My Favourite Part

52: t.g.i.f

"Barbara, I love you, but if you blink again, I will kill you before you get to turn 19."

Babe holds her eyes open with fingers above and below her eye, but that only seems to fluster Caz further.

"No, no, you're gonna mess up my eyeshadow!"

By 'my eyeshadow', she means Babe's, but having done the makeup herself, Caz is taking the whole thing very seriously.

I laugh, exchanging a look with Bea and Lisa as we empty bags of ice into the drinks coolers, and I'm suddenly very grateful Caz did my makeup earlier in the night.

It's half an hour until the time when the invitation says the party starts – so, in teenspeak, at least an hour and a half until things actually kick off. Caz and I came over straight from school to help with the most vital tasks: hair and makeup, playlist selection, and, of course, snacks. The only things left to do now are order the pizzas, mix the guac and, apparently, get Babe's mascara right.

"Aaand... done," Caz finally smiles, standing back to admire her work.

She's enhanced Babe's insane natural curls with a fancy mousse, and given her a runway-worthy smize with a golden sunset eyeshadow look, completed with a pretty plain lip.

"Stunning. Absolutely stunning," I say, as a compliment to both the artist and her model. The artist flips her hair and takes a playful bow, whilst the model blushes furiously.

"You're one to talk," Babe nods at me, evading the compliment in her modest way. I smile my thanks, but she's never been the best at receiving compliments. Her cheeks flush noticeably even under the blush Caz used, and I get the sense that she's still getting used to the feeling of wearing something other than a designer tracksuit and Jordans. She's in a pretty gold beaded mini dress, looking nothing short of royalty, and as much as she rolls her eyes, we know she secretly loves the glam.

"Have you, um, have you finished picking the playlist? Did you add WAP?" Babe says, blinking rapidly as she attempts to change to the topic.

"I'll add it right now," I smile, shaking my head. I guess I'll spare her the embarrassment this once.

It's Babe's party, but technically we're all hosting together, and something about kneeling on the sofa in my dress to finalise the music while Caz perfects her highlight in the mirror and Babe gives the watermelon punch a final stir makes me think of 13 year old us, getting all excited over lunch break as we planned our grandiose futures together. Roommates, naturally. An Upper Manhattan penthouse, obviously. The three musketeers, throwing epic parties, kicking the working world's ass, and grabbing life by the bollocks. I'd almost forgotten all about it.

The thought makes me smile as I complete the playlist. My smile turns mischievous as I hit play on 'I Gotta Feeling' by The Black Eyed Peas, and Caz and I burst into laughter when Babe groans out loud at how unbelievably 2009 it is.

"Oh my God, please, no."

Bea and Lisa, however, seem to rather enjoy the ironic choice of song. The two of them cabbage patch to the rhythm with gleeful smiles, which widen when they note Babe's embarrassment.

"What?" Bea laughs, circling her shoulders with extra vigour as she asks, "You don't like our moves? Come on, this one used to be a hit!"

"Mhm, and I'd rather be hit, over the head, with a brick, than watch this any longer," Babe says, and she stands and extends her own arms to try and still their enthusiastic boogying. "Promise you'll stay in the guesthouse unless we call."

Lisa lets in, panting after giving that cabbage patch her all,

"Alright, alright, we'll remain banished for Barbara's Birthday Bash."