agreed and headed over with her as Magenta and Layla chatted with Dad in the dining room.

When we got into the Secret Sanctum, I saw Will sitting on a stool looking at the floor miserably.

"Hey Will, you gonna get a picture with your sister before she leaves?" Mum asked, wiggling the camera at him as he slowly looked up.

His eyes widened when he saw me and he nodded, making his way over.

"You look really pretty, Rosie," he said honestly, and I smiled.

"Thank you... I mean you could have made a bit more of an effort but I'll get over it," I winked at him.

He smiled and the two of us turned to the camera and smiled as it flashed.

"You sure you won't come?" I asked Will as Mum looked through the pictures.

He shook his head and I sighed; "Nobody blames you for anything, Will-"

He scoffed.

"They don't," I said firmly, "If you change your mind, please call Ron, okay? It'll feel weird not having you there."

"I'll think about it," he sighed.

That would have to do.

I sighed, giving him a small smile and a hug before I headed back up to the house.

I said a quick goodbye to Dad, and then headed out of the front door with Layla and Magenta. We saw the Sky High school bus waiting for us in the usual place and hurried towards it. 

The doors opened to reveal Ron, who'd clipped a little flower to the chest pocket of his uniform.

"Well don't you girls look a picture," he smiled, "Hop in."