The Fighter

Chapter 24: The Fall Ball

"Okay, I'm zippering," Laura said, before fiddling with my dress from behind. 

"Can you do it any faster?" I was holding my hair uncomfortably from my shoulders so she wouldn't catch it in the dress. I began fidgeting. My room suddenly felt very small as we crouched upon each other and the exaggerated pinks of my childhood began aggressing their way into my consciousness. 

"You are a child," she said laughing and I snapped out of my dramatic descent. 

I looked at myself in the mirror. I was different and actually proud of it. For the first time in my teenage life I actually felt like the makeup I was wearing suited me. My dark eyes were surrounded by a soft smokey shadow with a hint of deep green on the lid. Laura says green makes brown eyes pop, and I couldn't stop looking at them. Mascara and winged liner brought definition to the smoky softness, and my lips were finally dressed in a tint that flattered my smile. I felt like a goddess in emerald. 

"There!" Laura stepped back and we admired ourselves in the mirror before striking exaggerated poses that make us look terrible. 

"I feel so pretty," I said happily. 

"You are my work of art," Laura said. She was beaming and beautiful as usual, in a dazzlingly sparkly silver dress with her curled hair flowing over her shoulders. 

"You look stunning," I said and she cheekily flipped her hair. 

"Oh this old thing? It's just practice for prom next year." 

I rolled my eyes. "Practice for prom?" 

"Do not judge me, Sophie Edna Taylor." 

I sighed in defeat. "Can we not." 

"Yes we can not," Laura smiled. "We shall go instead." 

We left my room, and I couldn't help but feel ostentatious in my house, our heels knocking loudly on the steps as we made our way downstairs. It caused everyone to assemble and admire us, as parents do when you dress up. I was feeling very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"How beautiful!" Our moms were saying. 

"Mhmm," I said, "but we should probably go right now so..."

"Sophie! We need to take some pictures!" My mother came forward with her iPhone. I knew those pictures would be blurry and half of them would be depicting the floor, so it was all a waste of time, but whatever, I guess I'd want something to remember the night by. 

Josh was forced in-between me and Laura to take the sibling picture that no one really wants. "God," he said, "I might suffocate, you both smell like a Bath and Body Works." 

"Hey, hey." It was Mark, our savior and our driver. "I got Xavier's truck for the night!" He was sticking out his tongue and holding up the keys. 

Laura and I laughed. Mark really cleaned up dashingly. He was wearing a tux and I  think he got a haircut. 

"Is Xavier..." I began softly when I got close to Mark, trailing off as it seemed he knew what I'd be asking. 

Mark shook his head. "But don't worry, I have a bit of a plan." 

After mine and Laura's dad both gave us boyish, half-hearted warnings about staying away from guys which I'm sure they knew were pointless, we were finally let free. I let Laura take shotgun next to Mark and I slumped down in the back like their moody child. 

"This plan better be different from the last one," I muttered. 

"Xavier is actually finishing up a baseball game. I say, we show up and goad him into coming." Mark caught my eye through the rearview and winked.