Fate is a Funny Thing

How Can This Be?

This is too weird. I've never been to a wedding before, never mind as part of a group of people that know the bride personally. This morning Hazel and Zahlee shook me awake at the crack of dawn so we could get ready for the wedding. We were all under the impression Evan was going to go to the wedding on his own, but he convinced Zahlee to come with him, who in turn insisted that we all go together. The more the merrier. Mason was going to open up the gym, but Evan argued that he should just leave it closed for the day.

Staring out of Hazel's car window, I yawn dramatically earning a punch from Zahlee.

"Doesn't hurt as much as it used to," I smirk, proudly inspecting my arm.

"I can try harder if you really want," she smiles innocently, and I burst out laughing.

"I think I'm good, Z."

Finally, we pull up at the salon and go inside. I wonder about how their business actually works because their opening hours seem a little hazy. Voicing these questions to them they tell me about how most of their clients are bookings, and they very rarely ever take walk-ins. If they are doing a booking and there is a walk-in, then they are more than happy to do business. However, if there are no bookings, the salon is usually closed and they obviously don't take walk-ins. They haven't got any bookings for the day, so we have the morning to get ready for the wedding.

They get out the brushes, pallets and other products that we're going to use and I just stand in the corner, eating a banana, praying that they'll be doing the work for me because I have no idea how to do hair and make-up. I don't even know the names of most of the items they're placing on the counter.

Why am I so stupid?

They both take a seat and gesture for me to do the same. Running their hands through their hair, they tie it up, presumably because they want to start with their make-up. Seeing as I literally don't know what to do, I just copy them. I tie my hair up and cleanse my face. Noticing Zahlee watching me from the corner of her eye, I shrink into my seat and wait to see what they're going to do next.

"So, we need to do this strategically to make the least amount of mess but still look sexy," Zahlee announces, getting weird looks from Hazel and me. She then starts ordering what we need to apply, one product at a time, waiting for us both to have correctly applied it before moving on to the next. Hazel seems confused but goes along with it anyway. I realise her focus is mainly on me and then I clock on to what she's doing. Instead of calling me out on not knowing how to do something as basic as make-up and doing it for me, she's giving me the chance to learn how to do it myself. She's doing it without making me feel stupid.

Smiling to myself, I obey her and am surprisingly pleased with the end result. Next up is hair, and I don't bother fooling myself into thinking I can do it myself. Pointing this out to the girls, they both smile warmly and start with my hair first. They pin it up beautifully in a low bun, leaving some of my hair to fall freely by my face so the whole look is messy, but a cute type of messy. Then they get to work on their own hair, and I help them out as much as I can. Zahlee goes for a slicked-back look, whereas Hazel opts for a fish plait.

Once we're ready Hazel drops me off at Mason's before going home to get herself ready. Sneaking inside, I dash up the stairs and shut my door behind me. Mason calls out my name from the hallway to make sure it's me that came in and not someone else. I shout back a response and then look at the dress hung up behind my bedroom door and smile in remembrance of how I got it.

It was right after Evan and Zahlee convinced everyone to join them at the wedding, that I realised I couldn't go because I didn't have a dress. Discretely, I told Zahlee and Evan and I apologised for being such an inconvenience. When the girls woke me up in the morning, they waited for me to get ready in their car, and just as I left Rafael stopped me before I got to the top of the stairs. He was hiding something behind him but ushered me back towards my room. My smile widens as I recall the conversation.