We Are Tidal

Chapter Twenty-Seven - This Youth is Ours

(** Today's header photo comes from the iconic movie, Clueless! One of my absolute favourites**)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

This Youth is Ours

When Willow's name pops up on my phone, I answer her FaceTime request, prompting my phone on a shelf inside one of the open kitchen cabinets over the hob.

"I hope you've showered today, Dyl," She says, ever-so-sweetly to me, not bothering with hellos. I roll my eyes and continue stirring the pot of pasta on the stove in front of me, fidgeting as Arya runs in between my feet. Any sign of food and Arya was always around, begging for crumbs.

"Should I be insulted?" I laugh, knowing that Willow has long since suspected that I spent my days off from college and dance in my pajamas eating terrible food. She couldn't be more right.

"It's seven in the evening on a Saturday," She begins and I immediately know where this is going. 

"No, no, no!" I shout and Sansa growls moodily from her bed by the fireplace in the adjoining sitting room. Willow raises her hands in obvious innocence and I see that she is halfway through painting her nails. 

"Okay, hear me out, Dyl!" She speaks louder than me, overpowering me. "You need a night out, Ava and Nicole do too. Everything has been so crazy lately! We need time together." 

She's using our friendship as leverage and knows she will win. So does she by the look of her triumphant smile.

"But I was settled on watching The Office in bed tonight," I whine, already mourning the quiet weekend I had planned. I had already put off Arthur, saying I needed some downtime this weekend. Plus, I had a bucketload of coursework to catch up on for college that had gone by the wayside for dance rehearsals with Gabe. 

"I don't give a fuck, being honest," Willow says cheerfully, "Expect us to be there in twenty minutes to get ready." 

Just like that, my best friend hangs up the call and I resign myself to checking the liquor cabinet to see what gin or vodka I have in the house. My parents had rarely drunk but out of tradition, I still used their cabinet. 

When the doorbell rang, twenty minutes later, I am showered and my hair is twisted up in a towel and I've eaten pasta straight from the pan. I answer the door in my fluffiest dressing gown and am immediately bombarded by my friends, hugging me, kissing my cheeks and tossing their outfit choices onto the couch. 

"You need to sort out your roots, darlin'," Ava tells me as kindly as possible, pulling my hair out of a towel and tugging my head down forcefully to look at where my new blonde roots meet my dark silver dye job. I shove her off with a smile, leading the way up to my room. Nicole grabs some glasses from the kitchen and Willow tells me she brought my favourite new mixer; blackcurrant juice. 

"You know I'm powerless against vodka and blackcurrant!" 

In response, Willow simply cheerfully sloshes the vodka bottle.

*

The next few hours are a mess of hair curlers, straighteners, eyelash extensions, and two spills on the carpet in my bedroom. Arya and Sansa yap joyfully as Nicole plays The 1975 over and over again, lamenting tipsily about the beauty of Matty Healy.

"Can you please, please shut up about Matty?" I wail and Nicole gives me the finger. 

"He's my newest love since I've recovered from my adoration of Haley from Paramore." She grins, her eyes already betraying just how tipsy she is. At this, Ava raises a fist in solidarity with Nicole. Nicole was out as bisexual since before college, whereas Ava was a little more ambiguous about her sexuality. It's never been a topic that any of us broach as she usually becomes uncomfortable.