“Great, I can’t wait to see it,” I said, sarcasm dripping from my lips.
“You’ll thank me later. Guys are going to be all over you with that tight little body of yours,” she said, tossing me the black material.
“That’s not my goal but thanks, I guess,” I said. I held it out, inspecting it. It didn’t look as bad as I had thought, but it wasn’t something I would pick out for myself.
I turned, facing the wall, and kicked my jeans and tee off. I slid the stretchy black dress over my head. Turning, I inspected it in the mirror. It was a high-neck halter-top that stopped right after the curve of my ass. It was as modest as Josie could possibly be.
“Damn!” she said, looking at the dress. “I’m giving this dress to you. Oh my God, it makes your hair pop!”
“Uh, thanks,” I said, looking in the mirror once more. She was right. It did look awesome on me. The black material stood out against my creamy skin and vibrant red waves. I looked like Ariel gone bad.
“I’m serious. Here, sit in the chair. Let me do your makeup.” After being pinched and prodded for what felt like an eternity, Josie moved out of the way. It was ten minutes. “Ta-da!”
My eyes were the main focal point. They were smokey, but not over the top. Just enough to make a statement. My eyebrows were cleaned up and darkened, and my lips were a shade above neutral.
“Wow,” I said, touching my face to see if it was real. “I’m impressed.”
“I know,” she said, flipping her hair. “Your hair is perfect. I’m jealous. Let me get my makeup on and we’re out of here!”
I stood up, letting her take the chair. The butterflies in my stomach were laying eggs, producing more, and sending my anxiety into a full-blown attack. I didn’t know what to expect from tonight. I’d never been invited to a party and was starting to feel weird about being dressed up.
She covered her entire face in creamy makeup, and with a stroke of a brush added color to her cheekbones and forehead. I studied her, hoping to catch on to what she was doing. At some point in my college career, I must learn how to do makeup.
As if she knew I was watching her she looked up at me, smiling. That was the thing with beautiful people; they knew someone was always watching them. Josie babbled on about the party and a guy she hoped to run into. I tried to give her my attention, but my mind was on my foreign clothes, a party, and a boy that I hoped I wouldn’t run in to.
“Ready!” she said as she shot up from the chair. She slung her purse over her body, draping it at her side, and walked to the door. I followed closely behind her, catching my appearance in the mirror one last time. I look normal, I told myself. I grabbed my car keys, but Josie took them from me, laying them on the table.
“You’re riding with me, duh,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“What if I want to leave early?”
“I said I would leave when you’re ready, didn’t I?” she asked, eyebrow cocked at me. I nodded yes, but I seriously doubted that she would drop everything to take me back if I wanted to. I left all my fear and resolution at the door and followed her, fully trusting her.
Eight
“Does your offer still stand?” I asked, closing the door behind me. There were a dozen people looking at me; some curious, some smirking. In a room full of people, fresh meat always stood out.
“Not before you’ve given it a chance,” Josie said as she grabbed my hand, yanking me ahead of her. “Let’s get you a drink. You’ll have fun!”
She was yelling over the music as we walked through the sea of people. My initial shock had passed, and I realized no one cared about me. I was just another student among thousands at a university.
When Josie insisted, I go with her, my mind went to a stage, pig’s blood, and laughter. Sooner or later, I needed to realize the past was behind me. If I played the part, no one would realize who I really was. After all, we were all just searching for ourselves in college.
The kitchen was large and bright, peppered with students talking around a keg. Josie grabbed a cup and mixed two drinks, handing me one. She smiled as she took a drink of hers. Her attention was all over the place as she scanned the crowd.
“There he is,” Josie attempted to whisper. I looked over, finding a guy I’d never seen before. Josie was holding her drink to her chest, grinning. When she looked at me, her brows shot up with a mischievous smile. “Be right back.”
She draped her arms around his back, holding her hands over his eyes. When he turned around and spotted her, I knew it was over. I was being ditched at my first outing.
“Great,” I mumbled as I took a seat on an empty chair in the kitchen. I took a sip of the drink for the first time, noting it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be. It was sweet, and I didn’t feel like I was instantly turning into an alcoholic like my mother warned me would happen.
I am not feeling sorry for myself.
I slumped over my cup, looking around the room. Everyone seemed to know each other, or they were too consumed with their drinks to care. I picked up my red cup, inspecting it. Here goes nothing. I lifted the cup to my lips, pouring the rest of it down my throat. My face scrunched up in disgust. The second taste was worse than the first.
“You came,” he said from behind me. I froze.
“You invited
