Bronze

Chapter 12 pt.2

Leah

After my bath, I changed. Transformed both physically and mentally. 

Wendy dropped off my dress and shoes, handed me a shopping bag full of makeup products, and bolted out the door. I didn't even have time to tell her how much I appreciated her. 

I stripped from my pajamas and slipped on the dress. It was a dark royal blue fabric with clear rhinestones along the midsection. Without sleeves, it showed off my slender arms and was only knee-length. My shoes were crystal pumps that only gave me a few inches in height because I was a clutz. I had no right wearing shoes higher than three inches. 

I'd never worn makeup before. It was against the law in the Marble pack to wear makeup if you were under the age of twenty. Anyone caught wearing it would be punished severely in places called "Circles." 

"Circles" were open places hidden deep within wooden areas, far from human societies, that were usually circular in shape. Here, wolves would be beaten, spat on, and mocked as punishment for their crimes. Depending on how horrid the crime was, the wolf would either be left outside for a few days, beaten to the point of death, or both. There was no in-between.

Today would be my first time. I hadn't even seen most of the stuff in the bag before. I knew the basics which were mascara and lipsticks, eyeshadow, and blush, but everything else was new. 

I pulled out this weird metal pincher thing. It looked like a cross between scissors and nail clippers, but with a rubber coating on the sharp parts. I wasn't going to touch that again.

Next out of the bag was a weird skin-tones liquid in a bottle. Was this what they called foundation? I shook it and placed it down.

I then pulled out brown powders called bronzer and contour. What in the world were these for? Was this what girls use to self-tan? 

There were eyeliners and shiny glitter powders. A large canister of white dust called 'Setting Powder' spilled all over my bed. Then a bottle of 'Setting Spray' came out and I realized they probably went together. 

There was some small glass bottles of nail polish, one navy and the other clear, that I put to the side for later. 

The last thing in the bag was an unopen package of brushes ranging from large and poofy, to small and stiff. Some were rounded in shape while others were edged. I liked the variety. 

Two hours later, a lot of colors spilled all over my sheets and nearly picking my eye out many times, my face was ready. Since I barely knew how to use most of the items, I opted for the basics and a very minimal approach. 

Soft blue eyes with long lashes, a small amount of light pink blush on the apples of my cheeks, filling in my eyebrows, and to top it off, some scarlet-colored lipstick. I also patted my face down with the 'Setting Powder' and sprayed way too much 'Setting Spray' in my eyes. I didn't know you were supposed to close them while also spraying from a distance. 

"Okay girly," I said to myself in the mirror. My wolf yelped in response since that was the name I gave her. "It's time to mingle like a Pringle."

*********

The banquet was outside.

 The pack house lawn was decorated with hanging lanterns and a wooden dance floor. Rounded tables with baby blue tablecloths were placed around the dance floor, each one having a beautiful bouquet of white flowers in the center and silver plates at the edges. 

A long buffet table spanned the side length of the house. I saw Wendy handing out food there. 

The DJ playing the music was set up on a stage. This stage had another long table that had plates and flowers placed on it like the rounded ones.