The Blessed Curse

The Unreliable

I close my pillow over my head, hoping that it'll block out the sound of Eva's incoming texts. It fails so I turn to my side and grab my phone off the nightstand, holding it above my face and dimming the brightness. It's six in the morning and Eva's already blowing my phone up.

Wakey, wakey

Have you started getting ready yet?

HHHEEELLOO!?

Forget it. I'm coming over now. You better be up and dressed before I get there.

I turn back over into my pillow and scream into it. I shoot straight up from my bed in an effort to gain a burst of energy and unplug my phone from the charger. The bathroom is attached to my room allowing me to walk in it without seeing a single person and catching a whiff of their morning breath. I step before the sink and turn the nozzle toward "cold" and splash the water on my face. Feeling like I've been smacked by ice, my eyes open wide and my stiff face feels invigorated. After brushing my teeth, I head toward the wardrobe in my room. Inside are enough dresses, pants, shirts and shoes to fill a store. So much choice. All I had before were raggedy sweaters, tight leggings, and shoes with holes at the bottom. Observing every dress gave me a headache, so I chose one through eenie meenie miney mo, and my fingers grasped a mid length white dress with a beautiful floral pattern. Then I chose white wedge heels to match it along with a pink bow for a pop of color. I head to the kitchen for a quick bite and find bagels along with cream cheese from raiding the fridge. Then, I go back to the bathroom and locate my makeup. I cover my face with an anti-red primer and blend it into every crevice. Then I finish up with mascara along with a lipstick with the shade of a rosey nude. Finished. I look up and the mirror reflects a girl who has naturally beautiful hair and doesn't have to disguise her stunning face with heavy makeup.

As I'm transfixed on my face, Mandy's face pops up in my mind. If she did perform the spell, then she should've switched bodies with another person, not disappear. I need to investigate her house, but I'll have to be discreet. The front door of the house was boarded up along with the widows. If I break in, then I'll be arrested before I can find any clues inside.

The doorbell rings and dread falls over me. It takes me a couple of minutes to finally reach the door and I unlock it, opening it to reveal Eva with her arms crossed and face in a scowl. "Didn't I tell you to unlock the door."

"You're right, I'm sorry. But look, I'm dressed aren't I?" I gesture my arms down the hem of my dress.

"Good for you for doing the bare minimum. Your mom normally answers the door, are your parents not here?"

"No they went to some banquet in Vermont and are staying the night there."

"Damnit, I was hoping we'd have more people to help out."

"Well, I'm here."

"You're here physically but not mentally."

"How can you be my friend when you always treat me like shit?"

"And how can you no longer give a shit about today and running for student council president?"

"That's not true. I do want to win."

"Then show it through your actions, not your words. I'm sick of you lying through your teeth."

"Fine. What should we do first?"

Eva instructs me to begin decorating the first floor of the mansion with balloons and my student council posters. She prepares an artichoke crab dip and serves it with crackers, setting them on plastic plates above the dining room table that is the size of a school bus. After an hour, more volunteers arrive to help with the finishing touches and the desolate mansion comes alive.